Editor's Picks: Best of 2007

Yes, folks, while another year has come and gone, some very fine music has been produced and found its way into our annual editors' picks of the best of the best. And, once again, I'll begin with the disclaimer that this listing should be considered simply a representation, as there could have been many other selections that we would have liked to include if not for the inherent limitations of this exercise.
2007 brought a lot of strong salsa and Latin jazz from Cuba, New York, Puerto Rico and South American — Colombia becoming quite the epicenter of salsa as of late. However, it's the strength and quality of the material being produced in Venezuela that clearly marks 2007 as an important benchmark. The jazz label Cacao released an entire suite of new releases, and independent projects like those of Descarga Criolla and Cheo Navarro made the year that much more interesting. There was also a spat of terrific records that channeled the spirit of classic '70s salsa. Projects like Estrellas de Envidia's Homenaje a Fania (Cuba) and Nils Fischer's ¡Gracias Joe Cuba! (Netherlands) were unexpected highlights this year.
My recommendations begin below, followed by those of Peter Watrous and John Child. Be sure to see the Best DVDs of 2007 which appear at the bottom of the page.
We wish you a wonderful, music filled new year!

— Bruce Polin, NYC

EditorsPick: What a great CD. You would be hard-pressed to find another Cuban son band half as vital as Los Bocucos, the band formed by Pacho Alonso in 1959, their most well known singer being the late Ibrahim Ferrer. There are other bands whose importance lies within their allegiance to the Cuban son traditions and repertoire. On the other hand there is Los Bocucos, who have remained fresh and vibrant by forging their own highly percussively syncopated sound, perpetually writing and performing new material, and remaining true to their vision; steeped in Pilón, and crackling with drive and sabor. It's funky - listen to the horn arrangement on "Aunque Te Pintes" - and completely fun. Pop on Nuevo Rumbo, forget your worries, and let the party begin. Pure Caribbean joy at it's best. Great job by the singers Karel Luis, Germán Mendoza, Carlos Amores and Juan Carlos Miró. With timbalero Jesus Perez. Very Highly Recommended. (BP)
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EditorsPick: What a great way to begin a new year! Calambuco, from Bogotá, Colómbia, has produced an infectious, finely crafted salsa-packed CD for the discerning listener and, of course, the dancers. I was at one of my distributors talking with conguero Papo Pepín when the track "Candelaria" started to blast through the stereo speakers. We both looked up and did a mutual "Wow!". Directed by pianist Andrés Felipe Succar, Calambuco is a first class band whose repertoire encompasses not only sizzling salsa like "Africa Salsera" but the slow-cooking "Guajira de Un Abandonado." Check out the heat on the descarga-mambo "Ritmo De Succar." Or listen to Santiago Jiménez' tres work on "Te Falta Ritmo." Como En El Barrio just may be one of the highlights of 2007. Each track here is a gem. With Angela (yes, Angela) Tapiero on timbales. She rocks.
With liner notes by the esteemed writer Umberto Valverde. DJ Alert! Very Highly Recommended. (BP)
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EditorsPick: Led by pianist Sergio Rivera, Grupo Caribe has been producing first-class salsa since 1996. They have earned the respect of not only the dancers but from other musicians as well. Fronted here by singers Luisito Ayala, Hermán Olivera and Tito Allen, the group continues to solidify their reputation as the standard bearers for deeply rooted New York salsa fuerza. It can be said that Grupo Caribe evolved from the highly acclaimed Cruz Control led by timbalero Ray Cruz. Grupo Caribe members like Rivera, percussionist Louis Bauzo and singers Ayala and Olivera all hailed from Cruz Control, and they've kept the spirit, drive and, especially, the integrity way high.
Terrific arrangements by Ray Santos, Jose Febles, Gil Lopez, Jose Madera and others who clearly keep the dancers as their main priority. This is the kind of salsa record I can play over and over again and never tire of. With tracks like "Saludando," "Homeaje A Los Bailadores," "Tambo La Rumba," "Negro De Sociedad," and "Bongo" (listen to Louis Bauzo work out on this one) there is zero filler material here. Also with bassists Ruben Rodíguez and Willie Cintron, sax player Pete Miranda, trombonist Raul Navarrette, and others - this one is a big DJ Alert and a salsa lover's Must-Have. With good liners by Chico Alvarez Peraza, too. Absolutely Very Highly Recommended. (BP)
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EditorsPick: Part of a string of hot new Venezuelan salsa to recently arrive at our shores, Descarga Criolla is probably the biggest orchestra and certainly packs the biggest sound. Percussionist and composer Joel "Pibo" Marquez, leader of the band, decided to open with Oscar D'Leon's "Sigue Tu Camino" a clear statement of opulence and pure swing. It rocks. There are many singers on Homenaje a Los Reyes De La Salsa, some of which are José "Cheo" Linares, Dimas Pedroza, Marcial Isturiz and Orlando Castillo "Watussi" - a salsa king himself who is paid tribute here on "Ustedes, Mi Rumba y Yo." The homenaje continues with a superb "Señor Sereno," Ismael Miranda's mega hit. This one is quite amazing with Enrique Alvarez' electric violin riffing over the can't-stop-us coro. Pure salsa bliss, folks. The band pays tribute to EL Gran Combo with "Irimo," the the Latin Brothers with "Las Calaveras" (sung by Watussi) and to Celia Cruz with the Luis Kalaff composition "Juancito Trucupey." You better have some water nearby, you're gonna need it. "Irimo" alone will cause you to loose 10 pounds - a smoker.
