Rolling Afro-Latin Music All Stars - Tribute to Afro-Latin Music Thread 2014 (DVD incl.)

Yesterday I drove to the mall listening to Hector Lavoe.

He died to young. What would he be doing today if he was still alive?

too

Abusing hard drugs.

Ha.

So I finally listened to this non-salsa NPR fave Los Angeles group

La Santa Cecila- described as a mix of Mexican norteño and ranchera, Cuban mambo and Colombian cumbia, and other sounds from around the Americas

Pleasant enough but they don't wow me

Pleasant enough but they don't wow me

NPR fave

Redundancy in your post there.

Is "bass player in a merengue band" the easiest job in the world? I submit it might be—learn one bass line, and you're employed for life.

that;s like saying being an NFL kicker is the easiest job in the world cuz all you have to do is kick

Was reading about Joaquin Pozo, a Cuban congas player, known as “el pulpo” or the octopus for his impressive technique who was/is in NYC doing some gigs. His bio says:

His most recent recording, “A Ti, Papa” was a thoughtful and fiery tribute to his father, Jorge Pozo Sayú, the well-regarded Cuban composer, percussionist and musical director for the famed Tata Güines, the influential musician who helped usher in the first era of Afro-latin jazz

I wonder if he's related to the legendary Chano Pozo who moved to NYC way back when?

More folks I need to research:

Domingo Quiñones & Charlie Cruz

They're coming to my region

Quiñones is pretty good but unfortunately his career has suffered a lot due to his (hopefully past) heroin addiction.

They are both originally from New Jersey, according to Wikipedia. Frankie Ruiz was from NJ too, Paterson, I think. Maybe immortalized by part Puerto Rican William Carlos Williams.

I guess I'm pulling for the Jersey Rican angle.

It looks like Quinones was in "Who Killed Hector Lavoe?" well before the Marc Anthony biopic came along.

Thanks.

Not many votes for Latin music of any genre in the Village Voice critics poll. I only voted for a sole Latin pop album--Julieta Venegas'. I almost voted for Grupo Niche...

Yeah. Surprised no votes for "Vivir Mi Vdia" (not that I like it much). Again, I don't think 2013 was a particularly good year for the latin music genres that interest me, so it doesn't particularly bother me. Plus I just don't expect much attention to latin music at this point, in general, in P&J or the like. Anthony is so high profile and obvious that I would expect him to be an exception.

(I did see 3.0 got one vote.)

I don't even have any Latin albums from 2013 in my iPod. (I have three from 2012: Natalia Lafourcade, Café Tacvba, and Bebe's Un Pokito de Rocanrol.)

Have you ever commented on Ricardo Gallo? I know you are at best highly skeptical of Latin jazz, and I share that attitude, but he stands out for me because (1) he falls outside the usual (mostly samba or son clave or otherwise Cuban) rhythms, borrowing from Colombian traditions instead, and in generally the rhythms can get pretty intricate (2) his playing has an openness to dissonance and jaggedness, at times; and maybe (3) he seems to be careful about timbre (especially when it comes to the variety in the percussion used). I like Urdimbres y Marañas and Resistencias. I need to spend more time with the one he put out last year before expressing an opinion. His style of playing may not be extremely individual yet, but the total package tends to be.

x-post-- The Washington Post critic Chris Richards I am pretty sure had the Marc Anthony song in his top song list in the Washington Post, but its not in his Pazz & Jop ballot.

Are we all missing out on good stuff? Are there Dominican critics writing in Spanish about amazing bachata and whatever albums we don't know about? Are there Puerto Rican critics praising en espanol plena, salsa, reggaeton and pop and rock and whatever things we don't know about? Others in rest of Latin America?

I did see NPR's alt-latino list I guess and that "About" one that had salsa and pop, but none of here seem wowed by most NPR alt-latino stuff; and NPR Latin-Jazz too , for that matter.

none of us

I'm totally unfamiliar with Gallo, but there's some stuff on Spotify. I'll give him a listen.

