Rolling salsa, merengue, bachata, and reggaeton thread 2007 (Ladies get in for free)

"Dear Friends. Oscar's Production thanks you for your patience. We have filed a lawsuit against Mr. Crespo, and his agents, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia's Civil Division. A hearing is set for March 16, 2007, before the Honorable Gerald Fisher in Courtroom # 519. We are requesting that as many of you as possible to appear in Court that day, to support Oscar's Production, while at the same time voicing your opposition for Mr. Crespo's failure to perform in Washington, D.C. on November 25, 2006, as he agreed to do. We ask for your patience on any refund request until after the court's hearing. Oscar's Production."

Not that I'm a big Elvis Crespo fan. Just found this, uh, interesting.

http://laondatropical.blogspot.com/

The lawsuit sounds like it would be a pretty clear-cut kind of thing. Not that big a deal.

Luny Tunes: Los Benjamins - La Continuacion [I didn't buy the first one, but this will have a version of "Noche De Entierro" with Ivy Queen, and maybe they will improve the rest of the album, which has received lukewarm reviews.]
Ivy Queen [overdue album]
Daddy Yankee
Calle 13
This new Elvis Crespo thing, if there really is a full album in the works
Spanish Harlem Orchestra [I have read good things about the new material they are performing and I think that the introduction of Luisito Quintero on timbales could shakes things up in a good way.]

Oh yeah, also probably another Michael Stuart album, but I am crossing my fingers about that. I thought I read that he was doing something with Papo Lucca, but the article I read was in Spanish, so I don't really know what I read.

http://www.salsaforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=3185

(It's one of the first results that comes up in Google if you search on the title, too, which must be frustrating for certain parties.)

This is a good live recording of a song that has come to be one of his signature numbers (though I'm not sure he originally sang it). It's good, although I've heard him do more rhythmically off-the-hook versions than this. He doesn't seem quite as wound up.

Here's another live one. I've heard him cover this song, but I'm not sure if this is the same version I've heard. He does a good job, though I'd rather have the Marvin Santiago original.

Salsa Bandleader Delgado Defects To U.S.
January 26, 2007, 2:45 PM ET

Issac Delgado, one of Cuba's most popular salsa bandleaders, has defected to the United States to pursue an international career, a former associate said today (Jan. 26).

Delgado, 44, is the biggest name in Cuban music to leave the communist-run island nation in years. His 1999 recording of salsa queen Celia Cruz's song "La Vida es un Carnaval" was a major hit in Cuba.

The singer moved with his family to Tampa, Fla., late last year, his former representative in Havana, Raul Escalona, said. His 11-member band, Issac Delgado y su Orquesta, which stayed in Cuba, has changed its name and has a new singer, Escalona said.

The son of a tailor and a dancer, Delgado started out in the band of Latin jazz piano virtuoso Gonzalo Rubalcaba in 1980. He has frequently toured outside Cuba with his own group since 1991 and is popular in Mexico.

Delgado was one of the few musicians living in Cuba who managed to cross political barriers and perform in Miami, where the exile community has long blacklisted artists who had not defected from Cuba under President Fidel Castro's government.

In Cuba, Delgado lived comfortably in the leafy Miramar residential district and drove a Mercedes-Benz, a rare privilege for Cubans, neighbors said.

His father-in-law, Miguel Valdes, a former coach of Cuba's national baseball team, has lived in Tampa since defecting to the United States with White Sox pitcher Jose Contreras in 2002. Delgado is the most prominent musician to defect since salsa singer Manolin, "The Doctor of Salsa," left in 2001.

Other high-profile departures include saxophone player Paquito D'Rivera and trumpeter Arturo Sandoval of the Latin jazz group Irakere, who defected in 1981 and 1990, respectively.

Cuba has long suffered a flight of talented artists and top athletes seeking fame and fortune in the United States, Havana's ideological foe since Castro's 1959 revolution.

COPYRIGHT: (c) Reuters 2006.

