There was a new sound emerging from Spanish Harlem in the mid-1960s. It was a groove that mixed the infectious percussion of Latin music with the raw power of sixties RnB. Although the first hit makers were all established band leaders, the change in direction was pushed through by younger guys within their bands, and their success opened the doors for a flood of younger bands to follow, who would makes some phenomenally exciting music over the following few years. Dressed in their sharp, skinny mod suits this was the first sound that was distinctly created by New York’s second and third generation Puerto Rican community. It was the bad boogaloo.

By the sixties, New York’s Puerto Rican community was well established. The migration from the Caribbean island to the one called Manhattan had begun in earnest in 1919, creating a large community in East (or “Spanish”) Harlem that provided for the new arrivals with some of the comforts of home and the security in number to ease the often difficult path of the immigrant. Although there continued to be much movement from PR to NY throughout the mid twentieth century, there was also a substantial number of second and third generation Latinos who were becoming known as the Nu Yoricans. The sons, daughters, and grand-children of those who originally came from PR, were multi-lingua, and living next door to the Afro-American capital of America: Harlem.

Bobby Valentin / Bad Breath

En Hot Pastrana (CS-1025), el tercero con Cotique records, Joey Pastrana continua con la fusión entre Boogaloo/Latin Soul y música Afro/Cubana que había comenzado en Let’s Ball (CS-1006), seguido de Joey (CS-1012), donde puntualizo en una canción que el era el autentico “King of Latin Soul”.

Con Hot Pastrana, Joey profundiza todavía mas en el latin soul, especialmente en canciones como “Sincerely”, la cual comienza como una balada doo-wop y cambia bruscamente a  Latin Soul después de dos minutos y medio. “Problems” es la otra balada incluida en el disco y junto a “That’s How Rumors Start” son otros temas que se deben resaltar sobre este disco. Ambas son muy similares en tempo, estructura y duración aunque “Problems” no tiene tanta fuerza como “That’s How Rumors Start”. 

Por suerte, encontramos temas en el disco que se orientan mas hacia la experimentación con nuevos sonidos como son los temas “Afro Azul” y “My Victrola” con ritmos de Boogaloo y mucha percusión. Tampoco, olvidemos “Malambo”, un Calipso-Bomba que seria incluido nuevamente en su quinto y mejor álbum, Joey En Carnavale (CS-1048) con Cotique records.

Jonathan Reynaldo Bailey of Latin Vinyl Junkie

  On Hot Pastrana (CS-1025), his third album for Cotique records, Joey Pastrana continues the seamless integration of boogaloo/Latin soul and traditional Afro-Cuban styles that he started on Let's Ball (CS-1006) and continued on Joey (CS-1012), where he made his case for being the real “King Of Latin Soul.”

On Hot Pastrana (CS-1025), his third album for Cotique records, Joey Pastrana continues the seamless integration of boogaloo/Latin soul and traditional Afro-Cuban styles that he started on Let's Ball (CS-1006) and continued on Joey (CS-1012), where he made his case for being the real “King Of Latin Soul.”

For Hot Pastrana, Joey goes even deeper into the soul bag, especially on songs like “Sincerely,” which begins as a full on doo-wop ballad, then switches into Latin after two and a half minutes. The album’s other Latin soul ballad, “Problems,” is a rehash of “That’s How Rumors Start” from his previous album. The two songs share a similar structure, tempo, and length, but “Problems” lacks the energy and punch of “That’s How Rumors Start.”

Luckily, there are songs on Hot Pastrana that do a much better job of exploring new sounds, such as the two wild and hard-driving boogaloo cuts, “Afro Azul” and “My Victrola.”  Another one of the album’s standout tracks, “Malambo,” hints at the Calypso-Bomba sound that is featured prominently on Pastrana’s fifth (and arguably best) album for Cotique records, Joey En Carnavale (CS-1048).

Jonathan Reynaldo Bailey of Latin Vinyl Junkie