I kinda liked the Marc Anthony song in a dumb pop way... Rudiph described it well on last year's thread, i recall

x-post Resistencias is on Spotify. I would recommend starting w/ that (given what's available there.)

Are we all missing out on good stuff? Are there Dominican critics writing in Spanish about amazing bachata and whatever albums we don't know about? Are there Puerto Rican critics praising en espanol plena, salsa, reggaeton and pop and rock and whatever things we don't know about? Others in rest of Latin America?

We have to be missing something. And look, certain countries get a lot more attention than others, for obvious demographic reasons. Puerto Rico and Cuba (at least a certain limited range from Cuba) will get some attention. Music from the DR doesn't get seem to me to get much English language coverage. If something cool is taking off in Peru, good luck hearing about it (in English language media).

Colombia is sort of tricky in that it does manage to produce some international stars that get U.S. attention, but more rock en espanol and Latin pop kind of stuff.

I think I may have first read about Gallo in curmudgeon's old fave The Beat magazine.

Where have the writers for that gone, since it went under?

Was gonna interview Domingo Quinones who is singing in the DC area tonight, but he failed to call me at the scheduled time. So no interview.

Sorry, but that's kind of funny.

Post-stroke and post-drugs and a good Christian according to online stuff I read. The promoter was apologetic. I liked his 2009 album that's on Spotify plus older stuff I heard there.

Quinones in an online interview said he considers Michael Stuart to be a true salsa sonero

A lot of people who know salsa think that, actually, but it's nice coming from another sonero.

Saw a fair amount of tweets for the Quinones gig, some with photos; but even more for the appearance the same night of reggaeton artist Farruko. Listening to him now on Spotify--not bad but kinda formulaic.

The club looked crowded for Farruko, at $30 a person...

Grammys! (not the separate Latin ones....)

Latin Jazz Album
“Song for Maura,” Paquito D’Rivera and Trio Corrente

Latin Pop Album
“Vida,” Draco Rosa

Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album
“Treinta Días,” la Santa Cecilia

Regional Mexican or Tejano Album
“A Mi Manera,” Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea

Tropical Latin Album
“Pacific Mambo Orchestra,” Pacific Mambo Orchestra

Meanwhile the Latin hipster battle for Brooklyn is on:

On February 20th, Las Cafeteras and Chicha Libre will do their best to find out.Can a Venezuelan/Mexican/Franco/Gringo band playing bastardized cumbia dictate its rule? Can a group from East LA impose their dream of global peace through urban Son Jarocho as the law of the land?Can a Mexican DJ who spins Latin Balkan Beats be a fair referee?

Rafi El's debut album is out today on Dutty Artz, multi-lingual pop + global bass.
http://duttyartz.bandcamp.com/album/ay-de-mi-2

(full disclosure, I co-produced track #5)

On February 20th, Las Cafeteras and Chicha Libre will do their best to find out.
No Moneco, no credibility.

Thank you google for informing me what you're talking about

http://newyorkmusicdaily.wordpress.com/2013/08/11/moneco/

There’s a new chicha band in town and they’re excellent! Subbing for Chicha Libre last week at Barbes, Moneco played a trippy, slinky, sonically spot-on evocation of several of the great Peruvian surf groups of the late 60s and 70s.

If you had come out to my neighborhood when you were in NYC I would have brought you to see them.

Next time. Since I was staying in Brooklyn we did go to Barbes.

x-post - congrats Jordan on being in a producer chair...

Who did you see at Barbes?

Ha, I forget. We got there late and whomever they were only had a few songs left in their set. And I liked them too.

Well, these choices on my P&J ballot sound right for this thread, in a rolling way---comments posted on http://thefreelancementalists.blogspot.com

Jazz didn't make the list this year, in terms of obvious titles, but as usual (always?), it was a crucial ingredient of several selections---made a difference with Cotonou*, the way I hear 'em, and Guerilla Toss even, as we shall see--but right now should mention the inclusively, still inadequately-titled Underground Sounds of Modern Brasil: Hip-Hop, Beats, Afro & Dub. The excursions that first swept me up were the penultimate-to-ultimate grooves cruising off Disc 1, both very reliably informed by kosmic Krauts and Miles Davis (most likely). And all of Disc 2 has something to do with various kinds of jazz, as only the Brasilians/Brazilians can iterate ( yes, getting essentalist with it, but there's your classy 2013 buzzword or meme or whatever it is, too).