Bachata kings find a rhythm in New York
BY ED MORALES

January 28, 2007

For at least a moment last week, with a wildly enthusiastic throng on the set of MTV Tr3's Spanglish version of "Total Request Live" cheering their every move, Bronx-based bachata idols Aventura were on top of the Latin music world.

They had just finished performing "Los Infieles," from their new album "K.O.B. Live" (Premium Latin Music/Sony Norte), a song that nicely packages their modern bachata sound, complete with lyrics about illicit love that characterize Latin urban tastes that run through R&B and reggaetón. And although their music is in Spanish, lead singer and songwriter Lenny Santos felt at home with his growing legion of mostly female, bilingual supporters.

"I love traveling around to the Dominican Republic and Latin America," said Santos to the crowd in English. "But somehow in New York I can be more myself."

Aventura, whose new album is currently No. 4 in the Billboard Latin Albums chart, is a band whose time has come. They are a Latino New York version of the Backstreet Boys, but they choose to use the rhythmic, guitar-based format of bachata from the Dominican Republic to express what life is like in the big city. For the cover of their new album -- which contains a CD of new material, a CD of a live performance at the Theater at Madison Square Garden, and a DVD with concert footage and the video for "Los Infieles" -- Aventura dressed up in Edwardian suits and mop-tops in an apparent homage to a certain English rock group that invaded New York in the '60s.

"A lot of people thought we were trying to dress like The Beatles," said Santos backstage at the TRL sound studio. "But it was this '60s thing -- everybody dressed like that then. I wanted to do something different. I wanted to show that we don't always worry about our pretty-boy image."

But despite their image as teen idols and purveyors of the forbidden tryst, Aventura has a strong musicality that goes under the radar. The live album, in particular, accentuates Santos' florid guitar soloing, as well as Max Agende Santos' jazz-influenced electric bass playing.

"I don't want people to see us just as bachateros," Santos said. "We do modern bachata. I've been doing production work in salsa for Gilberto Santa Rosa, I did a merengue track for Sergio Vargas, an R&B track for Frankie J., and a reggaetón track, 'Noche de Sexo,' for Wisin & Yandel."

While Aventura is following in the footsteps of great Dominican musicians like their acknowledged heroes Juan Luis Guerra and Fernandito Villalona, they're also part of a New York style established by 2 in a Room and Fulanito, who fused merengue and the rustic perico ripiao with house music.

"The reason I named the album 'K.O.B.,' or Kings of Bachata, is to make it clear that we're the best at what we do," Santos said. "But our culture is filled with incredible artists. And it feels good to finally help put that culture on the map."

“I have a desire to transmit spirituality and good vibes through my music,’’ he said. “I think it’s the fundamental task of all genuine artists.’’

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/01/26/Tampabay/Salsa_star_leaves_Cub.shtml

Cuban salsa star now lives in U.S.
Issac Delgado appears to have a good chance to beat the curse of other island émigrés.
By Agustin Gurza
Times Staff Writer

January 26, 2007

World-renowned salsa singer Issac Delgado has emigrated from Cuba and plans to pursue his career from a new home in Florida, becoming the biggest name in Cuban music in more than a decade to make the politically charged move away from the communist enclave.

Unlike the highly publicized defections in recent years of two other prominent Cuban vocalists, Manolín and Carlos Manuel, Delgado made his move under a cloak of secrecy. Internet chat rooms have been abuzz about the star's whereabouts since late last year, but Delgado and his new U.S. business associates have kept mum until now.

This week, concert promoters were notified that the William Morris Agency had signed Delgado for worldwide representation. It was the first official confirmation that the rumors were true.

"Issac is probably the most significant singer of his generation," said Michel Vega, head of Latin music for William Morris, in an interview this week from his Miami office. "We're thrilled to be working with him and we think he's going to be a great addition to the American music landscape."

The critically acclaimed singer was not immediately available for interviews. But Vega confirmed that the artist has settled into a new home in Tampa, Fla., along with his wife and children. Details of his entry into the country were not disclosed.