Descarga Criolla is in the house, and has proved, without a doubt, that Homenaje a Los Reyes De La Salsa is a salsa lovers must-have. Get it while they last! Very Highly Recommended. (BP)
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EditorsPick: Las Estrellas de Envidia, Cubanos, pay a steamy tribute to the Fania All Stars like you would not believe. The fresh, near-timba, intensity of this salsa session is almost out of control - and it makes this particular homage to Fania the best I have heard, hands down. Features a huge cast of Envidia personnel... here are just the singers: Lázaro Moré, Nelson Manuel, Tiro Duarte, Armando Cantero "Mandy," Jesús "El Zun Zún" De La Salsa, Michel Perez, Jorge Rodriguez "El Gafas," Michel Calvo, José Miguel Meléndez, Javier Rodríguez "Chocolate." Incuded are pristine interpretations of "Quítate La Máscara," "El Ratón," "Puerto Rico/Adoración," "Juan Pachanga" and other familiar hits - but done with such drive and gusto it's almost like hearing them for the first time. And it's because of this that we're, once again, made conscious of and - ultimately awed - by the strength and craft-work of the original composers: Tite Curet, Cheo Feliciano, Rubén Blades, Johnny Pacheco, Tito Rodriguez, Eddie Palmieri, etcetera. This one is certainly on my short list for Best-Of 2007 consideration. A must-have: big DJ-Alert. Very Highly Recommended. (BP)
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EditorsPick: Boom! With the opening track "Ariñañara" you know something special is going on. The song is familiar - a classic done by everyone from Tito Puente to Fruko, and a signature tune for Joe Cuba. But man has this been timba-fied or what? Track-by-track, band-leader and master percussionist Nils Fischer has brought these already great tracks onto a new level, one of intensity and sparkling swing. What a great idea: Take classic Joe Cuba tracks like "Ariñañara," "El Hueso," "Guaracha Y Bembé," and "Tremendo Coco," pump them up with high-octane timba-powered arrangements, and add red hot musicians like percussionists Gerardo Rosales and José "Pepe" Espinosa, trumpeter Brian Lynch, trombonist Alberto "Molote" Muñoz, Cuban bassist Alain Perez and vocalists Fabian Nodarse "Huracán," Nando Vanin and Alberto Caicedo. What you're left with is one of the most exciting projects of the year: Joe Cuba like you've never heard before. Turning old-school on it's head - there's a lot of fertile ground there, touched upon recently by Las Estrellas De Envidia. If, like me, you loved their Homenaje A Fania, you better grab this one, but fast. With liner notes by George Rivera and Rebeca Mauleón, as well as comments by Orestes Vilató, Bobby Sanabria, Armando Peraza and Joe Cuba himself. It's a remarkable debut CD by Mr. Fischer, and a BIG DJ Alert. Easily one of the best releases of 2007: Very Highly Recommended. (BP)
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EditorsPick: Pristine new salsa release by respected bassist Ray Martinez. Ray has been relied upon by the likes of Ray Barretto, Son Café, Mongo Santamaria, Son Boricua, Direct Latin Influence, and Ricardo Lemvo. This guy has been around the block a few times. On Alto Nivel, Ray peppers original material with compositions by Rubén Blades ("Amor Pa' Que"), J.P. Torres ("Sonero Con Clave") and Charlie Palmieri ("Mambo Show"). This is a serious powerhouse, folks, and he's got some tough players to boot: Ralphy Irizarry on timbal, Edwin Sánchez on piano, trumpeters Peter Nater, Richie Viruet and many others. Great job by singer Renzo Padilla, who is backed by a coro section featuring Ray Viera and Jorge Maldnado. Some top guests appear: Oscar Hernández, Richie Flores, Luis Rodríguez and more. DJ Alert, and Very Highly Recommended. (BP)
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EditorsPick: Okay, listen up. Direct from Venezuela comes this sparkling non-stop old school salsa number led by percussionist José Cheo Navarro. With durable drive and unwavering focus, this dance record is everything a first-class no-nonsense salsa CD should be. Packed with tremendous swing, leader Navarro has perfectly established the feel and relentless power of the best late-night New York dance club salsa bands. The esteemed Cruz Control or Grupo Caribe come to mind, especially on tracks like the gem "Rómpelo." And, like icing on the cake, the violin riffs of Janet Trejo embellish what are already near-perfect arrangements. This is one of those productions where every track seems better than the last - it hasn't left my CD player in a week. Check out Navarro's take on the Louie Ramirez classic "El Titere." Final assessment: Get this CD - now! A great big DJ-Alert. Very Highly Recommended. (BP)
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EditorsPick: You want the salsa? Can you handle the salsa? Here is the salsa! After his power-punch It's SHO Time ('05), we wondered if Chino Nuñez could possibly return with a project of equal propulsion. Well folks, the Doctor is in the house, and he's got the cure. If this one doesn't get them dancing, there just ain't no pulse. With singers Hector Papote Jimenez (who's currently featured on the acclaimed Zon Del Barrio cd), Ray Viera, Carlos Rosario, Rey Sepulveda, Tony Perez, Jose Papo Rivera and Yoko Mimata, Doctor Salsa seems always on the verge of eruption. And Nuñez' timbales, of course, do not escape unscathed. Listen to him make them scream for mercy on the commanding opening track "Te Invita." This boy can play: pure salsa sparks. And listen to Jose Papo Rivera's handling of Julio Cueva's steamroller "Permiteme Soñar" - a treasure that leads into "Aveces," a composition by Héctor Luis Pagán. This album highlight features Spanish Harlem Orchestra veterans Raul Agraz and Peter Nater, helping to make it the salsa monster it is. Other participating musicians are trumpeter Richie Viruet, bone player Luis Bonilla, pianist Edwin Sanchez, conguero Willie Romero and first-class coroistas Frankie Vasquez, Eddie Rosado, Willie Ruiz, and Chuito De Jesus.