Key point in the p.r. pitch for Rough Guide To African Disco: "Creative scenesters put their own spin on the disco sound, mashing together the rhythmic pulse of funk, soul and Latin with African grooves; soukous, Afrobeat, township jive and more." Yes! There are a few let-downs, like the very first track, I think, but mostly amazing. Some of my faves are ones I wouldn't have thought to tag as disco, but no prob.

Orchestre Poly-Rythmo De *Cotonou, Volume Three---The Skeletal Essences of Afro-Funk 1969-1980 is
Analog Africa's third collection of tracks from Benin's primo movers of "traditional Voudon rhythms to funk, sato, Latin, sakpata, psychedelia, and Afro-beat" includes reel-to-reel, one-or-two mic recordings in houses, and even outdoors: conditions which might have suggested the "Skeletal Essences" advisory. Still, the reel-to-reel was a Nagra, the outdoors settings were gardens, the sessions often nocturnal; the results are fully charged. They seem like a response to late-night Bay Area FM and UK pirate stations, who maybe turned on those trendy Voice of America and BBC World Service headz to Hendrix, Santana, Meters, James Brown, Sly & The Family Stone, then dialing in electric Miles, P-Funk, Stevie Wonder, the expanding Talking Heads: trace elements, as filtered/reduced by these gray rockhead American ears, of Cotonou's ricochet path around the encrusted periphery of textbook popular music history. Peripheral visions, flickering lightning, skeletal filaments: like Miles slipping in, stealing the scene on his own records, as the background becomes the foreground---not in a New Age sense, or anything rarefied; more like oops upside the head, as the searchlight and spotlight merge. Back in the day, these guys are still re-writing the books, the future----as now, Daddy-o. Keep 'em coming, Analog Africa! (Cotonou's founder passed in 2012, but think there have been some reunion shows in the fairly recent past?)

Not to be snarky but I think that post would have been better on this other thread:

Rolling Outernational Non-West Non-English (Some Exceptions) 2014 Thread Formerly Known as World

I wanna catch up on reggaeton act Arcangel whom I liked years back. I wonder what they sound like now?

New movie based on an old Colombian book about salsa:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLBTEU1-Eqw#t=204

(A lot more talk about cameras and techniques there than I care about, but it gives you the general idea.)

Arcangel (I thought that was one individual) put out an album last year and it's on Spotify. Not too difficult to find.

In the running for best new artist are Aneeka, Linda Briceno, Caloncho, Julio Cesar, Pablo Lopez, Miranda, Periko & Jessi Leen, Daniela Spalla, Juan Pablo Vega and Mariana Vega.

http://www.latingrammy.com/en

NY Times now has a Jon Pareles obit for Milton Cardona

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/27/arts/music/milton-cardona-keeper-of-new-york-salsas-beat-dies-at-69.html?hpw&rref=obituaries&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=HpHedThumbWell&module=well-region®ion=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well&_r=0

Raquel Z. Rivera & Ojos de Sofía play Las Décimas del Amargue & Other Songs of Love. Neo-folk original songs inspired by Puerto Rican and Dominican jíbaro ... at Barbes in Brooklyn tonight Friday the 3rd

She's an author, scholar, blogger who used to write a lot about reggaeton

Harold Lopez-Nussa (Cuban pianist) is doing some US gigs. I need to watch some the archived Kennedy Center Millennium Stage gig he did Wednesday night to see how much clave he and his band have, or if he's more jazz. Author/musician Ned Sublette likes him (but he likes most of those pianists who are mostly jazz with just a tinge of more danceable rhythms). Sorry jazz hepcats.

