Vamanos pal hilo Rolling Afro-Latin Music 2016: Salsa, Bomba, Merengue,Reggaeton, Bachata, Latin-Jazz and more

RIP Chocolate

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mr9wJ3m9IOw

Que bueno tocó usted

ILM's Rolling Latin & Afro-Latin Thread 2016 Spotify Playlist
^ will start updating around February

last year's thread

Rolling Afro-Latin Music 2015 and onward: Salsa, Bomba, Merengue,Reggaeton, Bachata, Latin-Jazz and more

Made a cursory, unsuccessful attempt yesterday to find video of him playing with Benny More or Eddie Palmieri.

Him meaning the late Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros, of course.

Don't give up.

Latin urban songwriter and artist Christian Ramos, better known as Syko “El Terror,” was buried Sunday in Puerto Rico following his sudden death last week. Ramos -- who co-wrote major Latin hits including Don Omar’s “Hasta que salga el sol” -- died in his sleep in his Orlando home on Dec. 27. He was 33 years old.

At the time of his death, Ramos had credits on current hits by Antonio Barullo (“Disfruta la vida,” featuring J Balvin and Flex), Enrique Iglesias (“De noche y de día” featuring Yandel and Juan Magán) and on two tracks on Yandel’s current album, Dangerous.

http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/latin/6828968/syko-el-terror-dead-reggaeton-songwriter

Latin urban songwriter and artist Christian Ramos, better known as Syko “El Terror,” was buried Sunday in Puerto Rico following his sudden death last week. Ramos -- who co-wrote major Latin hits including Don Omar’s “Hasta que salga el sol” -- died in his sleep in his Orlando home on Dec. 27. He was 33 years old.

At the time of his death, Ramos had credits on current hits by Antonio Barullo (“Disfruta la vida,” featuring J Balvin and Flex), Enrique Iglesias (“De noche y de día” featuring Yandel and Juan Magán) and on two tracks on Yandel’s current album, Dangerous.

Syko also collaborated with many Puerto Rican reggaeton acts, including Daddy Yankee, Arcangel, Natti Natasha and Kendo Kaponi.

But Ramos’ collaborations with Don Omar were no doubt his most successful, spanning many years and many albums. They included “Zumba,” which hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay, Latin Pop and Latin Rhythm airplay charts, and, of course, “Hasta que salga el sol,” a massive hit that was No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart and won a Latin Grammy for best urban song in 2013.

“Rest in peace my brother,” Don Omar tweeted following Ramos’ death

Oops re flawed c & p

A publicist was trying to get me to listen to Monsieur Perine, a group from Colombia that adapts Django Reinhardt style music and has been produced by Visitante from Calle 13 and won a best new artist Latin Grammy. They are touring the US now. Their song "Nuestra Cancion" does NOT wow me. It blends Latin pop with Django...

Fwiw, publicist says they had a big sold out show in NYC, and will be making their DC debut this Thursday night at Takoma Station Tavern. Also they get to tape an NPR Tiny Desk show.

Haven't made up my mind re Toronto-based Afro-Cuban post-rock band the Battle of Santiago

http://www.kennedy-center.org/video/index/M6633

Lotsa percussion with a post-punk/post-rock guitarist plus a guest sax player (former DC and now NYC player Elijah Balbed)

Just got the new Aruán Ortiz Trio album in the mail - Eric Revis on bass, Gerald Cleaver on drums. Mostly abstract modern jazz, but the last track is a version of an old Cuban song, "Uno, Dos y Tres, Que Paso Más Chevere."

I wonder if Ortiz mostly played abstract modern jazz when he was a tad younger in Cuba?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47wA-hktJqE

The kid in the band is good, and the older ones are also

Zaperoko

30 ANIVERSARIO

Good review in the New York Times. I kinda liked the old version of the band. Band leader, Puerto Rican trombonist Edwin Feliciano, has now put together a newer version of the group

Zaperoko has definitely done some good things, although I can't say I've ever truly loved an entire album. I like this, with Truco (they've recorded together before), from a few years back:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjQd4qGthwc

In general, I like their tracks that pick up steam in the middle and go off in a different direction.

