Rolling Afro-Latin Music 2017: Salsa, Bomba, Merengue,Reggaeton, Bachata, Latin Jazz, Bolero and more

Cuban jazz pianist David Virelles is on Ben Ratliff ‘s best of album list in Esquire

NY Times jazz critic also has David Virelles on his album list for 2017.

NY Times critic Jon Caramanica has Ozuna on his album list and I think 3 or so Latin trap or reggaeton cuts on his single list.

Not seeing Ruben Blades (not on Spotify) Salsa Big Band album on any list (it won at the Latin Grammys though)

For those compiling your year-end lists, this playlist includes all the available tracks on this thread, organized roughly chronologically in order of mention:

ILM's 2017 Rolling Latin and Afro-Latin Thread Spotify Playlist

NPR album list for the year has Latin Jazz like Miguel Zenon

Almost everything I've heard by him has been utterly snooze-inducing. There, I didn't want to disappoint you by not making a predictable comment.

Miguel Zzzzzzzzzzzzz-on.

If Zenon were not constantly foregrounding his puertorriquenidad (and not even in musical ways, or musically interesting ways, a lot of the time), I wonder if he would attract so much attention. But then, I don't listen to much jazz and frequently don't get what it is that jazz lovers love about the jazz they love.

He's never impressed me either. I haven't listened yet to the other Latin jazz fave of critics for this year-Cuban jazz pianist David Virelles .

New Pete Perignon album. He has the advantage of being from a PR salsa family dynasty. I haven't heard it all yet, but I doubt it's going to set the world on fire. Not bad:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lT83bqrN9hI

If one is hard up for a reasonable facsimile of a new salsa album in 2017.

Should have gone for the title track, which has a bit more swing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yk-QyN8e8eM

Probably could be easily convinced to dance to a bunch of these tracks. This one pulls together all three soneros who appear on the album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBig7d_qxHY

A nice change from hoarse past masters taking turns on yet another tribute to past greatness album.

I like that title track. Dude has only gotten like 780 views since that was posted in October alas.

I'm usually not big on Latin music with English lyrics, but this whole album is not usual (yes, that's a recommendation, but the album in general doesn't fall under the Latin category):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blZu-PzIoZs

I'm not sure why but somehow her phrasing fits the rhythms better than sung English typically does to my ears.

So do we do a 2018 thread?

X-post—Yes to Dos Santos ‘ phrasing.

I don't know. It's gotten pretty dead. You're welcome to start one. We could just have a generic Latin music thread, but I still think, as I always have, that it doesn't make much sense to lump salsa in with most rock en español, Latin alternative, Latin pop, etc. I think the genres that developed in Latin America and have a clearly African-derived rhythmic (generally some variety of clave, not necessarily the familiar son clave) framework belong together. At the same time, I don't have enough interest in the current Afro-Latin music I'm hearing to want to try to keep a thread going.

And I periodically check out new timba and almost never like it.

x-post

I think she's very good. That sort of track could easily just be funny pastiche, but I think she breathes genuine life into it. You'd probably like the rest of the album.

I also have less idea of what's going on because: I still haven't made it back to dancing (health); descarga.com is gone; I haven't been involved in any private online discussions of Latin music for a long time; I haven't been involved in any under the table Latin music file exchanging for an even longer time; I almost never listen to the radio (I could stream WRTI's salsa show at least); I am no longer in touch with any "salsa friends," etc. I've also tried a lot of Latin music by now, and I have a clearer sense of what I like and don't like, and there are simply large areas of it that aren't going to do much for me (like timba, or most charanga, or most bachata, etc.).

I've also finally gotten to like a lot more electronic dance music, too, particularly house. So I've got some sort of rhythmic fix from a different direction.

Timba continues to make hardly a dent with Latin music audiences in the United States. I guess I shouldn't gloat, since salsa itself is so niche. But timba is micro-niche in the U.S. anyway. There are a lot of disaffected salsa fans out there, like me, but most of them do not seem to be gravitating toward timba.

Some interesting observations here (including the comments):

http://socialdancecommunity.com/calling-it-quits-why-some-social-dancers-are-hanging-up-their-dance-shoes/

I'm ambivalent about a lot of this, but I do remember noticing that the focus of salsa performances and competitions seemed to hurt the social salsa scene. I started to see people just practicing their dance troupe moves with their dance troupe partners, rather than circulating with lots of different dancers. I suppose it's fine if people want to just dance with the same people (sometimes that works better for couples), but the performance focus tends to degrade social dancing. And I'm not even one of these people who wants to go out and have extroverted "fun" while dancing. I don't necessarily want to chat and drink and so on. The dancing is the social fun for me.

