¡Más para bailar!

  
Costa Brava De Puerto Rico
¡A Pico y Pala Pa'Que No Joma! 

 2007
  

Tracks:

01. Pa' la Calle - 3:29
02. No Hay Mañana Sin Ti - 3:57
03. Como Me Gusta - 4:22
04. Hoy Supe de Ti - 4:06
05. Regalo de Dios - 3:55
06. Ya No Me Duele el Dolor - 4:32
07. Amor y Cariño - 3:34
08. La Impaciencia - 3:35
09. Pequeño Detalle - 3:50
10. Te Voy a Hacer Feliz - 5:56    

Personnel:

Elvin Torres, Padre - Dirección, Arreglos, Trompetas & Coros
Francisco José "Paco Pepe" Pérez - Sax, Subdirección & Coros

Rudy Pratts - Trompeta
Carlos Brandy - Trombón
Jorge Luis "Pucho" Morales - Sax & Coros
José Martinez Leandro - Piano

Edwin Martinez - Bajo
Angel "Angelo" Ramos - Bongó & Percusión Menor
Héctor "Tito Tim" Sánchez - Timbal
Vicente Gaztambide - Conga
Ulises Veldéz - Vocal & Coros
Francisco Javier Quiñonez - Vocal & Coros
David Morales - Vocal & Coros
Freddy Barbosa - Vocal

Músicos Invitados:

Elvin Torres, Hijo
Pedro "Pedrito" Marcano
Cachiro Thompson
Miguel Rodríguez
Jorge Díaz
Pedro Pérez

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Costa Brava, one of the currently most prestigious Puerto Rican orchestras, is back with a salsa classic style for the dancer. Elvin Torres (Padre & Hijo) presents us this production with a so innovative sonority within the “Salsa Dura” genre and a so carefully chosen repertoire as well, that once more will place the orchestra in the top ten of all tropical charts during the upcoming months.

***

 Along with El Gran Combo, Costa Brava was one of the top Puerto Rican salsa bands of the 1980s. Formed in 1978 in Santa Isabel, a small town on the southern coast of Puerto Rico, Costa Brava is led by trumpeter Elvin Torres (Papi), whose son, Elvin Torres, Jr. (Hijo), later joined the band as pianist, composer, and arranger. During the band's prime years, albums such as Dando de Que Hablar (1986), A Tiempo Completo (1987), Orgullo de Puerto Rico (1988), and Costa Brava 90 (1990) regularly appeared on the Top 20 of Billboard's Tropical/Salsa album chart. While the band's popularity steadily faded after the turn of the decade, Costa Brava remained active not only as live performers but also as recording artists. Even if they didn't sell as well as the band's earlier releases, independently released latter-day albums such as Otra Vez (2004, EJR Music), Costa Brava en Navidad (2005, EJR Music), and ¡A Pico y Pala pa' Que No Joma! (2007, Envidia Records) found the band in fine form. ~ Jason Birchmeier

♥
  

A mi me gusta la Plena!

  

Plena Libre - Mas Libre
2000

Tracks:

01. La Plena Bien Sabrosa
02. Maria Luisa
03. El Bravo
04. Tema De Luis Gabriel
05. Chiviriquiton
06. Somos Diferentes
07. Malcria'o
08. Quiereme
09. A Mi Manera
10. Dos Ojos
11. Pa'qui Pa'lla

Plena Libre es:

GARY NUÑES - Bajo "baby" y eléctrico, coro y arreglos musicales, productor y direción musical
ISRAEL VELEZ - Pandero Seguidor 
ANGEL SANTIAGO - Pandero Seguidor
PABLO GONZALEZ - Güiro y percusión menor
GINA VILLANUEVA - Congas
VICTOR MUNIZ - Cantante, coro y punteador
RUBEN ROMAN - Cantante, coro y percusión menor
CARLOS "KALIE" VILLANUEVA - Cantante y Percusión menor
RAFAEL TORRES - Piano y teclados
EDWIN CLEMENTE - Timbal, batá y campana
RAFAEL TORRES, DANIEL FUENTES, ANTONIO VAZQUEZ, JORGE DIAS, VICTOR VAZQUEZ - Trombón
TITO ALLEN - Coro 

Músicos Invitados:

JOSE ALBERTO "El Canário" Cantante en "Somos Diferentes"
NESTOR TORRES Flauta en " Tema de Luiz Gabriel"
PEPE LUCAS Piano en "Malcria'o"
CHARLIE SEPULVEDA Trumpeta en "El Bravo"
JORGE LABOY Guitarras en "El Bravo" y " Quiéreme"
FREDDIE DIAS Percusión brasileña en "El Bravo"
JUAN CASTILLO Sinfonía de mano en "Mária Luisa"
GEORGIE SALGADO Batería en "Quiéreme"
HECTOR PEREZ Güiro cubano y maracas en "El Bravo" y "Somos Diferentes"
   

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 Founded by bassist Gary Nunez in 1994, Plena Libre reclaimed the long-ignored Puerto Rican folklore-derived plena style from the obscurity following its brief '50s/early-'60s popularity. Contemporary dance arrangements were all that was needed to return the style to prominence; the group's debut album, Juntos Y Revueltos, was recorded on a shoestring budget, but proved an instant sensation on the island. Subsequent recordings included an eponymous 1998 album, Plena Libre's first for the international market. Mas Libre followed two years later. 

Plena Libre revives the best of Puerto Rican musical traditions
 
By Jesse "Chuy" Varela
 
TALKING TO bassist Gary Nuñez, leader of the Puerto Rican ensemble Plena Libre, you realize he's on a mission to modernize some of the island's oldest beats with a new outlook. Born out of the island's Afro-Caribbean experience, the sounds of bomba y plena are what musically identify the African-Spanish heritage so prominent in its culture. Sometimes messing with tradition is not looked at favorably, but not with Plena Libre. "We're considered one of the top orchestras regardless of genre," says Nuñez in Spanish from his home in San Juan. "Yes, Plena Libre is a bomba y plena band, but people don't see us as that. We're like any other artists interpreting our music."
 
They are considered youthful revivalists who rescued a genre that fell into obscurity after its reign of popularity in the 1950s with pivotal figures like Rafael Cortijo and Ismael Rivera. Since its formation in 1994, Plena Libre has unclogged the cultural logjam against these folkloric forms and scored a hit with "El Party." As a result, the band has inspired many salseros and young Puerto Rican jazz artists to explore these traditional rhythms.    
  
The bomba y plena garnered a foothold as a popular expression in the late 1800s. During the Spanish-American War, the idiom served as the newspapers of the people as troubadours sang about events and prominent figures. It was largely a guitar and hand-percussion sound with soulful, tearful voices. In the 1920s, it migrated to New York City, and troubadours like Rafael Hernandez and Manuel Jimenez ("Canario") became the voice of the people. The essence of bomba y plena lies in its communal form as a percussive act of call and response. Plena Libre makes strong use of these rudiments, including the handheld panderetas, to pound out infectious beats on tambourinelike hand-drums without the metal shingles.
 
"We put the panderos back in fashion," Nuñez explains. "They disappeared with the music of Rafael Cortijo, who was the first to begin using conga drums to play bomba y plena. The panderos were forgotten. They are instruments that were invented to be played with this music. That's why we use them." From its 1995 self-produced debut CD, Cogelo, que ahi te va!, the 13-piece Plena Libre has stayed largely intact with virtuosic performers like conga-drummer Gina Villanueva and singer Giovanni Lugo. The band's latest album, Mas Libre (RykoLatino), features the prolific songwriting skills of Nuñez.
 
"For our generation, thematic subjects from a bygone era about sugarcane and trains don't connect," Nuñez says. "Our reality has to do more with cellphones and beepers. We're another generation that bring a different point of view which I try to reflect in the themes Plena Libre touches. I believe that we need to show who we are today as Puerto Ricans. So we do songs that touch on the question of Vieques and that articulate the sentiments of our people--in principle, we are still troubadours." 

 

source

  

 ...Whereas bomba is purely African origin, plena blends elements from Puerto Ricans' wide cultural backgrounds, including music that the Taíno tribes may have used during their ceremonies. This type of music first appeared in Ponce about 100 years ago, when performing the plena became a hallmark of Spanish tradition and coquetry.
 
Instruments used in plena include the güiro, a dried-out gourd whose surface is cuts with parallel grooves and, when rubbed with a stick, produces a raspy and rhythmical percussive noise. The Taínos may have invented this instrument. From the guitars brought to the New World by the Spanish "conquistadores" emerged the 10-stringed cuatro. To the güiro and cuatro added the tambourine, known as panderos, originally derived from Africa. Dancing plena became a kind of living newspaper. Singers recited the events of the day and often satirized local politicians or scandals. Sometimes plenas were filled with biting satire; at other times, they commented on major news events of the day, such as a devastating hurricane.

