History

Some of Tito Puente's music reflected the influence Asian culture had on him. As we celebrate Asian month in the US, it's essential to recognize those influences and how they enriched Latin Jazz and Latin music. Bobby Sanabria's Article on…

"The very first Mariachi recording" as identified in the cover of the Cuarteto Coculense 1907-1909 album, precedes the Mexican Revolution and is now at the US Library of Congress. Mariachi Before the Revolution and the Disc The Cuarteto…

Tito Rodriguez was the ultimate Latin music entertainer of his time. Tito could sing equally well "guarachas" and "boleros", he could dance, and play the timbales and the vibes. He had a unique charisma that won over Latino audiences…

During the Christmas season, many Puerto Rican churches transform their hymns into jíbaro rhythms. We owe this modality of the Misa Jíbara to the late professor and folklorist Pedro Escabí. When in the early 1960s the Vatican Council II…

Ismael Miranda finished the '80s with four Christmas albums (Part 3) and starts the '90s by jumping into the Salsa Romántica craze. He extends that romanticism into a series of Bolero albums with Andy Montañez and finishes the decade with…

As this week Puerto Rico commemorates its "discovery" by Columbus (November 19) in 1493, our folk rhythm of "Plena" is still going strong over a century after its origin. Note: this blog was originally published in 2010, when this rhythm…

After a strong finish to his first decade as a solo artist (as we covered in Part 2), Ismael Miranda continued producing good Salsa albums towards the end of the Fania Records era. He even resurrected the Orquesta Revelación. But as the 80s…

The solo career of Ismael Miranda began incredibly well. His first three solo albums were so good and became so popular that they marked the rest of his career. The impact of these albums was such that when in 2001 Ismael Miranda…

Ismael Miranda, "El Nino Bonito" (the pretty boy) of Salsa, is approaching 55 years of a very illustrious career in Latin music. The phrase "lo importante no es llegar, sino mantenerse" (the important thing is not to make it, but to stay…