merengue y salsa

[bitterfruit]

Any suggestions, seriously?

[Patrick]

The wealth of incredible music available out there in these genres is mind-boggling. unfortunately so are the genre/location classifications and the avalanche of cheap repackagings and bad remasterings.

The following addresses primarily the evolution of Cuban son montuno through the emigration to NYC, the mergings with Puerto Rican, Latin jazz and eventually funk musics (all together making the triumphant melange known as salsa). Merengue I enjoy and I believe is primarily Dominican Republic, but I have no knowledge of it.

To start right in the middle of where all the great salsa stuff came together, I suggest you investigate the works of Eddie Palmieri. The 1960s albums on Tico were already taking salsa dance music to the limit - the frenzied 1970s albums on Tico and Coco, including 2 live albums recorded at Sing-Sing prison, are unbelievable, explosions of complex anger and alternating joy.

For the roots, get some good vintage son cubano compilations (1920s-19602 stuff on Arhoolie or Yazoo or various other ethnic labels), plus you'll be looking for the Cuban recordings of Celia Cruz (esp with La Sonora Matancera), Arsenio Rodriguez, the Sextetos and Septetos Cubanos (esp the Sexteto Habanero and the Septeto Nacional).

For the '50s New York bands who were about to be hit by the Cuban invasion, you must investigate Tito Puente, Machito, Monchito, Perez Prado, Tito Rodriguez and the early Eddie Palmieri stuff with his Conjunto La Perfecta. Rhumba, cha-cha-cha, whatever you want to call it: tons of this stuff was popularized and watered down for the masses, by both white pop crooners and by the Latin artists themselves. But records by the latter are almost always good anyway, and you can usually tell which are which. In other words, buy records on Tico, Seeco, Alegre, not RCA LSP.

'50s/'60s saw a split between "pop" salsa and Latin jazz per se... the former being boogaloo (salsa + r&b) such as Joe Bataan, the Harlow Orchestra and many others, all exquisitely enjoyable if somewhat light; the latter including everyone from Chico O'Farrill to Sabu and often being somewhat pompous. (From another direction, you can look at the work of Cal Tjader or Willie Bobo... lots of Latin influences, but not Latin by any stretch.)

It took the '60s to implode these two groups together... much as happened in jazz at the time, Latin music became much more revolutionary, more aggro, less concerned with pandering to outside audiences or making dance musics, and deciding to make popular forms serious and vice-versa. Eddie Palmieri was in the lead of this movement. Another such group was the Alegre All-Stars, led by Eddie's brother Charlie Palmieri. A super-group, they played "charangas," 20-30 minute jams (a charanga album will have two tracks on it, one on each side), often inspired by the great Cuban bass player Cachao who more or less invented the format. But here urban NYC influences abound as well, and it's a spicy mix.

In the early '70s things really exploded, and I really recommend exploring the Soul Jazz comp "Nu Yorica! Culture Clash in New York City: Experiments in Latin Music 1970-1977." From the Grupo folklorico y experimentivo to the more out-there Salsoul singles to Pacheco's crazed flute to Eddie Palmieri's work with Harlem funk group Harlem River Drive, and various Puerto Rican influences in the shape of Cortijo, Ocho, or the Gran Combo, this to me is the most exciting period of Latin music. This music literally pulses with energy, complexity, rage and sheer danceability.

Parallel to this explosion of New York experimentation, there was a "return-to-roots" movement for salsa as well, which sought to return to the standard montuno, bolero etc. structures but make them more modern and pop. At the head of the line was the Fania label, which issued seemingly thousands of these kinds of LPs... many of them bona fide hits, from the work of Larry Harlow to Johny Pacheco (many of the experimentalists also did straight-ahead records for Fania and its sister labels), including some bizarre mainstream attempts like the Orchestra Harlow's tribute to 'Tommy,' entitled, 'Hommy: A Latin Opera" with a line up of Fania allstars including the Harlows, Celia Cruz (now in her later years), Justo Betancourt and others. Eventually Fania broke Ruben Blades, and the rest is history.

There exists an absolutely amazing Fania all-star concert at Yankee Stadium in front of a packed house filmed in about 1976 that everyone should try to get their hands on. (It is not in commercial release.) It's a Latin Wattstax. Bizarrely it intersperses bits of old film footage between the mindblowing live performances, but it's still worth finding. '70s NYC Latino music at its height.

As you get into the '80s the story disintegrates a bit. Salsa has evolved into something new now, mingling with hip hop, reggae, electronic dance music and other genres, and the elder statesmen are not respected by the young fans.

Do look for the later records by Eddie Palmieri (still performing around NYC, but for how much longer?) and especially the silky-voiced trumpeter Chocolate Armenteros though, which are good through the mid-'80s or so.

