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

Another year- we will define broadly what can fit here, but the emphasis should be on reggaeton, salsa, bomba, Latin jazz, bachata, merengue, urbano

last year's thread

Rolling Afro-Latin Music 2021: Reggaeton, Salsa, Bomba, Latin Jazz, Bachata, Merengue, Urbano and more Latinx

Thanks!

I am still in 2021 mode-- listening to Xiomara Fortuna's Viendoaver, deep-voiced Dominican roots and more dance music

Still behind on my listening. Did read 2 articles slamming J Balvin for his clueless white guy statements and actions re reggaeton

https://thegoaspotlight.com/2022/01/18/cultural-manager-hector-tito-matos-dies/

RIP Puerto Rican bomba percussionist and culture supporter Tito Matas at 53

Tito Matos . Autocorrect error

Not exactly on point for this thread but the little I have heard of Mexican indie-folkie singer Silvana Estrada seems good. She’s on tour now but I just missed her DC City Winery gig last night

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/24/arts/music/silvana-estrada-marchita.html

Natalie Lafourcade and Chavela Vargas fans might like Silvana Estrada new album

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S52_XxBwbJg

Silvana Estrada on NPR Tiny Desk in 2021 backed by strings and more & sounding mournful & operatic at times

The percussion video clip tribute to Tito Matos linked in this New York Times obit is powerful stuff. I had mentioned this bomba y plena percussionist's death upthread. Glad Isabelia Herrera did this NY Times obit. Matos died of a heart attack at 53.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/29/arts/music/hector-tito-matos-dead.html

Wife and I bought Bad Bunny upper deck at Nats Park tickets for August. Should be fun. Had missed his earlier DC area shows that were at a smaller 10,000 max arena

Publicist email I got says in part:

New York, NY – DROM is proud to launch its first weekly artist residency with famed percussionist and vocalist Pedrito Martinez and his group. The Grammy-nominated Cuban musician will bring his signature, high-energy Afro-Cuban sound to the East Village venue every Thursday, starting February 3rd, 2022, effectively kicking off the venue’s 15th Anniversary season

He was fun to watch the 2 times I saw him down my way in DC area.

He had a residence for ages at Guantanamera up near Columbus Circle that lots of celebrities went to see but I never got there when he was playing.

Rauw Alejandro was on cover of Rolling Stone in January

https://remezcla.com/music/what-we-learned-rauw-alejandro-rolling-stone-cover-story-rosalia-jhay-cortez/

Rauw got 4 votes in ILM tracks poll for 2021 I see. I didn’t vote this time.

Rauw’s dating Rosalia who has a new album due, and maybe out already. There’s discussion on her thread

Thursday, February 17, 8 p.m. Eastern: Postmambo Movie Night presents Fandango at the Wall (2020). Ned Sublette and Ariana Hall will talk with Arturo O'Farrill, Kabir Sehgal, and (pending confirmation) director Varda Bar-Kar. You need to get on Ned's list to get the zoom link

James Redd posted this over on ile obits

https://www.wbgo.org/music/2022-01-31/mark-levine-a-versatile-artist-and-influential-teacher-in-jazz-and-latin-music-is-dead-at-83

Thanks. Actually I had heard he was not doing well from a student of his several months ago but just kind of sat on that info since I didn't know what to do with it.

More deaths:

Elpidio Chapotín Delgado, co-founder of NG La Banda and first trumpet of its horn section, the famed Los Metales del Terror, on January 26. Cuban timba band

Suelyn Milanés Bennet, vocalist, director of PM Records, daughter of Pablo Milanés and Yolanda Bennet, on January 30.

thread I missed last year-- a handful of C Tangana fans here on ilm

C. Tangana - El Madrileño (2021). A spaniard Masterpiece perhaps?

Liking Fuego & Ryan Castro “Pendiente Al Paso”

Not sure if I heard remix or original version

Bad Bunny and Eddie Palmieri are both gonna be gigging live near me towards the end of March. Not together, alas.