That guy is good. The other guy with the same last name is good too. Sometimes they play those recordings at the place in my neighborhood I go to see that stuff that I think I told you about.

Tune was "Fantasmas en caravana."

Also, let me gently chide you and say let's not get too hung about about the music possibly being Too Jazz/Not Latin Enough. Especially since the guy is from Havana.

Okay, I may have a little story for you.

I also grumble about Puerto Rican Miguel Zenon being more into jazz than clave. Yes, I know that people from anywhere can play whatever they want and be good at, and they should not be forced to limit themselves to music in their home country's old-school traditions. But yea, after saying all that, I am still less interested in their music. It's not them, it's me...

"Talisman" Brazilian-Latin jazz with Sammy Figueroa and Glaucia Nasser

Wondering about these folks too

Maybe I will start with Lopez-Nussa's 3rd album (see below interview). His brother plays drums on it.

http://www.courant.com/entertainment/music/hc-harold-lopez-nussa-performs-at-the-side-door-in-20140929-story.html

Cuban musician Harold López-Nussa discovered electricity on his third album, "New Day," using it to project otherworldly, fuzzed-out lead lines on "Fantasmas en Caravana" while comping on the acoustic piano..

"I just love the sound of the Rhodes [electric piano], so I wanted to try something a little different from my preceding albums," López-Nussa told CTNow. "We also added more percussion: djembe, cojon… I feel that the Rhodes brings a different color that maybe opens up the traditional piano trio sound."

Inspired by countryman Chucho Valdés' experiments with the Rhodes in the 1970s, López-Nussa felt as though he'd discovered a new instrument. Like a painter working with a new color scheme, however, he uses it sparingly on "New Day": to add ambiance to the opening of "Paseo," for example, or to create hushed dynamics in "Buenos Modales." "It's very different," he said. "I'm not an expert. I just try to play what I feel. I have a relationship that's very physical with the piano — you can feel the material. It's so different, but it's still exciting to try something new."

Lopez-Nussa trio at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage for an hour (I intend to watch this)

http://www.kennedy-center.org/explorer/videos/?id=M6040&type=A

Watched some of it during commercials of Nats v Giants baseball last night. He's got his jazz tunes and his more trad Cuban ones. Sent link to my Dad, who liked it

x-post--Listened to "Talisman" by Brazilian singer Glaucia Nasser and Latino percussionist Sammy Figueroa. Nasser's classic Brazilian bossa and samba vocal melodies stand out. You gotta listen closely on many cuts to hear the various Latino percussion rhythms Figueroa is adding. There are other musicians on it too. These folks are on a US tour now.

I see this has devolved into primarily a Latin jazz discussion. I'm afraid I have nothing to offer. The Willy Garcia album isn't very good, overall.

The Latin Grammys tend to be conservative, I think, because people are voting for sub-categories they don't necessarily know about. So the familiar name trumps. That's my guess anyway. I don't think I've listened to that Calle 13 album all the way through, and don't particularly want to.

You didn't mention that Raquel Rivera lives part of the time in Albuquerque:

http://cascabeldecobre.blogspot.com/

I started listening to both the Wisin and the Yandel solo albums but just couldn't care. The guest spot by 50 Cent on Wisin's made it that much more difficult.

I'm more disillusioned than ever with the state of salsa.

Was hoping you would know of a great salsa release to talk about. Latin-jazz gets more English language media hype but it is not necessarily wowing me

I think next year we should start a new version of this thread to remain open until it gets too big, however many years that takes, and without trying to pad it. I just feel like: stick a fork in it, it's dead. The thread and the sub-genres that I care about the most.

I did hear some okay merengue from Juliana in the Dominican Republic, but even those songs weren't as good as much of what she's previously done.

You might like this: http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/25500.10

Seems promising at moments, but mostly a letdown. Still has that post-80s NYC salsa dura blandness to it. (I know they aren't from NYC, but that's what I'm hearing, plus I think some of the musicians are.) But maybe you would like it more than I do.

