Latin — All Formats  

Lost Latin funk from the Bay Area scene of the 70s – and an album that may well blow away better-known work by groups like Malo, Azteca, or El Chicano! The album's near-perfect right from the start – and brings in plenty of New York elements to the groove, thanks to the inclusion of a heady amount of jazz alongside the soul, Latin, and funk elements in the grooves! The legendary Teo Macero produced and arranged – and really takes a lot of care in the studio to focus the overall energy of the tremendous talents on the record – players who include Hadley Caliman on flute and tenor, Steve Marcus on soprano sax, Benny Velarde on timbales, and Francisco Aguabella on congas – plus the trio of Cesar, Mark Levine, and Merl Sanders on keyboards. Most numbers have this really full, flowing groove – jazzy, but with a strong emphasis on the rhythms – and often touched with some great work on guitar that echoes the Santana-inspired sound of the generation, yet never in a rock way at all. Linda Tillery sings vocals on a few numbers, but the main focus is definitely instrumental – and the whole album's great – with cuts that include "See Saw Affair", "Azucar", "Descarga", "The Devil & Montezuma", "Gotta Get Away", and "Bridges".

A mad mix of Latin and funky rhythms – a 70s classic from the Belgian group Chakachas! The album's best known for its title hit "Jungle Fever" – an insane cut that features heavy drums, choppy guitar, and a stop/start action that's peppered with sounds of female pleasure! The track was a worldwide hit, and continues to be a funky classic today – thanks to a heavy sample history, and a life in playlists worldwide – but the rest of the album's pretty darn great too, and even weirder. Some tracks mix easy Euro grooving with heavy conga, others have kind of an LA Chicano funk approach, and still others throw in some mad horns to complicate matters with nice jazzy riffing. Really great throughout – and maybe one of the best funky albums to ever come out on a major label! Titles include "Jungle Fever", "El Canyon Rojo", "Chica Chica Bau Bau", "Eso Es El Amor", "Ay Mulata", "Cha Ka Cha", "Latin Can Can", and "Yo Soy Cubano".

A great little back to basics effort from the Fania All Stars – one that shakes off some of the electric and clubby influences that were creeping in during their years at Columbia, and returns the group to a mostly salsa groove! The sound here is bold and bright throughout – traditional at one level, but colored with modern inflections and a deepening sense of sophistication that may well make it one of the group's most cohesive records ever! Members of the ensemble include Roberto Roena, Johnny Pacheco, Luie Ramirez, and Papo Lucca – and vocals are by Celia Cruz, Adalberto Santiago, Ruben Blades, Santos Colon, Hector Lavoe, and Cheo Feliciano. Titles include "Dinamita", "Dime", "Ublabadu", "Cuando Despiertes", "La Borinquena", and "Encantigo".

A stellar box set of live Fania All Stars – recorded around the world and spanning the decades – on 4CDs that organize sets recorded Live In NYC, Live From El Barrio To San Juan, Live Around The World and a bonus for 4th disc of Studio Recordings – Three Decades! Includes tracks from some of our favorite live Latin albums of the 60s & 70s, including the classic Live At The Red Garter, Live At The Cheetah and Live At Yankee Stadium sets, plus albums such as Latin-Soul-Rock, San Juan 73 and more – including some unreleased mid 70s live recordings of the group doing their thing with Stevie Wonder and other sweet surprises. 52 tracks on 4CDs and includes a thick booklet of notes! Tracks include "Noche", "Guatacando", "Richie's Bag", "Anacaona", "Quitate Tu", "Estrellas De Fania", "Bemba Colora", "Soul Makossa", "Congo Bongo", "Guantanamera", "Ponte Duro", "Toro Mata", "Quitate Tu/Hang On Sloopy" with Stevie Wonder, "Country Girl-City Man", "Dinamita", "Back To My Roots", "Bamboleo", "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing" and many more.

By the mid 70s, the New York Latin scene was boomin' so large it could easily fill venues like Yankee Stadium – as you'll hear on this excellent live set from the Fania All-Stars, a monster record that easily ranks with the best live Latin sides of the time – like Eddie Palmieri at Sing Sing, the Tico-Alegre All Stars at Carnegie Hall, or Mongo Santamaria at Yankee Stadium! Tracks are nice and long – a real mix of soul and Latin, with slight funk and electric touches – and players include Ray Barretto, Willie Colon, Bobby Valentin, Mongo Santamaria, Ricardo Ray, and Roberto Roena. Vocals are by a host of singers that include Santos Colon, Hector Lavoe, Ismael Rivera, and Celia Cruz – and titles on this first volume include "Pueblo Latino", "Mi Gente", "Diosa Del Ritmo", and "Soy Guajiro".

