LATIN BEAT noticias de la música - Tt: Latina Beat Music Update

Latin Beat Magazine, Sept, 2001 by Nelson Rodríguez

Merengue is a genre that has swept through the island of Puerto Rico in the past 20 years with a home-grown brand that, along with the youth oriented sounds, seems to be ruling at the moment over salsa music. New York's faster versions are prominently heard at the radio level in the entire region as well as on the opposite coast, where people can't dance to music unless it's at 150 beats per minute. Many of these accelerated merengues lack lyrical content but dancers react to its contagious beat. During my visits to the East Coast I discovered that this phenomenon has reached radio level but is not selling. Radio is not at par with what dancers are listening to in the clubs, especially where salsa is concerned.

When it comes to merengue, Los Toros Band continues to produce one great album after another, and their latest, Pa' La Calle, is by far the best they have released, with some infectious tracks such as La Chercha, El Bacano, Waoo! No Debo, No Puedo, No Quiero, El Pavo, No Pude Quitarte Las Espinas, Vuelvete a Ir and De Colores. Héctor Acosta does an outstanding job on the vocals as always, making him one of the best singers from the Dominican Republic.

Popular saxophonist Juan Ceruto, whose first solo project, Gracias Formell, did not depict his name as the artist, was the "everything" man on the recording, which highlighted some of Cuba's best singers for the year 1997. Recently, Ceruto arranged nine compositions by the late Emiliano Salvador on the soon-to-be released A Puerto Padre, with wonderful performances by legends Tata Güines, Chucho Valdés, Issac Delgado, Germán Velasco and Ernán López-Nussa. Adding to the uniqueness of the CD is the fact that Ceruto used eight horn players. Later on this year he'll produce a recording in tribute to Elio Revé, in collaboration with Revé, Jr.

Hayla Momprie (ex-Bamboleo) and current vocalist with Azúcar Negra, has recorded on an Issac Delgado production in tribute to Celia Cruz that is already available in Cuba.

Tony Vega's debut for Universal Latino, Despues De Todo, continues in the same style he developed for his former label, and the standouts on this one are: Un Amor Asi, Mi Swing (with Willie Rosario), Sal de Aqui, Ta Bueno Ya and Corazón, Corazón.

Guitarist Mark Towns has a sparkling new gem in the recording Flamenco Jazz Latino (Salongo) --featuring special guests Hubert Laws and Kirk Whalum-- that highlights Mark's outstanding work on Chucho, Touch, The Way, Wondering, Sabrosa and Wind of the Mountain. Adding to the flavor of the CD are the young lions Rainel Pino on piano and Jorge Orta & Douglas Guevara on percussion.

Cano Estremera's new Combo project is a tribute to El Sonero Mayor, Ismael Rivera, with arrangements by Luis "Perico" Ortíz, Marty Sheller, Tito Valentín, Julito Alvarado and Keko Hernández. Titled Opera Ecua Jey, the CD includes interview excerpts conducted by DJ Elliot Pizarro from Radio Voz and for the first time, a full record of lesser-known songs that Maelo made. Estremera was also part of the July 20th concert Los Soneros del Pueblo en Tributo a Marvin Santiago that also featured Guillo Rivera, Luigi Texidor, Meñique, Vitín Avilés, and Néstor Sánchez at the Tito Puente Amphitheater.

Ray Barretto's Live CD (recorded in April) with vocalists Adalberto Santiago, Tito Allen, Ray De La Paz, Yolanda Rivera, Andy Montañez and Victor Manuelle, will be released by AJ Records (Casa De Los Tapes). Some of Barretto's best hits are on this collector's item, including Cocinando, El Hijo de Obatalá, Guararé, Nadie Se Salva de la Rumba and Quitate la Mascara.

The Puerto Rico Banco Popular's holiday CD/Video/DVD will be dedicated to la bomba and plena with music by Paracumbe, Plena Libre, La Familia Cepeda, Los Hermanos Ayala, Marc Anthony, Danny Rivera, Ismaelito Rivera and Cultura Profética. Other acts on the project include El Gran Combo, Willie Colón, India, Fe Cortijo, Olga Tañon, Andy Montañez, José Feliciano, Afro Boricua, Michael Stuart, Ruth Fernández, Giovanni Hidalgo, Lito Peña y la Panamericana, Angel Luis Torruellas and Choco Orta. Expect the video to chronicle bomba and plena pioneers Cortijo, Canario, Lito Peña, César Concepción, Mon Rivera, Quinto Olivo and more.

Spain has said "presente" with the La Calle Caliente Latin Jazz Band and their self titled album that's comprised of musicians from Spain, Cuba, the U.S. and Panama.

Andicito Montañez, Ismaelito Rivera and Puchi Rodríguez, better known as Los Hijos de Los Célebres, will have a new release, dedicated this time to the sounds of los cuartetos de los '50, Mayari & Marcano, Sexteto Borinquen and El Trio Matamoros. Maximo Torres will play lead guitar on an MP label production with a special CD booklet depicting the glorious histories of these bands. Volume #2 will follow in the next few months.

Willy Chirino has always been known for the unique style of salsa and tropical beats mostly associated with Miami that has continued to endure, and many feel he has constantly been ahead of his time. His first CD on his own label, Latinum Music, is appropriately titled Afro-Disiac, and with this release, Willy is prepared to conquer the world. Salsa lovers won't be disappointed when they hear Trilogía del Hombre Frustado, El Tren del Olvido, Niña No Juegues Con Candela, Viva La Libertad (with Arturo Sandoval), and the Barry White inspired Despacito y Suave.