"El
Ciuda'Noy Campesino"
- Henry
Guedon (Martinique) |
Henry Guedon is a fantastically
talented musician from Martinique. In addition to playing latin/salsa
music he is an excellent jazz musician and groovy funk/afro artist.
This song is from the collection "Creole Love Calls - Rythmes des
Antilles"
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"Sonaremos
el Tambo"
- Mike Guagenti (NY) |
Mike
Guagenti was italian but grew up in Spanish Harlem in New York. He
taught himself the language and slang from his latino friends. He also
learned to play timbales. In 1978 recorded the album "Salsa con
Charanga" on the Orfeon label. This fantastic record is
unfortunately not yet on cd. It has a unique sound based on the sound
of a sextet a.la. Joe Cuba but adding violins and flute by Pupi
Legaretta. The result is this immensely groovy version of this cuban
classic that has also been recorded by Orquesta Kubavana, Tipica'73,
Sonora Poncena, Latin Tempo, Rumba Club, Orquesta del Sol,
Tito
Puente and more!
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"Mentira"
- Justo Betancourt con Conjunto Borincuba (NY/Cuba) |
The
cuban sonero Justo Betancourt in superb form with his own group
"Conjunto Borincuba". From the album "Aqui" from 1979
with Tito
Rojas and Justo Betancourt on vocals. En fantastically swinging song
with great breaks and catchy lyrics. On the Libra records label.
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"Gozaremos
de Verdad"
- Conjunto Candela (NY/Cuba) |
From the album "Conjunto Candela vol 2" from 1977 on Combo records.
Fantastic bass solo by Victor Venegas and a refrain to dig, "guaracha
con rumba".
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"Senor Gallo"
- Federico jr y Su Magia Caribena (Venezuela) |
Brand
new salsa from Venezuela that hopefully soon will be on an album.
Federico jr is son of legendary Federico from Federico y
Su Combo
that was one of the greats in Venezuelan salsa. This one has a huge
swing and one rarely hears such a playful sonero these days. It must be
because this was recorded with the whole band in studio. Look for it on
www.magiacaribena.com
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"Cuanto
Te Quiero"
- Mario Ortiz |
Mario
Ortiz from Puerto Rico was active since the 60's. This song is real
pyrotechnics with superb breaks, groovy bass topped with a timbalero
that is totally on it! From the album "Borinquen Flame" from
1977 which again is an LP hard to find. This album is also historically
significant in that it contains the debut of Gilberto Santa Rosa at 14
years old (!) on some of the songs.
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"Achilipu"
- Fruko y Sus Tesos (Colombia) |
This
is one of the definitely best versions of Achilipu, a very well known
tune usually associated with El Gran Combo. This version is from
Colombian bandleader Fruko. Fruko is a legend in Colombian music who
has been on top and still is(!) since his debut in 1970 with the album
"Tesura". This song is from the album "A La Memoria del Muerto" from
1972 on Discos Fuentes. Recently re-issued on cd called "de Long
Play" (2006) also on Discos Fuentes. Listen to that groove! feel that
sweet pianosolo!
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"La Lucha"
- La Excelencia (NY) |
La
Excelencia is a brand new group from New York. They have a raw new
sound that is simply a breath of fresh air into NY salsa that promises
a lot for the future of this music! They have that energy and
enthusiasm that you find in classic salsa from the 1970's, that "Ahora
Es Cuando Es" feeling of it is really now it is happening. They have
gotten great reviews and are playing the hottest venues in New York and
more every week. The whole album is highly recommended. A Salsa bomb!
Buy it here!
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"Whistling Mambo"
- Randy Carlos (NY) |
This record also contains the debut of piano player Larry Harlow that
would later go on to a prominent role in the Fanial All Stars.Randy
Carlos was a bandleader with great success in the 50's Mambo and
Cha-cha-cha crazear en bandleder på 50-tallet med stor suksess
på
datidens Mambo- og Cha-Cha-Cha-feber. From the album "Having a
Ball" on Fiesta records from 1958. This is a true to the bone
mambo with a unique twist in that the melody is whistled(!). Also
listen to Randy Carlos' guitar sound that reminds you a lot of La Playa
Sextet of the same time. The tune "Whistling Mambo" has since also been
covered by "Conjunto Ingenieria".
