Papo-Lucca-ism

BTW, I have a bit of a dilemma here on which I need to make my mind, and as such, the weight of the decison, or most of it anyways, falls on you, mi pana. ;) j/k On the 19th, it's a holiday (Day of the Discovery of 'Merica). I've got the option of either a) checking out La Sonora Ponceña for FREE a couple o' blocks away from my house, which I could do at any local fair (wishful thinking) or b) going over to an open-spaced amphitheatre, located 20 mins. away by car, with a slim chance of finding a parking spot, and paying 25 bux to see The Congos' original lineup reuniting for the first time since breaking up in '79 or whenever, with Max Romeo and the Soul Syndicate, featuring Earl "Chinna" Smith w/guests, such as dub ensemble The Eternals, etc. I don't mind the faux boheme atmosphere and rampant littering that the petit burgeoise stoners bring to the equation as much as shelling out the green when I can hardly afford a sandwich as it is. Hmmm, I still wouldn't want to miss it for the world, so...I'll have to figure something out. Yea, I think my mind's already made up.

It's probably wise of you to stay away from ILM. The boys locker room odor of this place has been very strong lately.

Bwahaha. Yesh. I just happened to be bored witless, online, tired of reading (i've been binging on all kinds of lit as of late; i needed something to fill in the gap), and curious. All in all, TELL-TALE SIGNS OF DOOM. Wouldn't want to relapse now of all times...:D I happened to read earlier that J3SS vs N0!Z3 thread, among others...and WOW, just WOW...talk about a parade of unpleasant frivolity.

The back of the Nascente collection Cheo Feliciano: Salsa Caliente de Nu York! says ". . . Jose 'Cheo' Feliciano (not to be confused with the 'Light My Fire' Jose Feliciano). . ." I can't believe they actually put that on the cover, but I guess it gets the message across.

I'm afraid I might check out Nicky Jam (who has an album coming out this month). I liked her contribution to that recent Tito Nieves song. (I'm not sure how I feel about the song overall though. At first I liked it, but now I think he sounds a little out of place.) You probably don't even like Tito Nieves, but that's okay. I'm sure I like PR pop salsa more than you do (if you like it at all).

That's why you should STAY. ;-)

I read this discussion here with interest.

Oh, most definitely. I was just pointing it out to illustrate that his party antics have much to do with cementing his image and reputation as a noble wildman. He also used to be a major boozehound. But to be fair, he's been supposedly sober for a couple of years now and he does look healthier and happier, so serious cheers for him.

I'm afraid I might check out Nicky Jam (who has an album coming out this month). I liked HER contribution to that recent Tito Nieves song.

|D That an honest mistake? 'Cuz Nicky Jam is a HE! Hahahha If you only knew this has made my day. That sonofabitch would make one hella ugly broad. Guy looks like Mr. Potato Head on steroids.

You probably don't even like Tito Nieves, but that's okay. I'm sure I like PR pop salsa more than you do (if you like it at all).
-- Rockist_Scientist (oumtransmission...), November 13th, 2004

Haha. I don't mind him. But yea, you're pretty much OTM. I don't find it offensive. It's just wallpaper music to my ears.

That's why you should STAY. ;-)

Hiya, Ned! :D
Nah, I think occasional lurking will suit me just fine.

I read this discussion here with interest.
-- Ned Raggett (ne...), November 13th, 2004

Yea, that probably makes you one out of three.

If Nicky Jam is a he, who is the first girl rapping on the new Tito Nieves song ("Ya No Queda Nada")? Is La India rapping as well as singing? If she is, then she should immediately switch over to doing reggaeton rather than salsa/R&B.

I don't find it offensive. It's just wallpaper music to my ears.

Various response have gone through my head, including ILMist ones like, "That's becasue you don't like to dance." Not that I mind you not liking what I like, but I associate my favorite Tito Nieves songs (which certainly add up to more than a dozen, and possibly less) with a desire to move, not something I associate with wallpaper.

While we're on PR salsa gossip, El Gran Combo has a new album out on Sony. I'm surprised they would do that now after so many years on their own label, although Sony seems to be doing its best to grab up as many popular salsa acts as possible; with results, incidentally, that sound better, overall, than RMM's. (I don't get the sense that they are trying to push a house production style--house in the sense of "house salad dressing" not "house music.") But I wonder who courted whom in this move.

Attribute it to my own brand of cocoloism, or rockism, in any case.

"I'm surprised they would do that now after so many years on their own label, although Sony seems to be doing its best to grab up as many popular salsa acts as possible; with results, incidentally, that sound better, overall, than RMM's. (I don't get the sense that they are trying to push a house production style--house in the sense of "house salad dressing" not "house music.") But I wonder who courted whom in this move."

I'm as stumped as you are. Maybe availability of the music outside Puerto Rico was a factor. It seems to me RMM has seen better days. Maybe the music wasn't selling as much?

I think RMM is defunct. This label stuff tends to be very complicated, but I think I read that they are defunct. I'm not sure who owns the rights to what. Anyway, I felt that RMM tended to make a lot of unfortunate choices about the way many, if not most, of their salsa CDs were produced. (This was partly just a 90s salsa thing though.)

Oh, OK! My bad. I just fact checked.

I think RMM is defunct.

Yea, that's the impression I had, but I didn't know if they had come back from the dead briefly for a second stab.

(And I'm sorry, but these guys have tremendous artistic longevity.)

The 43rd Annual Puerto Rican Festival
Dance Gala
Saturday, September 24th, 2005
Philadelphia Marriott Downtown Hotel
1201 Market Street
Center City Philadelphia

Sonspored by:

Council of Spanish Speaking Organizations, Inc.
(C O N C I L I O)

705-09 N. Franklin Street
Philadelphia, PA 19123

(215) 627-3100

It was a little strange seeing such a major band in what was a comparatively intimate space, surrounded by an audience that seemed to take the presence of these legends very much in stride. I saw hardly anyone I knew, and ended up not dancing at all, which was definitely a drag, regardless of how good the band was. I don't understand why there weren't more familiar faces there. It was part of a Puerto Rican festival (which might have kept other gringos away), but--Sonora Ponceña?! Where else, when else, are you going to see them in Philadelphia except at that sort of event? Even for salseros who aren't particularly into live music, I would think this would be an exception.

Papo Lucca appeared to stay in the background (except as an instrumentalist) the whole time, quietly doing his thing on the keyboards. Their particular horn sound: aboslutely recognizable and impeccable. Their performance started off with "Caprichosa" (from the album they released last year) and included: "Ramona," "Cancion," "Ahora Si" (with a great extended Papo Luca keyboard solo), "Fuego en el 23." There were a couple songs I didn't recognize (and probably a couple songs I'm not remembering, although there may have really not been that many songs, since we're talking very stretched out versions here). I think at least half of what they played appears on the one-CD greatest hits I have by them.