No Hay Como Mi Son

Latin Beat Magazine, Sept, 1998 by Luis Tamargo

ABELARDO BARROSO & ORQUESTA SENSACION No Hay Como Mi Son (Caney)

Initially renowned as the vocal star of various popular 1920s son sextets of Havana, Abelardo Barroso had been inexcusably relegated to musical obscurity (and forced to work as a percussionist) by 1954, when the founder of the Puchito label, Jesús Goris, brought him back to the spotlight. Goris made arrangements for Barroso to become the most prominent lead vocalist of Orquesta Sensación, a swinging charanga led by güirero Rolando Valdés and propelled by the seasoned flute playing of Juan Pablo Miranda (who would function, years later, as leader of Orquesta Riviera and Orquesta Siglo XX).

Deeply connected to the son roots and the décima dynamics, Barroso was able to adapt his vocal skills to Sensación's outstanding sonority, as illustrated by the 18 tunes collected in this 1954-1956 reissue, distributed in the U.S. by FTC. Considering Barroso's credentials, it is not coincidental that the present sample of Sensación's mid-50s repertoire included about half a dozen sones montunos, as well as quite a few hybrid chachachás that were nurtured by diversa son modalities.

Even more significant is the fact that four of the selections incorporated non-charanga instruments handled by descarga-oriented soloists. Forecasting subsequent developments of the 1960s, musical history was made by trumpeter Alejandro "El Negro" Vivar, trombonist Generoso "Tojo" Jiménez and alto saxophonist Enemelio Jiménez. Unfortunately, such historic contributions are often ignored by many self-proclaimed "authorities" of Latin music.