Complaints? The 40-1/2 minutes of Doctor Salsa goes by way too fast. A big DJ Alert. Zero filler. A salsa lovers must-have. Very Highly Recommended. (BP)
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EditorsPick: The beautiful new release by César Chino Pérez has depth of musicality and raises salsa closer to art than formula. In his first release since the 2004 Amigo Incondicional, the Venezuelan trombone player chose to sing on a number of tracks. His deep masculine voice, striking when first heard, is as much comforting as authoritative. And with arrangements by top talent like Luis "Perico" Ortiz, Ray Santos, and Ricky Gonzalez you might assume that at least some of the project would be worthwhile, sight unseen. It is. Pérez recorded the bulk of this project in New York with the assistance of some of the city's finest musicians: Ricky G. on piano, bassist Rubén Rodríguez, percussionists Roberto and Luisito Quintero, trombonists Reinaldo Jorge and Luis Bonilla and others. Vocally, Mr. Pérez is joined by Osvaldo Fajardo, Orlando Blanco, and Javier Plaza, fellow Venezuelan bandleader who both penned and sang the track "Dame Dos." Ciudadano del Mundo is a first-class, premium quality project that should be at the top of your list. Pérez decided to end the project with an interpretation of Dizzy Gillespie's "Groovin' High," a Latin jazz track arranged by the esteemed Alberto Naranjo, another Venezuelan bandleader with years of experience. On it, Bonilla, Gonzaléz, Pérez and Rodriguez take turns improvising solos. It's gorgeous, and something you probably won't hear on the radio. Very Highly Recommended. (BP)
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EditorsPick: "Trombao" is right. Funky trombones are all over the place on this sumptuous new salsa release by singer Ray Viera. Harkening back to Eddie Palmieri's La Perfecta, Viera makes superb use of the trombones' power of persuasion. Viera, who has worked with Palmieri (La Perfecta II), Los Soneros Del Barrio, George Delgado and Chino Nuñez, wrote all of the compositions on Trombao with the exception of Pedro Brunet's classic "Tratame Como Soy," which he handles with great savvy. Listen to the three trombones weave a blustery wave of sound in that track. There's somthing about the power of multiple trombones that's pretty darn stunning.
The rich heritage of classic salsa, particularly the Fania sensibility, has clearly helped to define Viera's aesthetic. With titles like "Son , Guaracha, y Guaguanco," the cuatro spiced "Un Niño Jibaro En La Ciudad," and "Mi Montuno Monte Adentro" you could easily be reading the back of a vintage Roberto y Su Nuevo Montuno album. And Viera enlisted veterans Marty Sheller, Luis Cruz and Jose Madera for the arrangements: some serious talent. And Viera can rock the house. Listen to his handling of the dynamic "Valluna Mando Caleña," or his robust attack on "Oracion Al Padre Celestial." And on Richie Viruet's arrangement of "Cancion Pa' Abuelito," Viera lets completely loose. On this track, the trombones break out with moña madness. It's the essence of classic salsa, here and now... Very Highly Recommended. (BP)
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EditorsPick: This is big news. Never before released jam sessions, descargas agresiva, by Cuba's musical royalty: Tata Güines, Pancho Amat, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Candido Fabre, Paulo FG, Manuel "Guajiro" Mirabal, Richard Egues, Amadito Valdés and *many* other kingpins. Luis Dominguez, owner of the Envidia and Guataca labels, had, in the early to mid '90s, produced the widely viewed televised "Mi Salsa" show in Cuba. If was from that show that the sessions on this CD were originally produced. This stuff is drop-dead killer, the pure definition of Descarga - fiery extended tracks where the musicians let loose and go nuts. Listen to the smoldering violins of Guillermo Rubalcaba and Enrique Alvarez as Cándido Fabré, sonero supreme, takes control of Descarga Nº2, a 8-1/2 minute gem. And there is a vocal showdown, "Duelo De Soneros," that features, among others, Cándido and Paulo FG that lasts an unbelievable 19 minutes and 24 seconds - it's a spectacular performance that should not be missed. It just may be the best vocal mano-a-mano on record. This stuff harkens back to the heyday of Cachao and Niño Rivera or, even more so, the best output from Areito All Stars. It's clearly the stuff of legend, a classic in my book. Very Highly Recommended - a Must-Have. (BP)
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2007 was a fine year for Latin music, a year of variety, where some big figures came out with good music, and where the little guys stepped up to make great dance music, also. The splintering of what was once a more unified music continued (as did the disappearance of the major labels), with the small Spanish company Envidia releasing a huge quantity of extremely good music from Cuba, including rumbas, charangas and timba. A new label, Cacao, from Venezuela put out a bunch of special releases, some from Venezuela, some from the Latin music diaspora. And the rest of the good stuff came from even smaller labels, companies that risked putting out great jazz and dance music from New York, Colombia and Venezuela. We thank them, because without those small companies, the ongoing documentation of this extraordinary music wouldn’t exist.

— Peter Watrous, NYC

EditorsPick: Back in stock... Yet another great release from Venezuela, and don't let the title confuse; this isn't a jazz release. It's more like the sort of amorphous, modern experiment in dance music, mixing salsa - -check out the amount of Fania material on here -- along with Cuban timba and modern pop. Behind it all is drive, a hard, dense forward motion shared by the best dance orchestras. Fine singing helps, in a Cuban style, and various singers check in. I guess the template is Guaco, but things here are less pop and looser; like Guaco, the band's eclectic and really, really strong. This is the sort of release that should appeal to both traditionalists and modernists, and it's more proof that Venezuela is right up there in the explosion of creative activity that's happening across the hispanic world, from Spain through Cuba to Venezuela and Colombia. May we be blessed with many more releases like this in the future. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: The album, recorded for an Italian label, starts out with the tough "El Rey," rattles with all the energy of the great Cuban band's highly specific sound, its timba brand. Part of the group's individuality comes from the boy band aspect of its sound, with a bunch of young voices taking the lead vocals. As usual, the miracle of their arrangements, the stuttering rhythm section dropping accents in the least predictable places, is completely in order. And on El Rey De Los Charangueros, the recording captures some of the band's wall-of-sound, the baseball bat to the forehead quality of the band. The unity of the sound (with the exception of the voices, which are way up in the mix) relegates all the instruments to the same importance; at times it'll almost seem as if there are two bands and two ideas competing on each track, one, the band itself, hard, unstoppable, and two, the singers. Anyway, another slice of genius, hard, hard timba dance music from Havana; this might actually be the band's best recording. Nothing like it; it's historical. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: Wow, what a great record by one of the world's greatest percussionists, the man who, as one of the essays in the booklet puts it, Cubanized the drum kit. Put together in Venezuela by El Negro and the crew of Cacao Musica, with musical guidance by Luis Marquez, a Cuban trumpeter who was part of the Venezuelan super group Guaco, the recording moves from salsa, with beautiful singing by Rodrigo Mendoza among others, to more the more folkloric. On tracks like Herencia, a tight coro floats over percussion; Fender Rhodes piano drifts in and out, mixing the modern jazz of the late 1960s with folklore. Then the piece blows up, surrounding the voice of the singer Vielka Prieto, who could probably support her own album. There isn't a dead spot on the album, in part because of Changuito's playing, but also because the recording is so well made, such a great example of hard driving, swing laden dance music. And if that were it, the story would be fine: the more experimental elements, like "AfroCuban Dream," with a writhing soprano saxophone, are graceful and elegant, and serve as a fine break from dance mania. Clearly one of the best recordings of the year, so far. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Part of a new series of superb, high quality CDs under the new Cacao label of Venezuela. Each Cacao release is a pristine production involving the finest musicians and sporting detailed book-like liner notes in a custom, spiral bound, CD package. With gorgeous, high resolution printing, this might be the best CD presentation we have come across - very slick indeed.