Wanna hear Residente torch J Balvin for eight minutes? Sure you do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO73gUhiYe0

https://remezcla.com/music/residente-holds-nothing-back-diss-track-bizarrap-session-j-balvin/

I admit I enjoyed J Balvin live and some of his records. But his offstage comments and actions are not defensible

Saw some on twitter noting that Residente used to say he and his group weren’t Reggaeton, so who is he to be the one defending it.

But yeah, Balvin has more to apologize for

https://www.instantseats.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.event&eventID=B295D227-9CAB-F1CE-4C8FEED7DF84EE70

Eddie Palmieri Latin jazz at Keystone Korner in Baltimore March 25 and 26 and 27 has tickets in person and via streaming.

New York Times podcast episode on reggaeton

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/08/arts/music/reggaeton-genre-pop-edm.html

host Jon Caramanica with guests Isabelia Herrera, The New York Times’s arts critic fellow

Katelina Eccleston, reggaeton historian at reggaetonconlagata.com

I still need to listen to that history of reggaeton podcast Loud , narrated by Ivy Queen too

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/celebrating-viral-encanto-soundtracks-colombian-roots-180979435/

disney soundtrack for Encanto is number 1 on chart for weeks using music rooted in Colombia

NY Times article about Encanto soundtrack also. Too bad song "Bruno" to me on first listen sounds like Lin-Manuel Miranda just did his now formulaic mix of Broadway bombast and inserted rap verses with a bit of hidden Colombia rhythms. Carlos Vives is involved with this too

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/07/arts/music/encanto-soundtrack.html

My daughter loves "surface pressure"... that "Pressure like a drip, drip, drip that'll never stop, whoa
Pressure that'll tip, tip, tip 'till you just go pop, whoa" bit has been stuck in my head far more than I'd like it to, it's super addictive.

doesn't help that I've been under a lot of stress this past month.

My kid is old now so am out of the loop for this Disney Miranda stuff. Both Formulaic and ear wormy.

A Celebration of Hector "Tito" Matos
Friday, March 25, 2022
8:00PM EDT hostos center
Main Theater
Bronx, NY
Para Un Panderetero Mayor
Hector “Tito” Matos

He’s the plena percussionist and activist who died young recently

Luminaries of Viento de Agua and Los Pleneros de la 21 will be featured, along with a special presentation by La Maquina Insular. Performances by Alex "Apolo" Ayala, Nelson Matthew González, Desmar Guevara, Juan Gutiérrez, Norka Nadal, Ricardo Pons, Erick Noel Rosado, Alberto Toro, Víctor Vélez

Click here to View a Detailed Venue Seating Chart
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Another show at Hostos in Bronx

Grammy Award-winning Arturo O’Farrill and the 18-piece Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra perform an exhilarating program to commemorate the life and music of master percussionist Eddie Bobè. Performing alongside O’Farrill and his big band are the renowned pianist/composer Michele Rosewoman and guest percussion legends Román Díaz, Félix Sanabria, Gene Golden, vocalists Abraham Rodríguez and Héctor “Papote” Jiménez as well as Jay Rodríguez on saxophone. Eddie Bobè spoke of moments when the groove got so powerful it was said to be “burning.” Maestro Eddie brought that “burning” to every groove he played. Join us to celebrate an evening of rumba, batá, guaguancó and every manner of groove that Eddie Bobè was a poet of.

Fri | Mar 18 | 8:00 PM | Main Theater
Sat | Mar 19 | 8:00 PM | Main Theater
Eddie Bobe tribute Pre-Concert Talk on Fri March 18 at 7 pm

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-latin/ruben-blades-rap-response-j-balvin-residente-fight-1319800/

Ruben Blades sorta says-- can't we all just get along

“Lo Siento BB” by Tainy, Julieta Venegas, & BD Bunny is ok but doesn’t wow me right now.

https://soundsandcolours.com/articles/cuba/premiere-harold-lopez-nussa-mixes-reggaeton-and-latin-jazz-on-first-taster-off-new-album-51973/

2020 article about Cuban Latin jazz pianist Harold Lopez Nussa incorporating Reggaeton into a track.

