New from Alberto Barros, Dan Den, Latin Giants of Jazz and a TON more...

Mon Oct 1 10:02:31 EDT 2007

The Descarga Review • October 01, 2007
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Here are some new and reissued titles of interest...

ALBERTO BARROS
Tributo A La Salsa Colombiana - DVD & CD Set
Talent Beach
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA; COLOMBIA
EditorsPick: If you had any doubts about Colombia being the new  
epicenter of salsa, the DVD-CD combo Tributo A La Salsa Colombiana  
will be sure to set you straight. The power and intensity of a grand- 
scale production has been concentrated to accommodate a smaller  
venue, and the resulting effect is that you feel like you are part of  
the dynamics of this show. And, man, what a show. Barros, one of the  
most sought after arranger-bandleader-trombonists in salsa, has  
brought together a top notch group of musicians to interpret the most  
memorable hits of Guayacán, Joe Arroyo, Grupo Niche, Los Titanes,  
Fruko y Sus Tesos, Los Carruseles, Grupo Gale and La Misma Gente. And  
he's got most of the original singers of these hits as to boot. To  
get a sense of scale, here's a partial list of participating singers:  
Charlie Cardona, Moncho Santana, John Lozano, Wilson Saoco, Cali  
Aleman, Gabino Pampini, Raquel Zozaya, Saulo Sanchez, Tommy Ruiz,  
Andy Caidedo and Diego Moran who, for my money, deserves  
superstardom. This large man has a voice that's larger than life.  
Listen to him rock the house on "Rebelión" and "Pa'l Bailador" a few  
of the many highlights here. Other red-hot tracks to watch out for  
are "La Palomita," "Oiga, Mire, Vea," "Basto Un Mirada," and "Ganas."  
It's a relentlessly sizzling party, folks, complete with gorgeous  
young non-stop dancers who exude pure heart-stopping salsa sexiness.
Barros is in top form here, and his improvisations are from the soul  
and never seem extend past their welcome. Like all Alberto Barros  
projects I have seen and heard, this one is of extremely high  
quality. The sound engineering, editing and photography are all top  
drawer. Barros chose to end the show with "Homenaje Salsa Del Mundo,"  
breaking beyond the show's Colombian thematic structure to give  
thanks to some of the best salsa regardless of geographic origin. In  
this medley of "Quimbara," "Idilio," "El Cantante," "Un Verano En New  
York" and more, all of the singers took turns, Fania All Star style,  
to turn the crowd, and this viewer, into something pretty close to a  
euphoric state.
Tributo a La Salsa Colombiana is a hands-down salsa must-have, and  
one of the most enjoyable straight-ahead salsa DVDs of the year.
Very Highly Recommended. (BP)
Price: $21.98
• Click here to Order Tributo A La Salsa Colombiana - DVD & CD Set Now!

ORQUESTA ANTONETTI
Sigue El Paso
M&A
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA
EditorsPick: Victor Antonetti? That's what I said, too. Pianist- 
composer Victor Antonetti's debut release has Ricky Gonzalez as its  
musical director. And Gonzalez has been around the block a few times:  
he's recorded with Ray Barretto, Louie Ramiez, Papo Pepin, 8 y Más,  
Pacheco, José Alberto "El Canario" and on and on. So I gave it a spin  
and it turned out to be a totally robust old-school salsa that rocks.  
There are original compositions by Antonetti with Ricky G., Giovanny  
Diaz, Johnny Vega, Ricardo Prado, and Ralphy Cruz (with an  
unrelenting "El Ultimo Adios"). Francisco Aguabella's tremendous  
"Complicación" - a Tito Puente standard, and Adalberto Alvarez'  
killer "Lluvia" are both sung here by guest vocalist Frankie Vázquez.  
Both deserve to be top DJ Alert picks. While we're on the topic of  
guests, Tito Allen steps in for the track "Dime Quien Soy." Also in  
the crew are Raul Agraz, Pete Nater, Richie Viruet, Dan Reagan, Ozzie  
Melendez. Get the picture? Many of these guys are card-carrying  
members of the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, arguably the toughest salsa  
orchestra around.
Now, for the record, there are two hard-hitting merengue-pop numbers  
too: "Me Derrumbo" and "Niña Bonita" sung with verve by Rosabel  
Antonetti. Overall, Sigue El Paso is a fine debut release that is  
very much worth a good listen. Let's see where Antonetti takes it next.
Highly Recommended. (BP)
Price: $15.98
• Click here to Order Sigue El Paso Now!