Clips from this new Bobby Valentin sound decent, probably a godsend for salsa club DJs who want to play something current:

http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/25893.10?NKHrKcbG;;399

I still feel like it leans too far toward being too bright and not having enough shadow or bittersweetness, like most contemporary salsa.

A lot of opinion there considering I am only skimming through the clips.

This stands out for me (but doesn't appear to be a new song):

Bobby Valentin - La Paciencia

It's got a pretty unmistakable Puerto Rican swing to it. Well, Bobby Valentin should be expected to maintain some sort of standards even if they are collapsing around him.

(People complain about all the embeds on rolling threads so I'm thinking maybe we should cut back a little. Just a thought. I generally am not careful about that.)

Yeah, maybe

To go back to "La Paciencia". . . I'm trying to define what makes it stand out (which would be easier to do if I knew theory). Those crisp horn parts, especially in the beginning at around 0:11, there's just something more multi-layered about them I guess. To me this sounds like something you won't get in a Marc Anthony or Victor Manuelle song.

Of course, the horn parts aren't as mind-blowing as the ones in classics like El Jibaro y La Naturaleza or El Muñeco de la Ciudad, but there is something there that is a cut above the current norm, to my ears.

I don't see either of those on Spotify! Pretty amazing. Just shows how under-documented salsa remains, really.

I prefer to keep the embeds - they make it so much easier to actually check the stuff you've never heard of.

playlist updated

ILM's Rolling Latin & Afro-Latin Thread 2016 Spotify Playlist

Just got the new Aruán Ortiz Trio album in the mail - Eric Revis on bass, Gerald Cleaver on drums.

This sounds pretty good from hearing part of the two tracks on the playlist. I think I missed Cleaver's name when I skimmed that post earlier.

So near the end of the Grammys, they mentioned that the late Celia Cruz was one of a number of artists getting a lifetime achievement award. I think that means she never got a Grammy while alive, and they finally decided for some reason to recognize her.

Natalie Lafourcade and Pitbull apparently tied for an award. Pitbull was on near the end doing a song called "Taxi" that borrows the melody from reggae song "Murder She Wrote." He also offended some folks with his sexist gestures toward his dancers. Suddenly near the end of the song they had guitarist Steve Perry add a guitar solo. The whole thing was comical. Saw some tweets from Latinos who were embarrassed that the Pitbull performance was the representation of Latino music on the televised portion of the show.

Ruben Blades won the "tropical" Grammy. Since the handful of Latino awards at this Grammys were all done offstage, none of the Latino winners were there in person to get them. Although some folks do show up just for that

He also offended some folks with his sexist gestures toward his dancers

It's 2016 and "some folks" have just become aware of the existence of Pitbull.

lol, I actually like Taxi. This whole debacle sounds hilarious though.

Saw some evidence that Arturo O'Farrill led a group that played a Grammy afterparty. Intrigued by this.

Past GRAMMY nominee Aloe Blacc, GRAMMY winner Thelma Houston and DJ Michelle Pesce are scheduled to perform at the exclusive 2016 GRAMMY Celebration — The Recording Academy's official after-party taking place on Monday, Feb. 15 immediately following the 58th GRAMMY Awards. Additionally, the Celebration's Jazz Lounge will feature performances by two-time GRAMMY winner and current nominee Arturo O'Farrill and members of GRAMMY Camp — Jazz Session.

1. BEST INSTRUMENTAL COMPOSITION
The Afro Latin Jazz Suite
Arturo O’Farrill, composer (Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra Featuring Rudresh Mahanthappa)
Track from: Cuba: The Conversation Continues
Label: Motema Music

35. BEST LATIN JAZZ ALBUM
Made In Brazil
Eliane Elias
Label: Concord Jazz

good for arturo
i am enjoying that album.

Billboard top Tropical Albums

1

Todavia Me Amas: Lo Mejor de Aventura

Aventura

2

Last Week: 1

3.0

Marc Anthony



3

Last Week: 12

Necesito Un Bolero

Gilberto Santa Rosa

4

Last Week: 3

Latin Hits 2016: Club Edition

Various Artists

5

Last Week: 5

Latin Hits 2015: Club Edition

Various Artists


http://www.billboard.com/charts/tropical-albums

















Slow year so far, but playlist updated.

