Search Results for: Celia Cruz

The most progressive arranger and innovator of New York Salsa in the 70s and 80s.

Music often requires characters who are always backstage and support with their talent the work of singers and performers, who are eventually the ones who “come forward” and assume the popularity. Sometimes, though, these anonymous characters shot to fame in order to be able to perform their own work and even become more popular than any fashion singer.

In the case of Pop, this character is named Quincy Jones, who was said to be the arranger for Frank Sinatra and the producer for Michael Jackson. A “nonentity”. In the case of Salsa, these characters have been symbolized by the emulator of Jones, a guy named Louie Ramirez who has done everything with everyone.

An afternoon in 1994, Ramirez was driving his car on the highway that took him to Variety Studios in New York. It was going to be a quick session because he only lacked one track to complete his 20th album as a bandleader. Perhaps this is why he was nervous and full of anxiety. Minutes later, he could not resist the feeling and had to stop the car. He had not finished doing it when a heart attack ended his life.

Introducing Louie Ramirez

Louie Ramirez was a genius. The one to whom all run for advice and solutions to their problems. It did not matter if they were young or old musicians. The fact was that Louie had the answer and visiting him was like rubbing Aladdin’s lamp. That was a characteristic that always accompanied him, from the first recording “Meet Louie Ramirez” in 1963.

He was 20 years old back then and had a good record with regard to composing some pachangas and arranging for the orchestras of Pete and Tito Rodriguez. Commentator Dick Sugar introduced him like this: Ramirez breaks through the image of a bandleader who uses the talents of other composers and becomes a follower of a rhythm. No, Louie Ramirez is a creator in his genre.

Louie Ramirez Ali Baba

That talent did not go unnoticed by the new Czar of Latin music in New York, Jerry Masucci, who hired him as a star of Fania Records and at the same time, as an arranger for the orchestras and ensembles that belonged to the record company. Ramirez was soon wrapped up in work and could only record two albums during the 1960s, “Good news” and “Alí Babá”.

The last album included the hit that allowed him to be a famous artist, El Títere, a true Salsa classic. The song was performed by Rudy Calzado, the third of the soneros Louie had used without finding the right one. It was a ballast that stayed with him as a director during the 1970s, when he used singers such as Pete Bonet, Tito Allen, Jimmy Sabater, “Azuquita” Rodríguez, Adalberto Santiago, and even Rubén Blades.

Louie Ramirez y Sus Amigos

It was precisely Blades that he made an anthological album with, “Louie Ramirez y sus amigos”, which included the song Paula C, with an arrangement of those that deserve to be admired. By then, Ramirez was already considered as the most progressive arranger of Salsa in New York, thanks to the brilliant works done for the Fania All Stars. An excellent work had been the instrumental arrangement for Juan Pachanga, to be performed by Blades, from Canta for a performance by Cheo Feliciano, and of the entire album “Algo nuevo” performed by Tito Rodriguez with Louie’s orchestra.

Noche Caliente

The peak of Ramírez’s career was in 1980 when Joni Figueras, a representative of the K-Tel International label, hired him to maka arrangements for the ballads Todo se derrumbó and Estar enamorado by Manuel Alejandro. The album, which included these and other songs, was released two years later under the title “Noche caliente” and was recorded by Louie’s orchestra.

Ballad-salsa or romantic salsa was born as a result of a work Ramírez did until his death, making occasional attempts in Latin Jazz, which he loved. That is why he recorded a tribute album to Cal Tjader in which Louie was the director, producer, composer and arranger. Apart from that, he played the timbales and his favorite instrument: the vibraphone.

Louie Ramirez was a genius of arrangements, in a career that included Guantanamera and Isadora for Celia Cruz, El Guiro de Macorina for Johnny Pacheco and El Caminante for Roberto Torres.

The Cesta All-Stars Vol. 1

Further to that, there are his works for La Alegre and the Cesta All-Stars. Regarding this Ramírez’s profile, critic Eleazar López defined it very well.

“It is not easy to arrange for a dance orchestra, especially when it is a group that cultivates the hot tropical genre. Many musicians feel influenced by Jazz and the result of their orchestrations leaves a vacuum in the dancer”.

Others arrange in a simple way, but it is so simple that they repeat and copy themselves, and the result is tired music, without any degree of creativity: music that says nothing, that leaves nothing. Louie Ramirez has found the perfect balance… that’s why he always stays relevant.

Article of Interest: Bobby Valentin, the King of Bass at the Fania All-Stars Machinery

#ISMPublicity

Edwin “Mulenze” Morales was born on 9 April.

Orquesta Mulenze came out in 1976 due to the motivation of Edwin Morales. At that time, he was a young rocker who decided to change his guitar for a bass and in turn become part of Orquesta Yambo, often accompanyng artists such as Hector Lavoe, Celia Cruz, Cheo Feliciano, Ismael Miranda among others arriving in Puerto Rico without an orchestra; then it was later identified and we would know as MULENZE.

The Orchestra was created in the era where salsa was booming and was fortunate to have musicians, composers and singers of great stature who are now recognized. These include Cano Estremera (R.I.P), (El albino de la Salsa) who would later join Bobby Valentín’s band as a vocalist; in the choir singer-songwriter Pedro Arroyo who has brought several of his compositions to Mulenze, in the piano Andy Guzmán and Eric Figueroa. The latter would be one of the influencers in the style which would be adopted by the orchestra, practicing a little sophisticated and revolutionary rhythm for the public that follows popular music.

Mulenze was one of the first orchestras to use synthesizers within salsa, working rhythmically out of the beat in which the clave pattern is set, giving some jazz variations to their music; it was an innovation that was not very accepted by the groups that were already established at that time, though later this would give respect and an its own identity to the orchestra with its brilliant arrangements.

