If the name of Chamaco Ramírez doesn't ring a bell, his rugged voice will bring a pleasant shock of recognition to even the most casual salsa aficionado: as a vocalist with the orchestra of Puerto Rican bandleader Tommy Olivencia in the '70s, Chamaco recorded such memorable Afro-Caribbean anthems as "Plante Bandera" and the self-penned "Trucutú." He also released a criminally underrated solo album in 1979. Entitled Alive And Kicking, it has just been re-released by Fania on both physical CD format and as a digital download.

Born in Santurce, Puerto Rico in 1941, Chamaco began working with bandleader Olivencia while he was still in high school. His vocal qualities, sense of humor and impeccable timing bring to mind fellow soneros Ismael Rivera and Héctor Lavoe. Sadly, Chamaco fell prey to the drug addiction that plagued so many other singers of '70s salsa. He spent some time in prison, and was murdered in the streets of New York in March of 1983. He was only 44.

Strangely enough, the cover of Alive And Kicking, recorded four years before his tragic death, depicted him emerging unscathed from inside a coffin. This image was, indeed, prophetic. Chamaco's charismatic persona lives on through his recordings, and his solo album should be reappraised as one of salsa's forgotten masterpieces. Recorded with a no-frills conjunto that has no trouble generating instant Afro-Cuban combustion, the album includes the rootsy son montuno "San Agustín," the hardcore salsa dura tune "Así Son Bongó" and a lush bolero titled "Respétala," with a wonderfully arranged brass section. Fittingly, it closes with a tasty version of "Fania" - the Cuban standard previously recorded by Johnny Pacheco, launching the label that would forever change the history of tropical music.

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