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EditorsPick: Delgado, one of the Caribbean's great singers, one of the great singers of the 20th century, the Frank Sinatra of salsa and leader of one of the great bands of his time, has moved to Florida, and the first thing he's done is record a classic salsa album that if all is well in the world, will give him a great career here for the rest of his natural life. Because there's nothing like his singing, his sense of swing, his rhythmic assuredness, his melodic invention; it's all so casual, laden with sensuality. The first track has Delgado singing with Victor Manuelle, and it's a track that could go on for twenty minutes, their trading is so inspired. Delgado and Sergio George produced the record, with help from Alain Pérez, the bassist and arranger who was so integral to the success of what's considered one of the great timba bands of all time, Delgado's band from '97.
But this music isn't timba, it's salsa with great coros, perfect tempos, and a pile of great singing from Delgado; I'd argue that En Primera Plana is his best album yet. And there are guests, including Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Giovanni Hidalgo, the rapper Fragancia and Cachao. Luis Quintero handles much of the percussion, and Pérez plays the bass on most tracks; it's all touched by dance music perfection. Check out the breaks on "Sone/La Campana," with break after break, and thick, full coros rocking the place. Or the mambo on "Vengo Veneoso," which breaks into a rumba, Delgado's voice shifting subtly, moving into the environment of the rumba for a second or two. There's even a tres on a track or two (one track's a changui); on Paquito Va, the piece explodes in the glories of a huge coro and the same sized horn section, working over George's specialty the caballo rhythm.
Delgado could have gone in 14 different directions for this new album. He easily could have made a pop album, or a folk-ish album for the Anglo NPR market, or pandered to the reggaeton market. Instead he's made a hard salsa album, an album for Latin audiences, one aimed at the radio, with an immense honesty, plus a bunch of dignity. And let me tell you, the proof of the music's power is simple: I reach for the music whenever I want to hear something. It's in the cd player all the time, all day and all night. Highly Recommended, a major work by a major figure. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: The last few years might just go down as a small, enlightened florescence of timba. The kings have abdicated their thrones - Issac, Paulito, etc. - and the Princes are taking over, making deeply satisfying hard dance music from Cuba, timba, the timba that'll last until technology melts away, timba with a bit of salsa. Envidia's helped, and here's another example, recording Jesus El Zun-Zun, and if he sounds familiar it's because he was the immediately identifiable lead singer of Dan Den for a long time, gracing a bunch of hits. He hasn't lost his sound, either, and his voice, tight and pinched and fooling with pitch, cuts right through the band. And it's a serious band, floating above the bassist Arnaldo Jimenez and Jorge Papiosko on percussion; you want it to play all night, the way you know it can. The coro includes Ciso Guanche and El Sinsonte, and the music is always smart, starting off in one place and ending up in another. The trombones rock. Highly Recommended, modern Cuban music at its best. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: Charanga Dura is what Bruce calls this stuff, and he's right, this is explosive, wall-of-sound charanga direct from Havana. It's not relaxed, or languorous, or polite, it's fast, and hard tough. And it's not dumb, with over half of the tunes coming from this part of the world, with "Te Conozco Bacalao" by Hector Lavoe, and "Pita Camion" and "Cambia El Paso" by Johnny Pacheco, plus two tunes by Ruben Blades, and "Mi China" by Tito Puente, meaning that the songwriting is of a high level, and hell, the music might even make it to radio play lists around the world. And the arrangements aren't just copies; check out the tempo changes in "Mi China." Led by the bassist Jorge Machado, and featuring a few of the regular Envidia suspects the band rocks, with a fine young flautist, Marnie Upierre, taking the solos. Great singing, too, so the package is as good as any charanga that's been released this year, and perhaps for the last several. The Real Deal. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: One of the better bands in Venezuela, El Guajeo works around Naranjo's vibes, supported by a fairly big jazz-esq band. Occasionally Naranajo's joined by bata drummers, the same ones that helped lift Changuito's album into the air. It's descarga music, with long solos; Jimmy Bosch sits in on trombone on a few tracks, and there's a coro on most pieces. Naranjo's interested in all sorts of different harmony; there are moments of simple, traditional harmony, and at times the music gets modern. And on Guajeo y su Rumbata, a mix of the modern and the bata, the music just takes off, astoundingly beautiful; the coro will leave you breathless, and asking for more. Perfectly recorded, and exciting, and completely honest, the album can be taken as a good example of the power of local music, music meant for dancing, made by intelligent musicians who sense a responsibility to their audience. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
Part of a new series of superb, high quality CDs under the new Cacao label of Venezuela. Each Cacao release is a pristine production involving the finest musicians and sporting detailed book-like liner notes in a custom, spiral bound, CD package. With gorgeous, high resolution printing, this might be the best CD presentation we have come across - very slick indeed.
