The Fania All Stars

Latin Beat Magazine, June-July, 1999 by Max Salazar

A Page From The Past - 1977

What made Them Tick

There are ways to get outstanding performances from musicians, but the way the Fania All-Stars did for their July 11, 1977 appearance at Madison Square Garden was an emotional, exciting experience. Their formula: a rehearsal hall, a few prominent bandleaders, a few star soloists, a witty musical conductor, a penchant for perfection which results in flaring tempers, a matured seasoned musician to act as a peacemaker, a comical musician who can liven situations when they become stale, a respected person whose commands ate carried out without sass, and inducements like free beverages and delicious sandwiches to make one try harder.

On July 9, at the second floor studio at 333 West 52 Street, the scheduled 1-6 p.m. rehearsal was in progress when I walked in at 3 p.m. Johnny Pacheco, Pupi Legaretta and Jerry Masucci were surrounded by the seated Fania All-Stars.

After a few seconds, I realized that some kind of disagreement had occurred as Ray Barretto very calmly urged the musicians to cut out the commotion and play Llegó La Salsa one more time before submitting their opinions. Papo Lucca, the short 20 year-old pianist of Sonora Ponceña and newest addition to the group, looked at the hot-tempered musicians in amazement. Masucci ended the informal rap sessions with "after this we will break for drinks."

The All-Stars played about 16 bars of Pupi Legaretta's tune before Pacheco stopped them to rewrite a flaw in the arrangement. They ran through the number, then took a rest period for drinks. Barretto, towering over his conga, summoned Justo Betancourt and Roberto Roena. He put his arms around each of them and in a calm, sincere tone appealed to them for unity and to keep their cool. He got some help from Cheo Feliciano who added, "this happens all the time in families...but in the end we are together because we respect each other." Barretto respectfully urged Betancourt and Roena to shake hands. The vocalist and the bongosero looked at each other, broke out in smiles and held each other's hands in a "soul handshake" (the interlocking of their thumbs).

Feliciano came over to greet me. He shook my hand warmly and said, "¿Como estas, negro?" Cheo looked handsome and fit despite the dark areas under his eyes which he sustained in a car crash the month before in Puerto Rico.

When the ten minute break was over, the charts of Ismael Rivera's El Nazareño were set up. During the tune, Masucci, wearing a white football sweater with red numerals, got carried away by the swinging music. He clapped his hands and swayed his shoulders and body to the rhythm. Leaning against the wall in blue coveralls and T-shirt and staring at the four vocalists on chorus was Rubén Blades, Barretto's Panamanian singer. His eyes had a look that read, "I wish I could be one of you."

A flaw in the arrangement was discovered and not all the musicians stopped playing on Pacheco's command. In a restrained, annoyed tone, trumpeter Vitín Paz suggested that everyone should stop when Pacheco signals it. While Barretto and Pacheco were rewriting the flaw, Cheo Feliciano grabbed his microphone and said in English, "At this moment I want to take this opportunity to welcome Ismael Rivera into the family." Everyone applauded while the smiling Rivera bowed and said "Thank you." Masucci snapped "What about Papo Lucca?" Feliciano, smiling, replied, "he's been in the family a long time already."

Guitarist Yomo Toro got up to leave for home. While he was walking toward the doors that opened wide, Pacheco yelled, "Open both doors so he can get out!" Toro looked over his right shoulder at Pacheco and joined the others in laughter.

Masucci broke in and said, "We'll have sandwiches after this...if it sounds right." The word "sandwiches' must have possessed the same magic as "open sesame" did for Ali Baba. The All-Stars performed El Nazareño unbelievably. Even Rivera sang his hit tune like I never heard it before. He closed his eyes, emoted, popped his fingers, leaned backwards, then forward, and danced in a semicircle. When young Lucca took a solo, all eyes were on him. They knew they were hot, and they applauded their own efforts.

Remembering Masucci's promise, a few musicians rushed out of the studio and attacked the carton packed with sandwiches and beer. At 4:25 p.m., after the 20-minute break was over, the All-Stars set up to play the tune Quítate Tú. Roena, looking very annoyed, soon was wearing an ear to ear smile. El Sonero Mayor rhymed some lyrics in Quítate Tú which praised the proud Puerto Rican bongosero. After the tune there was a short respite. While everyone was chatting, Pacheco elicited some laughter by playing a few bars of Oh Susanna on his harmonica. Masucci called ah end to the break with "lets go" and Pupi Legareta's composition and arrangement of Yo Soy La Candela was handed out.

Legareta, a 5'6" in height and very talented Cuban musician, stole everyone's attention when he held a microphone close to his mouth and sang the melody of his tune so everyone would have an idea of how he wanted the changes to be made to the sound. In the arrangements, he wrote changes from a guaguancó to a bomba and back to a guaguancó and he sang this melody also. Roena, angrily objecting to the changes of the bomba music, sprang to his feet and heatedly protested, "man, don't mess like that with the music of my country."