I wonder if there are others trying to do so?

I need to catch up on top reggaeton, Urbano, pop, bachata etc tracks too

Listening to Nio Garcia, Puerto Rican reggaeton singer and dancer who’s on tour in US in April. He’s ok. Most songs are a bit formulaic

Daddy Yankee is retiring.

put his number in the rafters!

Yes ! ( after a cup of coffee got your nod to baseball Yankees getting numbers retired.)

Rosalia shouted out Daddy Yankee and other early reggaeton acts in a New York Times article

s. “I listened to Don Omar, Ivy Queen, Lorna, Yankee, Zion & Lennox since I was at least 13,” she said. “This is part of my experience.”

https://hemisphericinstitute.org/en/events/listening-to-the-forgotten-archival-research-methods-in-music.html

MARCH 31, 2022 | 12:30—2:00 PM EST
a zoom chat w/ Rosa Marquetti, the author behind the web resource Desmemoriados: Historias de la música cubana; Chano Pozo: La vida (1915-1948);the forthcoming book on Celia Cruz, Celia en Cuba (1925-1960), in Spanish but simultaneously translated into English

https://www.kennedy-center.org/video/digital-stage/jazz/2022/arturo-ofarill-afro-latin-jazz-cornell-west/?utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=22MJMingusEM1&utm_content=version_A&pid=6235679&promocode=461235

Arturo Ofarill & Cornell West 6pm stream on Kennedy Center youtube

Oh yeah, saw something about that over the weekend, thanks for the reminder.

I am 4 to 5 or so hours from Queens NY but keep getting IG ads for April 2 "Tripleta Salsero"-Rafu Warner, Mayito Rivera (ex-Los Van Van), Osvaldo Roman (ex-Puerto Rican Power) in Queens , Looks like you have to go to eventbrite or tickeri for specific location

Artists like Tomasa del Real, Ms Nina and Cuban Miami mainstay La Goony Chonga — who collaborated with del Real and neoperreo producer Chico Sonido on “Muerde La Manzana” and released floaty trap track “I Don’t Really Think So” around the same time Del Real released early neoperreo track “Tu Señora” with Talisto — have paved the way for newer generations of queer and femme reggaetonerxs. From Argentina’s Six Sex and Mexican trio Meth Math to rising local acts like Venezuela’s Yajaira La Bellaca or Colombian perreopop producer and musician Manchado, who helped shape the sound for other up-and-comers like Cartagena’s Pelorucho, this subgenre of reggaeton continues to bloom from the fringes.

Over on the alt-rock end of the spectrum, indie bands have begun dipping their toes into dembow riddims. You can hear it specifically on indie mainstay Divino Niño’s new LP The Last Spa on Earth,

The breakthrough came to lead singer Camilo Medina during quarantine, when he stumbled upon Honduran perreo-pop princess Isabella Lovestory[/i]

Artists like Tomasa del Real, Ms Nina and Cuban Miami mainstay La Goony Chonga — who collaborated with del Real and neoperreo producer Chico Sonido on “Muerde La Manzana” and released floaty trap track “I Don’t Really Think So” around the same time Del Real released early neoperreo track “Tu Señora” with Talisto — have paved the way for newer generations of queer and femme reggaetonerxs. From Argentina’s Six Sex and Mexican trio Meth Math to rising local acts like Venezuela’s Yajaira La Bellaca or Colombian perreopop producer and musician Manchado, who helped shape the sound for other up-and-comers like Cartagena’s Pelorucho, this subgenre of reggaeton continues to bloom from the fringes.