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EditorsPick: Ah, the sounds of timba, fresh, and smart and urgent. Pedro Pablo, a bassist from Havana, has, on his second album, done what he did on his first -- which is make either the best or one of the best timba albums of the year. And what Yo Soy la Noticia brings is the miracle of rhythm arrangements, arrangements worked out in front of dancers, and, though the title track fades too quickly, you can hear what the band does for dancers - roughing out stuttering rhythms, and feints, and food for the dancers' imagination. Pablo's put the piano upfront, too, and the montunos lift the music up and give it a bright, new sound; check out how the piano rocks the sound of the tune "Cristina." It's amazing music, workaday dance music from the streets of Havana, but in a 100 years, when the talent to play such profoundly complicated music has been lost, it's true value will show up. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: Ah, the real deal that makes everything else pale. Here's one of Cuba's long standing bands, and one of the better bands in that country, a band that will come to your hometown and scramble the minds of your better musicians. It is, as some have said about some American music, ragged but right. If one is looking for what's slick or smooth, go elsewhere. This stuff is non-stop intense, slightly maniacal, with endless rhythm arrangements, coro after coro, breakdowns, everything stacked on everything, just a riot of bandleading and crowd riling. Can't help but loving it, and if there are any complaints about the typically average Cuban recording quality, turn this up, just like it deserves. This is history. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: A quartet, Samurindo's evidence of the continuing intermingling of musical ideas and communities in New York. The group works with Colombian rhythms, and features a great rhythm section - Trifon Dimitrov on electric bass and Daniel Correa U. on drums. Sebastian Cruz, who's part of Lucia Pulido's group is on guitar and Jan Pablo Uribe's on saxophone. It's spiky, modern music, gritty and dirty and thick and adventurous. It's texture is raw, unadorned; there's hardly any reverb on the recording and it has a New York energy to it, as if the recording machine stepped into a jam session. Highly recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: A few years ago I was wandering around the New School and heard this amazing Afro-Caribbean big band wailing away in a practice room. I asked around, and got this response: "Oh yeah, that's Bobby Sanabria's student band. Pretty great, right?" And it was pretty great. Since then Sanabria's run a big band that's been nominated for a Grammy, and written plenty of new material. The band, including four former students of Sanabria's, is made up of some of the best musicians in New York -- Chris Washburne, Michael Philip Mossman, Jeff Lederer and more. What makes this session a classic, the sort of recording that'll be reissued as long as there are people to hear it, is something almost ineffable. It's a big band project, dripping with New York knowledge, and it sounds neither modern, in any clichéd sense, or historical, in any sort of out-of-it way. It just sounds in time, perfect, a product of a place and time and personality, i.e. Sanabria's presence. As for the session, that ineffable thing happens: it's a session blessed with a rhythmic perfection, and an excitement takes over. There are details here: tunes by Frank Zappa, Hermeto Pascoal, Ella Johnson's "Since I Fell for You," "Besame Mucho," smart things like that, none of which make a difference if the music isn't happening. And it is. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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EditorsPick: Oscar Hernandez's beautiful creation cruises into its third album, United We Swing. And while there's a sense of mission in the orchestra - to preserve the glories of what happened in New York and Puerto Rico in the late '60s and 70s - the music is so strong and so alive, that it hardly feels like a preservation project. As anyone who's seen the orchestra live knows, this can be a vanguard type of experience, improvised, modern and fantastically heavy. On the record, that side's pulled in, with the classical side of the band emphasized (though there's plenty of slick harmony; check out Sonny Bravo's arrangement of Willie Torres' "Se Formo la Rumba," plus a new emphasis on pop coros, from the era. And check out the arrangements: on "En El Tiempo Del Palladium" Gil Lopez had the percussion slapping out rhythms in tandem, only to give way to a trumpet soloist, and then Marco Bermudez, who achieves a vocal quality that brings back images of Santitos Colón, Tito Puente's singer. Speaking of singers Ray De La Paz is on the recording and he tears it up, his improvisations parting the sea of horns and percussion; Paul Simon, with whom Hernández worked on the much misunderstood and brilliant "The Capeman" shows up to sing his "Late in the Evening." On tunes like "Salsa Pa'l Bailador" De La Paz sounds as if he's singing a lament to lost love; in fact, he's singing about dancers and the music - which makes sense, because in this world, that connection - between dancers and music - deserves the same weight, attention and power that love might have in other popular musics. It's all profound, and if the world were in order, Hernández would get a McArthur grant to keep the orchestra going another few years. Highly Recommended. (Peter Watrous)
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This year has seen a growing tendency for labels to reissue Latin back catalogue material in the form of greatest hits, "best-of" and other compilation formats rather than the original albums. For instance, Emusica put the breaks on the vigorous reissue programme of original titles from the Fania catalogue they began in 2006 and increasingly opted to put out compilations.
Meanwhile, small outfits like Soundway, Salsa International and Latin Soul Records continued to do Trojan work reissuing rare gems.

— John Child, London

EditorsPick: **Classics Revisited** "Angel's singing style and showmanship made people turn around to listen and watch him perform rather than dance," said Louie Cruz, who wrote arrangements for Angel Canales, during a conversation with me for the Descarga.com piece Louie Cruz: To The Best His Knowledge. "He had a very good band that played the tunes the same way he sang - with lots of dynamics. They succeeded in establishing a sound and style like him: 'different'." While effectively Canales' first solo album (he is prominently pictured on the front cover), this 1975 recording for Alegre Records is actually named after the band Sabor with a sub-billing on the rear cover reading "Sabor con Angel Canales." Sabor had been Mark "Markolino" Dimond's band, debuting on his 1971 stone classic Brujeria on Vaya Records with Canales on lead vocals. A drug addict, Dimond was not taking care of business, so Sabor walked out on him. Besides Canales, trombonists Ricardo "Richie" Montañez and John "Fudgy" Torres (who also assumes the mantle of musical director), conguero Antonio Tapia and bongo player Louie Rivera remained with Sabor for this album and continued to be core members of Angel's band into the '80s. José Madrid (1945-2005), a Colombian pianist who recorded in New York with Andy Harlow and Mongo Santamaría, replaced Dimond. This album pretty much set the mould for Canales' unique hard driving and complex jazzy sound. The liner note writer, Jaime Torres Torres, credits Colombian pianist Edy Martínez, who wrote seven of the eight arrangements, as the architect. The album spawned the hits "Sabor Los Rumberos Nuevos" (arranged by Louie Cruz), "Lejos De Ti" and "El Cantante Y La Orquesta." Canales composed half the tracks, including "Sol De Mi Vida," co-penned with John Torres and featuring a haunting solo from Madrid. Very Highly Recommended. (John Child)
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EditorsPick: Fine compilation of material by the veteran salsa singer. Includes the tracks "Guararé," "La Envidia Y La Hipocresía," "Prende El Fogón," "Veneno" and others. Recommended. (BP)
See all of the new remastered Fania classics Here!
