Top Salsa-Latin Jazz-Afro Cuban Music Picks 2012
Hi Everyone, the following are my picks for the best recordings of 2012. I focus on Salsa, Latin Jazz and Afro-Cuban music which is presented on my radio program “Con Sabor” on Saturday evenings from 9 to 11 pm on KPFA 94.1 FM. I’ve enjoyed sharing these recordings with you on my program. I hope that you pick up one of these titles for your collection. I wish you Happy Holidays! ARTIST/TITLE/LABEL EDDIE MONTALVO “DESDE NUEVA YORK A PUERTO RICO” – SENOR MARCHA CHEO FELICIANO/RUBEN BLADES “EBA SAY AJA” – ARIEL RIVAS MUSIC RALPH IRRIZARY Y LOS VIEJOS DE LA SALSA “VIEJOS PERO SABROSOS” – BKS LA EXCELENCIA “ECOS DEL BARRIO” – HANDLE WITH CARE SANTIAGO ALL STARS “JOYA Y RAREZA” – HASBUN PRODUCTIONS MARLOW ROSADO Y LA RIQUENA “RETRO” – PINK CHAOS CUBANA ALL STARS “A DREAM COME TRUE” – VCM BAILATINO “ANIVERSARIO” – PRODUCE KORTA SEPTETO SANTIAGUERO “VAMOS PA’ LA FIESTA” – PICAP PACIFIC MAMBO ORCHESTRA “PMO” – PACIFIC MAMBO ALEXANDER ABREU/HAVANA D’PRIMERA “PASAPORTE” – BIS PAPO VASQUEZ “OASIS” – PICARO WILSON CHEMBO CORNIEL “AFRO BLUE MONK” – CHEMBORO CHARANSALSA “PA’L MI PUEBLO” – CHARANSALSA TOP RELEASES FROM LATE 2011 INTO 2012 VARIOUS SONO SONO TITE CURET – BANCO POPULAR MICHAEL STUART “TRIBUTO A LOUIE RAMIREZ” – RLM NG LA BANDA MIS 22 ANOS –...
read moreEl Gran Combo visits…
This Saturday, December 15th, the iconic El Gran Combo visits the San Francisco Bay Area celebrating their 50th Anniversary at Cafe Cocomo. This group that was created by members of Rafael Cortijo’s orquesta back in 1962 brings their trademark sound that has launched a galaxy of hits throughout their illustrious career. Their leader, pianist/musical director Rafael Ithier will conduct the Combo but has stopped performing live as their pianist a number of years ago (the esteemed pianist/producer Willie Sotelo has taken Ithier’s place in live performance). Their front line of vocalists Charlie Aponte, Jerry Rivas (who took over Andy Montanez’s place back in the 70’s) and Papo Rosario have been performing as a team since that time. The band has always been a tight unit who performs with precision, style and fire. This is the classic Rolls Royce of Salsa from Puerto Rico but always with the love and heart of their public fueling this classic hit making...
read moreThings To Do And Listen To…December 2012
Scenes to look out for during December: El Gran Combo will be bringing their 50th Anniversary tour to Cafe Cocomo on Saturday, December 15th. Pepe Y Su Orquesta will be opening the show. The last time that El Gran Combo played at Cocomo, it was packed to the brim. Expect the same. You may want to get your tickets at www.cafecocomo.com. Pete Escovedo will be celebrating the next year at Yoshis in Oakland from Friday, Dec. 28 through New Years Eve. His sons Peter Michael Escovedo and Juan Escovedo will join him along with his big band playing his brand of Latin Jazz, Salsa and those fabulous Azteca classics. Timbalero extraordinare Eric Rangel has led his Orquesta America for the past two decades and is a staple of the SF Bay Area Salsa scene having played with Conjunto Cespedes, Salsa Caliente, Conjunto Rovira and others. He has been recently diagnosed with throat cancer and is undergoing surgery and treatment. There will be a benefit/tribute to Eric by former bandmates and friends at El Vacilon in Treasure Island on Sunday, December 16 from 4 to 11 pm with the likes of Avance, Borinquen, Candela, Pepe Gonzalez, Julio Bravo and other special guests. DJ Carlitos Way and yours truly will be spinning in-between sets. Proceeds to offset medical costs. New cd’s out now by Diego Gale, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Sammy Gonzalez, Alberto Barros, Alexander Abreu y Havana D’Primera, Victor Manuelle, Papo Vasquez Mighty Pirates Troubadours, Poncho Sanchez, Pete Escovedo, Septeto Santiaguero, DJ Ricky Campanelli, N’Klabe, NG2, Tito Puente’s six cd box set and more. Hopefully you already have your copy of the Eddie Montalvo, Bailatino and Chembo Corniel recordings that have been out for a little while...