Over on the alt-rock end of the spectrum, indie bands have begun dipping their toes into dembow riddims. You can hear it specifically on indie mainstay Divino Niño’s new LP The Last Spa on Earth,

The breakthrough came to lead singer Camilo Medina during quarantine, when he stumbled upon Honduran perreo-pop princess Isabella Lovestory[/i]

Artists like Tomasa del Real, Ms Nina and Cuban Miami mainstay La Goony Chonga — who collaborated with del Real and neoperreo producer Chico Sonido on “Muerde La Manzana” and released floaty trap track “I Don’t Really Think So” around the same time Del Real released early neoperreo track “Tu Señora” with Talisto — have paved the way for newer generations of queer and femme reggaetonerxs. From Argentina’s Six Sex and Mexican trio Meth Math to rising local acts like Venezuela’s Yajaira La Bellaca or Colombian perreopop producer and musician Manchado, who helped shape the sound for other up-and-comers like Cartagena’s Pelorucho, this subgenre of reggaeton continues to bloom from the fringes.

Over on the alt-rock end of the spectrum, indie bands have begun dipping their toes into dembow riddims. You can hear it specifically on indie mainstay Divino Niño’s new LP The Last Spa on Earth,

The breakthrough came to lead singer Camilo Medina during quarantine, when he stumbled upon Honduran perreo-pop princess Isabella Lovestory

Artists like Tomasa del Real, Ms Nina and Cuban Miami mainstay La Goony Chonga — who collaborated with del Real and neoperreo producer Chico Sonido on “Muerde La Manzana” and released floaty trap track “I Don’t Really Think So” around the same time Del Real released early neoperreo track “Tu Señora” with Talisto — have paved the way for newer generations of queer and femme reggaetonerxs. From Argentina’s Six Sex and Mexican trio Meth Math to rising local acts like Venezuela’s Yajaira La Bellaca or Colombian perreopop producer and musician Manchado, who helped shape the sound for other up-and-comers like Cartagena’s Pelorucho, this subgenre of reggaeton continues to bloom from the fringes.

Over on the alt-rock end of the spectrum, indie bands have begun dipping their toes into dembow riddims. You can hear it specifically on indie mainstay Divino Niño’s new LP The Last Spa on Earth,

The breakthrough came to lead singer Camilo Medina during quarantine, when he stumbled upon Honduran perreo-pop princess Isabella Lovestory

Artists like Tomasa del Real, Ms Nina and Cuban Miami mainstay La Goony Chonga — who collaborated with del Real and neoperreo producer Chico Sonido on “Muerde La Manzana” and released floaty trap track “I Don’t Really Think So” around the same time Del Real released early neoperreo track “Tu Señora” with Talisto — have paved the way for newer generations of queer and femme reggaetonerxs. From Argentina’s Six Sex and Mexican trio Meth Math to rising local acts like Venezuela’s Yajaira La Bellaca or Colombian perreopop producer and musician Manchado, who helped shape the sound for other up-and-comers like Cartagena’s Pelorucho, this subgenre of reggaeton continues to bloom from the fringes.[I/i]
[i]
Over on the alt-rock end of the spectrum, indie bands have begun dipping their toes into dembow riddims. You can hear it specifically on indie mainstay Divino Niño’s new LP The Last Spa on Earth,

The breakthrough came to lead singer Camilo Medina during quarantine, when he stumbled upon Honduran perreo-pop princess Isabella Lovestory

Oops, my phone

I don’t know which fantasy places that writer frequents but I haven’t seen any latin goth people partying to Friolento. They are sort of a novelty act and you can hear them being played alongside the usual reggaeton/pop fanfare but it’s not like it’s inspiring a new fashion trend or a new subculture.

Good article though, gives spotlight to some very talented underground artists that are trying to push the genre outside its restrictions.

That Friolento cover of Bichota is wonderful!