The ninth record production “Extravagante”

This ninth record production “Extravagante” is impossible to get since 1990 as the company under which it was released has ceased to exist and it is one of those many lost records.

In the voices of Pedro Brull and Rafy Andino, excellent album and Edwin “Mulenze” Morales as director of the group with a first-class team of musicians and arrangers surprises us with this release.

Orquesta Mulenze – Extravagante 1990.

Record label: Hitt Makers

Quédate: Written-By – Pedro Arroyo

Ese Loco De La Vida: Written-By – Juan Bautista

Es Al Amor Que Llega: Written-By – Jose Luis Perales*

No Hay Preguntas: Written-By – Jose Luis Perales*

Contra Viento Y Marea: Written-By – Gloria Gonzalez

Zumba Con Mi Rumba: Written-By – Poldo Castro

Mi Tremendo Caso: Written-By – Tite Curet Alonso

A Dormir Afuera: Written-By Fabio Espinoza, Joaquin Galan, Lucia Galan

Arrangers:

Eric Figueroa (2) (tracks: B3),

Julio Alvarado (tracks: A2, B1),

Luis Garcia (5) (tracks: B2),

Ricky Rodriguez (3) (tracks: A1, A3, A4, B4).

Talent:

Bongos, Cowbell – Charlie Sierra

Congas – Jimmy Garcia (3)

Choir – Alex Castro (3), Cheo Andújar

Guest Musician, Congas – Giovanni Hidalgo, Johnny Rivero

Guest Musician, Keyboards – Jose Pujales

Guest Musician], Maracas – Cusy Castillo

Guest Musician, Timbales – Chago Martinez

Guest Musician, Trombone – José Berrios

Guest Musician, Trumpet – Carlos Martinez (3), Mario Ortiz Jr.

Güiro – Ricardo Salgado

Leader, Bass, Producer, Directed By – Edwin Morales

Mixed By – Papo Sánchez (2)

Piano, Keyboards – Ricky Rodriguez (3)

Producer – Antonio Rodríguez

Technician – Andrés Reyes, George Kamarinos

Technician, Mixed By – Ricky Martínez

Timbales – Roberto Whatts

Trombone – Eliut Cintron, Rafy Torres

Trumpet – Angie Machado, Roberto Santiago (2)

Vocals – Pedro Brull, Rafy Andino

Vocals, Choir – Jose L. Ramos

Extravagante 1990

#SalsaIsCulture

Article of Interest: Mulenze The Orchestra of Eternal Youth

Sources: Julio Vázquez Productions

On February 28, 1992, the Queen of Latin Soul and Boogaloo “La Yiyiyi” passed away in New York.

While Curro was scaring the children in the Cartuja of Seville, Guadalupe Victoria Yolí Raymond, a Hispanic neighbor of the Bronx of New York, died at the age of 52, in misery.

A few years earlier she had enrolled in college in order to survive on scholarship money.

 

Maybe when her neighbors heard her talk about limousines, fame, luxury and parties, they looked at her with a knowing look on their faces and played along. There you go again.

But it was true, during the sixties Victoria, La Lupe, also known then as the queen of Latin soul, bragged about being able to spend the twenty thousand dollars she earned per concert on a fur coat.

Long before the invasion of salsa there she was, La Yiyiyi, wandering from bar to bar along 53rd Street, a meeting and exchange place for Latino immigrants in the city of skyscrapers. Busamba’, ‘Boogaloo’, gentlemen.

That’s what it sounded like when Cuba slept with Mexico or Puerto Rico on the stage of any club. Salsa? No, not yet, please. It was still La Lupe’s time.

Yolí Victoria Raymond “La Lupe”

Exiled from Cuba because her singing offended the colonel, she was disputed in her beginnings by Mongo Santamaría and Tito Puente himself, with whom she made perhaps her most interesting recordings. From her first album, ‘Con el diablo en el cuerpo’, she made it clear that she was not going to be just any singer. She captivated the public with her extravagant personality and her madness.

She shrieked, shuddered, pulled her hair, insulted the audience, laughed, tore her clothes in passionate outbursts.

But she also cried and demonstrated her incredible technique when she was asked to sing a bolero. As she sang she lived. Pouring out and enjoying the joy and the sadness.

Then something happened. A new sound began to soundtrack the daily routine of the immigrant ghettos.

A less compromised rhythm that allowed evasion, at least for the duration of the dance, to all the Hispanics living badly in the United States.

Celia Cruz, for better or worse, gave salsa to the world and buried La Lupe in life.

Celia took away her throne and made sure that no one would remember her.

Fame and success is a war and Victoria no longer had the strength to participate in that battle. Her life was an earthquake.

Around that time her second husband began to develop schizophrenia and she decided to take care of her.

After that, little else is known about her until her death.

At the end of the 80’s she converted to the evangelist religion and composed a series of songs that may come to light under the name of La Samaritana.

Although surely her praises to God still sound as warm and sensual as the boleros ‘Orgasmo’ or ‘Puro Teatro’.

La Lupe

The year of her death, her friend Tito Puente and Celia Cruz were offering a conventional Latin music concert at Expo ’92.

Perhaps, at some point, the percussionist remembered when he played ‘Boogaloo’ with the first Latin queen.

As Lupe herself says in her explosive version of ‘Guantanamera’: “Sobre tu tierra divina riega mi voz campesina versos que son como flores, con los más grandes honores de La Yiyiyi, señores”.

Facebook: La Lupe

Article of Interest: Markolino Dimond’s voice and his irreverent piano in Funk/Soul & Funk-Disco “The Alexander Review”