A tribute to the famous romantic singer Felipe Pierela – once known as the Bolero Star Of The Americas! Given Hector LaVoe's warmth and charisma at the time, he was a perfect choice for such a project – and working here with producer Willie Colon, Hector steps into an older mode of Latin music – yet one that also sparkles with some of the more sophisticated contemporary touches that Colon was bringing to his own work of the period. Arrangements are by Louie Cruz, Carlos Franzetti, and Jorge Calandrelli, and titles include "Sombras Nada Mas", "Vieja Carta", "El Infierno", "Pobre Del Pobre", and "Castigo".

An early classic from the great Raphy Leavitt – one of the leading underground lights of the 70s salsa scene, especially if you get away from the Fania/Tico side of the universe! There's a strong sense of soul to the record right from the start – one that comes more from the delivery of the lyrics, and some of the bluer notes in the instrumentation – never that uncommon compared to the rest of the scene, but delivered with this gritty sensibility that almost takes us back to Spanish Harlem days. Titles include "Jibaro Soy", "Cafe Colao", "La Cuna Blanca", "En Memoria A Un Hermano", and "Consentida".

Colombian music, both classic and contemporary – as a group of older all-star players comes into contact with Will "Quantic" Holland! The set's easily one of the most smoking Latin-styled projects we've heard from Quantic so far – recorded in Colombia with work from Fruko, Anibal Velasquez, Alfredito Linares, and Michi Sarmiento – alongside Quantic's Combo Babaro, and the Frente Combeiro group of Mario Galeano! The sound is all classic throughout – no tricks or gimmicks, or modern remix modes at all – just old school instrumentation, filtered through a new school approach to funk – one that's come from years of digging older Colombian numbers, and finding a way to make new music that packs an equal punch. Every bit as smoking as older Central American grooves compiled by Soundway – with tracks that include "Bomba Tropica", "Dos Lucecitas", "Libya", "Punkero Sonidero", "I Ron Man", "Suena", and "Swing De Gillian". 19 tracks in all!

Colombian music, both classic and contemporary – as a group of older all-star players comes into contact with Will "Quantic" Holland! The set's easily one of the most smoking Latin-styled projects we've heard from Quantic so far – recorded in Colombia with work from Fruko, Anibal Velasquez, Alfredito Linares, and Michi Sarmiento – alongside Quantic's Combo Babaro, and the Frente Combeiro group of Mario Galeano! The sound is all classic throughout – no tricks or gimmicks, or modern remix modes at all – just old school instrumentation, filtered through a new school approach to funk – one that's come from years of digging older Colombian numbers, and finding a way to make new music that packs an equal punch. Every bit as smoking as older Central American grooves compiled by Soundway – with tracks that include "Bomba Tropica", "La Tranca", "Cien Anos", "Papi Shingaling", "Mi Negra", "Dos Lucecitas", "Libya", "Punkero Sonidero", "I Ron Man", "Suena", and "Swing De Gillian".

Colombian music, both classic and contemporary – as a group of older all-star players comes into contact with Will "Quantic" Holland! The set's easily one of the most smoking Latin-styled projects we've heard from Quantic so far – recorded in Colombia with work from Fruko, Anibal Velasquez, Alfredito Linares, and Michi Sarmiento – alongside Quantic's Combo Babaro, and the Frente Combeiro group of Mario Galeano! The sound is all classic throughout – no tricks or gimmicks, or modern remix modes at all – just old school instrumentation, filtered through a new school approach to funk – one that's come from years of digging older Colombian numbers, and finding a way to make new music that packs an equal punch. Every bit as smoking as older Central American grooves compiled by Soundway – with tracks that include "Bomba Tropica", "La Tranca", "Cien Anos", "Papi Shingaling", "Mi Negra", "Dos Lucecitas", "Libya", "Punkero Sonidero", "I Ron Man", "Suena", and "Swing De Gillian".