I like that Friolenta version, but based on number of covers they do and their approach, can see why they’re considered noveltyish

Divino Niño’s latest album is nice pop with subtle reggaeton, hiphop and dance tinges

https://www.grammy.com/news/2022-latin-grammys-complete-winners-nominees-nominations-list-las-vegas

lots of categories . I think they have Rosalia in "alternative"

That's the 2022 nominees list for the Latin Grammys show coming up in November in Vegas. It is different than the other Grammy Awards with everything

I still need to dig through the Latin Grammy nominees plus some more underground/alt acts from that Rolling Stone article

New Lucrecia Dalt ! Ay! album is artsy & worth checking out. New Shakira single Monotonia has Ozuna on it. Video has her heart getting stepped on literally and it ends up in a box

From Latin Grammys nominations:

Best Salsa Album
For Albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental Salsa recordings.

SERÁ QUE SE ACABÓ
Alexander Abreu y Havana D'Primera
[Páfata & Unicornio]

PA'LLA VOY
Marc Anthony
[Sony Music Entertainment US Latin LLC]

LUIS FIGUEROA
Luis Figueroa
[Sony Music Entertainment US Latin LLC/Magnus Media]

Y TE LO DICE...
Luisito Ayala y La Puerto Rican Power
[Musical Productions]

LADO A LADO B
Víctor Manuelle
[Sony Music Entertainment US Latin LLC]

Isabella Lovestory

These playful, maximalist caricatures of sex are half the fun here, and one of the major reasons Lovestory stands out among her peers in neoperreo, the club-minded underground reggaeton subgenre that has become a haven for queers and femmes of all genders. “Gateo,” which features one of the scene’s foundational artists, Ms Nina, is perhaps the album’s best expression of the movement. The two don’t simply exchange verses—they hype each other up, flaunting their assets and asserting their excellence atop a thrashing beat. More than anything, the collaboration serves as a reminder that despite the genre’s male-centered narratives, women have always been present in this movement, and will continue to thrive.

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/isabella-lovestory-amor-hardcore/

I listened once while doing other stuff. Need to listen some more.

x-post-- I think 33 year-old Luis Figueroa is the youngest of the salsa leader nominees

Haven't listened to Figueroa album yet. Been revisiting Marc Anthony and Bomba Estereo ones

The Isabella Lovestory got a 7.2 from Pitchfork which gave Taylor Swift a slightly lower 7.0, and Dry Cleaning a higher 7.8 if you care about such things

My wife and I saw Jorge Drexler do a great show at the Lincoln Theatre in Washington DC last night. As I said on a thread long ago he’s a former ear, nose, throat doctor (and grandson of refugees from the Holocaust) who sorta broke in to the US market in 2004, after a song he wrote for the movie The Motorcycle Diaries became the first Spanish-language work to win an Oscar for Best Original Song. From Uruguay but has been living in Spain since 1995. I think he lived in Brazil for a bit.

He has a gift for lilting pop melodies, sometimes over folky strumming, other times over polyrhythmic sounds drawn from South America, the Caribbean, & uh Talking Heads. He talked a lot between songs in both Spanish and English. Spoke about the value of immigration, speaking multiple languages, the importance of art, being willing to try new things and more. He dueted separately with each of his female backup singers, and did other songs with various other combinations of musicians — guitarist, several keyboardists, drummer. A 2 hour show and he was so into it.

Watching
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GThLhdudLy4
right now perform live and wearing the same t-shirt as the bass player.

Which has the logo on it. He’s not wearing in the video though.

Ah interesting. I like the cajon percussion instrument in that video.

Re my prior post - ilx search tells me I have largely been the only person over the years here talking about Jorge Drexler. Oh well.

was recently talking with a Brazilian friend who holds Drexler in high regard

Yay. ! Drexler has many Brazilian like melodies, he lived there for a bit, and Uruguay is not far ( although Drexler has been living in Spain for last 30 years)

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-latin/jorge-dexler-tinta-y-tiempo-1341695/

Latin Grammys Thursday November 17 on Univision

Both Latin Grammys and the big Grammys show have not included Rosalia on any of the big general awards . They have her in Latin alternative rock

Haven’t been paying attention. Don’t know if anyone I am familiar with is involved.