Then, to come full circle, watch 'Buena Vista Social Club.' I know, I know, it's know-it-all rich-country colonialism at its worst, Ry Cooder is annoying, his son is more so, and the pacing and narrative are unbearable. BUT. The actual musicians interviewed and who play are (a) geniuses in their fields, absolutely joy to watch - the musical sections of this music are revelatory, and (b) stuck in the Cuban scene of the 1950s, since (until the fame of the movie) had been pretty much isolated from outside influences.

The Buena Vista CD comp was overproduced for my tastes, and the various solo CD spinoffs are not only overproduced but spotty - as various new people try to get in on the scene.

But watch the movie.

this is one of my favorite topics. please keep any questions coming.

Patrick

[bitterfruit]

Wow! I've got a bit of research to do. I did add "Buena Vista Social Club" to my Netflix queue as well as some other PBS doc on Celia Cruz. Seems interesting.

I've always been attracted to the sound, but never really knew enough about it to get my arms around it.

Thanks for the info, I'll report back my findings.

[Patrick]

Man, all y'all should dig into this shit. You'll find it pleasin' as all get-out. But having put more energy into that post than most of mine (I actually went and pulled records and CDs out and shit) I was hoping for more reactions. (not that bitterfruit's reaction is worthless - au contraire, I always want to hear from him.)

This group of all groups shouldn't be genre-fearin' or genre-hatin'.

Patrick

[Mr.HCI]

It's definitely got me intrigued.

But where does Desi Arnaz fit into all of this? I would think his being on TV every week on I Love Lucy must've had a huge impact (and I always enjoy his musical performances on the show).

[Patrick]

Desi Arnaz fits right into Paragraph 5, and the reason that Perez Prado and other rhumba greats (many dating from the great NYC rhumba palaces of the late '40s) were signed to RCA, got movies, etc. etc.

The whole country was shaken by a fad for everything Latin at the time - probably paralleling or coming just before the fashiong for everything 'exotic' - the Tiki wave.

Of course we both remember the huge revival of a lot of the more exaggerated versions of this stuff in the mid-'90s as the Exotica or cocktail movement - Esquivel, Martin Denny, Command LPs and all the rest. And much of that music is frankly amazing on its own merits.

But trace it back to its Latin roots and a different kind of amazement takes place (like if you trace the "Hawaiian" music back to true Hawaiian guitar greats) - and something well worth investigating.

Sorry I'd type more and be more rational... I'm not feeling very well. Getting a bit better though I think.

Patrick

[pabost]

I, for one, am feeling this thread.

For all Angelenos out there, there's great Latin programming on KXLU 88.9 on the weekends, a far cry from the terrible ranchero music which dominates the rest of the Southern California Latin airwaves.

[tinobeat]

I saw the thread, saw your encyclopedic response, gasped, and ran for cover... ;)

as with the classical monsterthreads, I intend to actually give it the time it deserves when I'm not at work taking quick glances...

[Patrick]

thanks guys.

and my response is pretty much the 'orthodox' story, i.e. focusing pretty heavily on Cuba and New York and ignoring the rest of the country.

From Miami to Los Angeles, from Colombia's cumbia music to pop-Latin from Hialeah FL there are thousands upon thousands of influences and sub-scenes that are all equally fascinating.

Patrick

[bitterfruit]

Originally posted by Patrick
Man, all y'all should dig into this shit. You'll find it pleasin' as all get-out. But having put more energy into that post than most of mine (I actually went and pulled records and CDs out and shit) I was hoping for more reactions. (not that bitterfruit's reaction is worthless - au contraire, I always want to hear from him.)

This group of all groups shouldn't be genre-fearin' or genre-hatin'.

Patrick

Rather than working, I've spent a significant part of the day on allmusic.com and sincerely appreciate your efforts.

[9000]

MBB mixer at the Copa?

[Patrick]

Desi Arnaz box set of 78s on eBay today:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=306&item=4715010059&rd=1

[Patrick]

But on the other hand...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=306&item=4717915348&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!

Patrick

[Patrick]

An even better one...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=306&item=4716540479&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

Patrick

[Thor]

I'm interested on the strength of those covers alone!

[abevigoda]

Originally posted by Patrick
Man, all y'all should dig into this shit. You'll find it pleasin' as all get-out. But having put more energy into that post than most of mine (I actually went and pulled records and CDs out and shit) I was hoping for more reactions. (not that bitterfruit's reaction is worthless - au contraire, I always want to hear from him.)

This group of all groups shouldn't be genre-fearin' or genre-hatin'.

Patrick

I'm absolutely intrigued...and broke! But soon I'll be checking out some of these, some of the classical and the numerous other albums on these threads that make one wonder what he's been doing for the last 30 years.

There needs to be a Matador contest where one can win a roadtrip with Patrick and Mr. HCI. Say 6 hours each way driving to and from some show. You could alternate albums. The whole way one could bask in the warm glowing glow of your accumulated experiences.