Delgado is already recording a new album, in collaboration with award-winning salsa producer Sergio George, a key figure in the early success of New York salsa star Marc Anthony. The record is due in the spring, to be followed by a world tour this summer. Ten songs have been recorded so far, some featuring collaborations with major Latin artists, according to Adolfo Fernandez, spokesman for La Calle Records, a division of the Univision Music Group, which is expected to release the CD.

Despite the well-organized business plan, Delgado's move is risky, as the careers of some of his fellow Cuban singers collapsed once they set foot in the U.S.

"Carlos Manuel is just a complete disaster," said Hugo Cancio, a Miami businessman who was instrumental in bringing the young singing sensation to the U.S. "A great artist, tremendous talent, but he's nowhere to be seen. He's been here four years, and what has he done?"

Cuban artists who were superstars on the island have found scant interest for their style of complex and progressive salsa in the U.S., where tastes run more traditional. The handsome and charismatic Delgado, with his jazzy but smooth singing style, is probably the most marketable.

"He has a better chance than the other guys, but it still seems like a very questionable move," said Kevin Moore, an expert in contemporary Cuban music who writes for the U.S.-based website Timba.com. "He always worked the best-paying gigs in Havana and lived in a beautiful palace. To leave all that behind for an unknown financial situation makes you wonder, 'Why would he want to do that?' "

One potential answer: The political timing is right.

Delgado, who maintained good relations with the Cuban cultural authorities, may be trying to get a step ahead of political changes expected when Fidel Castro dies. A political opening on the island may close the doors on Cubans seeking to come to the U.S. because they could lose special asylum status, speculated Cancio. People in a democratic Cuba could be forced to get in line for U.S. visas with the rest of the world.

Manolín, who was a national celebrity in Cuba, where he performed as El Medico de la Salsa, said that artists who defect are led to believe they'll be greeted with a red carpet, but after they arrive, the carpet gets pulled out from under them.

"Here in Miami, Cubans own the radio stations, run the record labels and control the television, but Cuban artists are the ones who get the least play," Manolín said in Spanish from Miami. "It's as if we come from a country that doesn't exist. So it's worse than starting over because there's a need here to deny what comes from there. We are taboo."

Manolín, who still performs in Miami though his career faltered after releasing a pop record on BMG that tanked, said he spoke to Delgado last year while his colleague was mulling his move. Manolín's advice?

"You are a success already," Manolín recalled telling his colleague. "You can come here and try to maintain what you've already achieved. But if you expect anything more, you're going to be frustrated."

Delgado was one of the first artists from Cuba to perform in the U.S., at Madison Square Garden in 1996. And he has released several albums on U.S.-based record labels, including qbadisc, RMM and AhiNama Music, based in Studio City.

Delgado was one of the most prominent stars to emerge in Cuba during Havana's dance music boom of the 1990s.

In 1987, Delgado toured the world as a singer with Cuba's Afro-Cuban cabaret from the Tropicana. He became a star a year later when he joined NG La Banda, the Havana group that sparked the new wave of dance music known as timba, a fusion of jazz, salsa and funk.

The video is pretty amusing too.

Apparently there's a new Calle 13 album in March. Any sign of a single? I checked their myspace, but it's all old songs.

Triumphant, clearly, for these two, but triumphant also for the genre. Reggaetón, a Spanish-language cousin of hip-hop and reggae, exploded in popularity a few years ago, taking over clubs and radio stations throughout the Americas; the New York reggaetón station, La Kalle (105.9 FM), which is less than two years old, sponsored Friday’s concert. But in the last year or so the genre’s energy has flagged slightly, and skeptics have questioned its staying power. Would the reggaetón revolution end as quickly as it had started?

That seemed unlikely on Friday, when Wisin & Yandel kept a packed audience on its feet, screaming for nearly two hours. Wisin does the rapping and the between-song talking, while Yandel does the singing, but both are cheerfully one-track-minded. From “No Me Digas Que No” (“Don’t Tell Me No”) to “Noche de Sexo” (no translation needed, surely), their set ranged from sweet pleas to salty ones. At one point Wisin acknowledged all the women in the crowd who had suffered for love. There was a trebly scream. Then he switched sides, playfully extolling the loyalty of Latin men.

