Old Salseros Don’t Die
On the advice of a colleague in the business, I visited the web site of veteran salsero/artist Henry Fiol. Henry who gained prominence in the 70’s as part of Saoco and later with his series of highly regarded albums on the SAR label, has made available two of his recent recordings on his web site. His newest effort “Salsa Subterreanea” (Underground Salsa) showcases all new material which is split into his classic sound of Cuban based son montuno, salsa dura and contemporary songs designed to update his sound and appeal to a wider audience. The good news is that Henry Fiol still is in fine voice and sounds like he was having fun making this recording. The music is expertly played with passion and guts. I liked the son montunos and salsa dura material more than the contemporary material but I did like the song “Dias Mejores Vendran”. Check it out on his web site: www.henryfiol.com. Old salseros don’t die but you do have to make an effort to find them these...
read morePrince Hangover
I’ve had a hangover for over a week. A musical hangover from attending the Prince concert last Thursday at the Oakland Oracle Arena. Performing from a huge stage shaped as his symbol that took the temporary place of his name in the 90’s, Prince loudly exploded on the colored fogged out stage with his sheer guitar virtuosity. He generously performed close to 3 hours of his greatest hits and crowd favorites. A master of his craft, Prince flanked by a stunning band and 3 dynamic female vocalists turned the arena into party central which also included a spectacle of anthems and slow jams. Guest star Sheila E. was elevated from underneath the stage with her timbale set and led the crowd with a rousing rendition of her 1984 hit “The Glamourous Life”. She later joined Prince on “Erotic City” and “A Love Bizarre” and performed with Prince for the rest of the concert. Funk Bass legend Larry Graham was featured on a segment which included tasty versions of Sly & The Family Stone hits along with his furious bass slapping. Prince went deep into his repertoire and played such gems such as “Delirious”, “I Wanna Be Your Lover”, “Purple Rain”, “Little Red Corvette” among others. Prince that was the wizard of this great show singing unforgettable songs, playing impeccably and taking all who attended to a higher plane through his...
read moreThe Art Of Dancing, Cuban Style
The 3rd Annual Salsa Rueda Festival took place this past weekend at San Francisco’s Hotel Whitcomb. Produced by the SF based Cuban dance instructor team of Nick Van Eyck and Serena Wong, the festival offered workshops with internationally renowned instructors teaching subjects ranging from rumba to danzon to rueda de casino from beginners to advanced dancers. The festival featured cocktail parties, live dance performances, the Bay Area’s best timba dj’s: Walt Digz, Antonio and Dark Rum and live music from the likes of Miami’s Timbalive, SF’s own timba superband Team Bahia and Rumbache. Even though it was pouring rain outside on Friday night, it was steamy inside of the Whitcomb’s ballroom whose dance floor was packed with wall to wall dancers groovin’ to the sounds of Team Bahia, DJ Antonio and Samba dancers celebrating Carnaval! What a scene. Vendors were selling their wares from music/dance videos from Cuba to unisex clothing. A few feet away, oblivious dancers were busy gracefully grinding their bodies to a steamy Los Van Van timba mix. San Francisco has become a mecca for Cuban music in the United States. The Salsa Rueda Festival exemplifies this movement with...
read moreSalsa 2011 Style anyone?
Sonido Criminal is a new band from New York determined to keep their roots grounded to the bad boy salsa dura of the 70’s while forging new ground in 2011. Their debut cd “Crime Payz” is an homage in image and style to the classic Willie Colon early greatest hits compilation of the 60’s and early 70’s “Crime Pays”. Vocalist Carlos Mojica leads this pack of young lions who play ferocious gutsy salsa as if their life depended on it but they don’t limit themselves just to slam it on every track. They do their salsa in English spin on the Wham! 80’s chestnut “Careless Whisper” as Mojica interprets the sweetness of the George Michael vocal with a raw swinging edge. Don’t worry there is plenty of powerful bite on the cd as displayed on the track “Rumba En El Cielo” that gives due to the ancestors of this music such as Lavoe and Maelo. Sonido Criminal has started 2011 with a big bang for all the aficionados and dancers of this...
read moreBittersweet Moments with Bobby Hutcherson
I caught a show that reminded me that you do have to catch older great artists while they are still alive. Case in point is the Bobby Hutcherson show that I caught at Yoshi’s in Oakland. The occasion was his 70th Birthday celebration. Now, I haven’t seen Bobby in a long time. I decided to go since I had the opportunity to see him at the last minute. I was in for a shocker! A thin, frail Bobby Hutcherson got on stage with tubes from his nostrills connected to a breathing apparatus. My heart sank to see him in this state of health. Although he seemed in great spirits, his body language spoke volumes of his medical condition. He played beautifully. However, his trademark long fluid expressions on the vibes are now replaced by short tasty solos augmented by his great band. This was still first class jazz tastefully performed by these pros. I was later told by my friend at Yoshis that Bobby is suffering from emphysema. I was happy and sad to have been there in attendance. Great artists are human like all of us….and like all of us, they continue to pay their...
