From the editor - cross-over recordings by Latin American, Hispanic musicians - Editorial

Latin Beat Magazine, March, 2004 by Rudy Mangual

"I'll never go back to Georgia" is a phrase originally penned by jazz giant Dizzy Gillespie, which was incorporated into the first hit song by the Joe Cuba Sextet titled El Pito many moons ago; the song which happened to be responsible for the creation of a new dance called the boogaloo. Perhaps one of the original crossover Latin groups of all times, Joe Cuba and his sextet first noted the look of excitement in the dancers' faces whenever they played Latin rhythms with the addition of some English lyrics. Performing to the multi-ethnic crowds of New York City, although predominately Latino, throwing a few English words into the mix increased the level of enthusiasm at each of the Joe Cuba performances. Many Latin groups of the times followed this trend, taking the boogaloo dance and sound to the peak of its craze. By the end of the 1960s, however, the first signs of life from the new "Salsa Movement" blossoming in New York City and Puerto Rico brought an end to the boogaloo era.

Currently the so-called crossover phenomenon, which many Latino acts--Gloria Estefan, Marc Anthony, Shakira, Ricky Martin--regard as the direct highway to broader exposure and larger audiences, is under fire by the major labels who continue to be very cautious with their dollars, due to diminishing sales across the board. In today's music market, a crossover production is more costly because the artist has to record twice, film two different videos, and work two separate promotions. Why? Because if not done well it can end up hurting the original fan base of the artist rather than helping it. Targeting an English audience by a Latin artist means including several additional tracks in Spanish to keep the Spanish fan base happy. If they don't, when they attempt to return to their initial fan base they may find themselves deserted. Success in one language doesn't guarantee success in another. This is not to say it can't be done. Before Martin and Estefan, José Feliciano, Julio Iglesias and even Paul Anka did it. Rubén Blades' attempt to record an entire English album back in the 1990s did not do well for whatever reasons. On the other hand, Marc Anthony has been able to successfully work on both sides of the tracks, back and forth with minimal if any fan loss. Just like an actor's last film, in music it all comes down to your most recent work. In many cases, that's what people tend to remember you for.

Hey, enjoy this issue full of varied, fun and instructional pieces.