read moreVenezuela’s Bailatino-Explosive music 4 your collection
Bailatino, one of the finest of Venezuela’s contemporary Salsa orchestras have put out their latest recording “Aniversario”. Their horn sound is defined by their two trombone and flute attack. Veteran percussionist Jose “Cheo” Navarro leads this fine band through a swinging repertoire of Salsa, Descarga, Cha Cha and Latin Jazz. Edgar “Dolor” Quijada (what a great nickname for a vocalist) leads Bailatino’s charged vocal trio throughout the entire cd. Venezuela has some of the finest musicians playing in the Salsa and Latin Jazz genres. Bailatino keeps raising the bar in terms of bringing interesting and challenging arrangements to compliment their ferocious swing. This is evident in “Aniversario” when you listen to a tune such as “Donde Estara Margot” (the single from the cd) or “La Vampira”. Do not overlook this cd among the many fine new Salsa recordings that this season has to offer. This is worth seeking...
read moreTommy Olivencia is lifting me up.
I’m listening to the salsariffic sounds of Tommy Olivencia on my headphones. Furious conga solo dancing in my head through my trusty Sony phones. Horn section converging within into the jumpin’ descarga. A timbales solo racing in front of a swinging big band. It’s being a rough day…things not together..misunderstandings…heated words…tense..momentary setbacks but setbacks nonetheless. Tommy was celebrating his 40th Anniversary with PR all stars: Paquito Guzman, Sammy Gonzalez, Hector Tricoche, former Bay Area resident Melvin Martinez, Lalo Rodriguez and Gilberto Santa Rosa. Taking me to the dance floor in my studio..big band salsa mania a la puerto rico…they don’t fool around with the salsa in p.r.. Afincado!!! Bad day going away…Tommy reminds me of la salsa de verdad! We got to remind everyone that this music still exists. Chillin’...
read moreSepteto Santiaguero – Son Sublime!
El Septeto Santiaguero have put out a new recording “Vamos Pa La Fiesta” that is a beautiful testament to the Cuban Son. This compositions are classic but not tired relics of an authentic form of music. The music is full of excitement, joy, regret, sadness and the gamut of emotions that reflect life’s experiences. Septeto Santiaguero are not as well known as other groups that perform the Cuban son but this recording may be their big breakthrough. Not only are they incredible musicians and singers whose vocal timbres and phrasing invoke the spirit of Cuni, Barroso, Valdes and Piniero. They also feature special guest collaborations from guests such as Ruben Blades, Cheo Feliciano, Jose Alberto “El Canario”and percussionist extraordinare Luisito Quintero. The result is a rich listening experience which transports you to the island where the Son is a respected national treasure that keeps evolving with every new generation. You can feel the energy as this solid group performs Son with a certain heartfelt afinque that is truly their own. I had the opportunity to catch them live at last year’s Tempo Latino festival in France where they tore it up! This recording should open doors for this fine...
read moreTiempo Libre with SF Symphony at Dolores Park
One of the fine moments I did have this Summer was my MC stint with Tiempo Libre along with the SF Symphony at Dolores Park this past July. The San Francisco Symphony travelled to Dolores Park on a sunny Sunday afternoon in the Mission last July 22nd. The community that watched the free show had their picnic spots set up at the Park. The Mission Cultural Center were involved in this concert with the Symphony along with the SF Arts Commission and the McKesson corporation. The Symphony brought with them a powerhouse of a band with Tiempo Libre, an exciting Miami based septet made up of Cuban born musicians who are adept at playing Afro-Cuban son, timba and salsa. I was invited by the San Francisco Symphony to emcee their event at Dolores Park. I represented KPFA and my program “Con Sabor”. The park which was packed to the gills by a wide cross section of people from timba aficionados to the trendy “beautiful” people to some folks who wouldn’t have stepped on Dolores Park soil let alone the Mission a decade ago. However since gentrification has changed the population and landscape of the Mission, the opportunity seemed right for the Symphony to throw this free classical music bacchanal. The expansive staging and sound were top-notch. The Symphony were dressed in their Sunday best attire. The Symphony were set up in a u formation on stage while the center of the stage was set up with Tiempo Libre’s equipment. The Symphony presented their special program of classical music with a Latin theme for the first half of the show. The Symphony started the second half by playing a short suite before introducing Tiempo Libre. People moved past the barricades in the large grassy area in the front of the stage and turned it into a dance floor for the duration of the set. Tiempo Libre was superb. The band led by keyboardist Jorge Gomez took the stage and tore it up with their musically fat sounding versions of timeless Cuban classic standards such as “Que Bueno Baila Usted”, “El Manicero” and “Son De La Loma”. The band had a tight and explosive sound while their vocalist Joaquin Diaz danced and grinded “a la timba cubana” while he sang his pregones (refrains) to a happy crowd. The symphony backed Tiempo Libre sounding like a massive charanga with their string arrangements. The fired up crowd brought back Tiempo Libre for an encore after they played their set of rehearsed numbers with the Symphony. Suddenly, the band switched to a hypnotic timba rhythm and the crowd went crazy! The syncopated sounds of the keyboards, driving synths, funk bass, the fierce polyrhythms of the percussion locked into the timba groove while Diaz led a call and response with the excited crowd. They managed to get quite a few hands in the air at the SF Symphony concert. A few Symphony musicians who were on stage dancing in their seats while grooving to the irresistible rhythms of Tiempo Libre! Thanks to Louisa Spier and the fine staff at the SF Symphony, the SF Arts Commission and the Mission Cultural Center for their support and tireless work at pulling this event off! It was a memorable afternoon to be a part...