ILM's Rolling Latin & Afro-Latin Thread 2016 Spotify Playlist

This looks like something I need to get:

http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/25904.10?DVprYSsh;;445

That's: Cortijo Y Su Combo Saoco Presents Cortijo 1969-1971: The Ansonia Years. (Should have linkified the title.)

Caught some of Peter Brainin's Latin Jazz Workshop at Fat Cat last night, with an all-star band. $3 - cheap!

Nice. I caught outside of DC a remake of the opera Carmen--but turned into an Afro-Cuban musical set in 1959 Cuba with music composed by Arturo O'Farrill, and choreography by Sergio Trujillo (who is a big deal on Broadway). Got tix half-price from Goldstar but still not cheap. Music and dancing was good, alas the main male lead was not, and the spoken and sung lines were not. Jose's switch from loyal Batista soldier to revolutionary and guy in love with Carmen was not believable. Broadway author/director Moisés Kaufman needs to rewrite script and find a better male lead if he wants to take this to the great white way.

I wanna see on March 18th--Charlie Aponte at the Palace, in Virginia 30 some minutes south of DC (old-school Latino salsa singer from El Gran Combo)

Will see, shows start around midnight or so there...

So maybe...But that Sahel Tuareg Tamashek movie that pays homage to Purple Rain sorta, is also showing for one night only elsewhere, and maybe I should go to the gym and then stay home...

But on the other hand, I have fine memories of seeing El Gran Combo a few times lately and they were good. I think Aponte was with them at those times. Plus hearing salsa live and loud there is inspiring and the wife and I can dance together (albeit poorly) and have fun

So the NY Times Magazine's 25 Songs that tell Us about the Future includes a J Shep favorable piece on Pitbull's "Taxi" and a series of photos of reggaeton's J. Balvin working in a studio with Pharell W.

http://remezcla.com/features/film/we-like-it-like-that-interview/

New movie doc on Boogaloo with some interviews and history and such on the link

2015 doc, so not exactly new

seen it, it's good.

New Willie Rosario! This better not be a let down.

http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/25920.10?uQ3A2uBV;;408

Also the collaboration between Larry Harlow and (the much younger) Marlow Rosado could be good, but we'll see. The Rosado songs I've kind of liked haven't felt all the way there yet.

Harlow/Marlow is on Spotify already.

This is alright so far. Want something harder, less Latin jazzy (and probably less Cuban influenced).

http://www.michelpadron.com/about

This Cuban musician who now lives in the UK is gonna tour the US with a band called the Havana Allstars.

A 12 piece band that
brings to Traditional Cuban music a contemporary edge.

saw Dona Onete last night, fun enough time if a bit ramshackle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SO3Ue_3Cz9s

Had to look her up--the diva of the carimbo chamegado, a rhythm she created that combines the traditional music from Para, in the north of Brazil, with "a touch of spice", as she puts it.

x-post to my mention of the "Havana Allstars" . They used to be called Asere

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/feb/04/asere-junio-groove

Havana Allstars playing DC area next week, and Omara Portuondo is doing her 85th birthday tour a few days later. Old-school Cuban time (although not sure how old Havana Allstars are, or Portuondo's band for that matter).

http://www.njpac.org/events/detail/buena-vista-social-clubs-omara-portuondo

(she's 85)

I know. Oh, she's got pianist Roberto Fonseca, clarinetist and saxophonist Anat Cohen, and violinist Regina Carter with her. Not old-school Cuban musicians.

Don Ernique 'Quique' Lucca Caraballo (1912 - 2016)​

On Sunday, October 9, 2016, dies Enrique ‘Quique’ Lucca, the founder of La Sonora Ponceña, at 103 years young. He had been admitted in the hospital of his native Ponce for a risky operation due to a broken right hip

After the operation, he remained in the hospital for about three weeks, during which time he began to have respiratory problems, confirmed his family's lawyer, José Carmona.

http://salsaforums.com/threads/rip-enrique-quique-lucca-caraballo-founder-of-la-sonora-ponce%C3%B1a.29834/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_2r8PIGIxU

(The audio is missing the audience singing along that's on the CD, unfortunately.)

