From the Editor…

Latin Beat Magazine, June-July, 1999

In this issue of Latin Beat, our cover article features the legendary group the Fania All Stars. To many, they were the most important single ensemble of musicians in the seventies -the perfect machinery to popularize and promote the new style of tropical dance music called Salsa. The New York City based record company Fania Records was created by Gerry Masucci and Johnny Pacheco as a vehicle to record and promote the new exponents of Salsa music, soon thereafter becoming the leading recording label of the movement.

In a strategic approach to better promote and expand Salsa to the entire world, Fania Records put together an all star cast that featured some of their top artists, performing together as one superband, with the occasional addition of a few guest stars from other labels, the objective being to solidify and round out the sound and perform in large concert venues at home and on the major music stages of the world. These music icons showcased the sounds of Salsa music, recorded many of their performances live, and recorded in the studio, where they featured the many different combinations of artists. Indeed, the Fania All Stars were able to take Salsa music to many corners of the world and their recordings made their way to most of us. There is no doubt that the excitement and electricity these musicians generated on stage has never been duplicated or repeated.

Like the Roman Empire, Fania Records tose to the top and ruled through most of the early years of Salsa music, and since all good things must come to an end, so did the seventies and Fania. Fania was never completely gone from the music scene thanks to an amazing catalog of Salsa music which even today continues to survive. The label's most recent endeavor in the last few years is the creation of a subdivision called New Fania, which is recording new Latin artists. Latin Beat Magazine's own senior editor, Max Salazar, wrote one of the premier articles covering the impact of the Fania All Stars back in the seventies, which was published in the magazine Latin New York in 1977. With a brief facelift, we have resurrected the article so today's readers can enjoy it and gain a little insight into this historical music ensemble of the early days of Salsa music.

Pictured above is a scene from the San Francisco Carnaval, read all about it on page 34. Also in this issue, you can get to know Cuban musical prodigy Sr. Chico O'Farrill a little better in Luis Tamargo's article The Pure Emotions of Chico O'Farrill - as well as join in on Tito Puente's 76 Birthday Party, and enjoya chat with Chucho Valdés during a pause of his quartet's recent New York City performance, plus mucho, mucho, más. Have an incredible hot Summer season and enjoy LIVE music.... Rudy