Rolling Afro-Latin Music 2022: Reggaeton, Salsa, Bomba, Latin Jazz, Bachata, Merengue, Urbano and more Latinx

reggaeton dembow rhythm as used around the world

https://daily.bandcamp.com/lists/dembow-rhythm-list

nice caribbean pan steel drum comes in at one point on the reggaeton pop track by Zion & Lennox and Danny Ocean

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHzcZhlgK5U

Also liking Nesi & El Alfa "Mi Bom Bom (chocolate)"

and hipster fave Reyna Tropical (afro-Mexican tropical pop)

x-post - nice caribbean pan steel drum comes in at one point on the reggaeton pop track by Zion & Lennox and Danny Ocean

great summer song "Brisra"

"Brisa" I mean (Breeze in English I think)

early heads up --for Sat. June 25 event at the Smithsonian Folklife Fest on the national mall in DC (& on Youtube)--

* A tribute to Puerto Rican master plenero, percussionist, educator, and community leader Héctor René “Tito” Matos Otero who recently & suddenly passed (as noted upthread) . He played plena, an Afro-Puerto Rican drums genre.W/ Caribbean jazz fusion by Oakland-based John Santos Sextet and Friends; orchestrated plena by New York City-based Los Pleneros de la 21; the high-energy next-generation ensemble Los Pleneros de la Cresta ; & a collective of voices presented by Plenazo Cangrejero. The host is Libertad Guerra, a community leader and long-time friend. Video clips featuring Tito’s wife and son, Mariana Reyes and Marcelo Matos,will be included . 6:30 to 9:15 pm @ Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the national mall(& on Youtube)

Saw some of a free Afro-latin fest in DC w/ Cuban drummer Yissy Garcia, Cuban vocalist Dayme Arocena, and Dominican Yasser Tejeda. Liked some of Tejada set. Was disappointed by Garcia who at times seemed too jam band jazzy. She also backed Arocena which kind of detracted from that set, as her drumming was too over the top. Had fun watching folks line dance to a dj playing pop reggaeton and Elvis Crespo in between live sets

I wrote about the mighty Fruko for Burning Ambulance this week.

Haven’t even clicked yet but awesome news!

Just randomly put on El Violento because of that. So good.

Joe Arroyo died young at 55 in 2011. Glad I saw him a couple of times between 2004 and his death. His voice was kinda raspy, he looked like he was in bad health, but he and his band (who did Latinized Motown choreography) sounded pretty good. But yeah, need to go back and listen to Arroyo with Fruko recordings.

RIP Willie Sotelo pianist and most recent music director for El Gran Combo from cancer

https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/willie-sotelo-dead-el-gran-combo-pianist-dies-obit-1235081678/

Still listening to El Violento.

RIP Willie Soleto.

Some Fruko discussion here.

Thanks. Listening to this song now:

"Fruko El Grande" ("Fruko The Big") is the name of the album I'm talking about. It has one of the biggest (if not THE biggest) salsa hits made in Colombia. The second cut from side B, called "El Preso" ("The Prisoner") is a song that not one single Colombian can say hasn't heard at least once in his/her life. Not sung by Joe Arroyo but Wilson Manyoma "Saoko", the other lead singer in the band.

Cuban band Los Van Van were playing US gigs in May and now its former Los Van Van member Pupe to come with his band Los Que Son Son around the week of July 4th. I saw Pupe and Los Que Son Son, his timba band, once and they were great.

Now coming to SOBs in NYC on July 1st, DC on 2nd, XL in Jersey on 3rd, Los Angeles on July 8, San Francisco on 9th, Louisville, Kentucky on 15th, Chicago on 16h

SALSA TIMBA FESTIVAL - PUPY LOS QUE SON SON-EL NORO
Saturday, Jul 2, 2022 - Doors: 9:00pm
Karma DC Live Music Venue
2221 ADAMS PLACE NORTHEAST
WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 20018

https://www.facebook.com/DD-Records-Arts-Entertainment-107917724118129

Pupy

I wasn't familiar with her work, but RIP ethnomusicologist Roberta L. Singer.

I was not either. But I see she did this cool "A South Bronx Latin Music Tale"

https://placematters.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/mambo.pdf

Just saw the Bobby Sanabria writeup of Roberta SInger on FB that some have shared there

Yes. That's how I saw it first.

I shared info about Singer on twitter as she was barely discussed there. As annoying as FB can be, it's a better site for some older rooted music genres.

Publicists are hyping US small club tour of Chilean folk-pop Pascuala Ilabaca and her band

I shared info about Singer on twitter as she was barely discussed there. As annoying as FB can be, it's a better site for some older rooted music genres.

https://2022.jazz.org/bobby-sanabria looks really good. Don't know if I can get a virtual ticket.

Haven't gotten one yet but, ten bucks, cheep!

I'm in. Bobby is doing a Father's Day spiel about all the music he listened to with his dad.

There is kind of a Buddy Rich thing about him tbh.

Band is killing "Caravan" right now, or a medley that includes "Caravan" and maybe something else.

Really enjoying this long story about James Reese Europe and Rafael Hernández Marín.

Kind of a cool thing now where each trombone player took a mini solo.

Now they are doing a version of "Spooky!"

"Spooky"!

Now "Do It Again"

I feel disloyal to the Steely Dan backup vocalists.

Ha

Might buy a virtual ticket to Michele Roseman there next Wednesday.

https://2022.jazz.org/michele-rosewomans-new-yoruba
Somehow I had never heard of her until The Pope told me about her last year.

I know her name but not her music. Impressive looking band lineup there. That might be worth checking out.

In a different genre — have heard El Alfa doing gogo dance several times . It’s reggaeton not Dc go-go

Ugh, I messed up her name in my last post, Rosewoman.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GHKHDxpK1g

Smithsonian Folklife Festival tribute concert to late plenero Tito Matos. The video has some tech glitches and unrelated footage at beginning before the emcee comes on and the music starts. There is also film of Matos wife and 8 year old son talking about him eloquently .

The tribute is long and there's lots of talking in between, but the dancer who joins La Plena de la 21 part of the way through is fun to watch '21 horn section and percussionists are impressive. The first group led by John Santos mixes plena with jazz fusion and they were my least fave of the night. The 2 younger groups who play after the long Plena de la 21 are good too, and a bit different. One did some nice harmonies and other vocal techniques that worked well.

Sirius xm is still playing The reggaeton pop track by Zion & Lennox and Danny Ocean “Brisa” a lot along with that “gogo dance” by El Alfa .

Their algorithms also have them playing Victor Manuelle and El Gran Combo on occasion, so that must mean folks other than me like salsa and Reggaeton.

For those Latin jazz gigs in NYC with pianist Rosewoman this week , I see that she has a band including Chris Washburne, trombone/tuba, and Robby Ameen, drums among others

https://www.moderndrummer.com/2004/05/robby-ameen/

Yes! And Alex "Alexander Pope" Norris, who I just ran into yesterday at Samuel Torres gig in my neighborhood whilst running an errand. Think Roman Diaz is usually in her band too.

SiriusXM Caliente station keeps playing El Alfa “Go-go Dance”

they might soon start playing “Chu Chu Pamela” too, again produced by Chael Produciendo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BAEmXqOdJc

great stuff

Sometimes I think El Alfa's speedy, warped vocal sound is really clever and cool, but after awhile (if listening to a full album) it can get a bit annoying.