Bomba y plena remain the most popular forms of folk music on the island, and many cultural events highlight this music for entertainment. ...

source

 Plena Libre

♥

Friends

  

Humberto Ramirez & Giovanni Hidalgo

Best Friends
1999

 
Tracks:

1. San Juan Ritual
2. Celebrando
3. Hasta Decir No Mas
4. A Puerto Rico
5. Clean
6. Herencia
7. La Perla
8. Best Friends

Personnel:

Humberto Ramirez : Trumpet
Giovanni Hidalgo : Percussion
Oskar Cartaya : Bajo Sexto
Papo Lucca : Piano
Horacio "El Negro" Hernández : Bateria
Carmen Luz Quiñones : Peinado

Special Guests:

Tito Puente : Timbales

and with a very special appearance by their fathers:

Humberto "Pipo" Ramírez on Tenor Sax
José "Mañegue" Hidalgo on Congas.

  

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For Humberto Ramirez and Giovanni Hidalgo, this recording was more than a mere opportunity to reunite in a studio. It was a 'reliving' process. For two humble individuals that were both born in 1963, in Old San Juan, that grew up together, this was a recording that ‘had’ to happen somewhere down the road. More than being childhood friends, their paths have had their turns and twists, but their bond has never been touched.

After close to a decade performing with his own group (the Humberto Ramirez Jazz Project), Humberto has developed his voice, direction and vision on the trumpet and has become a respected record producer in the process. In the mean time, Giovanni's congas and percussion have recorded Grammy nominated albums (‘Hands Of Rhythm’ with Michel Camilo) and performed with world named acts (Paul Simon and Mickey Hart, among them) around the globe. These experiences, blended with the commonality of their backgrounds and brotherhood were put to the test on this historic recording.

  

    

Latin jazz is generally hot-blooded music, but a quiet fire is maintained by the music of trumpeter/flugelhornist Ramirez and percussionist Hidalgo. Not that this is salsa light; far from it. The music sports a tempura-like crust: airy, simply melodic, and spicy, but not burning. The heat does come from Hidalgo on congas and timbales alongside the exciting drummer Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez, while pianist Papo Lucca and bassist Oskar Cartaya match Ramirez, step-for-calm, patient step. Just about every well established Afro-Cuban/Puerto Rican rhythm is heard during the eight cuts, five penned by Ramirez. "San Juan Ritual" sets the compact, non-threatening tone in mambo fashion. This piece and the easy cha-cha-cha "Celebrando" reserve space for Ramirez to trade fours with the Hidalgo and Hernandez cooking on timbales and drums. "A Puerto Rico" uses standard clave rhythm, closest to a 50/50 latin/jazz mix, the trumpeter's effortless lines recognizing the witty pianistics of Lucca before Hernandez steals the show with an incredible solo. "Herencia" and the title track relieves Ramirez of writing chores. The former features the hottest montuno piano on the date with other guest "best friends" Tito Puente on timbales, and the fathers of the leaders, "Pipo" Ramirez on a piquant tenor sax solo, and Jose "Manengue" Hidalgo on ripping conga drums. "Best Friends" is ostensibly a descarga between the co-leaders, Ramirez using sweet muted and non-muted trumpet to inform Hidalgo in various improvisational notions. Hidalgo wrote "Clean," a beautifully conceived, repeated piano chord sequence, heavy yet delicately balanced, based in part on the melody of "Summertime." He also penned "La Perla," a classic rumba with more repetition on the piano by Lucca, and lilting trumpet. A bomba or plena Afro-Rican motif with hints of "The Peanut Vendor," establishes with precise montuno piano "Hasta Decir No Mas," again with a percussion workout that is a common thread for the end of most bridges in these selections. There's a consistency of tempo heard throughout; nothing boils over, nothing gets too soppy slow, and nothing is boring or overtly copped. It's as if the intent is to simmer and bubble, an alluring technique that serves the participants and the listener well. A fine release from these expert musicians for the general latin-jazz public. Recommended. 

~ Michael G. Nastos

 

 *♥*

  

I dedicate this post to all my friends out there and to YOU too :)

   

♥

King Conga

  

Johnny Blas

King Conga
1999

Tracks:

01-Con Ganas
02-King Conga
03-Mi Madre
04-The Sidewinder
05-The Beat of the Conga
06-Quien Sabe
07-Sobale
08-Socorro
09-Rican Conga
10-Inglesas
11-M.J.'s Mambo
12-Little Sunflower
13-Our Sound
14-Debbie's Mambo
15-Bomba Dance

Personnel:

Johnny Blas: Congas, percusión
Angelito Rodríguez: timbales, percusión, bongó, campana
Dan Weinstein: trombón
Kerry Loeschen: trombón
Humberto Ruiz: trombón
Edwin Blas: trombón
Mark Gutiérrez: piano
Paul Pérez: bajo
Terry Delgado: coro

Recorded at Private Island Trax, Hollywood, California on June 23 & 24, 1999. 