THE LATIN GIANTS OF JAZZ
Trip To Mamboland
Gigante Records / original import
Category: DANCE TRADITIONS; BIG BAND MAMBO JAZZ
EditorsPick: The Latin Giants, with core members from the Tito Puente  
orchestra, deliver big band mambo muscle on their second release. The  
project bubbles over with the dense, rich history of jazzy Latin big- 
band dance orchestras like those of Puente, Machito, Tito Rodriguez  
and Chico O'Farril. Leader José Madera (timbales) does a pretty  
remarkable job channeling the colossal Puente energy into these  
compositions by Ray Santos, Justi Barretto, Rosendo Ruiz Jr.,  
Marcelina Guerra and El Rey himself. Followers of this band will  
recall that Ray De La Paz sang on their previous release (The Latin  
Giants Play The Music Of The Palladium - Tito Lives, 2004), but it's  
Frankie Vázquez who's up front on Trip to Mamboland. Vázquez is  
joined by other luminaries like pianist Sonny Bravo, trumpeters Raul  
Agraz and Pete Nater, trombonists Sam Burtis and Reynaldo Jorge,  
conguero George Delgado, sax players Bobby Porcelli and Mitch Frohman  
and many, many others. Randy Brecker shows up for "Alex Mambo," and,  
gratefully, the final soprano sax solo from the late Mario Rivera is  
documented here as well. There are some truly outstanding tracks  
here, like Jorge Zamora's "No Me Molesto," and "Guaguancó Del Pueblo  
Nuevo" (Horacio de la Lastra), but it's Gil Fuller and Frank Grillo  
(Machito) who seem to crystallize the raison d'être of The Latin  
Giants with their composition "Mambo Is Here to Say." Say's it all,  
don't it?
Very Highly Recommended. (BP)
Price: $16.98
• Click here to Order Trip To Mamboland Now!

VARIOUS ARTISTS
The Roots Of Chicha - Psychedelic Cumbias From Peru
Barbés
Category: CUMBIA/VALLENATO; CUMBIA/VALLENATO; PERU
EditorsPick: Chicha started out in the late sixties, in the oil-boom  
cities of the Peruvian Amazon. Cumbias Amazonicas, as ther were first  
known, were loosely inspired by Colombian cumbias but incorporated  
the distinctive pentatonic scales of Andean melodies, some Cuban  
guajiras, and the psychedelic sounds of surf guitars, wah-wah pedals,  
farfisa organs, and moog synthesizers. Very much like Jamaican Ska or  
Congolese Soukous, Chicha is western-influenced indigenous music  
geared toward the new urban masses who wholly identified with the new  
electric hybrid.
[from the liners]
This is great stuff. Some of it totally weird, like if The Munsters  
threw a party they'd definitely play Los Hijos del Sol or Juan Wong  
Paredes (listen to that organ!). Gotta love this stuff...
Highly Recommended. (BP)
Price: $16.98
• Click here to Order The Roots Of Chicha Now!

GRUPO POLO MONTAÑEZ
Un Sueño Y Nada Más
BIS / original import
Category: SALSA/SON; SON, GUARACHA, GUAJIRA; CUBA
EditorsPick: Despite his death in 2004, Polo Montañez' band continues  
to make vital, beautiful, music. On Un Sueño y Nada Más they can be  
heard pushing harder, musically, then before. Now, the vocal  
harmonies have really come to life. The tres and violin have more  
authority here. And, while they are firmly rooted in guajira-son  
tradition, we can hear, with songs like "La Sombra Loca," the band  
hinting at a more modern sounding pop style. The voices are quite  
sublime, both yearning and burning simultaneously. Listen to the  
stirring "Empezar A Vivir" with it's determined coro and a killer  
violin break. It's hard to tire of this stuff; it's full of promise,  
and pathos too -- reflecting all of the facets of beauty.
Very Highly Recommended. (BP)
Price: $16.98
• Click here to Order Un Sueño Y Nada Más Now!

BUENA FE
Presagíos
Egrem / original import
Category: POP/OTHER; POP LATIN; CUBA
EditorsPick: Buena Fe is arguably the the hottest young Cuban pop/ 
rock band in Cuba at the moment, fusing the island's traditional  
trova style with a contemporary pop sound. The heart of the band is  
singer-songwriter Israel Rojas Fiel and singer-guitarist Yoel  
Martinez Rodriguez. They're smart, talented and, I'm told, considered  
quite hip. Silvio Rodriguez for a new generation. This is their  
fourth album, and it's produced by José Manuel Garcia.
Highly Recommended. (BP)
Price: $17.98
• Click here to Order Presagíos Now!

