2022

Johnny Pacheco, presents “Orquesta Primera Clase” from Maracay-Venezuela

The title of this album speaks for itself; the hand of the transcendental Dominican musician is introduced in this album.

El Zorro de Plata Pacheco appears as executive producer of the album, although we do not discard that he also participated in part of the musical production, due to the way the orchestra was structured and the style in which the arrangements were given; it is something that we can hardly notice when listening to the album, it is evident the great similarity to “Pacheco y su Tumbao”; four excellent trumpets with sonorous arrangements.

Johnny Pacheco, presents "Orquesta Primera Clase" of Maracay-Venezuela — Johnny Pacheco, presents “Orquesta Primera Clase” of Maracay-Venezuela

The predominance of Teo Hernandez (R.I.P)’s vocal style and register in the nasal coros, fits perfectly with the “Tumbao Añejo” that we have always been accustomed to from maestro Johnny Pacheco (R.I.P).

Although the album was backed by the Fania label and is loaded with a cheerful and swinging flavor, we think that it went somewhat unnoticed by the music-loving public.

The reasons could be several, we must remember that in those times in the 80’s the merengue rhythm was beginning to penetrate with a lot of strength.

Johnny Pacheco, presenta la Orquesta Primera Clase

Although we could also add the little interest that the public of the capital (Caracas) had for the groups of the regions or interior of the country, and although it seems ironic to say it.
Another possible reason could be linked to the inclusion of only unpublished songs (it is well known that in those times, they supported copies more than creativity); these are only conjectures of this server, however, they do not escape the reality of that time.

As for the musical themes, we have already pointed out that all of them are original and very well compensated with their arrangement; In particular there are two songs that I like very much, one of them is “Negro Nací”, written and sung by Orlando Sanoja, is a very happy song dedicated to our black race of the danceable in his music, “Si negro nací nací nací, blanco no puedo ser”, The other song of my predilection is “El Sabio”, composition and lyrics by Jorge Compres and vocalized by Teo Hernández, with great diction, good phrasing and those tasty choruses that accompany him.

It is worth mentioning that the excellent La Orquesta Primera Clase is still in force with a musical staff of the new generation maintaining its original sound with its lead vocalist Orlando Sanoja.

It is another good Venezuelan album that you should have in your personal CD library.
Johnny Pacheco presents “La Orquesta Primera Clase” (1982) Fania LPS-66506

SIDE A

1.- NEGRO NACÍ (Orlado Sanoja) Sings: Orlando Sanoja/ Arrangements: Nicomedes López
2.- ME SIENTO MUY FELIZ (Al mMaro Ríos) Sings: Orlando Sanoja/Arrangements: Bolívar Javier
EL ANIMAL (Jorge Compres) Sings: Teo Hernández/Arrangements: Jorge Compres
4.- TODO TIENE SU FINAL (Bolívar Javier) Sings: Teo Hernández/Arrangements: Bolívar Javier
5.- LLEVAME CONTIGO (Almaro Ríos) Sings: Teo Hernández/Arrangements: Bolívar Javier

SIDE B

1.- EL SABIO (Jorge Compres) Sings: Teo Hernández/Arrangements: Jorge Compres
2.- A MARACAY (Orlando Sanoja) Sings: Orlando Sanoja/Arrangements: Jorge Compres
3.- EXTRANJERA (Phorto Jacquez) Sings: Teo Hernández/Arrangements: Jorge Compres
4.- VIVA MI GUAGUANCO (Jorge Compres) Sings: Teo Hernández/Arrangements: Gilberto Riera
AY QUE HUMANIDAD (Orlando Sanoja) Sings: Orlando Sanoja/Arrangements: Jorge Compres

Personnel:

Pastor Rodríguez (1st Trumpet)
Henry Kamba (2nd Trumpet)
Gustavo Nieves (3rd Trumpet)
William Fermín (4th Trumpet)
Armin Kail (Piano)
Carlos Fagúndez (Bass)
Harold Josef (Congas)
Edgar Aponte (Timbal)
Félix Benítez (Bongo)
Teo Hernández/Orlando Sanoja (Singers)
Bolívar Javier/ Nicomedes López/ Jorge Compres/ Gilberto Riera (Arrangements)
Teo Hernández/Orlando Sanoja/Edgar Aponte (Chorus)
Johnny Pacheco (Executive Producer)
Carlos Guerrero (Recording Technician)
Luis Arismendi (General Recording Supervision)
Recorded at Fidelis Studios
Alejandro Pérez (Art and Design)

How Jacira Castro and Salsa Power changed the Latin music scene

How did Salsa Power start?

Latin culture, specifically the musical part, has had a large group of unconditional allies who have promoted it worldwide through their work and platforms, being Chilean-American Jacira Castro one of the best known. Jacira is a salsa casino-style salsa teacher and web designer who had the dream of spreading the typical rhythms of our countries, but she did not figure out how until she came up with a revolutionary idea: Salsa Power.

Salsa Power was born in 1999 as part of an initiative created by Castro and graphic designer Julian Mejia, who practically became her partner until the moment when the page stopped working. From that year on that the dance instructor began to generate contacts and develop human networks with people inside and outside the world of music, especially from the salsa genre. A particularity of this system devised by Jacira was that it was fed by the information received from people from anyqhere in the world about everything related to concerts, festivals, press conferences, autograph signings and much more.

Jacira Castro - Salsa Power — Dance instructor and web designer Jacira Castro – Salsa Power

How did this project work?

Thanks to the technology that was advancing little by little in all this time, there were many more contact ways and social media came along to facilitate these activities. The website grew to such an extent that it came to have more than 300 correspondents in over 60 countries, many of whom did not even have professions or occupations related to music, but wanted to strive to make the initiative successful and Latin artists and orchestras have a dependable space to promote their work.

Contrary to what many readers may have thought, everyone involved in this project never received a single cent or publicity in return for all the work being done. In fact, it was Jacira herself who had to pay for all the expenses related to Salsa Power such as plane tickets, travel, lodging, food, wardrobe, among other things. Not to mention the website maintenance and other hosting costs for the domain to work properly.

Fortunately, all that effort and money were worth it because Salsa Power rose to become the largest salsa website on the internet and a true reference for any independent media planning to do anything remotely like that. Much of the fruits harvested by this beautiful project can still be found on the internet and consist of articles, interviews, event coverage, videos and many other things.

The name Salsa Power was so respected that you could not talk about the Latin salsa scene in the United States without mentioning it, especially in South Florida, a place where competition for the first places was at its higuest. This competition was not only between artists and musical groups, but also between media, associations and academies, triggering some inconvenience and regrettable situations like the one experienced by Jacira and Julián a few years ago.

Jacira paid for all the expenses related to Salsa Power

Controversies

Jacira has had run-ins with some important personalities of the Latin music community in Florida because of her political positions, which went against the current of a large number of Latin artists and dancers at that time, especially those who are part of the Cuban exile. Her attitudes towards the political situation in Cuba have been highly controversial, mainly those related to the U.S. economic embargo on the Caribbean country and the limitations on free cultural exchange between both nations. Both Castro and other leaders of the entertainment industry were opposed to the decades-old blockade, which has been maintained until today.

This caused the dance teacher to make some enemies in the Miami music scene, which led to the hacking of Salsa Power with the caption ”This is a communist website” in big red letters along with a message whose author calls Jacira ”communist” and ”pro-Fidel Castro”. Obviously, she got worried and immediately called Julian to bring down the page.

As they began to diagnose the issue and its possible causes, they concluded that those responsible were part of an association composed of a dozen dance schools in Miami and its sorroundings called Salsa United. Around the same time, this organization had just created its own website, which published content very similar to that of Salsa Power, so much so that its principal spokesperson Jolexy Hurtado and Jacira came to have some arguments and run-ins due to how much alike the interviews were in both websites. The conflict reached at such a level that Jacira states that Hurtado told her she was messing with the wrong guy.