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"Canto a Chango"
- Mike Rosario y Su Orquesta La Muralla (NY) |
Mike
Rosario y La Muralla is another group that use this guitar sound, but
this time in salsa stylee. This is salsa with real temperament and
drive. Listen to the break into afro-cuban rumba in the middle! This
song is dedicated to the religion of Santeria and the god Chango. This
is Mike Rosario's debut and unfortunately only available on LP and a
collectors item, but still a completely fantastic album on the MAS
label.
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"Lo Que Fue Machito"
- Rudy Regalado y chevere (NY) |
From
the album "La Gloria" from 2004. A real swinging tribute to "the
greatest latin dance band of all times", namely Machito and His
Afro-Cubans. Machito was the greatest cuban bandleader who went to
New York. He and Mario Bauza and Graciela (maybe the real queen of
afro-cuban music?) are some of the most remembered cuban artists
through time right up there with Arsenio Rodriguez and Beny More. This
song has great breaks and excellent dance tempo for every mambo/salsa
dancer!
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"Latina"
- Victor Paz (PR) |
From
Victor Paz from Puerto Rico we find this nugget of gold from the
album "Con Mas Sabor Que Nunca" from 1986 on his own record
label Paz
records. This is a supersweet salsatune from what many call the
greatest trumpeter in latin music. This is an instrumental salsa tune
that some also will call latin jazz, but except for the fact that it
contains no lyrics the rythmic and melodic contents and the arrangement
is typical of a puerto rican salsa tune. Listen to the great
trupmets and the awesome guitar on this one!
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"Brujeria"
- Maikel Blanco (Cuba) |
New
cuban salsa from 2006 and the album "Recoge y Vete". Brujeria means
witch craft or magic and this album is one of the very best to
come from Cuba in the last few years. All the tracks are great and
danceable. This is one track that shines with a great drive and great
tension building throughtout the song.
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"Descarga Pa'l Bailador"
- Alex Leon (NY/PR) |
Completely
new late 2006 and a fantastic dansenumber. It has the form of a
descarga, that is an afro-cuban jam session where the musicians
improvise taking turns throughout the song. All the time the tension
builds and the groove is just there, !ahi na ma! This record ia s great buy. Find it here.
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"Un Infeliz"
- Joe Acosta (NY) |
Now
this is real Salsa! A mix of several rythms and a trombone based
conjunto sound a.la. Willie Colon and Hector Lavo. From the album
"Encore Otra Vez" from 1973 on Solo Records. The song is like many
other songs about a woman who has made him unhappy, but this is no
sappy salsa romantica but salsa with strength! Listen to the emotions
that sonero Sammy Ayala brings.
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"Inspector Charanga"
- Real Charanga (Colombia) |
A
salsa version of Henry Mancini's tune, "Inspector Charanga" that swings
hard and has a deep bass groove. Gritty piano solo and cool breaks with
piano, violin and flutes like a charanga orchestra should have. This
one is different from a regular charanga arrangement because of the
strong bass drive. This is also an instrumental salsa tune and
immensely danceable. You can find it here.
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"Mala
Reputacion"
- Sol del Caribe (Italia) |
All
newly released 2006/2007 from the collection "Salsa.it vol 3" which is
a collection of some of the best bands in Italy at the moment. This
song is an energy bombe with a mix of salsastyles and reminds you the
most of the newer cuban sound from Los Van Van and Pupy y Los Que Son
Son, Mayito Rivera etc.
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"Lisa La Boriqua"
- Angel Melendez y Su 911 (Chicago) |
From 2001,
and sadly hard to get in the stores or on the net, but it will/must
return! This is a monster tune for dancers. Wicked groove from the
percussionists and the bassist. The piano player makes a fantastik
piano solo and everything is topped by a timbale solo that brings down
the house. This one takes you somewhere -- "pa'l monte pa' guarachar"!
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"La Boa"
- Hector Rivera (NY) |
Great son montuno/guajira from
Hector Rivera. Hector Rivera is a musician that has been in the
business since the 1950's and all the way until the 80's. He is best
known as the writer/arranger bhind many of Joe Cuba's hits. But his own
records contain lots of gems that definitely deserve more attention
than the record labels could give them at the time they came out. This
one is from the classic and collector's item "Charanga y Pachanga"
but has been re-issued and can be had for a small price but is easiest
to find on vinyl for example here!
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