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Cali Rivera makes cowbells, timbales and other percussion instruments in his small shop in the Bronx. Forty-five years ago he started out with a dream to make the perfect cowbell. These days, almost all cowbells are made by machine. Cali is the last in New York to make the bells by hand, and musicians come from around the world to buy his instruments.
You can get more information about Cali's cowbells by contacting JCR Percussion in the Bronx: 718-293-6589
The Next Big Thing (NPR) 3/2/2002
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Piece Description
Cali Rivera makes cowbells, timbales and other percussion instruments in his small shop in the Bronx. Forty-five years ago he started out with a dream to make the perfect cowbell. These days, almost all cowbells are made by machine. Cali is the last in New York to make the bells by hand, and musicians come from around the world to buy his instruments. You can get more information about Cali's cowbells by contacting JCR Percussion in the Bronx: 718-293-6589 The Next Big Thing (NPR) 3/2/2002
Transcript
Cali Rivera?COWBELL MAKER
New York Works: Audio Portraits of a Vanishing City
Produced by: Emily Botein & Joe Richman & Ben Shapiro
The Next Big Thing (NPR) 3/2/2002
Dean Olsher: If you like Latin music, you are likely to have heard a percussion section that includes a cowbell. And if it was a record made in New York chances are also good that that cowbell was made by Cali Rivera. Up until the 1960's, all cowbells were pretty much made by hand. Today the bells are more popular than ever but they're made in factories. Except for one place in the Bronx, a one-room workshop, where they are still made the old-fashion way.
Cali Rivera, cowbell maker: I'm Cali Rivera and my shop is right in the heart of the Bronx. The Bronx, you know the Bronx? Yeah. I am about two and a half blocks from the Yankee stadium. We make any kind of percussion instrument. But my main thing here is the bel...
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