Undoubtedly, this whole situation was a big headache for the web designer, but has never let any of this daunt her or make her feel inadequate. On the contrary, she has grown before adversities and has faced them with the gallantry that has always characterized her, since she knows what her work is worth in terms of quality and globality.

However, there comes a point when the effort and time invested are not enough, so it is time to be realistic and assume that everything has its end, as the great Héctor Lavoe would say.

Jacira and Larry — Jacira Castro with producer, composer, and pianist Larry Harlow

Farewell to Salsa Power and Jacira’s current life

After 22 years of operation of the Salsa Power project, many of the correspondents who provided information for the page got married, had children, studied, moved and pursued other professional opportunities that did not allow them to continue their work. For the same reason, Jacira had no choice but to terminate the project that was her life for more than two decades and publish a farewell message thanking all her readers for their support over the years and assuring that she will continue to travel and enjoy salsa and dance.

In spite of abandoning her duties as administrator of Salsa Power, the great impact of the Chilean-American’s work on those who have come to know her and collaborate with her cannot be denied. On her LinkedIn profile, there plenty of favorable reviews about her professionalism and commitment in every activity she makes.

From International Salsa Magazine, we wish her the greatest success in every project she undertakes and that she enjoys all the stages that are to come.

Are we really what we listen to?

Music and personality

There are many things to say about music and what it reveals about people who listen to it, especially when we are talking about certain musical genres in particular. It has been said that fans of a certain genre behave in a certain way and fans of another have a totally different behavior, while there are others who say that you can’t judge a person based on musical tastes, but how true is the latter?

There have been many studies showing this alleged relationship between the kind of music we enjoy and our personality and the way we are, but there are many who claim that this is a mere myth and that someone should not be analyzed based on the music they listen to. In this material, we will try to shed a little bit of light on this interesting and topìcal issue.

Why do we like one genre or another?

Something very important to know to better understand this topic is that the music we like now was not a product of chance, but of a number of factors to consider and one of them is the power and presence of music in our lives. It seems that every moment or situation we live has a soundtrack that fits perfectly well in what we are experiencing and feeling. We can all link one or several songs with something we are living, whether a party, social event, religious ritual, mourning for the lost of a loved one, love breakup, work stress, among other things.

Is that all of us have listened to music practically from pregnancy, at which time sounds are already familiar to human beings. Since then, our brain begins to associate all this information sonically speaking and translates it as memories or feelings in the future. That is why a certain cong can get us to remember past experiences, whether a person or a situation that made us feel a certain way.

What happens is that this piece of music leads our neurons to make very special connections that would not occur in another situation. Of course, the same piece would not evoke the same memories and sensations for everyone, as each case is very particular and specific. A song or melody can make someone look back on a failed love relationship, while another person can reflect on the value of friendship. It is all about understanding the environment and personal experiences.

Who are we based on our musical tastes?

One of the most important aspects to consider is that we are not going to choose the same kind of music for a party as we would listen to staying alone at home on a rainy afternoon, as well as we do not usually like just one kind of music, but many. It all depends on the occasion and state of mind in at the moment. However, everyone has a special interest in certain genres people listen to spontaneously and without impositions. These genres are usually associated or resemble each other, so it is not uncommon for a salsa lover to also like merengue and bachata.

In a 2007 study conducted by psychologists Adrian C. North and David J. Hargreaves from the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom entitled ”Lyfestyle Correlates of Music Preference: 1. Relationships, Living Arragements, Beliefs, and Crime”, it is suggested that musical tastes may be indirectly related to individual lifestyle.

In this study, 2532 volunteers replied to a questionnaire asking them to indicate their musical tastes in a very specific way and talk about their lifestyles, interpersonal relationships, living conditions, economic situation, moral values, criminal record, vices, among other things. After analyzing the responses, we can see that there is an intimate connection between what respondents listen to and the way they live.

