Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
icana nightclub in 1943. What they started in Cuba, Tito Puente (
Click here
), Tito Rodrig-
uez, Machito and Xavier Cugat carried to the US, where it was eagerly embraced by Latino
and North American audiences. It even crossed over to Anglo audiences; it was a huge
fad in the nightclubs of New York City in the early 1950s. But when diplomatic relations
between the US and Cuba became strained after Fidel Castro's revolution in 1959, the spot-
light shifted from Cuban to Puerto Rican artists and Cuban expats living in the US.
FIVE FANIA RECORDS MUST-HAVES
The gold standard for salsa recordings often bears the name of Fania Records, a New
York label that was started in 1964 by Dominican bandleader Johnny Pacheco and
American lawyer Jerry Masucci. Known for funky, soul-dusted LPs of immaculate
grooves and a roster that included blockbusting singers and instrumentalists of the
genre, Fania made the kings and queens of the era's golden years. These are a few
Fania favorites - with a slight bias toward musicians born on Puerto Rican soil.
» Willie Colón and Ruben Blades:
Siembra
(1978) - Nuyorcian trombonist Willie
Colón is joined by Panamanian singing icon Blades for this, an essential in any salsa
collection. This is the kind of record that parents hand down to their kids.
» Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco:
Celia & Johnny
(1974) - Deliriously sassy and
brassy as hell, Celia Cruz' breakthrough with arranger Johnny Pacheco (a founder of
the brilliant classic salsa label Fania) is stacked with sultry dancefloor burners at every
tempo.
» Ismael Miranda:
Asi Se Compone Un Son
(1973) - Aguadilla-born Miranda broke
out with this LP's tracks in a romp through salsa standards. Miranda earned wild pop-
ularity for his gutsy vocals.
» Fania All-Stars:
Live at the Cheetah Vol. 1
(1971)
-
Fania's biggest drawing card
was its ever-rotating all-stars, a who's-who roster of pan-Caribbean musicians in live,
rowdy appearances. In the salsa world this is equivalent to a Dylan-Lennon-Hendrix
jam session.
» Ray Barretto:
Acid
(1968) - Nicknamed 'hard hands,' Barretto's furious congas
playing took him from the barrios of Spanish Harlem to stages alongside everyone
from Charlie Parker to the Rolling Stones. This is his undeniably raw, rock-influenced
stomper and the back half of the album has some amazing English-language covers.