read moreJorge Drexler triumphs at Mezzanine
There were high expectations for a rare concert appearance by Academy award winning singer/songwriter Jorge Drexler who was scheduled to appear at San Francisco’s trendy Mezzanine night club in late January. Drexler who appeared close to half an hour late was met by loud cheers from an adoring packed crowd who were not disappointed. Backed by a tight, versatile band, he performed an intriguing repertoire of songs taken his various recordings that ranged from his breakthrough “Eco” to his latest cd “Amar La Trama”. Drexler was visibly moved by the audience who knew the words to his songs and were singing along with him especially on his a-capella version of his award winning composition “Al Otro Lado Del Rio” from the film The Motorcycle Diaries. He was oozing charm, wit and vulnerability as he was telling stories and declaring his love for San Francisco. He seemed right at home on the Mezzanine stage. Although he didn’t play all the favorites in his considerable body of work, he performed enough memorable songs to connect with the audience in a profound way. There was a great vibe at Mezzanine that evening. Hopefully, we will see Drexler perform here more often after this fine show that was produced by La Bohemia Productions and Jaffe...
read moreGreat new music from John Santos and the Coro Folklorico Kindembo
I have been listening to great new music this past month. Among the gems on my current playlist is “La Esperanza”, the latest cd from John Santos Y Su Coro Folklorico Kindembo. This fine recording showcases exceptional Afro-Cuban folklore, son and plena augmented with guest appearances by Jimmy Bosch, Lazaro Gallaraga, Jose Clausell, Little Johnny Rivero, Anthony Carillo, Roberto Borrell, Jesus Diaz, Fito Reinoso and others. Santos and Kindembo pay tribute to some of the masters and ancestors that have influenced them with dedications to Francisco Aquabella, Papin, Tito Puente, Julito Collazo, Victor Pantoja, Merceditas Valdes and other greats. La Esperanza is full of solid renditions of original music ranging from son and plena to traditional rumbas. The performances by Santos and the impressive Kindembo ensemble are rich, powerful and inspired. The recording features noted rumberos such as Sandy Perez, Harold Muniz and Javier Navarette. Strong vocal work from singers Willie Ludwig and Orlando Torriente (who shines on “Para Ser Un Buen Sonero”) who are associated with Kindembo from various eras. The strong coro features Ismael Rodriguez, Reynalda Nunez, Jose Luis Gomez and Beatrice Muniz. This music is a homage to the roots of modern popular Caribbean based music such as Latin Jazz, Salsa, Timba and many others. Well worth checking...
read moreBack To Business
Don Omar, Cali Aleman, Victor Manuelle, Elvis Crespo and India are all going to pay San Francisco a visit during the next few months. This should be a bonanza for all the fans who love these stars of Reggaeton, Merengue and Salsa. With the exception of Fania All Star/Guayacan veteran Cali Aleman, all of these artists are part of the musical vocabulary of younger generations who listen to these respective genres…some of whom are livin’ large with their disposable incomes, iphones, twitter accounts and facebook posts. A large majority of folks do not buy full length recordings but rather download single songs. It will be interesting to see how are the music industry especially independent artists will survive. This is why we have to continue to support our favorite artists by buying their cds or downloading their music. Also checking them out when ever they perform live will also assure their survival in this tough global economy. And just maybe…some of the seasoned vets that we know and love will have a platform to visit us once in a...
read moreHappy New Year!
Usually I’m excited about sharing information about new releases, concert dates and what I’m up to in the New Year…there is plenty of that coming up in future communications. However, I am disturbed and troubled about the tragic shootings in Arizona this past Saturday. As a radio host and media professional, I am upset about the misuse of power and influence that these so-called messiahs of the airwaves spew on gullible segments of the public. Whether it’s distorted rhetoric such as Sarah Palin’s bullseye targets (which tragically came true this past Saturday) or Rush Limbaugh’s defense of on-air hateful political evangelism, we are living in dangerous times here in the U.S.. It will be up to each of us to challenge these “spokespeople” at every opportunity…the work starts...
read moreFeliz Navidad y Viva La Musica
As we near the end of the year, I am often asked what are my picks of the year’s best recordings in Salsa, Latin Jazz and Musica Cubana. I am going to run down some of my favorites in no determined order. So, here they are: The Spanish Harlem Orchestra “Viva La Tradicion”, Luis Gonzalez “El Tsunami De La Salsa” recording “Tributo A Un Gigante”, Sonora Poncena “Trayectoria + Consistencia = Sonora Poncena, Various Artists “Salsa-Un Homenaje A El Gran Combo”, Chucho Valdes & The Afro Cuban Messengers “Chucho’s Steps”, Issac Delgado “L-O-V-E.”, Manolito Y Su Trabuco “Trabuco Una Vez Mas”, Hilario Duran “Motion”, Edwin Bonilla “Homenaje A Los Rumberos”, Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet “Bien Bien”, El Gran Combo “Sin Salsa No Hay Paraiso” and Afrocubism “Afrocubism”. My advice to everyone is seek and find these great...
read moreLive Appearances
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