They also talk about the ridiculous competitions between dance teachers and schools. I saw some of that. A major salsa event with lots of famous live performers, but some people stayed away from it because there was resentment over the instructor who had been invited to dance on stage, or something like that. Lots of ridiculous petty politics.

On the other hand, if something were to bubble up from the underground, it would be difficult to find out about it. People on salsaforums.com are talking about discovering albums a year or two after they've been released. Here's one I hadn't heard about before that's not bad. Singer sounds Cuban (a little too Cuban for my tastes--don't like that authentic rumba-derived whiny old lady inflection, but it's not too bad here):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=894cTN7QKXk

I agree with this:

but I still think, as I always have, that it doesn't make much sense to lump salsa in with most rock en español, Latin alternative, Latin pop, etc. I think the genres that developed in Latin America and have a clearly African-derived rhythmic (generally some variety of clave, not necessarily the familiar son clave) framework belong together.

I am kinda interested in Latin trap, pop, bachata ...so maybe should just start a thread for that; and use this one for salsa, timba, etc

While the Artes de Cuba Fest starting tonight at Kennedy Center in Washington DC doesn't have the obscure Afro-Cuban acts that author/musician Ned Sublette has been taking people to see on his tours of Cuba, there's some good stuff-- Los Van Van on May 19 at the Eisenhower, Tiempo Libre for free May 20 and more--

Wednesday May 9-Yissy & Bandancha (Cuban jazz percussionist and band add electronica, jazz fusion, & funk) at 8 at Eisenhower Theatre

Thursday May 10-Adonis Gonzalez (Atlanta-based Cuban classical pianist) and percussionist Mauricio Herrera for free from 6 to 7 at Kennedy Center Millennium Stage

Yosvany Terry Afro-Cuban jazz Sextet at K. Center Terrace Gallery at 7 & 9 (both shows sold out)

Friday May 11- the flute & strings & percussion led danzon Orquesta Miguel Faílde,for free from 6 to 7 at Kennedy Center Millennium Stage

Saturday May 12-Cuban jazz Piano Marathon featuring Aldo López-Gavilán and Jorge Luis Pacheco (part of Artes de Cuba) at 7:30 PM at the Terrace Theatre (ticketed event)

Sunday May 13- Aymée Nuviola, Miami-based timba-pop vocalist with Dr. Ed Calle, saxophonist at Kennedy Center Terrace Theatre (ticketed event)

Tuesday May 15- La Dame Blanche (Paris-based Cuban hiphop singer & Latino percussionist) for free from 6 to 7 at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage

Wed. May 16-Balladeer Haydée Milanés and her trio are joined by her father—singer, songwriter, and guitar player Pablo Milanés at the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theatre (ticketed event)

Thursday May -17
Luis Faife and D.C. Cuban All Stars for free from 6 to 7 at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage

The female duo of La Reyna (Reyna Mercedes Hernández Sandoval) and La Real (Yadira Pintado Lazcano) (Cuban rap) at the Kennedy Center Terrace Gallery at 7 pm and 9pm (ticketed event)

Friday May 18th -Dafnis Prieto Si o Si Quartet at the Kennedy Center Terrace Gallery at 7 and 9 pm (Cuban jazz) (ticketed event)

the López-Nussa Family--Harold (pianist), Ernan (pianist), Ruy (percussionist), and Ruy Adrian (drummer)-Latin jazz at the Terrace Theatre at 7:30 pm

Saturday May 19- Los Van Van (see above)

Sunday May 20- Tiempo Libre (see above).

Pianist Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theatre at 7:30 pm

https://cms.kennedy-center.org/festivals/cuba/events

Kennedy center put opening night on Youtube it appears.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cj-njGQZwbs

Omara Portuando, jazz pianists, the flute & strings & percussion led danzon Orquesta Miguel Faílde,f

Some good stuff there once you get past the 15 minutes of talking intro from Kennedy Center types and such. Aymée Nuviola, Miami-based timba-pop vocalist is good, and she also later plays piano for Portuando. Jazz and classical and more too.