Includes liner notes by Dan Weinstein.

 

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This latest release from percussionist/bandleader Johnny Blas, his fourth as a leader, exhibits signs of growth and more depth in his and the group's musical interpretations and compositions. Propelled mainly by the triple threat of Johnny Blas on percussion and flute, Dan Weinstein on trombone and violin, and Mark Gutiérrez on piano and guitar, the group has hammered out their own style and sound, working together for years.

Also present in this recording as in previous releases is the healthy herd of four trombones, deploying monster brass colors, reminiscent of some of the early urban sounds of New York's Latin bands. Aside from the title track King Conga, a Dan Weinstein composition in the traditional Latin jazz genre, the CD also features many other compositions which fuse other Latin rhythms and styles with jazz. Mi Madre is a jazzy chachachá which pianist Mark Gutiérrez takes advantage of. The classic Lee Morgan composition The Sidewinder is transformed here into a boogaloo. Sobale, a Johnny Blas original, is a pachanga borderline descarga where everyone gets off. Another interesting composition is Socorro, composed and arranged by Dan Weinstein in the vein of the bossa nova and the bolero-chá. But my choice track is M.J.'s Mambo. Composed and arranged by Gutiérrez, the selection smokes with mucho sabor and commendable solos by Gutiérrez on piano and tres guitar, Johnny Blas on percussion, and Edwin Blas on the trombone.

Seven years into his career, percussionist Johnny Blas continued to propel the Latin jazz idiom further into the 21st century with some of the most exquisitely arranged, consummately executed music the genre had heard in some time. Not a major departure from his first two albums with Ubiquity's Cubop imprint (1997s Skin & Bones and 1998s Mambo 2000), King Conga nonetheless maintains the standards of those sets. Joining Blas once again are guitarist/pianist Mark Gutierrez and trombonist/violinist Dan Weinstein: linchpins of the percussionist's combo since his 1995 debut, A Night in L.A. In addition to lending their substantial improvisational skills to the date, they combine with Blas to form a formidable writing trio. Percussionist Angelito Rodriguez also makes impressive contributions, sharing credit with Blas on five cuts. It's worth noting that King Conga's eight originals (not counting the tasty percussion interludes sprinkled throughout) are more than capable of holding their own alongside Freddie Hubbard's "Little Sunflower" and Lee Morgan's "The Sidewinder," the second and third cover versions ever recorded by the group. Album highlights include "Sobale," an up-tempo track that adds both flute and violin to an otherwise trombone-heavy mixture; "Socorro," a soft-stepping ballad adorned with a rich string arrangement by Weinstein; and "Debbie's Mambo," a lively eight-minute track presumably dedicated to Blas' wife. The latter features an outstanding arrangement for the band's four trombones and an inspired (and slightly deranged) piano solo from Weinstein. This is Latin jazz (circa 1999) at its very best. 

 

~ Nathan Bush

 

 

♥

Hands in Motion

  

Giovanni Hidalgo & Michel Camilo
Hands of Rhythm
1997

Tracks:
  
1. And Sammy Walked In - Camilo    5:53
2. Footprints - Shorter    5:07
3. Amo Esta Isla - Milanes    4:22
4. Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise - Romberg, Hammerstein    4:15
5. My Soul Beat - Hidalgo    4:10
6. Papa Boco - Acosta, Chapuseaux, Chapuseaux    4:50
7. Blue Monk - Monk    3:47
8. If You Knew... - Camilo    5:14
9. En Mi Viejo San Juan - Estrada    4:05
10. Hello and Goodbye - Camilo    6:17
11. Hands in Motion - Hidalgo    3:02

Personnel:

Giovanni Hidalgo 

(floor tom, bongoes, congas, timbales, wood blocks, cymbals, chimes, cricket guiro, cowbell, goat nails, jawbone, tambourine, shakers, shekere, vibratone, cascaras, maracas, sound effects);
Michel Camilo 

(piano)