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EditorsPick: **Classic Revisited** Born in Puerto Rico and raised in Brooklyn, the Lebrón Brothers celebrated their 40th anniversary in the business in 2006, a career spanning five decades doing it uniquely and uncompromisingly their way: funky, gritty, streetwise and relentlessly swinging, always mixing Spanish lyrics Latin tunes and English language R&B/soul-oriented numbers. Between 1967 and 1982 they knocked-out 16 albums on the Cotique Records label founded in late 1965 by George Goldner (1918-1970). They first visited Colombia in 1979, where they continued to grow in status and recorded three albums there, including their live 35th anniversary album in 2002.
Criollo was the Lebrón Brothers last outing for Cotique and spawned the immortal "Sin Negro No Hay Guaguancó" (Without The Blackman, There Would Be No Guaguancó), co-penned by Angel Lebrón and Aura M. de Velázquez, which has virtually become an anthem in Cali, Colombia, and "Diez Lágrimas," another Angel Lebrón gem with a subtle string orchestration, which also acquired "super hit" status in Colombia. The liner notes quote John Walsh, trumpeter with the Grammy Award winning Spanish Harlem Orchestra, who began playing with the Lebrón's in the mid-'80s. "Criollo, that's a classic," he says. "The importance of "Diez Lágrimas" and "Sin Negro No Hay Guaguancó" in particular will survive the vinyl into which they were pressed. It's amazing to me when we do gigs anywhere in the world where one might find Colombians, that everybody know the words to every song. Kids that were yet to be born when this album was recorded, easily sing along with their grandparents." Very Highly Recommended. (John Child)
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EditorsPick: Superb 2-CD compilation of the material José Mangual Jr. produced for the Velvet label. 40 tracks in all, and includes "Cuero Na' Ma," "Tres Bongoseros," "Recuerdos A Chano Pozo," "Suena El Tambor" and much more. According to Dr. John Child, "40 Años appears to feature tracks not previously reissued from Jose's fourth Velvet vinyl release, Lo Que Traigo Es Salsa, which I only found out about recently. Plus 40 Años includes some tracks from his first Velvet LP Pa' Bailar y Gozar '79 not previously reissued." Here's your chance to own a true collectable. Highly Recommended. (BP)
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EditorsPick: Pacheco's first recording! A classic. - BP "Get 'em all! The most important musical entrepreneur in the Latin field besides being the world's most underrated flautist and composer. Impossible to pick a favorite, either from his seminal charanga days right through to his conjunto and Fania All-Star glory. I guess this will have to do."
(Phil Riggio, 98/99 Catalog)
"Pacheco's first album. In 38 years it hasn't lost any of its zing. Within the first several years of its release it achieved worldwide popularity. According to producer Al Santiago it sold 150,000 copies. Not an overabundance of notes from Pacheco's flute; every note means something."
(David M. Carp, 98/99 Catalog) (DR)
See all of the new remastered Fania classics Here!
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EditorsPick: New digitally remastered reissue! With bassist Bobby Rodriguez, Mike Collazo on timbales, bongocero Johnny "Dandy" Rodriguez, and Frankie Malabe on congas. Highly Recommended. For the salsa collector - a must-have! "To me, this is one of Charlie's best. It really showcases Charlie's piano style." (Joe Conzo, 96/97 Catalog) "A piano and rhythm recording a la Noro Morales and Joe Loco who both influenced Charlie as did Peruchín. Charlie also admired the piano style of Luisito Benjamen. Great personnel." (Al Santiago, 94/95 Catalog) (DR)
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EditorsPick: Man, this is fine stuff. Manny Oquendo and Barry Rogers. Plus, superb liners by James Maycock. With "Ritmo Caliente," "Azúcar," "No Critiques," "Muñeca," "Café," "Lo Que Traigo Es Sabroso" and much more. Highly Recommended. (BP)
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EditorsPick: Here's something pretty darn remarkable. A never-before reissued album of sessions directed by the venerated Charlie Palmieri. Conguero and bandleader Johnny Zamot (also known as Johnny Ray) brought together a crew of young musicians who would later become legendary figures in their own right: trombonists Barry Rogers and Jose Meriño, bongocero Johnny Rodriguez "Dandy," pianist Eddie "Eddy" Martinez, trumpeters Ray Maldonado, and Ray Roman, timbalero Manny Corchado, bassists Victor Venegas and Eddie "Gua Gua" Rivera, drummer Billy Cobham, tresero Charlie Rodriguez and, yes, many others. These are raw-energy studio sessions that convey the sense of working musicians letting loose in ways similar to Al Santiago's famed Alegre All Stars (also with Charlie P. at the helm). It's music made to satisfy the musicians playing it; proficient, intense, and swinging *very* hard. According to John Child, some of the tracks appeared on the rare early '70s album entitled Johnny Zamot. Zamot chose what he felt were the best tracks from several sessions when assembling this CD. He put all the descarga-heavy tracks up front: "Oye Nicola," "La Guerra" "Descarga En Tres," the over 7 minute "Descarga No. 2" and, of course, "Descarga Zamot." There are also some jazzy numbers that drip with Latin soul, and the finale, "Guadalajara," is a tour-de force theatrical powerhouse that one can imagine being used as the centerpiece in a Latin version of the musical "Hair."
With singers John "PeeWee" Fernandez and Ramon "Tito Jay" Jimenez and a coro team consisting of Yayo "El Indio," Adalberto Santiago and Jimmy Sabater. Pretty cool, indeed. Camino de Fama is one of those rare releases that seem to come out of nowhere, yet assert a historical reference to remind us that exceptional work was done outside of the Fania studios as well. Musically, what an amazing period the '70s was.
