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Blogs related to Latin music history and culture.
Larry Harlow: 3 Albums at Apex of Salsa
Larry Harlow recorded 3 albums that helped elevate the orchestration in Salsa music, and catapult the genre to its apex. These were "Hommy", "Salsa", and "Live in Quad".
In the first part of the 1970s, artists like the Palmieri brothers,…
Jose Feliciano: 50 Years of “Feliz Navidad”
The Christmas classic "Feliz Navidad" turned 50 in 2020, and Jose Feliciano is celebrating by inviting a few guest artists to sing along in a new version of it.
Perlude to "Feliz Navidad"
Jose Feliciano was doing very well at the time…
Simply Lalo Rodriguez
I'm writing about Lalo Rodriguez's Salsa album "Simplemente Lalo" for two reasons; the album turns 40 and Lalo needs our support.
For me, "Simplemente Lalo" was his best recording, by far, of his solo career.
Lalo Rodriguez Early Years…
Jerry Gonzalez’s Folkloric Experiment
In the mid 1970's when the Salsa boom was at its peak in New York, brothers Andy and Jerry Gonzalez decided to form a group to experiment with the folkloric roots of Salsa.
But the reason to do it might surprise you.
Origins of Grupo…
“Songoro Cosongo” Part 1; the Literary Revolution
The "Songoro Cosongo" song made popular by Hector Lavoe, had its origin in the literary revolution against the racism rampant in the Caribbean during the first decades of the 20th century.
It turns out that in 1930, a Cuban poet and…
Ruben Blades’ “Maestra Vida” Turns 40
It's been 40 years since Ruben Blades released the masterpiece "Maestra Vida", a double-album describing the life of its protagonist in a Latino neighborhood.
This was an audacious groundbreaking recording of a musical "novela", similar to…
Myrta Silva, the Errant “Guarachera”
Myrta Silva had what Luis "Perico" Ortiz would describe as "el alma de un cantante errante" (the soul of an errant singer).
Unlike many of us, Myrta knew from a very early age what she wanted to be…an artist!
The…
Rafael Muñoz; the Dictator of Rhythm
One day in 1934, Rafael Muñoz was playing the bass with his modest band at an event, when two executives approached him with a business proposition. They wanted him to lead the house band of the most popular night club in Puerto Rico.…
Güiro, Güira, and Güícharo: the Güira
The güira has two distinct qualities when compared to the two other instruments in this percussion family; its the only one made of metal and its the only female.
The güira also happens to be the mother of the Dominican rhythms of…