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Enjoy the Tempo Latino 31st edition with the best of Latin music in Europe

That has been a very long year waiting a new edition of the biggest Latin music event in Europe! This July, fans of our music will finally be able to enjoy the 31st edition of Tempo Latino, which is one of the largest international festivals of Afro-Cuban, Afro-Caribbean, and Latin music. During the four days of the festival, the audience can enjoy the best of salsa, Latin jazz, mambo, timba, and fused rhythms every year.

This festival is usually held in the small village of Vic-Fezensac in southwestern France, since 1994, which is when its first edition took place. Nowadays, the event is typically held during the last days of July and the first days of August.

A little of the history of Tempo Latino

As mentioned previously, the festival began, and is still held, in Vic-Fezensac, a small village of around 3,700 inhabitants located in the Gers, which is well known for its bullfighting tradition. This association was founded in 1993 by music lover and Latin music DJ Eric Duffau, an artist who sought a different alternative to traditional commercial communities and aimed to bring traditional musical roots to the heart of Europe.

The first edition, which took place in the summer of 1994, aimed to transform the small French village into the mecca of salsa, Cuban son, and Afro-Latin jazz for four days a year.

An initiative that began as a small project has grown into one of the biggest salsa festivals of the world, which already enjoys the support of 500 local volunteers who organize into neighborhoods and homes. To this day, Tempo Latino has achieved a perfect balance between an ambitious production and a local and friendly atmosphere. It should also be stressed that it has been held on a regular basis since 1994, except for 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Evolution and golden age

The festival expanded so much thanks to its authenticity and freshness that it has come to be known as “The One” and has established itself as a mandatory stop for the greatest Latin music glories, including Celia Cruz, Eddie Palmieri, Rubén Blades, Willie Colón, Tito Puente, Los Van Van, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, La Sonora Ponceña, Oscar D’León, Cheo Feliciano, Ismael Miranda, Johnny Pacheco, and many others.

Similarly, since its foundation, the festival has also served as a springboard for new musical talent, including solo artists and groups performing salsa brava, Latin hip-hop, Afro-Cuban funk, and other genres from places such as Cuba, Colombia, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and New York.

Activities beyond the concerts

Tempo Latino has come to a point where it is no limited only to stage performances, which are still the main attractions for attendees. They also offer dance workshops, which are designed for both amateurs and professional dancers interested in learning more about the roots and evolution of Latin rhythms.

Similarly, the festival also offers music and percussion workshops, introducing both amateur and professional musicians to important topics such as the clave, rhythm, and a bit of the history of Latin and Afro-Cuban music. In the case of percussion workshops, instructors teach students how to play the congas, timbales, bongos, and campana. As for wind instruments and musical combos, classes are given in trombone, trumpet, and saxophone.

We also cannot fail to mention the international market, where attendees can buy all sorts of things from our countries, such as instruments, clothing, traditional cuisine, handicrafts, souvenirs, and more.

Orquesta Akokan, which is going to perform in this edition

Stages and structuring of the festival

Another of the great attractions of Tempo Latino is its “geo-rhythmic” network of locations, where you can find both concerts and peripheral activities that can be enjoyed simultaneously. Below are some of those that will be available for the 2026 edition:

Tempo Arena: This stage is located in the Vic-Fezensac bullring, known for its open acoustics and intense energy every night of the festival. Among the top artists that will perform there are Maïté Hontelé Y La Novia, Orquesta Akokán (Friday, July 31), Matt Bianco, Rogê (Saturday, August 1), Alfredo Rodríguez, and Tony Succar (Sunday, August 2).
La Conga (Tempo Social Club): This other stage is also very popular because it has a beachy vibe with real sand and operates from early morning until late into the night. As for the artists who will be performing, we can mention the queen of Argentine electronic cumbia, La Yegros, DJ Çarava, and DJ Lafuriosa.
Camp Tempo: This open-air format is packed every year with new musical proposals, alternative fusions, brass bands, and street groups that give life to the village during the day. In the 2026 edition, some of the alternative bands will include Chicos y Méndez, Chicharrón, Pixvae, and Aguanomas.
Saint-Pierre Church: This venue is solely and exclusively reserved to small, intimate acoustic concerts where, as a general rule, only pianists and Latin jazz artists perform in the festival’s most solemn format.

Latin America / July 2026

DIRECTORY OF NIGHTCLUBS
ARGENTINA	ARUBA	BELIZE
BOLIVIA	BRAZIL	CHILE
COLOMBIA	COSTA RICA	CUBA
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC	ECUADOR	GUATEMALA
MEXICO	PANAMA	PERU
PUERTO RICO	VENEZUELA

Caoba Y Bambú, Tito Rivera’s first discographic production

This month’s material is dedicated to the great arranger and trumpeter Ernesto “Tito” Rivera, who year after year has established himself as one of the most respected artists in the Puerto Rican music scene, especially in salsa. Below, we will mention some of the most important facts of his career to date and what he is doing presently.