Had my eye on this reissue, but not sure it's worth it:

http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/25440.10?9qYnw2zS;;480

Incidentally, do you know that El Watusi, the Latin music download site (associated with Descarga.com I think) went out of business? Not good. The back catalog of great salsa is sinking back into obscurity.

Did not know about El Watusi going out of business.

I also have not heard the most recent Bio Ritmo album (speaking of non-NY salsa).

Your idea regarding the thread makes sense(unless ilx magically gets new contributors into Latino sounds who could add more stuff here)

Just noticed this suburban DC gig

"LA INDIA EN CONCIERTO"

Friday October 17th

General Admission $35
VIP Standing $45

VIP SEATING $60 (Only a few tickets left)

Doors: 9pm

Show after midnight

This is from Shiina Ringo's debut album:

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

I mean the original song, obviously.

Been too busy lately to check out live shows from acts getting media attention. Missed Pedrito Gonzalez at K. Ctr last weekend (got a mixed review in W. Post although part of that may be a key bandmember wasn't there) and gonna miss Miguel Zenon tonight.

Am out of touch with current Hispanic pop and descarga.com style salsa dura too.

Zenon is on the cover of Downbeat this month I read.

Meanwhile NYC gets the nice older folks shows:

Friday, November 14, 2014 @ 7pm / Aaron Davis Hall / Tickets: $15 - $30
The Puerto Rican Songbook Hidden Treasures
Featuring Dr. Willie Rodriguez & Friends in concert. Friends Include: Andy Gonzalez, Roland Guerrero, Nicky Marrero, Nelson Gonzalez, Ivan Rentas, Pete Nater, Jimmy Bosch, Laura Reyes, Julio Salgado, Eduardo Reyes, and Multimedia by Alan Molnar.
From the press release: "This musical exploration of the Puerto Rican Songbook Hidden Treasures under the direction of Dr. Willie Rodriguez will celebrate the outstanding contributions of Puerto Rican composers like the great Placido Acevedo, Simon Madera, Miguel Angel Amadeo, Sylvia Rexach, among others."

This is really good so far. For lovers of a distinctively Puerto Rican sound and swing. But of course Don Perignon Y La Orquesta Puertorriqueña has been around for a while:

http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/25535.10

On Spotify too.

http://www.noticiasmvs.com/#!/noticias/ganadores-de-la-15-edicion-de-los-latin-grammy-343.html

Thanks, need to check some of those out

I missed Romeo Santos, bachata heartthrob on a float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. Plus he was on Jimmy Fallon too I think.

Unrelated:

I enjoyed Jorge Drexler's album this year. He's a Uruguayan singer/songwriter kinda rock guy who sorta went pop (with a touch of dance) on his 2014 effort.

Oh, did not realize Drexler won Latin Grammy Record of the Year

http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6327226/latin-grammys-recap-2014

from another Billboard article re why appearances on the show did not translate into sizeable sales increases:
To be fair, this year’s Latin Grammys had three Best New Artist nominees onstage -- Aneeka, winner Mariana Vega and Pablo Lopez. But those performed only for approximately 90 seconds at a time as part of a medley,

—Mejor álbum tropical tradicional

"Grandes éxitos de las sonoras, con la más grande, La Sonora Santanera", La Sonora Santanera

Plenty of musicians on the Latin scene play on this record which I haven't heard yet but it looks intriguing: http://www.planetarts.org/mists-charles-ives-for-jazz-orchestra.html. One of them is the same guy who told me last week about his Latin Grammy win for appearing on Final Night At Birdland, prompting my post.

Cuban /Latin jazz in NY

Nuevo Jazz Latino, the group that made such a splash in June at Jazz at Lincoln Center, will play five nights at Dizzy's, Dec. 26-30, this time with the addition of trumpeter Mike Rodríguez, along with Yosvany Terry (sax and shekere), Elio Villafranca (piano), Carlos Henríquez (bass), Pedrito Martínez (congas), and Dafnis Prieto (drums).