JOHN CALLOWAY
The Code
Bombo Music
Category: LATIN JAZZ; LATIN JAZZ
EditorsPick: Well done Latin jazz project with all original  
compositions by flautist John Calloway. Some of the tracks make  
reference to Yoruban mythology, there's some fusion, complex large  
scope pieces as in the title "The Code" utilizing Cuban Abakua  
rhythms, and some straight out jams like Eddie Palmieri's "Nunca  
Contigo" and the terrific "Descarga Pa' Dos Flautas" where Calloway  
goes head-to-head with Orlando "Maraca" Valle, arguably Cuba's  
greatest flute player. Calloway has some serious talent here: he's  
joined by Jesús Diaz, David Belove, John Santos, Michael Spiro and  
lots of other West Coast musicians of note.
Highly Recommended. (BP)
Price: $16.98
• Click here to Order The Code Now!

KLAZZ BROTHERS & CUBA PERCUSSION
Jazz Meets Cuba
Sony Bmg
Category: LATIN JAZZ; AFRO-CUBAN JAZZ; CUBA
EditorsPick: Last time, the Klazz Brothers introduced classical music  
to cuba (Classic Meets Cuba, 2004). This time around, it's jazz that  
the brothers Tobias and Kilian Forster (piano, bass respectively)  
feel the urge to introduce to Cuba. Silly title aside, the brothers  
have made a beautiful record with the help of timbalero Alexis  
Herrera Estevez, drummer Tim Hahn and conguero Elio Rodriguez Luis.  
Compositions like George Gershwin's "Summertime" (what a hip  
interpretation), Chucho Valdez' "Mambo Influenciado," and Miles  
Davis' "So What" are pristinely handled with a vigor and crispness  
that begs replay. The level of artistry is exceedingly high, and  
these guys have the wherewithal to coax sabor to the fore on Frank  
Emilio's "Los Amigos" and, later on, his "Mondongo" too. A way cool  
record.
Highly Recommended. (BP)
Price: $18.99
• Click here to Order Jazz Meets Cuba Now!

ALDO DEL RIO
Soy Como Soy
Colibri / original import
Category: SALSA/SON; SON, GUARACHA, GUAJIRA; CUBA
EditorsPick: Tired of that over-produced, slick, commercial grub that  
the major labels are pushing down your throat? Then how's 'bout a  
dose of some real down and dirty Cuban son and trova to make things  
right. In a style that has direct links to, say, Miguelito Cuní,  
singer-tresero Aldo Del Rio's music is sparse and pure to the point  
of essential. Del Rio, a relation of El Niño Rivera, was also  
influenced by the likes of Los Hermanos Castro. You might have heard  
him on releases by Juan Pablo Torres (Son Que Chévere / A Cool Son)  
or Manuel Guajiro Mirabal (Buena Vista Social Club Presents Manuel  
Guajiro Mirabal). He composed most of the songs on Soy Como Soy. In  
addition to his tres, his ensemble is composed of guitar, bass,  
bongo, trumpet and violin. Guest flautist Frank Palacios makes an  
appearance too. Gritty, rootsy, soulful and exceedingly beautiful.
Highly Recommended. (BP)
Price: $16.98
• Click here to Order Soy Como Soy Now!

ORQUESTA BORINQUEN
El Trombonista
Borinquen
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA
EditorsPick: The new CD by Bay Area band Orquesta Borinquen opens  
with the blistering "Descarga Borinquen," and you can tell that the  
band is making a statement. The other track titles clearly tell the  
story: "La Rumba Del Bailador," "El Trombonista," "La Salsa De  
Verdad" - this is tough old-school trombone-base salsa made with the  
dancer in mind. Led by Bill Ortega Sr., the orchestra also features  
singers Alberto Diaz and Carlos Soto, Bill Ortega Jr. on timbales and  
trumpet, bassist Danilo Murillo, conguero Eric Mendez and others.  
Guest cuatro player Carmelito Velez adds just the right touch to  
tracks like "El Yerbero Del Barrio" - a gritty classic salsa track  
that appeared on Roberto y su Nuevo Montuno's '76 release on  
International/Fania. Most of the other compositions were penned by  
pianist Marco Montoya with an ear for golden age of Salsa.
Recommended. (BP)
Price: $15.98
• Click here to Order El Trombonista Now!