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Could a collaborative effort between piano virtuoso Michel Camilo and Giovanni Hidalgo, who is commonly known as the finest living conguero, possibly live up to the expectations? The answer Hands of Rhythm offers is nothing short of "All that and them some, baby." The beautiful thing about hearing both Camilo and Hidalgo in a rare duo format is that unlike larger band contexts, their genius does not compete for sonic space with anyone. Every note, every stroke is clearly audible, and crystal clear. Almost as fantastic as the instrumental performance was the repertoire chosen. In fact, the overall flavor is not what one might expect from two players known well for blistering speed. A haunting, sensitive rendition of "Footprints" and the reminiscent "En Mi Viejo San Juan" are welcome surprises from a percussion lead duo. "Softly as in the Morning" and "Blue Monk" are swinging from start to finish. With these jazzy selections, the bossa nova-at-its-best "If You Knew," and the merengue "Papa Boco," Hands of Rhythm shies away from the clave-driven music that made these two men famous. And yet, they prove themselves as adept in any one idiom as the other. Hidalgo and Camilo make up for their small numbers with both taste and sheer brilliance. Hands of Rhythm is required listening for both these musician's loyal fan bases, and the Latin jazz listening public alike. 

~ Evan C. Gutierrez, All Music Guide

  

Widely acknowledged among the greatest congueros of his generation, Giovanni Hidalgo was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1963, first taking up the drums five years later; the son of the noted percussionist Jose "Manengue" Hidalgo, he was educated in Latin rhythms from childhood onward, and as a teen regularly walked to local gigs with his congas strapped to his back. He soon caught the attention of the legendary Dizzy Gillespie, touring in his United Nations All-Star Orchestra for four years; Hidalgo also became a noted session player, recording with Freddie Hubbard, Paul Simon, and Mickey Hart's Planet Drum project.
In 1992, he recorded his debut solo LP, Villa Hidalgo; Worldwide followed a year later, and for 1997's Hands of Rhythm, a collaboration with pianist Michel Camilo, Hidalgo earned a Grammy nomination in the Best Latin Jazz Album category. His Greatest Hits collection followed the next year. 
~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi 

 
An exciting and high-powered virtuoso pianist, Michel Camilo came from a very musical family (with all nine of his uncles being musicians). Originally playing accordion, he switched to piano when he was 16. After moving to New York in 1979, his song "Why Not?" became a hit for the Manhattan Transfer and caught on as a standard, and "Caribe" entered the repertoire of Dizzy Gillespie. Camilo, who worked with Paquito d'Rivera's band for three years (cutting an album with "Why Not?" as the title cut), recorded for Electric Bird (sessions reissued by Evidence) and Columbia, and worked as a leader beginning in the mid-'80s. He has released numerous albums under his own name, including Spirit of the Moment in 2007.
~ Scott Yanow, Rovi

♫

¡Baila!

 

  

Joe Cuba
The best of Joe Cuba
Lo mejor de Joe Cuba

1972

Tracks:

1. Bang, Bang

2. I'm Insane

3. La Malanga Brava

4. Psychedelic Baby

5. Hey Joe, Hey Joe

6. Alafia

7. Talk About Love

8. El Pito (I'll Never Go Back to Georgia)

9. T.C.O.B.

10. To Be With You

  

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This collection of the Joe Cuba sextet's finest 60's and 70's recordings features their huge 1967 boogaloo hit 'Bang Bang', along with a host of superb examples of Latin-jazz, joyful mambo, cha cha, bolero, guaracha, son-montuno and other Afro-Cuban rhythm.

***

Joe Cuba (April 22, 1931 – February 15, 2009) was a Puerto Rican musician who was considered to be the "Father of Latin Boogaloo".

Early years

Born "Gilberto Miguel Calderón" in New York City, Cuba's parents moved from Puerto Rico to New York City in the late 1920s and settled in Spanish Harlem, a Latino community located in Manhattan. Cuba was raised in an apartment building where his father had become the owner of a candy store located on the ground floor (street level floor). His father had organized a stickball club called the Devils. Stickball was the main sport activity of the neighborhood. After Cuba broke a leg he took up playing the conga and continued to practice with the conga between school and his free time. Eventually he graduated from high school and joined a band.

Musical career

In 1950, when he was 19 years old, he played for J. Panama and also for a group called La Alfarona X. The group soon disbanded and Cuba enrolled in college to study law. While at college he attended a concert in which Tito Puente performed "Abaniquito". He went up to Tito and introduced himself as a student and fan and soon they developed what was to become a lifetime friendship. This event motivated Cuba to organize his own band. In 1954, his agent recommended that he change the band's name from the Jose Calderon Sextet to the Joe Cuba Sextet and the newly named Joe Cuba Sextet made their debut at the Stardust Ballroom.