The stiff, loping beat known as dem bow is what separates reggaetón from hip-hop, and on Friday night this pulse was omnipresent but not (usually) monotonous. Backed by a half-electronic band (it included a D.J., three keyboard players and sometimes a string section), the duo delighted in toying with the rhythm: switching to double time or half time, or cutting out the beat to make fans wait for its inevitable return.

If they wanted to Wisin & Yandel could credibly position themselves as a pop crossover act. But at Radio City they stayed faithful to the genre — and the fans — that made them stars. They spoke and sang in Spanish (including their Spanish verses from “Burn It Up,” an R. Kelly collaboration), and the night’s big special guest was the reggaetón pioneer Tego Calderón, who sauntered onstage to deliver a few rhymes.

The concert certainly didn’t secure the future of reggaetón, or even the future of Wisin & Yandel. But it was impressive proof of what this genre and this duo can do. In New York and far beyond, those staccato beats and those salacious lyrics attract a diverse audience of young Latino listeners, many of whom have come to enjoy thinking of themselves as reggaetón fans. Who knows where Wisin & Yandel will be in 10 years? But this audience isn’t going anywhere. "

Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company

So via googling and Phil and others mentioning it I see that there is a Vampisoul compilation called Gozalo Bugalu (2 volumes worth of Peruvian tropical sounds) that has shown up on some best of lists, and there is a salsa group from Colombia called La 33 who have an album called Gozalo that is on a top ten Colombian cds list from semana.com

I've heard what I think was the first La 33 album and it was just so-so. Pink panther theme mambo cover that became popular. . . Not awful, but I didn't get the fuss. I haven't heard this one, but I have my doubts.

I didn't know about the Peruvian thing though.

D-Fiv3, for your salsa/Latin postings, you should spin off another identity as Matt Cebolla.

If you think my PR/Dominican jr high students didn't call me Señor Onion for three years, you'd better think again.

OK. I'll move on to my next idea then, which is that Rockist Scientist should post under the name LaRujeria.

Okay, seven tracks in and so far En lo Claro is excellent.

Was just reading in the NY Times about an off-broadway musical, "In the Heights, about NYC's uptown Washington Heights neighborhood, that is coming to Broadway in March. It stars Lin Manuel-Miranda who wrote it and composed the lyrics and music. Trying to guess from his bio and a sample video preview whether it will be any good...http://www.intheheightsthemusical.com

I grew up in Northern Manhattan, and if you've ever even driven through the neighborhood, you know that music comes out of every corner. Salsa horn lines wail from fire escape windows; bachata guitar lines blare from pimped-out car stereos. As a teenager, my father was the president (and maybe the only member) of the Puerto Rico chapter of Debbie Reynolds Fan Club, so we grew up on a bizarre diet of Juan Luis Guerra, Marc Anthony, Fiddler on the Roof and Camelot. Meanwhile, my friends and I obsessed over hip-hop music: I remember poring over Fat Boys albums and forcing my school bus driver to teach me the words to "Beef" by KRS-One.

x-post

Just listened to a sound sample from a salsa-ish cut, "Pelea," on Voltio's En Lo Claro cd. Sounds nice. It appears that some of the cuts go beyond standard reggaeton style

If you think my PR/Dominican jr high students didn't call me Señor Onion for three years, you'd better think again.
TS Señor Onion vs. Señor Coconut

loco en tu cabeza

en la tuya

Speaking of loco, I am listening to a La Lupe Fania best-of I got on sale at Borders for $10. Her rendition of "My Way," is like wow.

So far this Ñejo y Dalmata album sounds good.

Ugh, bad salsa track - Como Los Quiero. (It's like watered down Sergio George or something.)