SOLEDAD BRAVO
Caribe - With Willie Colón
Sonografica/Fonart / original import
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA
EditorsPick: Here's a solid salsa release from 1982, and highly  
collectable. Singer Soledad Bravo (born in Spain and grew up in  
Venezuela) is heard here fronting a mostly New York salsa band led by  
Willie Colón. Colón, who plays percussion and sings coro on this  
project, is joined by José Mangual Jr., Sal Cuevas, Milton Cardona,  
Jimmy Delgado and others. Even Yomo Toro makes a guest appearance.  
Sounds to me like a Willie Colón record with Bravo as guest singer.
Recommended. (BP)
Price: $17.98
• Click here to Order Caribe - With Willie Colón Now!

GILBERTO BURGOS Y SU ORQUESTA
Salsa Romantica Y Agresiva
Gil & Son
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA
EditorsPick: Gilberto Burgos, leader of this Philadephia based salsa  
orchestra calls his music RomanticAgresiva, and that's a good  
description. These tracks alternate between a harder salsa like "La  
Sombra De Tu Piel" and more romantic material like "Pensando En Ti."  
Also includes the english tracks "My Way" and "Break Up To Make  
Up." (BP)
Price: $15.98
• Click here to Order Salsa Romantica Y Agresiva Now!

CANDIDO CAMERO
Hands Of Fire: Live In New York & Miami - 60 Years Of Cuban Music  
Exuberance
Latin Jazz Usa
Category: LATIN JAZZ; AFRO-CUBAN JAZZ; CUBA
EditorsPick: Legendary Cuban conguero Candido Camero has performed  
with everyone from Dizzy Gillespie to Tito Puente to Gloria Estefan  
and everyone in between. In 1990 Ivan Acosta, a Creative Director in  
advertising, met Candido and, ever since, has become an important  
advocate of the musician. He produced the well received documentary  
Hands of Fire which helped, in part, for Candido to achieve the  
National Endowment of the Arts jazz Master Award, 2008. The exciting  
Latin jazz sessions on this CD, which include quite a few extended  
solos by Mr. Camero, were derive from two live performances held in  
New York and Miami, 2006, and include the singer David Oquendo,  
drummer Bobby Sanabria, bassist Andy González, pianist Paquito  
Hechavarria, sax player Manuel Valera and many others.
Highly Recommended. (BP)
Price: $15.98
• Click here to Order Hands Of Fire Now!

JUAN CARLOS ALFONSO Y SU DAN DEN
Siempre Dan Den: Concierto XXV Aniversario De Via Artística - DVD &  
CD Set
Egrem / original import
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA CUBANA; CUBA
EditorsPick: Juan Carlos Alfonso and his latest incarnation of Dan  
Den celebrate their 25th year as one of Cuba's most unique dance  
bands at this packed outdoor live performance recorded at La Piragua,  
in Havana City. Alfonso, former member of Revé y Su Charangón, knows  
how to rock the house. Mixing salsa, timba with the trademark Revé  
pile-driving coro, the three trombón band tears ups the stage with  
fresh renditions of Alfonso's hits like "Volvierón Las Campanitas,"  
"Amame Con Tu Experiencia," the explosive "Más Viejo Que Ayer, Más  
Joven Que Mañana," "Mi Cuerpo" and many others. Not enough has been  
said about Mr. Alfonso's piano mastery. Listen to his tremendous  
break on the anthem "Viejo Lázaro," a track where the dynamic  
bongocero Serguey Rodriguez gets a chance to sing. Speaking of  
singers, Barbarita Fernandez and Dayron Martin, the newest Dan Den  
members, are clearly at home on stage - and Barabarita's hips are in  
non-stop gyration, clearly an added perk to her powerful singing. A  
thoroughly enjoyable hour show that goes by way fast. Also with a 14  
track bonus CD.
Highly Recommended. (BP)
Price: $21.98
• Click here to Order Siempre Dan Den DVD & CD Set Now!

