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Killer "new charanga" work from Tipica 73 – a record issued a bit later on their run for Fania, but filled with wonderful tunes that get at all the traditional energy of the group! Tracks here are loose and free, really in the spirit of the jam session mode that first produced the group – referenced by producer/arranger Sonny Bravo in the liner notes, and followed through beautifully by a lineup that includes Jose Alberto on vocals, Rene Lopez on trumpet, Dick Meza on tenor sax and flute, Alfredo De La Fe on violin, Jose Grajales on the congas and Mario Rivera on baritone sax. Titles include "Busco Una Chiquita", "Adonde Vas", "Cachita", "Yo No Camino Mas", "Tunas", "Chanchullo", "Galletana", and "Comparsas".

Tipica 73 at their early best – filled with life, fire, and imagination – a mighty approach that tries to grab up many different Latin styles at once, and which makes most of them come out pretty darn great! There's a nice return to tradition on most tunes here – but the approach differs slightly from track to track – sometimes very back to basics, sometimes filled with the looser, more expressive modes of the times. Adalberto Santiago is on vocals on most numbers – and instrumentation includes piano from Sonny Bravo and tres from Nelson Gonzalez. Titles include the excellent "Watergate" – about the closest the group ever came to cutting a Latin funk number – plus "Amalia Batista", "Carahuico", "Asi No Se Quiere A Nadie", "A Mi Que", and "Where Is The Love".

A tasty bit of salsa with a modern charanga twist – a groove that's a fair bit like Tipica 73 at times, but a bit less standard! La Sensual really have a playful sense to their music – one that lets the mix of violin, flute, and piano leap around creatively – sometimes following the rhythms, sometimes moving into spaces that are a bit more offbeat, and which make the record a real standout. The set features vocals by leader Orlando Aviles, plus violin by Jose Chombo Silva, piano by Hector Leguillow, and additional vocals by Mike Rodriguez. The violin snakes in and out of the groove with a sharp 60s-inspired sound – and titles include "Teresa", "Tengo Frio", "Lo Que Traigo Es Salsa", "Camarones Y Mamoncillos", and "Tu Sensualidad".

An excellent album of 70s work by this legendary musician from Tipica 73! The record is the debut of Alfredo De La Fe – a great percussionist and string player with a keen ear for a salsa groove that's steeped in tradition, yet has a forward thinking approach to rhythm. Alfredo's style is a great example of the way the older charanga format was taken up by 70s salseros – used to move back towards a purer Latin sound, but also to form a platform for new forms of expression. The group features Jorge Dalto on Fender Rhodes, Nestor Torres on flute, Nicky Marrero on timbales, and Alfredo himself on violin and percussion. There's a lot more percussion players on the album, too – and vocalists include Adrienne Alberto, Hector Alomar, and Felo Barrio. Includes the batucada groover "Hot To Trot", the slightly funky "Que Rico Bailo Yo", and the tracks "Canto Del Corazon", "Charangueando", and "Toca Alfredo Toca".