Awards are on tonight. Best Latin Jazz nominees;

1. JOBIM FOREVER
Antonio Adolfo
[AAM Music]

2. #CUBANAMERICAN
Martin Bejerano
[Figgland Records]

3. CHABEM
Chano Domínguez, Rubem Dantas & Hamilton De Holanda
[Altafonte]

4. MIRRORMIRROR
Eliane Elias, Chick Corea, Chucho Valdés
[Candid Records]

Awards are on tonight. Best Latin Jazz nominees;

1. JOBIM FOREVER
Antonio Adolfo
[AAM Music]

2. #CUBANAMERICAN
Martin Bejerano
[Figgland Records]

3. CHABEM
Chano Domínguez, Rubem Dantas & Hamilton De Holanda
[Altafonte]

4. MIRRORMIRROR
Eliane Elias, Chick Corea, Chucho Valdés
[Candid Records]

Cool!

I haven’t heard any of those but they look worth checking out

I saw drummer who plays with Eliane Elias playing with bass player who plays with Martin Bejerano on Saturday. I did not see Chano Domínguez since he cancelled his gig because he may have green card issues. The first artist I think I may have a book he wrote.

Elaine Elias gig down here sold out and I was busy with family that night.

Marc Anthony just won salsa Grammy on Univision

Elaine Elias won the Latin jazz Grammy

Rosalia was eligible for more categories than I thought, and won 4

95-year-old Ángela Álvarez has made history as the oldest person to win the Latin Grammy for Best New Artist.

The Cuban singer, who just released her first album last year, accepted her Best New Artist award by saying “it’s never too late.” pic.twitter.com/5j5EyNKXQk

— Pop Base (@PopBase) November 18, 2022

oh nice! listening to her album now, sounds solid

Alvarez has those dramatic Cuban folk vocal melodies

Listened to new Rauw Alejandro album Saturnian tonight. He adds throwback freestyle club dance and older reggaeton as well

Details in this NY Times interview feature

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/14/arts/music/rauw-alejandro-saturno.html

Autocorrect ugh - it’s Saturno

Salsa legends El Gran Combo are still at it . Playing the MGM casino near me Friday

Finally watched my dvr of the Latin Grammys and wow Jorge Drexler song “Tocarte” that he did with C. Tangana won song of the year and record of the year. Drexler beat out a bunch of big names in those categories. He was also nominated for album of the year but Rosalia won. The Latin Grammys had Drexler perform “Tocarte “ live with Elvis Costello ( I guess because he had that Spanish language duet version of his album This Year’s Model). I like that Drexler song as well as some of the other nominees

Puerto Rican Bedy Stut Brooklyn Percussionist Johnny Almendra who played with Willie Colon and Ruben Blades among others has died of cancer

https://www.salserisimoperu.com/johnny-almendra-fallecio-victima-del-cancer-noticia-22-11-2022/

oh autocorrect --- Bed Stuy do or die Brooklyn

Reading Ned Sublette's email I see that the soon to be 86 year old Eddie Palmieri got sick and his bandmembers and others honored him over a some nights at the Blue Note. The band Sonido Solar, says Sublette is an all-instrumental band with brothers Luqués and Zaccai Curtis, brothers Jonathan and Jeremy Powell, Louis Fouché, Camilo Molina, Marcos Torres. And Jimmy Bosch, in from Japan. Along with guests Pedrito Martínez (through Sunday) and (on Saturday) tresero Nelson González, who can lock with Palmieri's tumbaos like nobody else. Donald Harrison also guested .

Didn’t know about that. Didn’t know that Jimmy Bosch lived in Japan now either.

Me either

Maybe he was just visiting/working?

Seen a bunch of those guys but not all in other contexts. Did see Luques with Eddie at Dizzy’s once when Steve Turre guested. I believe Eddie likes to use Jimmy Bosch and Conrad Herwig and then if one of them can’t make it some other trombone player I might be familiar with.