One of our favorite Latin jazz albums ever – and a truly amazing record! Bobby Pauntteo, aka Bobby Vince Paunetto, is probably best known for his groundbreaking Latin fusion albums of the NuYorican era – but this rare gem from the 60s shows that he was a really forward thinker, even at a younger age! The sound is incredibly hard to define – a blend of modal jazz, Latin rhythms, and a uniquely lyrical approach to the percussion that makes the record take off to places you'd never expect. Bobby's conception is mindblowing from start to finish – and the record's even got some wonderful tracks that feature English vocals on top of the hip vibes-driven sound of the instrumentation. A gem throughout – and the kind of record we'll take to the grave! Titles include "Aguantando", "Why Is Woody Sad?", "Mambo Sevilla", "El Senor Sid", and "Dig It Like It Is". Great stuff!

A Latin soul party – beyond compare! The album's a completely wonderful live set that really captures the energy, excitement, and warm sociability of the hip New York scene at the end of the 60s. The music is stunning – a freewheeling blend of jazz, soul, and Latin themes – played with effortless ease by a lineup that includes Joe Bataan, Ray Barretto, Willie Colon, Larry Harlow, Bobby Quesada, Louie Ramirez, Ralph Robles, and some of the other heavy-hitters of the Latin soul years. (Just imagine trying to get so many jazz or rock talents together on one stage – it would never happen!) The album's incredible – and even the spoken introductions and crowd noise really help set the feel of the era's mighty magic power! Titles on this second volume include "Kikapoo Joy Juice", "If This World Were Mine", "Richie's Bag", "Red Garter Strut", and "Son Cuero Y Boogaloo". Firey stuff, and one of their best records!

A Latin soul treasure from Bobby Matos – quite different than his straighter jazzy work of recent years, and a stone cooker to rival the best of the New York indies in the late 60s! Like cookers on Fania and Cotique, the set's got a groove that's rooted in descarga – with loads of great percussion and jazzy instrumentation – then mixed with a heady dose of late 60s Spanish Harlem soul, which means that there's some good boogaloo elements on the set that really start things on fire – a massive groove that goes way beyond standard Latin, and which has made the record a treasure for years! Nearly ever cut's a killer – and titles include "Raices", "Mambo Maxims", "Trailo A Casa", "Caliente Y Grasoso", "Up In Alfred's Pad", and "Ritchie's Boogaloo". Essential

A sprawling collection of classic Fania – featuring a pretty adventurous set of salsa, boogaloo, Afro-Latin, funkier numbers and all around incredible material put together by our friends at Strut Records – going beyond the classics! It features numbers by many of the most iconic names on Fania – Johnny Pacheco, Joe Bataan, Ray Barreto, Willie Colon, Bobby Valentin, Hector Lavoe and more – loosely chronicling the stylistic genesis at Fania during the time period, but compiled with an ear to the dancefloor rather than academia. A great set of classics on an uber-iconic label, put together by one of our favorite contemporary labels! 19 tracks on the 2LP version: "Dakar, Punto Final" by Johnny Pacheco, "Mercy Mercy Baby" by Ray Barretto, "Anacaona" by Cheo Feliciano, "Quimbara" by Celia Cruz & Johnny Pacheco, "Bomba Carambomba" by Sonora Poncena, "Pedro Navaja" by Willie Colon & Ruben Blades, "Cuando Despiertes" by Fania All Stars feat Celia Cruz and more.

A cheesy cover, but a killer album from the Fania All-Stars – one that's quite different than most of their other work at the time, with an open-ended jam session feel that really takes us back to the old days! The group here is really just a sextet – the core combo used to launch the group name on Columbia Records – and the session is one that was originally done for Columbia in 1976, when Gene Page had to cancel a studio date, and the band got the chance to jam by themselves in the studio! The result is a groove that's strongly jazzy, with lots of descarga energy – played by a group that features Johnny Pacheco on flute, Papo Lucca on piano, Nicky Marrero on timbales, Ray Barretto on congas, Bobby Valentin on bass, and Roberto Roena on bongos and assorted percussion. Roena sings on one track, but most of the set is instrumental – with nice long cuts that include "The War Gods", "Seis Con El Mismo Sabor", "Vento Conmigo", "Taxi To Aguadilla", and "Guajira Para Los Pollos".

Vamping guitar grooves, soulful lead and group vocals, and Latin funky rhythms from the legendary NYC Ghetto Brothers! "Ghetto Brothers Anthem" is their hard grooving mission statement, a heavy groove that starts with some wah wah guitar leading to the pummeling drums and rhythms – fantastic and flavored with conga, a killer bass line, and powerhouse vocals! The flip "I Saw A Tear" is more of a slow cooking raw soul styled ballad with Latin percussion, some keys and excellent vocals from the group.