Important facts of Tito Rivera’s career

One of the greatest contributions the virtuoso Tito has made to music in general has been his pen and the help he has provided to famous orchestras of all time, especially in the 1980s and 1990s. One of these is Roberto Roena y Su Apollo Sound, that to a large extent, is what fans remember today thanks to the Puerto Rican musician’s talented songwriting.

Tito Rivera playing the trumpet — Arranger and trumpeter Ernesto ”Tito” Rivera playing the trumpet

Another orchestra that was strongly influenced by Rivera was La Impacto Crea, which many remember as the group born of Hogares Crea and recorded for Vaya Records under the production of Bobby Valentín. Other groups we can mention on this long list include El Conjunto Borincuba de Justo Betancourt and Tony Yanz Y Su Orquesta Nacimiento.

Similarly, all this talent also gave him the opportunity to collaborate with many big stars, such as Marvin Santiago, who did not doubt to trust the trumpeter who lent his invaluable vision to a number of productions during those years.

And not only that because Tito also left his mark on several songs by Kim De Los Santos Y Su Orquesta, which achieved impressive success in countries such as Colombia and Venezuela.

Caoba y Bambú

Caoba Y Bambú is Tito’s first album as a leader, which represents a major challenge for the sonero’s career. Once again, he demonstrates all the experience he has acquired over decades through the work of other greats who trusted his judgment at the time. Now it is his turn to work on something of his own to which he could apply everything he has learned over the years.

Something very interesting to note about the album is that it brings to life great pieces such as “Musa Y Letra,” which was originally recorded by La Impacto Crea in 1981 for Vaya Records. What changes this time is that the song will be performed by Puerto Rican Jesús “Gumbi” Navedo and Venezuelan Marcial Isturiz. The soneros will also be accompanied by Danny Guzmán’s piano solo.

The fact that “Musa Y Letra” was chosen as the first preview of the album was not a random decision, since it shows that Tito seeks to build an immediate connection with the most classic salsa fans, which only a song as representative as this one can do.

Although this has been a much talked about piece, it is definitely not the only one worthy of mention. We should also talk about “Plaza Vacante,” which is one of El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico’s best-known songs. However, this time, it will be performed by José Luis “Papa Chu” de Jesús, who will, without a doubt, do a magnificent job like the rest of the vocalists.

Another important addition to the album is “Vete Pa’alla,” which was previously recorded by Bobby Valentín for his album “Rompecabezas,” but on this occasion, it will be performed by the talented Davian Raúl.

Oscar D’ León confessions of Oswaldo Ponte by William Briceño

Latinoamerica / Venezuela / Caracas

Part 1

This book narrates the story of the famous singer Oscar D’ León from his birth and his life’s progress to who he is today; it also mentions how the era evolved, not only at a musical level but also regarding the situation of the country, both in Venezuela and other nations.

Before beginning to comment on the biography written by his manager, Oswaldo Ponte: biographies do not only try to remember great men who extend beyond their era. In this way, through this biography, the goal is to spread an idea about the work of the well-known artist “Oscar D’ León,” who has brought greatness to the country, crossing the line of his horizon and extending it toward other latitudes. One could say it is like a novel that not only speaks of successes or already known events, but also tells us about the reality of his life and not just what acquaintances or representatives of the artist think.

Photo1: Oscar D' León — Photo1: Oscar D’ León

The biography begins with the birth of Oscar Emilio León Simosa on July 11, 1943, in Caracas, Venezuela; where not only his family but other friends were present, one of whom ironically mentioned that in the future “he would be a great singer” since his crying was like a symphony. According to his mother, “Carmen Dionisia,” the midwife told her that he was born “enmantillado” (born with a caul), which meant the baby could have a multitude of gifts that he could take advantage of in the future.

It is worth mentioning that at an early age, he had more passion for music than for his studies, and he came to the conclusion that studies were not the best thing for his future; therefore, he dedicated himself to helping at his parents’ business to contribute to the household.

Since he was very young, he enjoyed listening to “Sonora Matancera” in a corner at night, which was the musical group of the era, and he would follow the percussion with his throat. He also listened to jazz orchestras, which led him to the conclusion that music would be his vocation; he was fascinated by listening to his mother hum the hits of 1953 by the Orquesta Aragón and Dámaso Pérez Prado.

Oscar D' León - Photo 1 — Oscar D’ León – Photo 1

Fortunately for the future singer, his family was passionate about music and had close relationships with musicians, singers, and players of all types of instruments even if they were not professionals. This warm, joyful, and above all, musical atmosphere embraced Oscar from the moment he was born. It was even shown that at an early age he had a certain interest in any object that emitted a musical sound, and he longed to learn how to use musical instruments. Despite having a humble family, Oscar himself managed to use various objects to create something that generated a musical sound and to discover his own rhythm, which he enjoyed at that time.