GLORIA ESTEFAN
90 Millas
Sony BMG Burgandy
Category: SALSA/SON; SON, GUARACHA, GUAJIRA
EditorsPick: Boy do I love these big money Estefan productions, where  
Gloria gets to put her voice on top of some major league talent,  
major league arrangements and recordings. It's just so beautiful, to  
hear this music well-recorded, huge, and well-arranged and played; it  
finally gets the treatment it deserves. Phew, got that out of the  
way. Ok, so the list of musicians is just foolish, from Nelson  
Gonzalez on tres and Jose Feliciano and Carlos Santana on guitars,  
Cachao and Sal Cuevas on bass, Papo Lucca and Paquito Hechevarria on  
piano, Candido, Giovanni Hidalgo, Edwin Bonilla and Orestes Vilato on  
percussion and on and on. And the music just rocks; when it's called  
on to lift off, lift off it does. There's plenty of modern son -  
check out "Pintame de Colores" - and often enough things that start  
out one way, end up blowing their lids somehow. There's a charanga  
track too, "Refranes," and it's to make you want to move. No joking  
here, and it's hard to come up with a production recently that comes  
to the breadth, and ability, shown here.
Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Price: $17.98
• Click here to Order 90 Millas Now!

CLAUDE GOMIS
Seeds Of Baobab
Ahi-Nama Records
Category: SPECIAL INTEREST; SENEGAL; AFRICA
EditorsPick: Originally from Senegal and now residing in New York  
City, Claude Gomis is a multi-talented artist that works in visual  
arts and dance as well as music. The title of this CD derives from  
his influence by Orchestra Baobab, the West African band of which his  
father is a member. On Seeds of Baobab, the younger Gomis is  
composer, vocalist and percussionist. This collection of warm,  
percussive and poetic songs has deep Senegalese roots but has modern  
dance hall flavor in some tracks like "Take It Easy." There's a bit  
of ska too, and a co-worker heard a track that reminded him of The  
Slits from the late '70s.
Don't expect a Latin sounding release: it isn't. We basically took it  
in because the label Ahi-Na-Ma is primarly Latin, so we ordered some  
without knowing what it was. We like it, so there you go.
Highly Recommended. (BP)
Price: $14.98
• Click here to Order Seeds Of Baobab Now!

ROBERT INCELLI
Baila Conmigo - Artista Invitado Oscar D'Leon
Glamour Memory
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA
EditorsPick: A nice rocking small band salsa project from the West  
Coast, led by the singer and saxophonist Robert Incelli. Incelli  
sings fine, and the band rocks, and on one tune, the great Oscar  
D'Leon shows up. When he suggests dancing, he's not kidding, with the  
tempos flying but relaxed. There's a Colombian/Venezuelan thing going  
on with the singing on the recording that's distinct; it's all super  
casual and together, with Incelli overdubbing a saxophone choir. It's  
nice.
Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Price: $16.98
• Click here to Order Baila Conmigo Now!

HAROLD LOPEZ-NUSSA
Canciones
Colibri / original import
Category: LATIN JAZZ; LATIN JAZZ; CUBA
EditorsPick: Move over Valdes's and Rubalcaba's. There's a new royal  
family of Cuban musicians in the works. Here's a stunning Latin jazz  
release by Cuban pianist extraordinaire Harold Lopez-Nussa, nephew of  
acclaimed pianist Ernán Lopez-Nussa. Lopez-Nussa performs material  
from Jobim, Miguel Matamoros, Pablo Milanés, Santiago Felú, César  
Portillo, Silvio Rodriguez, Cervantes and others. With Ruy Adrian  
Lopez-Nussa (a brother), Nestor G. Del Prado Fernandez, Yandy  
Martinez Gonzalez, guests Ernán Lopez-Nussa, Yaroldy Abreu and many  
others. I especially liked the young pianist's take on the Matamoros  
composition "Olvido." Listen, also, to the percussive powerhouse  
"Bailano Suiza" - Lopez-Nussa's original composition. It's a monster.  
It's all good, innovative, Cuban virtuosity at the highest level.
Very Highly Recommended. (BP)
Price: $18.98
• Click here to Order Canciones Now!

CHARLIE PALMIERI
Charlie Palmieri And His Orchestra
Mary Lou
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA: CLASSIC 1960s or 1970s NEW YORK
EditorsPick: Featuring Victor Velasquez. Note that the same tracks  
appear, in different order, on the MP release Impulsos. Here's what  
Vick Solá wrote for our 1996-97 catalog... "Another of his album  
title -- 'Either You Have It Or You Don't' -- says it very well. On  
'Impulsos,' the untouchable El Gigante treats us with the hard- 
driving 'Porque Me Engañas' and we are presented with Victor  
Velasquez' unforgettable rendition of 'Te Quiero Á Ti (Darn That  
Dream)'." (BP)
Price: $15.98
• Click here to Order Charlie Palmieri And His Orchestra Now!

JOHNNY RAY (JOHNNY ZAMOT)
Nightgold
Universal
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA
EditorsPick: Back in stock! (BP)
Price: $12.98
• Click here to Order Nightgold Now!