Listening to the Miramar tribute to Sylvia Rexach once again and it's really quite good, just not something I would be in the mood for regularly.

x-post --RIP Quique

http://www.billboard.com/charts/tropical-songs

http://www.billboard.com/charts/tropical-albums

Lots of compilations and a soundtrack in this list

http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/latin/7542029/la-musa-latin-songwriters-hall-fame-awards-draco-rosa-los-temerarios-julieta-venegas

Larry Harlow got one too

Well, he got a "special" award, whatever that is

So a pal of mine who writes for Jazz Times and has a jazz radio show was raving about Cuban-based Latin Jazz pianist Harold Lopez-Nussa's recent gig at the Kennedy Center. That did not surprise me too much. Recently, I met Ethiopian pianist Girma Beyene (as I had written a preview of his gig). He said he had attended that gig, and loved Lopez-Nussa too.

I still haven't listened to him (much), and maybe I also mentioned him upthread or last year, but I still need to listen to a whole album and see if he goes beyond what I perceive as Latin jazz clichés (I can live w/ salsa ones more for some reason).

curmudgeon, should i be excited about seeing beyene on Monday?

I enjoyed his gig with the DC-based Feedel Band but much of it was more laidback and less psych-modal Ethio-jazz than some of the music on the Ethiopiques series. He has a touching, mournful but soft voice when he sings that I liked a lot. Touching piano rhythms too, though he moved fingers faster for some uptempo numbers. On his Ethio-jazz standard “Muziqawi Silt”, though he just let the band play it-- and they did it psych-modal Ethio-jazz style, but it was odd he sat that one out.

He hasn't played in the US in years, and is worth hearing, just don't expect a full 1976 Ethiopiques session.

good to know, thanks

Playlist is updated; 4 hours to listen to!

ILM's Rolling Latin & Afro-Latin Thread 2016 Spotify Playlist

Thanks.

Canadian Jane Bunnett and her all women Cuban band doing a pleasant enough (but not amazing) version of Bill Withers "Ain't No Sunshine" from 2014. They were just in NYC last night

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQHc2LXbqJo

Oh yeah, saw something about that on FB.

Ned Sublette is a big fan too.

Just came across this whilst wondering what the writer was up to: http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-arts-and-culture/music/157037/mambo-kings-idelsohn

Josh Kun, a co-founder of the Idelsohn Society and a professor in the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

On this thread or another one I noted that Kun, mentioned in link above, just got a Macarthur grant

Is Wayne Robins who wrote that article, still tapping out music articles for anyone (or on his own blog) these days?

Was wondering the exact same thing myself, which is how I came across that. He was my go-to guy for a while back in the second half of the seventies/early eighties, thinking maybe you must have been reading him too.

I just recall the name mostly, but didn't read him in Newsday or wherever regularly. Looks like he stopped putting stuff on his own blog two years ago. Maybe he's retired completely from music criticism

Seems like he might be working on a book.

Nov. 18th Grupo Niche at the Diamond Lounge in Annandale, VA

Nov. 25th- La India at Rio Cantina in Sterling, VA

Old-school lives, live in the suburbs of Washington DC

http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/latin/7556771/daddy-yankee-shaky-shaky-number-1-hot-latin-songs-chart

I like the remix of "Shaky Shaky" better, but there is something brilliant about the repetitive simplicity of the original

Will have to wait and see how election results change relations with Cuba and ability of musicians and others to go back and forth. Also, how new president's other plans will end up impacting Latinos in America and abroad.