I pasted the below on the critics polls 2007 thread. RS, does the inclusion of the Spanish Harlem Orchestra make you skeptical of this list? If you move to New Mexico, you can be a guest dj at this station at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque (maybe):

afropop.org published this list of Top 10 Latin Dance from Louis Head, Ceiba Productions Southwest/KUNM-FM

AGUA DE LUNA • Mi Tiempo • Agua (original import)
The Venezuelan salsa scene is exploding. Oscar D'León has moved back home, and over ten orchestras released CDs this year on the international market. Agua de Luna’s “Agua” is exemplary and a must have.

THE SPANISH HARLEM ORCHESTRA • United We Swing • Six Degrees
Oscar Hernández took his Spanish Harlem Orchestra to new heights in 2007. My favorites are the cha-cha En El Tiempo del Palladium and “Plena con Sabor.”

HAVANA POWER BAND • Timba Y Corazón • Envidia (original import)
Just because we do not hear much Cuban music these days, don’t think for a second that the scene on the island stopped happening. Havana Power Band is the new thing in timba, and this CD kills.

RICARDO LEMVO & MAKINA LOCA • Isabela • Mopiato Music
Ricardo Lemvo plays very comfortable tempo salsa, with a groove that dancers love. I think that Isabela is his best yet.

PANCHO AMAT • Llegó El Tresero • Egrem (original import)
Another superior CD from Pancho Amat, arguably the greatest tres player in business. This is typical Cuban son at its best.

AZUQUITA • Pura Salsa: Azuquita Y Su Orquesta Melao – Limited Edition • Emusica
2007 will be remembered as the year that hundreds of remastered Fania label CDs were released by Emusica, most with great sound and all with extensive liner notes. “Pura Salsa” is a little heard gem from 1975 by the great Panamanian singer Camilo “Azuquita” Argumedes.

ALFREDO VALDES, JR. • De La Habana A New York • Envidia
Alfredito Valdés brings together a collection of some of the best of New York and Havana for one of the most exciting outings of the year.

LOS MUÑEQUITOS DE MATANZAS • Tambor De Fuego • BIS (original import)
OK, this is not club music, but Los Muñequitos are all about dancing and this is yet another chapter from their prolific, evolving history, produced by our friend Cary Diez.

CALLE 13 • Residente O Visitante • Sony Norte
Don’t call this “reggaeton” but rather, “brilliant.” René “Residente” Pérez Joglar and Eduardo José “Visitante” Cabra Martínez make the rest of the “dem bow” beat fare sound like so much cliché. Some of the smartest music you will ever hear, and THE Latin dance music CD of 2007, period.

NILS FISCHER & TIMBAZO • ¡Gracias Joe Cuba! • Walboomers (original import)
Who says the Dutch don’t play good salsa? This is arguably the best salsa CD of 2007, with inspired performances by Cuban bassist Alain Perez, trumpet great Brian Lynch, Venezuelan percussionist Gerardo Rosales and others. Timba-fied old school that is memorable.

-- curmudgeon, Thursday, December 27, 2007 2:04 AM (

I did like the Ricardo Lemvo album, but it isn't all that exciting. Just kind of solid and adorable.

Yeah, I got that one as a freebie from some contest, as mentioned upthread somewhere, and it was fine but haven't been compelled to play it very often.

Uh, this Ñejo y Dalmata has some really good stuff on it. I like the beats, I like the sonics, I like their flow. "Un Call" has this Isley Brothersesque little synth squiggle, and there's other stuff like that throughout. The beats have me bouncing around my apartment to an almost embarrassing degree, because I don't know how to dance like this. (Or do I?)

I need to check that out.

That was the idea.

There are a few mis-steps but it's mostly very good. I actually have only heard what turns out to be an incomplete version, maybe a leaked early version. But most of it is there.

Reverend, have you ever heard the reggaeton tracks from Pilar Montenegro's Pilar & Co: South Beach CD? I haven't heard the whole thing, but I really like what I've heard. It's a more poppy take on reggaeton, but I just realized that I may like one little thing the keyboards/synths are doing because it has kind of the same ornamentation of melody that you hear in Arabic music. Granted, it's on a very small scale, but it just jumped out at me that that might be one of the things that hooks me in.

No, but I can't help but notice reggaeton producers like to cop a lot of Arabic/Indian motifs. Btw, check this out if you haven't.