JOHNNY RAY (JOHNNY ZAMOT)
Salsa Con Clase
Universal
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA
EditorsPick: Back in stock. (BP)
Price: $12.98
• Click here to Order Salsa Con Clase Now!

JERRY RIVERA
Caribe Gardel
EMI
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA
EditorsPick: Now here's an idea: take the songs written or associated  
with the Argentinean tango god Carlos Gardel and set them to a salsa  
big band. Or maybe try and mix it all up, adding some accordion and  
stuttering bass to the situation. Ah, then the horns pick the music  
up, and it enters into some sort of merengue-ish, pan Caribbean  
thing. Rivera's dressed retro on the cover with an old microphone,  
and what the hell, he sounds good, his boyish voice aching with  
passion. The recording's dripping with money, well produced for the  
radio, the band immense, loaded with good musicians. When the  
improvisation kicks in, Rivera's voice seems to fade, as if his salsa  
material wasn't intimate enough. Very pretty, it is. I can see this  
in Radio City.
Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Price: $15.98
• Click here to Order Caribe Gardel Now!

SEGUIDA
Seguida III
Omroda Records
Category: POP/OTHER; TROPICAL
EditorsPick: New comeback project by Seguida who had a few releases  
out on Fania in the '70s. It's Latin soul-disco-rock with a bit of  
rap and Spanish guitar added for good measure. But its roots are  
firmly planted in '70s Latin disco. With Steve Adorno, Lori Rose,  
Ricky Carrido, Jose Davila and others. (BP)
Price: $15.98
• Click here to Order Seguida III Now!

SON GUERRERO
Salsa Valiente
Disonex / original import
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA COLOMBIA; COLOMBIA
EditorsPick: Halfway through the first tune, the coro pops up and  
with a nasal sound, and bent notes, and the music declares itself  
Colombian. Yes, more Colombian salsa, with touches of say, danzón,  
with flutes and violins. High tenor singing, swinging hard over the  
band; good songs - how about "Sabroso Veneno" for a title? Good  
change up material for a dancefloor, high energy, salsa no question,  
but with rocking strings and those fine coros. A pile of trombones,  
too. Cool, and real.
Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Price: $16.98
• Click here to Order Salsa Valiente Now!

SONORA OCHO
Zoonando
Latinasterio / original import
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA COLOMBIA; COLOMBIA
EditorsPick: This free-wheeling descarga style band can really swing.  
Based in Medellin, Colombia, Sonora 8 rejects the common wisdom that  
Colombian salsa style has to be typified by speed, catchy hooks, and  
easily commercialized refrains. Here they use typical instrumentation  
with the inclusion of electric guitar to create extended dance  
grooves. This is almost psychedelic salsa that has roots in the early  
salsa of Panamá and Colombia. Think *early* Fruko, Los Exagerados,  
Los Corraleros de Majagual, Freddy y Sus Afro Latinos and the like.  
Some of the stuff is weird, but in a good way. This band would be a  
dream in a small club at 2 a.m. - it's the stuff of atmosphere,  
elation and surrender. Have a few drinks, lower the lights and let  
the party begin. DJ Alert.
Highly Recommended. (BP)
Price: $17.98
• Click here to Order Zoonando Now!

MAYRA CARIDAD VALDÉS
Obatalá Estoy Aquí
Colibri / original import
Category: SALSA/SON; SON, GUARACHA, GUAJIRA; CUBA
EditorsPick: Here are some impassioned jazz interpretations by  
vocalist Mayra Caridad Valdés. Here, she takes on six compositions by  
her brother, the esteemed Chucho Valdés, Kenny Durham, Ñico Rojas,  
Benny Moré, Juanito Márquez, and Pedro Luis Ferrer. With a heap of  
top notch Cuban musicans like Chucho on piano, conguero Yaroldi  
Abreu, sax player German Velazco, virtuoso electric guitar player  
Elmer Ferrer, and flautist Orlando Valle "Maraca."
Recommended. (BP)
Price: $18.98
• Click here to Order Obatalá Estoy Aquí Now!

LOS VAN VAN
Disco Azúcar
BIS / original import
Category: SALSA/SON; SALSA CUBANA; CUBA
EditorsPick: A classic Van Van back in stock! One of the biggest  
selling Van Van records ever, and included their smash hit "Disco  
Azúcar." With vocalists Pedrito Calvo, Mayito, and Angel Bonne. With,  
of course, Cesar "Pupy" Pedroso on piano and Changuito on timbales.
Very Highly Recommended. (BP)
Price: $16.98
• Click here to Order Disco Azúcar Now!

