Latin Beat Music Update - Artículo Breve

Latin Beat Magazine, Nov, 2001 by Nelson Rodríguez

More and more these days, we hear the term "salsa dura" or "salsa gorda" to identify hardcore, salsa music, familiar to most of us from recordings of the sixties and seventies.

In 1987, Grupo Star de Colombia featured unknown vocalist Moncho Santana and a band that featured Sergio George, Taco Mesa, Luis Doñe, Danny Jiménez, Sammy García, Sammy Pagán, José Mangual Jr. and Johnny Rivera. This recording, with its strong salsa beat, is an excellent exampie of "salsa gorda."

The Willie Rodríguez 1971 release, Descarga '71 (Mary Lou) is a die-hard salsa fan's delight, with arrangements by Willie Rodríguez and Joe Loco. Worth a listen are Descarga '71, Descarga '72, Los Que Lloran Son Los Niños, and Mulata María.

Fania Records has released Live at Teatro La Perla, Ponce, Puerto Rico, a 1996 live recording by Pele "El Conde" Rodríguez with guests Ismael Miranda, Andy Montañez, Papo Lucca and Johnny Pacheco. Check out the new versions of Sonero, La Escencia del Guaguancó and Soy Hijo del Siboney.

Latin Music Entertainment's Nissim Baly and his Dimelo Division have released a follow-up to Tabaco y Ron's Salsa de Verdá, titled Que Se Sepa, with a hard-driving salsa energy that is returning with a vengeance. Just listen to the tracks Salsa Pa' Los Triunfadores, Parece Mentira, Dos Jueyes and Típico.

SonSublime heads into the recording studios in November for an album due out in early 2002.

Sabor Records will issue all the rare albums produced by WALPATACA (Walfredo Reyes, Sr., Paquito Hechevarria, Tony Gil, Cachao) and they already started with Maestro de Maestros (produced by Tony Gil). These four giants got together over 15 years ago in Miami and recorded four alburas of pure descargas.

Charanga Habanera's David Calzado has released Chan Chan Charanga (Ciocan) and made two changes in the band by replacing timbal prodigy Yulien Oviedo with Pavel Díaz and singer/pianist/composer/arranger Tirso Duarte with vocalist Leonid Torres. Duarte was involved in the recording prior to leaving and worked on the arrangements for the piano, bass, vocals and synthesizer.

Pianist Roberto "Cucuruchu" Carlos Valdés (a relative of Chucho Valdés) has replaced the popular César "Pupy" Pedroso in Los Van Van. Cucuruchu was a member of Charanga Habanera, Charanga Forever, Issac Delgado and Paulito F.G. Pedroso has gone on to form his own band with another former Van Van member, Geraldo Miró, and calls it Los Que Son, Son.

Vocalist Aramis Galindo has issued a debut CD titled Esto Tiene Cohimbre (Cuba Chevere).

Another debut album comes from vocalist Osvaldo Chacón y Su Timba (Bamboleo, El Médico de La Salsa, Paulito FG) and that one is titled Salsa Afrocubana (Arc Music).

Salsa vocalist Melvin Martínez (aka Mel)--who has worked with Roberto Roena's Apollo Sound, La Solución and Tommy Olivencia--has released his solo debut, Sin Miedo, with arrangements by José Lugo and Louis Garcia. The album features Anthony Carrillo, Giovanni Hidalgo, Lewis Kahn, Endel Dueño and Luisito Quintero.

Frankie Negrón now joins the ranks of salseros recording 50% salsa and 50% ballads, following his label-mates Tito Nieves and Carolina Lao. Luis Enrique started it all last year and Huey Dunbar did it earlier this year. I'd like to know what salseros think about this trend.

Boston's Latin jazz band, Mango Blue, led by bassist Alex Alvear, combines funky soul and Latin rhythms on their debut CD, Immigrant Blues (Axent Music).

Eric Susoeff's guitar riffs on Salsamba's Latinventions (Clave, 1999) include six original compositions of funk, Latin jazz mambo, bomba, chachachá, samba, bossa nova, songo, guaguancó and bolero.

Poncho Sánchez's new CD, Latin Spirits, contains a variety of tracks with something for every Latin fan. Tito in the City is an inspiring homage to Tiro Puente arranged by David Torres. Chick Corea is a guest on the tracks Latin Spirits and JuJu. René Hernández's Sambia comes from a previous version by Johnny Rodríguez (of the TP Orchestra).

Alto-saxophonist David Binney and pianist Edward Simón team up as leaders on Afinidad (Red Records -- Italy), and feature Adam Cruz on percussion.

Can you see a union on record between Pablo Milanés and Harry Belafonte? One is in the works.

Richard Egúes' Cuban Sessions with Richard and Friends (Latin World) includes Issac Delgado, Chucho Valdés, the late Pedro Depestre, Guajiro Mirabal and Omara Portuondo.

Popular acoustic guitarist Carlos Barbosa-Lima--one of the world's leading classical/jazz guitarists--has dedicated his latest CD, Mambo No. 5, to composers such as Ernesto Lecuona, Rafael Hernández, Juan Tizol, Eliseo Grenet, Gonzalo Roig, Ary Barroso, César Almodovar, Agustín Lara and others. Bassist Eddie Gómez joins Barbosa-Lima on two tracks, Mambo No. 5 and Tico Tico.

Former Nueva Manteca drummer Lucas Van Merwijk recorded The Machito Project (Lucho/EMI) in 1995, More and More (Tam Tam) in 1998, and Live in the Hague (Tam Taro) in 2000. Now he and his Cubop City Big Band (featuring Nelson González on tres) have released Arsenio Rodríguez, with arrangements by Edy Martínez.