I think the Latin Grammys are on Univision tonight Thursday.

http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/latin/7580557/latin-grammys-editors-roundtable

Best Traditional Tropical Album
Rafael Pollo Brito, Pa’ Tío Simón
La Sonora Santanera, La Sonora Santanera en su 60 Aniversario
Jesús “Chino” Miranda, El Malquerido: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Septeto Nacional Ignacio Piñeiro, El más grande y universal
Various Artists, Cuba y Puerto Rico Son

GF: I have to pick La Sonora Santanera. My parents use to listen to it all the time and this new album has amazing collaborations with diverse artists like Mijares and Ruben Albarran. The fact that they recorded with some young, cool artists made them relevant again and I would totally listen to that album over and over and play it at a party.

SF: I would go with Cuba y Puerto Rico Son. That album came out last holiday season and it was amazing. Especially for me as a Puerto Rican.

LC: Since Chino y Nacho didn’t nab a nomination for their music videos or songs, maybe this is the place to honor Chino in this category as a soloist.

I dvr'd some of the Latin Grammys and watched a bit. Marc Anthony's solo salsafied song impressed me more than the melodramatic, over the top duet with J Lo.

Seeing relatives and listening to and watching other stuff, means I still have not viewed the dvr'd Latin Grammys. Oh well.

New Andrés Landero compilation, Yo Amanecí, coming on Vampisoul. Track listing:

1. La cigarrona
2. Mara del Carmen
3. Tambó tambó
4. Virgen de la Candelaria
5. Perdí las abarcas
6. Mi machete
7. La muerte de Eduardo Lora
8. Marta Cecilia
9. Cuando lo negro sea bello
10. Así se goza
11. Cumbia en la India
12. Que te vaya bien
13. Por ahí es que va la cosa
14. La mochila terciá
15. Rosa y Mayo
16. La pava congona
17. Yo amanecí
18. Las mellas
19. Mercedes Elena
20. La Sanjacintera

Finally listened to some of N*d Sublette's fave album of the year-- the pianist Harold Lopez-Nussa one. Mostly Afro-Cuban jazz tracks, but a couple of ones that are more traditional Afro-Cuban with chanted vocals and a more rhythmic clave bottom.

Speaking of N*d, He happening to be in Cuba when Fidel died. The government decreed a period of mourning with no secular music, no sports, and no drinking from the time of death through the funeral on the 4th.

http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7597274/fidel-castro-first-person-account-cuba

playlist is updated.

Thanks.

x-post...speaking of Cuba, the current version of Los Van Van is scheduled for a US tour now. Gonna be in DC on the 8th

http://www.npr.org/sections/altlatino/2016/12/14/505452781/alt-latino-picks-the-best-latin-music-of-2016

no salsa, timba, reggaeton or Latin jazz on this list.

Oh, Omar Sosa's on one of the releases

Most of that iLe (woman from Calle 13) album really clicked for me yesterday. Especially "Canibal"

It may just be one of those albums where you have to be in the right state for it. My response to it continues to fluctuate from listen to listen, but I still think it's very good. I do kind of agree with you about the tempo not varying enough.

Frankie Reyes' Boleros Valses Y Mas is worth a listen. Vintage moog synthesizer covers of older songs (mostly standards I would guess). I'm not sure I'll be going back to it though.

I still think Rescatarme is the strongest track on Ilevitable. Would like to hear her sing more songs with this sort of vocal intensity. I wouldn't miss it if she left out the retro choral part. The recital at the beginning is from poetry by Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz.

The whole album is probably a lot "artier" (for better or worse) if you understand Spanish. There is also the song about turning into a bug, with mention of Kafka.

The NPR jazz critics poll also asks voters to list fave Latin jazz albums if they'd like. Here is what they voted for:

LATIN

1. Pedrito Martinez Group Habana Dreams 10

2. Jane Bunnett & Maqueque Oddara Linus 9

3 (tie). Brian Lynch Presents Madera Latino Madera Latino: A Latin Jazz Perspective on the Music of Woody Shaw 8

3 (tie). Alfredo Rodriguez Tocororo 8

5. Guillermo Klein Los Guachos V 7

6. Edward Simon Latin American Songbook 6

New thread time:

Rolling Afro-Latin Music 2017: Salsa, Bomba, Merengue,Reggaeton, Bachata, Latin Jazz, Bolero and more

Playlist is finalized.

ILM's Rolling Latin & Afro-Latin Thread 2016 Spotify Playlist