MARK WEINSTEIN
Con Alma
Jazzheads
Category: LATIN JAZZ; LATIN JAZZ
EditorsPick: Mark Weinstein, who played trombone early in his career  
- he worked with Larry Harlow way back - and was a member of Eddie  
Palmieri's legendary La Perfecta band, changed instrument to flute  
and began recording his own band variations in the mid nineties. On  
Con Alma, Weinstein is joined by pianist Mark Levine, bassist Santi  
Debriano -- who also penned the opening track, the 6/8 "Santi's  
Africaleidescope," drummer Mauricio Herrera, and Pedrito Martinez on  
congas. There are compositions by Coltrane ("Cresent"), Monk  
("Evidence"), Bobby Hucherson ("Gotcha") and even a track by fellow  
flautist Orlando "Maraca" Valle ("Monte Adentro"). This is a  
beautiful piece of work that all Latin jazz listeners will  
appreciate. With liner note by Larry Harlow.
Highly Recommended. (BP)
Price: $16.98
• Click here to Order Con Alma Now!

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Cuba Le Canta A Serrat, Vol. 2: 2-CD Set
Zunzun/Discmedi/Sony / original import
Category: SALSA/SON; SON, GUARACHA, GUAJIRA; CUBA
EditorsPick: Gorgeous rich and completely engaging follow-up to the  
acclaimed Cuba Le Canta A Serrat (2005) - a Cuban tribute to the  
Spanish troubadour Joan Manuel Serrat. This one features all new  
interpretations, in a plethora of styles, by Cachaito Lopez with  
"Guajiro" Mirabal, Osdalgia, Jose Luis Cortes Y NG La Banda, Buena  
Fe, Manolito Simonet, Adalberto Alvarez Y Su Son, Los Van Van, Tatá  
Güines & Coco Freeman, Amaury Pérez and many others. Recorded in Cuba  
in 2006 and 2007. Produced by Joan Surribas in conjunction with the  
Institut Catalá de les Indústries Culturals.
This one is just brimming with ideas, skill and artistry. Listen to  
Carlos Varela's surprising take on "Cada Loco Con Su Tema."  
Bountiful, beautiful, and...
Very Highly Recommended. (BP)
Price: $22.98
• Click here to Order Cuba Le Canta A Serrat, Vol. 2: 2-CD Set Now!

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Cuba Te Amo (I Love You , Cuba) DVD & CD Set
Egrem/Mundo Latino / original import
Category: DVD; DOCUMENTARY; CUBA
EditorsPick: While the DVD is basically a short plug by the Cuban  
Tourism Agency, the excellent CD includes Angel Bonne, Paulo FG,  
Raquel Zozaya, Los Papines, Azucar Negra, Las Raza and many others.  
Recommended (for the CD). (BP)
Description: DVD: Cuba, A Destination. This documentary offers us a  
first-hand look at Cuban reality. The most beautiful land human eyes  
ever saw is still there, five centuries later,charming us as it did  
to Christopher Columbus. The incomparable beauty of our beaches and  
landscapes, as well as the expressive relationship among our  
inhabitatants will allow us to get closer to the natural and cultural  
paradise, which Cuba is. Length: 18 minutes. [from the liners]
Price: $21.98
• Click here to Order Cuba Te Amo DVD & CD Set Now!

VARIOUS ARTISTS
El Color De Mi Rumba: The Making Of La Rumba Soy Yo II - DVD & Set Set
BIS / original import
Category: DVD; FOLKLORIC; CUBA
EditorsPick: The Rumba is one of the Cuban musical genres with the  
richest tradition. It has developed and grown in value through the  
years and reached outstanding places appreciated by musicians,  
experts and public at large.
"La Rumba Soy Yo" is a recording project created by Cary Diez and  
Joaquin Betancourt. It includes two albums. The first one, 'El All- 
Stars de la Rumba Cubana' (Cuban Rumba All-Stars), won a Latin Grammy  
in 2001, as a recognition of the musical dimension with which the  
Rumba is addressed. The second one, 'Con sentimiento manana' (La  
Rumba Soy Yo II), proposes a wide array of forms that show that the  
Rumba is a limitless genre, the foundation from which one can rise to  
any musical horizon, regardless of how lofty it may seem.
El Color de mi Rumba (The Color of my Rumba) is a documentary made  
during the recording of the second disc, but its purpose is not just  
to record this event but, rather, to capture the images and  
testimonies of celebrated Cuban musicians on what the Rumba  
represents and conributes to our music and to our national culture as  
a whole. Length: 52 minutes. [from the liners]
Also includes a 16 track CD that features Bobby Carcassés, Gregorio  
Hernández "El Goyo," Telmary Diaz, Tata Güines, Yoruba Andabo and  
many others.
Recommended. (BP)
Price: $21.98
• Click here to Order El Color De Mi Rumba DVD & CD Set Now!