read moreMoving
I have been missing in action for most of this summer. I moved to a new place. In the process, I missed most of the events, concerts, happenings and even some promotional activities that I set up for the station that I work for and represent. It’s a mental and physical process that taxes you because of the countless amount of details involved in business transactions, the preparations and packing that needs to be done before a move and finally, in the emotional transition from one place to another. Change can be exhilarating, frightening, hopeful…in short, the whole gamut of emotions at the same time. My wife Isidra and I wanted to take the family to a place where my son Adrian would be able to grow beyond the craziness of Oaktown. So we did it. We still have business to settle there as well as adjusting to our new surroundings. There is good news..I am refocusing on activating this blog again because in my life…music really...
read moreNotes From A Friday Night
Last Friday night, I was running around taking care of business but I managed to catch some music along the way around San Francisco. My friends at La Bohemia Productions presented Paris based Sergent Garcia who rocked the trendy Mezzanine club with this latin Reggae world groove. He cheerfully led the crowd who was dancing to his raggamuffin beat. His rhymes flowing on top of his anthemic funky dance hall salsa-fied sound. On the other side of the city, the outside air was in a cold mist and the music hot at the Fillmore Plaza stage of the Salsa Festival At The Fillmore last weekend. The festival was produced by Roy Bennett with assistance from Neftali Rosado (leader of Pa’l Bailador). I caught Carlos Del Sol leading a blistering salsa all-stars ensemble featuring renowned timbalero Louie Romero, trumpeter Julius Melendez, pianist Marco Diaz, bassist Saul Sierra, trombonist Jaime Dubberly..you get the idea. Salsa Dura was on the menu as vocalist Del Sol served it up as he fronted this band with swing. Del Sol makes an engaging frontman blessed with his idol looks and fine voice. He was joined by another fine vocalist singing lead on the other tunes. Grupo Bakkan also was on fire with their commercial brand of Salsa with three vocalists led by Toni Neito. And the multi-cultural Bay Area crowd agreed with that assessment by packing the Yoshi’s lounge dance floor as Bakkan put out the hits. Veteran sonero Fito Reinoso shook the Rasselas spacious back room with his blazing Cuban son, salsa and timba. Backed by the latest version of his long running band “Ritmo Y Armonia”, Reinoso stretched out the tunes until the dancers had to totally surrender to his ectastic sound. Somewhere in-between everything, I went to support the KPFA sponsored event featuring veteran English roots rocker James Hunter. He seduced the Bimbos 365 crowd with his retro 50’s-60’s blue-eyed English soul. Hunter was a master craftsman at working the crowd with deep soul pouring out of his voice on every tune. His vocal chops and tasty guitar work drove the tight band to higher...
read moreEssential Listening July 2012
Here are a pair of great cds just in time for Summer listening: Cheo Feliciano/Ruben Blades “Eba Say Aja”(Ariel Rivas Music) – Two of Salsa great soneros make a gem of a recording! They sing each other’s hits backed by a “phat” Vibes sound a la Joe Cuba and a tight rhythm section. These distinctive stylists are at the top of their game: Blades’s sharp intense flow compliments the smooth Feliciano whose soneos are on point. They get together for two soulful duets “Lo Bueno Ya Viene” and the dynamic bolero “Si Te Dicen”. The real delight is hearing Ruben covering Feliciano’s signature tunes such as “Nina” and Feliciano coming back with a gorgeous version of Blades’ “Sin Tu Carino”. La Excelencia “Ecos Del Barrio” (Handle With Care) – With their hearts on their sleeve, this street wise monster of a band has put out their best recording so far. Salsa dura con conciencia is what La Excelencia does best. “La Economia” says it all with it’s relevant social commentary and afinque. This band swings with fire as it chronicles what is happening with the neighborhood today. Their big bold sound also takes an Asian flavor with the irresistible “Descarga La Excelencia” or their bid for global domination “Pa’l Mundo...
read moreLive Appearances
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