In the end, it was concluded that musical preferences can be taken as a means of discriminating between diverse lifestyles and liberal or conservative beliefs. In the vast majority of cases, ”liberal” music fans should have liberal lifestyles and customes, some of whom may become antisocial. In the opposite case, classical music lovers disployed much more conservative lifestyles and even showed more respect for the law.

Of course, these results cannot be taken as an absolute truth, as not everything is written on this subject. It is important to pursue research on this subject to reach further conclusions and take into account the new tools provided by science and technology.

Digital voice effects processors

Although the technology of voice processors is not new and has been used for decades, first in recording studios when refining vocals and instruments, it is now available to anyone, be it vocalist, instrumentalist or both, now we are presented with the question, is a performer using it a good vocalist or not, in fact only if we have an “unplug event”, can we realise the vocal range actually, as I said before, it has been used for years in recording studios, as I said before, it has been used for years in recording studios, maybe they have given it another name but they “tweak” the voice on the tracks and you could notice it, only in live events you could perceive some differences and they said it was the “acoustics” or some other excuse.

Nowadays we can no longer distinguish it as it has been used and popularised in performances in front of the audience, whether they accept it as part of the show or just don’t care about the real voice. But don’t misunderstand this, because there are excellent singers who have used it or use it to have a virtual backing vocal with their own voice, special effects as required by the song and it is totally valid.

Courtesy of: Roz Firth

What is really unacceptable, or at least it is to me, is that I am a lousy “shower singer” who uses it to modify my voice to such an extent that it is a deception to “my audience”.

Technology has digitised the equipment by reducing its size and power consumption, adding extra functions to just processing the voice like in a recording studio, it has integrated the voice through a microphone to musical instruments, whether the vocalist is playing a guitar or other musical instrument while performing in front of an audience or accompanying himself in the recent “if the music inspires me to vocalise, it’s perfectly valid” home studios.

However, these very small pieces of equipment have their detractors, be they purists or bandleaders, the latter may argue that it “takes away the work of the extra musicians” but the current reality indicates that if you want to make a live performance you must take care of the economy of all and not only favour the orchestra or the producer of the event, what must prevail is the excellence of the music in front of the audience, and for that you need good vocalists and excellent musicians.

The technology of voice processors accompanied by digitised effects is already with us, there is no turning back, nor should there be, everything changes for the better and that leads us to have better vocalists and more qualified musicians, it gives the opportunity to emerging musical groups that do not have a large budget for extra musicians, recording studios … if you are good with little, you will be evaluated by those who really matter, your audience.

Now let’s talk about these vocal effects processors, what they do, what they look like, costs, etc.

What do they do?

They are electronic devices that allow echo effects, reverb, voice multiplication (to be and make your own chorus), enhance the vocalist’s singing in real time, pitch, depth, volume, add pre-recorded harmonies and loops, change tempo, gender, age and distort the voice, something you could never do on your own, all while performing in front of your audience, something unthinkable between how the artist sounds in studio and “live” and in addition to this we can integrate via MIDI connection a guitar, piano, synthesizer or simply next to the microphone, a harmonica, to the audio output.

What are they like?

They are small, portable and not expensive musical equipment digitized or purity of sound that emanates from them, are placed between the microphone, either dynamic, condenser … the main thing is its connection is XLR, these capture the voice processing it, mixing it to achieve and deliver a very refined voice (such as that of a recording studio operated by a sound engineer), directly to the audio system to the public, and are presented as desktop models or pedal, both do wonders.

Variety and cost

At this point we must remember that like all equipment, they are constantly updated, improving their quality and variety of effects and interfaces to other equipment, so there is a wide variety of prices according to their characteristics, currently we can indicate six really efficient voice processors, I established the order according to the price range and not preferences, in the links you can see videos of artists using them, their use and more.