Thursday November 12 2009, 11:59:13 AM | Posted by Anonymous

The cliché statement they don't make them like they used to anymore becomes especially poignant in the case of Tito Rodríguez.  Arguably the most elegant vocalist to ever grace the spectrum of Afro-Caribbean music, Rodríguez showed an exquisite sensitivity when it came to designing the repertoire of the many LPs that he released during the 1950s.

Released on the Tico label in 1959, "Mambo Madness" delivers a briskly paced tour through the many shades and colors of vintage tropical music.  Smoldering boleros, vibrant Cuban standards (“Dónde Estabas Tú”, “La Engañadora”), bubbly instrumentals, novelty numbers and, of course, the ubiquitous mambo--  the Puerto Rican crooner leaves no stone unturned in his effort to deliver a rich listening experience.


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Monday November 2 2009, 10:19:20 AM | Posted by Anonymous

 

Fania Records announces the release of a deluxe 2-disc, 30-track box set of the greatest of the mambo kings, Tito Rodriguez scheduled for November 3, 2009.

Tito Rodríguez: A Man and His Music El Inolvidable includes some of the legendary singer/bandleader’s greatest numbers, including his career-defining hit “Mama Güela,” as well as “Blen, Blen, Blen,” “Cara de Payaso,” and many others.

 


Monday October 26 2009, 08:04:19 PM | Posted by Anonymous

In addition to containing some truly great Latin music, Fania gold label 45s have a brilliant look that never fails to catch the eye.

Fania used the glowing gold design on their first thirty or so LPs, and on their first fifty or so 45s, before switching over (in 1968) to the familiar multicolor cloud label design that was used on hundreds of releases throughout the 1970s along with the palm tree label, which came into use sometime in the later half of the 70s.

In the late 1960s, Fania also updated their logo design, changing from the simple Caslon Open Face font logo to one that better matched the new and more modern-looking multicolor labels.

In the end, though, it is really about the music, so here is a brief rundown of my top ten gold label 45s.

  


Monday October 26 2009, 04:42:17 PM | Posted by Anonymous

“Let’s just try it out, Sonny, if it doesn’t work, I’ll buy you a double”. The place: Palm Gardens Ballroom, mid-town Manhattan. The year: 1966. Singer Jimmy Sabater was trying to persuade his bandleader, José “Sonny” Calderón, or Joe Cuba, to implement a new idea that Sabater had in mind for some time. Reluctantly, Cuba agreed. Sabater gave pianist Nick Jiménez the tumbao (rhythm figure) and in an instant, the mainly African-American Harlem audience was singing along: “Beep beep… hah… beep beep…’” And that, more or less, is how one of 1960’s Nuyorican music’s biggest hits, Bang! Bang! Push, Push, Push was born. Read more


Monday October 26 2009, 12:21:53 PM | Posted by Anonymous

We are opening the Fania blog with Larry Harlow. Who better than the amazing Fania All Stars keyboard player to tell us about FANIA records, the Salsa revolution and its amazing artists that conquered the world with “la musica picante”.


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