In 1962, Cuba recorded "To Be With You" with the vocals of Cheo Feliciano and Jimmy Sabater Sr.. The band became popular in the New York Latin community. The lyrics to Cuba's music used a mixture of Spanish and English, becoming an important part of the Nuyorican Movement.

In 1965, the Sextet got their first crossover hit with the Latin and soul fusion of "El Pito (I Never Go Back To Georgia)" . The "Never Go Back To Georgia" chant was taken from Dizzy Gillespie's intro to the seminal Afro-Cuban tune, "Manteca". Sabater later revealed that "none of us had ever been to Georgia".

Along with fellow Nuyorican artists such as Ray Barretto and Richie Ray, Cuba was at the forefront of the developing Latin soul sound in New York, merging American R&B styles with Afro-Cuban instrumentation. Cuba was one of the key architects behind the emerging Latin Boogaloo sound, which became a popular and influential Latin style in the latter half of the 1960s. In 1966, his band which included timbales, congas, sometimes bongos, bass, vibraphones, and the piano among its musical instruments, scored a "hit" in the United States National Hit Parade List with the song "Bang Bang" - which helped kick off the popularity of the boogaloo. He also had a #1 hit, that year in the Billboards with the song "Sock It To Me Baby". Charlie Palmieri, who was his musical director, died in 1988 of a heart attack upon his arrival to New York from Puerto Rico.

Later years and death

On April 1999, Joe Cuba was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame. In 2004, he was named Grand Marshall of the Puerto Rican Day Parade celebrated in Yonkers, New York. He was also the director of the Museum of La Salsa, located in Spanish Harlem, Manhattan, New York.

Joe Cuba died on February 15, 2009 in New York City.

wiki

salsapower

streetplay

 

"BANG BANG"

"Let’s just try it out, Sonny. If it doesn’t work, I’ll buy you a double.".

"Cha Cha with A Backbeat"

 

Cortijo

  

 Cortijo y su combo

Tracks:

01. El Negro Bembon
02. Alegría y Bomba
03. Déjale Que Suba
04. Te Lo Voy A Contar
05. El Satélite
06. Huy Que Pote
07. El Chivo De La Campana
08. Con La Punta Del Pie Teresa
09. Lo Dejé Llorando
10. A Bailar Mi Bomba
11. Bailala Bien
12. Lo Tuyo Es Crónico
13. Las Ingratitudes
14. Caballero Que Bomba
15. Saoco

  

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Cortijo was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, on 11 December 1928. He was a significant figure in the history of Latin music and noted as a percussionist, (timbales, conga, bongo, maracas  and other percussion), bandleader and composer Cortijo. He was the musical hero of the common folk of Puerto Rico and Latin America; admired for his qualities as a creative and talented musician. He took the bomba and plena out of the slums and with his all-black band, and introduced them into all levels of society in Puerto Rico and abroad.

His early childhood was filled with the sounds of the drumming and singing of pleneros like Cornelio and Maria Teresa. He learned how to make the timbas from them; the barrel drums which he used to entice a young Ismael Rivera to join his descargas at the beach. For the next three decades, these close friends lived a life in which they shared the good and the bad… whatever they experienced as individuals, was lived by them both, as one: fame, alcohol and drug addiction and even jail.

Cortijo knew that there were several varieties of the bomba cangrejera (crabber’s bomba). With this background and with the experience gained by participating in the traditional street carnivals, such as the Carnavales de San Mateo and San Juan, featuring bombas and plenas, Cortijo was well prepared to organize an authentic bomba and plena group. He developed his own style by including trumpets and saxophones, but kept the flavor of the traditional bomba and plena by means the typical, strong rhythmic base.

Cortijo wanted his combo to play music spontaneously and to avoid the inflexible routines of the big bands that kept the musicians fixed on a stage behind their written musical arrangements. Cortijo’s band played standing up, danced on stage, and sometimes even joined the dancers on the floor. Their arrangements were really just minimal sketches as an orderly baseline for the musician’s improvisations. The style ignited the crowd and helped them compete with the big bands of Machito, Tito Rodriguez and Tito Puente.

Cortijo’s music was also popular in other parts of Latin America. When asked why other countries so readily accepted music so closely linked to Puerto Rican folklore, Rafael said, “...African-derived drums are understood in all parts of the world. For example, I fully understand Haitian music and my music is understood and appreciated in Haiti as well. Humble people everywhere have no problem identifying with my music because it is essentially their music. We try to play it honestly, with spontaneity and without any sophisticated variations that may alter its original form.”