Good liner notes by Nelson Rodríguez. This one, folks, is a Must-Have. Very Highly Recommended. (BP)
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EditorsPick: Here's a great find - a tremendous compilation of Colombian dance material from the 60s and '70s. Assembled by Miles Cleret with clearly written detailed liner notes by Roberto Ernesto Gyement (remember their amazing work on the Panama! collection? You should!), Colombia! features some sparkling material from the eminent label Discos Fuentes. Works by Fruko y Sus Tesos, The Latin Brothers, Afrosound, Lito Barrientos, Orquesta Nunez are represented, as well as some more obscure but vital bands like Climaco Sarmiento y Su Orquesta, Wganda Kenya and Pedro Laza y Sus Pelayeros. This is hard-driving salsa, jazzy riffs and fiery cumbias like you've never heard before. The 10-minute descarga "El Mondongo" by Los Corraleros de Majagual is a gem. In his comments Gyement is able to add additional background and color to the material, adding context and nuance to an already enjoyable package. Beautiful full-color representations of rare album covers are peppered throughout. This one, folks, is a must-have. Very Highly Recommended. (BP)
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EditorsPick: Interesting 2-CD set of rare vintage salsa dura by the likes of the Don Juan Orchestra, Willie Melendez, Porfi Jimenez, Felix Martinez, Los Astros, Orchestra Broadway, Mike Rosario and others. CD-1 has all of these twelve classics in their original glory. CD-2 are remixes of these same tracks via the handiwork of DJ Duste of Australia. And they sound great... Recommended. (BP)
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EditorsPick: This DVD presents nine superb, visually stunning performances of traditional ritual dance by one of Cuba's oldest and most important folkloric groups, Afrocuba de Matanzas. Each piece was specially selected and filmed in different locations around the city of Matanzas to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the group (1957-2007). Includes a 24 page booklet with background and historical information as well as detailed notes on the music and dance. 80 minutes. Highly Recommended. (DR)
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EditorsPick: Just in time for the holidays! It would be difficult for any salsa fan to resist this colorful, rhythm-packed, drug drenched interpretation of the life of superstar Héctor Lavoe. Jennifer López is, surprisingly, wonderful as Lavoe's wife Puchi - especially her transformative portrayal of the woman as the older, hardened, widower recanting her life with the singer. Those of you who are familiar with the meteoric rise of the transplanted Puerto Rican singer in the New York '70s salsa scene and his tragic ending might not find much information that's not already well documented, but seasoned salsa listeners will delight in spotting familiar faces peppered through the film. Ismael Miranda is quite powerful as Lavoe's unyielding father. Victor Manuelle plays Ruben Blades debuting the song "El Cantante" - a gift to Lavoe - in a small club. Yomo Toro's at a party, and one can spot Milton Cardona, Eddie Montalvo, Tito Allen and a host of other salsa notables throughout the film. Marc Anthony had obviously studied all available footage of Lavoe, and gets the inflections and moves down pat. He does a credible, if not quite compelling, job as the simultaneously rising and falling Lavoe, whose constant battles with personal demons push him further into drug addition, attempted suicide, a mental breakdown and worse. Well, you know how it goes. Anthony's singing is, however, phenomenal, as is the musical score by Sergio George. Note should be made of John Ortiz who played Willie Colón, Federico Castelluccio, who is perfect as the salsa mogul head of Fania, Jerry Masucci, and Nelson Vasquez whose remarkable, uncanny interpretation of Johnny Pacheco has to be seen to be believed. For the history, the music, and all the good guys getting their 15 minutes of fame... Highly Recommended. (BP)
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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)
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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)
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EditorsPick: Big time old-school fun as Las Estrellas Del Comborican churn through salsa classics, many from the Fania songbook, for their live performance at the Nuyorican Café in Old San Juan, PR. Singers Hermán Olivera, Wilfredo Otero and Luisito Ojeda take their sweet time on these extended, gritty, trombone-charged, loose jams. The band is obviously having a lot of fun, had a few drinks and, despite the occasional out of tune vocal notes (you get the real feel of a live performance, warts and all) the dancing audience of this small club ate it up. It's the sort of session we took for granted in New York fifteen years ago: "A las Seis," "En Mi Viejo San Juan," "I Like it Like That," "Pa' Huele," and an almost sixteen minute "Quitate Tú" are some of the gems you'll hear and/or see on this CD/DVD set. It's an informal homage to some of the best salsa ever composed. Highly Recommended. (BP)
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EditorsPick: What a fitting tribute to master salsero Tito Gómez, who passed away, at the young age of 59, just two months after this sizzling performance was recorded. This show, one of salsa dura and old-school know-how, took place at the packed-to-capacity Café Teatro Bar in Calí, Colombia. Produced by Diego Galé (who should be given an award for single-handedly documenting the best Puerto Rican and Colombian salsa bands), this concert embodies the richest aspects of the music: swing, drive, rhythm and a healthy amount of inspired improvisation. Gómez had decades of salsa behind him: He sang with Sonora Ponceña, Grupo Niche, Ray Barretto (he does a killer "Guararé" here - it's one of the DVDs many highlights), La Terrifica and others. The man was salsa history. Galé knew it, was obviously in awe of the man, and proved it with his wallet. This is a first-class production - multi-camera, perfectly edited and mixed. And the quality of the production was matched not only by Gómez, but by the band as well. Galé and crew, including pianist Alvaro Cabarcas "Pelusa," bassist Sergio Munera, trombonist Morist Jimenez, Diego on congas and brother Jimmy on timbales are so practiced, so well-oiled - that the performance evolves into a thing of beauty, a work of art. In addition to the above mentioned "Guararé," Gómez also performs the hits "Prende El Fogon," "Un Caso Social," "Invitación a un Sonero" and more. This DVD and CD package is a document of a salsa hero, and is a must-have. Very Highly Recommended. (BP)