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Fusion & Canción / Música Plus - DVD & CD Set
BIS / original import
Category: DVD; PERFORMANCE; CUBA
EditorsPick: The most famous cuban ballad & fusion artists come  
together to present magnificent video clips that will certainly be  
kept in your mind forever. [from the liners]
DVD & CD set features Sergio Viter, Lázaro Garcia, Miriam Ramos, Hel,  
Anais Abreu, David Blanco, Haila, Interactivo, El Gremio and many  
others.
Recommended. (BP)
Price: $24.98
• Click here to Order Fusion & Canción DVD & CD Set Now!

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Hialeah Social Club
Essential/Sound Triangle
Category: POP/OTHER; TROPICAL; CUBA
EditorsPick: This compilation of recordings are musical narratives  
placed in a transitional emotional order that tells the story of  
Cuban "exile" artists who now reside in the Hialeah section of Miami.  
This is the true sound of Miami... [from the liner notes]
This material is culled from the archives of producer Manuel Mato who  
recorded Cuban artists in Miami during the '60s and '70s. With Marta  
Pérez, Clockwork, Zodiac con Hector Fernandez, Ray & His Court,  
Evaristo Quintanales, Luis Santí, Conjunto Century, Coke, Adams Apple  
and many others. An interesting snapshot of pre-Miami Sound Machine  
bands. (BP)
Price: $15.98
• Click here to Order Hialeah Social Club Now!

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Punto Cubano - DVD & CD Set
Egrem/Mundo Latino / original import
Category: DVD; SALSA/SON; CUBA
EditorsPick: Documentary: "Un Punto de Cuba" The Cuban countryside  
has been the inspirational source for many poets and singers.  
Influences from other cultures are observed in improvisation, the way  
in which Cubans speak their minds and their feelings. The ten-verse  
stanza or "décima" has been a symbol in this indigenous Cuban  
cultural expression. This documentary film addresses for the first  
time and in a comprehensive way what is known as "Punto  
Cubano" (Cuban Pluck).
Length: 52 Minutes.
[from the liners] Also includes a 14 track CD that features material  
from Celina Gonzalez, Ramón Velóz, Coralia Fernández, Justo Vega and  
Adolfo Alfonso, and El Jilguero de Cienfuegos.
Recommended. (BP)
Description:
Price: $21.98
• Click here to Order Punto Cubano - DVD & CD Set Now!

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Si, Para Usted: The Funky Beats Of Revolutionary Cuba, Volume One
Waxing Deep / original import
Category: LATIN JAZZ; LATIN JAZZ/FUNK; CUBA
EditorsPick: What a weird and great compilation. It takes on the  
intellectual wing of Cuban music in the early 1970s, the academics  
and music school graduates who had a certain access to some music of  
the outside world, albeit from a distance, both cultural and  
chronological. So who do we here in the fabric of the bands? We hear  
Sly Stone and Fela and other African pop, and funk and Earth, Wind  
and Fire and Brazilian music. There's tons of funk in the basslines  
and the trap drumming, and there are some classics, like Irakere's  
"Bacalao Con Pan" and unknown stuff by groups like Los Tainos and Los  
5-U-4. Juan Pablo Torres Y Algo Nuevo have three tunes, and they're  
wildly good. So strange; here's a culture closing down while the arts  
are opening up. Cuba suffers from both a cultural superiority complex  
and a sense of isolation and inferiority; people on the album are  
trying to catch up with the worldwide explosion brought on by the 1960s.
Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Price: $18.98
• Click here to Order Si, Para Usted: The Funky Beats Of  
Revolutionary Cuba, Volume One Now!

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Ultimate Hits Latino - DVD
EMI
Category: DVD; POP LATIN
EditorsPick: Videos by Juan Luis Guerra, Thalia, Ricardo Montaner, DJ  
Kane, Obie Bermudez and others. (BP)
Price: $18.98
• Click here to Order Ultimate Hits Latino - DVD Now!

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