That looks pretty good. I just noticed that the ALJO (or ALJE as you called them) are on tour in California right now, I think

Kennedy Center called O'Farrill's group ALJE for that show only, for some reason.

I didn't see it. Have seen him/them in the past. I did see Cuba's Los Van Van on Saturday at Kennedy Center and other than a few syrupy pop songs, they were great. After their set, I caught some of the Jose Pepito Gomez band upstairs in the free Noches Cubana room. Gomez is a Cuban who moved to NYC I read. Good not great. At 11 something I left (after their second set). Naturally I later saw on Instagram a short video of some of the members of Los Van Van sitting in with them in the 3rd and final set later that night.

I kinda like Miami's Tiempo Libre timba and pop band. I still need to see the Youtube of their gig from Sunday at the Millennium Stage.

I also should probably check out the Cuban jazz players (now living in NY) Dafnis Prieto and Yosvanny Terry, although I'm less a jazz guy.

Prieto has a new big band album that's really good.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article210253224.html

A few Republicans dismissed the folks performing at the festival as “agents of the state” (Cuba) and complained that the Kennedy Center featured them and that they got visas.

Some of the artists who performed live here now though like Prieto.

x-post--That Prieto big band effort is nice. Threadgill and Steve Coleman as 2 of the horn players.

He just had his smaller group at the Kennedy center Cuba fest, not the big band, alas.

Threadgill, Coleman and Brian Lynch were special guests with the big band.

I still like Eddie Palmieri's 2017 album more.

Maybe I should have or should still start a 2018 thread! But maybe more pop or trap, reggaetón...

Liking J. Balvin, Becky G, Bad Bunny

Puerto Rican rapper Ozuna guests on a lot of hits

i really like the song "oye mujer" by raymix. i heard it for the first time a few months ago but apparently it originally came out, like, years ago?

"Oye Mujer" is a 2018 remix with Juanes of a 2015 Raymix track that incorporated traditional sounds

the version i heard didn't have juanes! guess i'm just very late as i often am

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/07/style/bomba-puerto-rico-music-dance.html?hpw&rref=fashion&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region®ion=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well

Puerto Rican bomba drums music and dance lives

bomba drumming and dancing at La terraza de Bonanza in Puerto Rico

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj0mF5_Mhm0

At a Coney Island NY beach on Sunday afternoon, I heard lots of reggaeton coming from beachgoers portable speakers. More than rap or other popular sounds(though there was a lot of Drake too).

Listening to latest album by pianist Harold Lopez-Nussa called Un Dia Cualquiera. Eh, it’s ok Cuban Latin Jazz. Nice enough I guess, but nothing new and nothing that really wows me. Ned Sublette likes it.

Thread needs some fresh blood:

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

DJ Snake feat. Selena Gomez, Ozuna & Cardi B • Taki Taki

(Don’t know where Snake got this beat from, but kudos, it’s a great track)

Speaking of Ozuna, this is my favorite track of his current album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wykqGblj1og

Ozuna feat. J Balvin & Natti Natasha • Sígueme Los Pasos

...and speaking of J Balvin, this is my favorite track of his current album, which is great (it's not called "Vibras" for nothing):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FlRsN4cyF0

J Balvin • Tu Verdad

J Balvin and Ozuna have been killing it with their singles and collaborations in the past couple of years.

There's a trend that's appearing this summer of reggaeton/trap with an almost minimal, soft sound... the lyrics are worthless but the beat for these makes me happy and wishes the trend continues:

Kevin Roldan - PPP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vET7J3oc5sI

Anuel AA - quiere Beber

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTtBmo5EbEk

Lalo Ebratt - Mocca (There's also a J Balvin remix but I like the original better)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeRwVpzd2G4

Also not really reggaeton but really like beat by Dillon Francis feat. Ximena Sarilñana. Moombathon I guess?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLM9brT5_w0

Wow Moka, I was just about to post that “Mocca” track too, just fell right in love with that one. (in my case it would have been the remix, because of its video, but both versions are great)

Also my friends are really into Rosalia (She also has a guest spot in Balvin's Vibras):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rht7rBHuXW8

Really interesting combination of flamenco style vocals with 'urban' rhythms. Even the video is really cool in how it combines typical Spain iconography and takes it down and mixes it in a modern setting.