For our special New Year’s week celebration, it’s a Cuban holiday with the Nuevo Jazz Latino All-Stars. The group features Pedrito Martinez, Yosvany Terry, Mike Rodriguez, Elio Villafranca, Dafnis Prieto, and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra bassist Carlos Henriquez, all successful leaders and award-winners in their own right. This unique ensemble originally debuted during Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 2013-14 season for a nearly sold out two-night run in The Appel Room. An unusual opportunity that paid dividends, the group was tasked with composing new original pieces specifically for this ensemble. As a result, each piece of music was written for the individual talents of each fellow band member, and after rave reviews, we’re treating audiences to this super-group up close and personal in the club.

Thanks. Familiar with every one of those guys except the bass player.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/altlatino/2014/12/04/368225290/alt-latinos-favorite-latin-music-of-2014

I like Jorge Drexler 2014 one alot, and rapper Ana Tijoux is pretty good too. Still need to check some of the other ones out (don't think there's anything resembling salsa here or even Latin-jazz)

http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/latin-notas/6397824/juan-flores-scholar-nuyorican-music-dies

Was writing a book about Eddie Palmieri, and was a big fan of bugaloo

http://edmorales.net/2014/12/06/in-memoriam-juan-flores-1943-2014/

FYI Nueva Yorkers

The Pedrito Martínez Group residency at SubRosa returns Tuesday through Thursday (16-18), at 63 Gansevoort Street, sets at 7:15 and 9:15.

In his email listserv, author/musician Ned S*blette keeps raving about this group (and he is offering free guestlist spots)

How to get on his email list?

try emailing him at ned AT qbadisc.com

Note that his emails in addition to covering latin music also often include links about political stuff from a left-wing viewpoint and links about international politics and US and international history. Plus he does an end of the year thing on favorite books

What timing! Today the 30th annual Havana Jazz Plaza festival gets under way...with Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Xiomara Laugart and Axel Tosca.ZZ Top. the López-Nussa family concert.

http://www.authenticubatours.com/cuba-festival-tours/cuba-jazz-festival.htm

Latin Jazz list from NPR sponsored jazz critics poll

1. Arturo O'Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, The Offense of the Drum (Motéma) 19

2. Miguel Zenón, Identities Are Changeable (Miel Music) 16

3. Yosvany Terry, New Throned King (5Passion) 11

4. Danilo Pérez, Panama 500 (Mack Avenue) 8

5. David Virelles, Mbókò (ECM) 6

6. Alfredo Rodriguez, The Invasion Parade (Mack Avenue) 5

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

Nate Chinen in the NY Times loves this guy too:

2. David Virelles “Mbókò” (ECM) The brilliant young pianist David Virelles continues his interrogation of Afro-Cuban culture and ritual with methodical cool but also an openness of spirit. With Román Díaz thrumming a percussive heartbeat, this intoxicating suite resonates with implications both ancient and state-of-the-art.

I haven't heard that album, but Virelles is a great player—saw him with Ravi Coltrane last year.

great album

not on Spotify US if I searched correctly.

ECM doesn't put its music on Spotify.

Should I start a new open-ended thread per the Rudiph note above:

Rolling Afro-Latin Music 2015 and onward: Salsa, Bomba, Merengue,Reggaeton, Bachata, Latin-Jazz and more

Please do.

Rolling Afro-Latin Music 2015 and onward: Salsa, Bomba, Merengue,Reggaeton, Bachata, Latin-Jazz and more

I have no idea where to put this but searched Barbes and there was mention on this thread. I was in NY last week and went to Barbes on Wed to see the Mandingo Ambassadors and it was incredible. They're there every Wed and would highly recommend. So fun. http://www.mandingoambassadors.com/

Cool. Barbes nightclub hosts some Latino acts which is why it got mentioned on this thread. But probably goes better on this 2016 "global" "whirled" thread where old-school Guinean dance music led by guitarist Mamady Kouyate is more likely to be appreciated. Rolling Outernational Non-West Non-English (Some Exceptions) 2016 Thread Once Known as World Music