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EditorsPick: There is no other production available anywhere which details batá drumming with the depth and breadth of El Lenguaje de Tambor. The five (5) total hours of video, both performance and interviews, comprise much more than just a Master Class of playing the batá. This is more like an intense University level course which will take many viewings to even begin to digest. This is truly a historical work which will take its place among the few masterpieces within the study of Afro Cuban drumming and religion. Daniel Alfonso takes us from the basics of playing all three drums to a complete Oro Seco. Watching the Master's hands as he demonstrates each drum in Disc Two is a very profound experience, knowing that these hands have been playing batá for so many years. After each drum is taught, demonstrating all the sounds and hand placements, Señor Alfonso plays toques for the Orishas, one drum following the other. Truly masterful. The DVDs' production is to be praised. It gives us very clear views of each drum, of each drum head and hand technique. The sound quality of the DVD is also to be praised. The ambience of the room at the Cabildo de Santa Teresa in Matanzas is excellent. Interviews within the DVD project give light to the stories of the Orishas, to the deep history of the drums in Cuba, and to Cuban religious life with the drums. Señor Alfonso's knowledge of the history of the religious drums leads us from the beginnings of the fundamento batá in Matanzas up until the present day. You will get a true feeling for the pride, the beauty, the profundity of drumming within the religious and secular life in Matanzas. The soulful interview with Esteban "Chacha" Vega Bacallao, filmed shortly before his untimely demise, is a centerpiece of this wonderful work. Highly Recommended. (Chuck Silverman)

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EditorsPick: Wow! What a great live performance. This fine quality, multi-camera production of the veteran salsa band sports both superb sound and a detailed picture. The main singers for the event, Frankie Vázquez and Virgilio Hurtado do an exemplary job. But surprises were in store. There is a *seriously* extended version of "Salsa y Control" that has to be seen to believed. It's a piece of spontaneous salsa history that features not only singers Vázquez and Hurtado, but also the great Tito Nieves, Cheo Andujar, Kim De Los Santos and, pulled right out of the audience, Yuri Buenaventura. This track goes on forever, and that's not long enough: it truly embodies the very spirit of the genre. The singers, in true sonero style, take turns improvising in a manner that is rarely seen these days. I tell ya, people, there was a sense of destiny on that stage that night. The energy emanating from these guys was palpable, and made me fall in love with salsa all over again. The concert was held in celebration of Pablo Lebron, whose health appears to be failing. He suffered a heart attack in the early eighties and semi retired from the band. Towards the end of the show, there is a completely heartbreaking rendition of "Regressa a Mi" as sung by the teary-eyed patriarch from his wheelchair. I felt my own heart sink watching this.
But the show is no tear-jerker: It's a thoroughly smoking set and, by far, the best Lebron Brothers DVD to date. In fact, it's clearly one of the best salsa performance DVDs of the year - a must-have for any collector. This one, folks, is... Very Highly Recommended. (BP)

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EditorsPick: Once I popped this DVD into the player, it didn't take long for me to realize the value of what I was witnessing. The multi-camera photography, direction and sound quality told me that there was a real intelligence behind this production. Then I noticed that this project was produced by Wim Wenders (as a follow-up to his acclaimed documentary Buena Vista Social Club) and Claus Clausen of Germany. There's a huge film crew and a top notch post-production team. Directors, consultants, legal counsel an more. The sound was handled by Termidor, a first-class concern. This was no fly-by night operation.
Onto the stage of a jam-packed enthusiastic crowd in a Tokyo club, walks some of Cuba's musical royalty: Mayito Rivera, "El Nene" Pedro Lugo, Samuel Formell, Tirso Duarte, Luis Frank Arias, Julio Padrón, Felicio Arango, Juan "Coto" Antomachin Padilla, the man of the hour - the legendary Pio Leiva, as well as the new generation of leading edge Cuban musicians: Roberto Carcassés, Osdalgia, rising star Telmary, Elmer Ferrer and many others (see the credits below). Live in Tokyo turned out to be an absolute gem of a concert - a top notch celebration of sizzling música Cubana. The significance of the event - held in the unlikely arena of a nightclub filled with adoring Japanese Cubanophiles - lies in the unwavering strength and artistry of the performances that, without pause, integrate the traditional and the cutting edge - the old and new, with a conviction that would convert even the most jaded of listeners to frontline soldiers of Cuban music. The show's additional significance becomes clear for also what it is not: this ain't a bunch of old-time Cuban veteran performers recanting their former glory. Yes, there's "Chan Chan," but it's a "Chan Chan" like you've never heard it before. The tune, like the entire experience here, is transformative. You're left both elated and exhausted, and it becomes clear that Cuban music is a living, changing thing. In this show, the young stars, like the hauntingly beautiful and intense rapper Telmary, are given the space they deserve. While Buena Vista Social Club was about Cuba's musical past, Live in Tokyo is clearly about it's future. And Leiva seemed perfectly fine, no ...pleased, with what was going on. As it turns out, it was Leiva's final tour. But, man, what a send off. Very Highly Recommended. (BP)
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EditorsPick: Like a double shot of espreso, this live performance DVD by the hybrid plena-salsa orchestra will both stimulate and leave you wanting more. Led by Edwin "Zaperoko" Feliciano and Héctor "Truco" Valentin, the band's DNA is clearly made up of equal parts Puerto Rico and Cuba. Recorded live at the Festival Toros y Salsa in September of 2006, the show is a non-stop Afro-Caribbean dance party. Plena, bomba, songó, salsa, rumba are tighly woven into a melange of kick-butt material that fits perfectly into this modern world. Truco & Zaperoko is one of the few bands that clearly embrace, at least musically, the notion of "one world Latino." And it works. These guys are true ambassadors of Afro-Caribbean music. Approximately 130 minutes. Excellent audio, moderate picture quality, and a heck of a lot of fun. I especially liked the extended funky jazz-plena composition "Oye Papá." Also be sure to check out the drop-dead timbale solo by Tito Degracia in the special features. This man is a total monster. Highly Recommended. (BP)
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EditorsPick: Here's an informative and fun to watch documentary about the history and sociology of the Cuban rumba. With many performances and interviews with musicians and others who "live" the rumba. How the rumba developed in Havana and Matanzas as a spontaneous artistic form of expression is discussed in detail with the likes of percussionist Alfredo Hernández, musicologist Bladimir Zamora, drum-maker Juan Bencomo, singer Mayito Rivera, anthropologist Lazara Menendez, rumberos Pedro Fariñas and Eloy Machado and many others. Lots of street rumbas are filmed here. The differences between the three main types of rumba - El Yambú, El Guaguancó, and La Columbia - are covered here as well. With special bonus footage of extended rumbas: Rumba En Centro Habana, Rumba En El Callejon de Hammel, Rumba En La Peña de "El Ambia."
In Spanish, offered with English subtitles. Approx. 100 minutes. Highly Recommended. (BP)

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