Cortijo served his apprenticeship playing bongos and congas with Moncho Muley’s Conjunto Monterrey and later with the orchestras of Frank Madera and Miguelito Miranda. He toured abroad for the first time with the band of singer Daniel Santos and worked on the radio programs of singer and composer Myrta Silva and Cuban vocalist Miguelito Valdés.

The defining moment, however, came In 1954, he was playing congas with the Mario Roman Combo when the bandleader decided to retire. This gave Cortijo the opportunity to organize his own group. He knew exactly what sound he wanted and who were the musicians that could produce it for him. The group’s first vocalist was Sammy Ayala. Singer Ismael Rivera joined the group in 1955.

Cortijo and his Combo were a true audiovisual attraction and Puerto Rican television soon beckoned them. The popular Show del Mediodia featured the group Monday through Friday for five years. They maintained close touch with the people by playing dances throughout the island, especially at the traditional “fiestas patronales” (patron saint celebrations). The Combo recorded a long series of hits, starting with El Bombón de Elena to his futuristic “Time Machine”, released in 1974. In between came many classics such as “Maquinolandera”, “Oriza”, “Perfume de Rosas”, “Tuntuneco”, “El Chivo de la Campana” and “Déjalo que Suba”.
  

some more music

and more

In 1962, after Rivera was imprisoned for a drug offence, members of his combo, led by pianist Rafael Ithier, split to become El Gran Combo.

More than four years passed before Cortijo And His Combo reunited with Ismael Rivera to provide accompaniment for his Bienvenido!. This was followed by another reunion in 1967 that resulted in the album Con Todos Los Hierros.

Cortijo then organized a new orchestra called Bonche and debuted with them on Sorongo, which included his daughter, Fé Cortijo, as one of the vocalists, despite her weak voice. Fé continued to work with her father up to his last album. Cortijo then went on to collaborate with Puerto Rican percussionist and bandleader Kako; reviving some of his earlier popular plenas and bombas.

After their meteoric rise, They paid a price for the years of excesses and their legal problems. Cortijo and Ismael Rivera found the hostile environment in Puerto Rico intolerable and went to New York. But Cortijo never felt comfortable in New York and returned to Puerto Rico. But life back on the island was not much improved for him on his return. Tite Curet and a friend financially helped to produce Cortijo’s album Pa’ Los Caseríos and even wrote many of the songs.

On June 25, 1974, Coco Records sponsored a concert at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan; bringing together the original members of Cortijo and his Combo. Participating that night were Rafael Cortijo, Ismael Rivera, Roy Rosario, Martín Quiñones, Rafael Ithier, Eddie Pérez, Héctor Santos, Mario Cora, Sammy Ayala, Roberto Roena, Miguel Cruz, and Kinito Vélez. The concert produced the album Juntos Otra Vez. The album Was Reissued In 1982 As Ismael Rivera Sonero Numero 1.

Cortijo died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 54, on 3 October 1982. He was honored by the common people and public leaders alike, for his contributions to music and the culture of Puerto Rico. Five years later, his lifelong friend Ismael Rivera died of heart failure.  

source

♥

Caliente

   

caliente = hot
Puerto Rican and Cuban musical expression in New York City
1977

Tracks:

1. El safacâon de la 102nd St. (Victor Montanez y sus Pleneros de la 110th Street) / Victor Montanez (3:32)
2. Bomba calindâe (Victor Montanez y sus Pleneros de la 110th Street) / Anon. (1:50)
3. Emi ra obini le wa (Julito Collazo y su Grupo Afro-Cubano) / Julito Collazo (5:53)
4. Loteria (Julito Collazo y su Grupo Afro-Cubano) / Julito Collazo (5:31)
5. Yo quisiera ser (Hector Rivera y su Conjunto) / Hector Rivera (8:43)
6. Borinquen (Sexteto Criollo Puertorriqueno) / Israel Berrios (3:08)
7. Las mujeres de Borinquen (4:26) (Sexteto Criollo Puertorriqueno) / Cristobal "Tobita" Medina Colon
8. El Puertorriqueno (3:55) (Sexteto Criollo Puertorriqueno) / Cristobal "Tobita" Medina Colon
9. La cona de mis amores (4:13) (Sexteto Criollo Puertorriqueno) / Cristobal "Tobita" Medina Colon
10. Amor a la virtud (Armando Sanchez y su Septeto Son de la Loma) / Gerardo Martinez (5:15)
11. Guajira del mayoral (Armando Sanchez y Septeto Son de la Loma) / Armando Sanchez (4:52).