As far as Nejo & Dalmato go, I like the couple songs I've heard. I like "Algo Musical" more than "Sexy Movimiento" (which has grown on me, somewhat) and probably about as much as "Quitarte To", as far as rhythmically similar reggaeton singles go. "Mi Dia de Suerte" sounds like the Postal Service (!)

I think I saw that Wayne & Wax post at the time.

No, but I can't help but notice reggaeton producers like to cop a lot of Arabic/Indian motifs

I think that's only going to increase thanks to Don Omar's interest in collaborating with Arabs, and thanks to Deevani (who I hope doesn't disappoint me when she finally puts out a solo album).

I look forward to a Deevani album, too. What's Don Omar up to?

He did that song with the Egyptian singer Hakim ("Tiggy Tiggy"), not that I like it that much, but I think he's collaborating with him on a larger scale, if I remember correctly.

Oh, this is good.

Tigy Tigy you mean? (I mis-spelled it.)

One thing I forgot to mention on Broke & Famous is that there's one track that is in dembow clave (so to speak), but the dembow isn't really made explicit (or maybe just isn't there for 99% of it). I'm not sure I've heard that done before. I need to go back and make sure I heard right.

"Tigy Tigy", yeah. Which track on Broke & Famous?

I forget. Listening now, I think it's "Se Va Se Va."

Nice trick on "Tigy Tigy": the dembow is more dominant on Hakim's parts and the more Arab rhythms are more dominant on at least some of Don Omar's parts ("Boricua tigy tigy").

I really like the chord progressions in "Tigy Tigy".

"Se Va, Se Va" accents the backbeat, rather than the offbeats. It's three-one-TWO-two, instead of the dembow's three-ONE-two-TWO.

I will listen again.

I'm sure I mentioned Tigy Tigy before, but maybe it was on the whirled music thread. (Also, of course there is no guarantee you check out every last scrap of things I link to, which is smart because sometimes I link to things and later think, why did I link to that?)

Results of Don Omar/Hakim collaboration starting to emerge:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QziZD7Fwyc

-- Rockist Scientist, Monday, September 10, 2007 1:46 AM (3 months ago) Bookmark Link

"emerge"

Oh yeah, also "Fue W" from Wisin y Yandel Presentan Los Vaqueros (which I haven't heard in its entirety) is great in a W&Y formulaic way.

I like that heavy industrial/techno echoey sound that comes in and out.

Also, somebody needs to bring khaleeji rhythms to the west (although it's the incredibly great vocals in the foreground here--this is a topnotch Arab singer, imo):

http://www.melody4arab.com/player/en_player_3606.htm

Check out the banner ad on this Arabic music site:

http://www.oghnia.com/images/allied-media.gif

Ermm...interesting.

You know what's really stuck in my head to the point of walking down the street singing the chorus when nobody is nearby? "Mirala."

Hey, is there any chance of a Salsa y Mas mix this year? I need to hear all the good salsa I haven't been paying attention to for the past year.

Maybe I will do one a few months into 2008. I haven't been keeping up, but from what I've heard/read about, there's not so much to include. I do have the advantage that I allow myself to cover two year, so it would be 2006/07, which would give me a chance to pull in some things I missed from '06. But I'm not sure I'm going to continue.

I used to be a regular here, back when I was dancing. It's small, but it's been a very popular place for dancing and the atmosphere is generally good:

http://clubheatphilly.com/brasils/progalleries/index.htm

And now I recognize nobody but the DJ, one bar-tender (I think), and a couple instructors. Maybe one or two other people.

Checking out Gilberto Santa Rosa's "No Estoy Para Ti" (from the new album). This is definitely one of his better songs.

I generally need a strong vocal center in salsa (which might be one reason, among others, that La 33, which I was also checking out earlier, leaves me cold).

Ew, the synth on "Conteo Regresivo" gets pretty bad. WHY do they do this? (I'm actually listening to this on Rhapsody, where I still have some free listens.)

Oh wait, this is the 2007 thread.