  

♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•♫

        

.ღ•:*´♥`*:•ღ.

        

♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•♫

  

A joyous recording of New York musicians keeping traditions alive as popular salsa styles change around them. Some play home-made instruments, some have toured the world, and all have an energy that only comes from a deep love for the music they play. The liner notes include a history of Puerto Rican and Cuban New York as well as descriptions of all the different musical styles represented.

 

***

Salsa music is a genre of music, generally defined as a modern style of playing Cuban Son, Son Montuno, Guaracha, and Son  with touches from other genres of music. Originally, Salsa was not a rhythm in its own right, but a name given in the 1970s to various Cuban-derived genres, such as Son, Mambo and Son Montuno.

Regarding the genre's origin, Johnny Pacheco, creator of the Fania All-Stars, who "brought salsa to New York" (of which some members include: Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, Willie Colón, Larry Harlow, Johnny Pacheco, Roberto Roena, Bobby Valentín), explained that "..salsa is and always had been Cuban Music."

Popular across Latin America and North America, salsa incorporates multiple styles and variations. Most specifically, however, salsa refers to a particular style developed in the 1960s and '70s by Cuban and Puerto Rican immigrants to the New York City area, and its later stylistic descendants including 1980s salsa romantica and other sub-genres. The style is now practiced throughout Latin America, and abroad. Salsa derives from the Cuban son and mambo, as the music foundation is based on the Son Clave. The terms Latin jazz and salsa are sometimes used interchangeably; many musicians are considered a part of either (like Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Ray Barretto among others), or both, fields, especially performers from prior to the 1970s.

wiki

♥

¡Baila!

 

 

Pete Rodriguez
I Like It Like That - A Mi Me Gusta Asi

Tracks:

 

I like It (I Like It Like That) 4:25
El Hueso 5:57
Pete's Madness 4:55
Micaela 5:26
3 And 1 4:16
Si Quieres Bailar 5:10
Soy El Rey 3:05

Musicians:

Tony Pabon Lider vocalista en inglés y trompeta
Alberto Gonzalez Lider vocalista en español
Richie Rodriguez Vocalista
Pete Rodriguez lider de la banda y piano
Angelo Rodriguez Trompeta
Benny Bonilla Timbales
Manny Rodriguez Conga
Gilberto Archeval "Tiny" Bajo
     

♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•♫

        

.ღ•:*´♥`*:•ღ.

        

♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•♫☆`*♥¸¸.•*¨*•♫

  

PETE RODRIGUEZ "El Rey del Boogaloo"

In the 1970s, a new generation of young Puerto Ricans born and raised in New York City began looking for a way to connect with their ancestral roots. The boogaloo was just the ticket: a fusion of Latin and soul beats, the genre had an enormous impact on the Latin youth of the time. Pete Rodríguez, a young man of Puerto Rican descent living in the Bronx, was considered the pioneer of this new cultural and musical movement that got dancers up on their feet. The road to being crowned "The King of Boogaloo" was a long one for Pete Rodríguez. When he returned from serving in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1964, he started "La Magnífica," his first band with whom he released the album "At Last!" The record made him wildly famous, and he began performing in popular night clubs around New York City. The following year, he recorded his second album: "The King of Boogaloo." This nickname would identify him for the rest of his brilliantly successful professional career, as part of the group Pete Rodríguez y su Conjunto. Rodríguez kept doing what he did best, recording the album "Latin Boogaloo" in 1966. Boogaloo fever hit an all-time high with the band's number "I Like it Like That," a classic of the Pete Rodríguez discography. The King of Boogaloo was on a roll, and went on to record "Oh, That's Nice!", "¡Ay, que bueno!", "Latin Soul Man," "Pete Rodríguez Now," and "De Panamí¡ a Nueva York," which marked Ruben Blades' debut as a vocalist and composer, having written all the songs on the album. In 1971, the boogaloo had started to fade, but Pete Rodríguez was still as popular as ever. The same year, he released the album "Right On!¡Ahí na ma'!" The production embraced the new prevailing genre, salsa, and received the unconditional support of his fans.

 

 ...

Yeah Baby
I like it like that
I like it like that
Yeah baby
I like it like that
I like it like that
I like it like that
Si aqui me quiero
I like it like that
Si aqui me quiero mi amour
I like it like that
Yeah baby
I like it like that
I like it like that
I like it like that
I got soul, I got soul
I like it like that
I got soul, I got soul
I like it like that
Yeah
I like it like that
I like it like that
I like it like that
   

   
   
 

♥