Oscar D' León - Photo 2 — Oscar D’ León – Photo 2

Simosa, which was on July 11, 1943, in Caracas, Venezuela; where not only his family but other friends were present, and ironically one of them mentioned that in the future “he would be a great singer” because his crying was like a symphony. According to his mother, “Carmen Dionisia,” the midwife told her that at birth he was “born with a veil” (enmantillado), which meant the baby could have a multitude of gifts that he could take advantage of in the future.

During his adolescence in Venezuela, many significant political changes were occurring for the population; however, they did not stop celebrating festive seasons with his family even in difficult times. Many “parrandas” (parties) were held, something that Oscar enjoyed very much.

In 1958, he mentions that a phenomenon was occurring with the musical style of “Dámaso Pérez Prado’s Mambo”; also, at the Club Las Fuentes, the Sonora Matancera resonated with “Celia Cruz” alternating with the “Caracas Swing Boys”. A movement of orchestras influenced by foreign rhythms that thrilled Venezuelans began to be observed on a national level, such as Billo’s, which won the precious title of the most popular orchestra in Venezuela. Oscar was not interested in societal events, except for events in Cuba, since Cuban music was what fascinated him.

Photo: Oscar D' León confessions of Oswaldo Ponte by William Briceño — Photo: Oscar D’ León confessions of Oswaldo Ponte by William Briceño

Starting in 1962, he became a father, and marveled by his new life and his firstborn, he dedicated himself to his role as a father, keeping his family supported by working; this caused him to step away from music, and his maturity can be witnessed despite his age.

By the age of 23, he already knew how to sing and play the bass; over time, he met friends who would influence great changes in his future life. In 1966, he met Kiko Pacheco, who invited him to the group “Los Junior,” where he would begin his professional career. During that same year, salsa was taking off in Venezuela, as it was heard on all the country’s radio stations.

During that era, life was expensive, so he worked hard both in clubs and discotheques or as a taxi driver. On one occasion, Kiko Pacheco asked Oscar to sing in the “Quinteto Los Junior” because their vocalist had to leave; this allowed Oscar to demonstrate his talent, and from that moment on, everyone was enchanted upon hearing him, and his musical profession began. Later, “La Dimensión Latina” was created, which at that time was known as “Dimensión Seis,” founded by Oscar D’ León and Cesar Monge.

The members who formed “La Dimensión Latina” were Oscar de León, Cesar Monge “Albóndiga,” and José Rojas “Rojita” on trombones; José Rodríguez “Joseíto” and Elio Pacheco on percussion; and Enrique “Culebra” Iriarte on piano. A significant event for Oscar was that, during their first rehearsals, he had a premonition of his success when they found the rhythm he wanted to hear and share with the rest of the musical world. This was proven during their first performance, which was a total success, leaving everyone who heard them stunned.

Oscar D' León singing — Oscar D’ León singing

From that moment on, with the debut of La Dimensión Latina, a new concept emerged that would change the landscape of popular Venezuelan music and make history both nationally and internationally with the rise of the legend Oscar D’ León. They began playing for five months at “La Distinción” from Friday to Saturday. On Sundays, after finishing there, they would go to El Junquito to continue the party, gaining so much popularity that some felt they should launch an international career. During that time, singer-songwriter Mireya Delgado hired them after being impressed by seeing them perform on stage.

They played on a cruise ship during a one-week tour through different Caribbean islands and achieved great success despite the inconveniences they faced. They paid these no mind, as they dedicated themselves wholeheartedly to playing for their audience. This caused venues to become packed, captivating their fans who idolized them. From that point forward, many people began wanting to hire them for various events.

Here is the translation of the text into American English:

In that same year, 1972, a dizzying and unstoppable recording career began. This was based on the fact that executive representatives from the TH label heard two tracks: one was “Oye mi canto,” which was a hit for Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, and the other was “Te voy a cortar las patas” by Oscar D’ León. Because this made a great impact and created absolute conviction among the executives that they were witnessing a success, the promoter Mesone, upon hearing them, agreed to carry out a recording. This recording was shared with the Víctor Mendoza Orchestra, one of the TH producers in Venezuela: El Clan de Víctor.

The album featured three tracks by Oscar; he recorded two of them with Dimensión Latina and the other with El Clan de Víctor. However, he does not appear as the author in the credits. The same thing happened with an album in 1991 when recording the album Auténtico. Among the 80 tracks that Oscar wrote, two of them are his immortal classics and of his authorship: “Llorarás” and “Detalles”.

For the first time in Venezuela, Salsa festivals were held that moved everyone. From that moment on, a true proliferation of salsa was witnessed in the country, all thanks to “Pensando en ti,” which had a major impact on the history of Venezuelan popular music.

After the success of his new discography—which contains “La comprita,” “Barranquilla,” and “Barranquilla y Quiéreme,” among others—three important international contracts were signed. Oscar and Dimensión Latina would go to Curaçao, Aruba, and Bonaire; that same year, they would also go to Colombia and Santo Domingo. However, it is worth noting that the period from “Pensando en ti” to “Que bailen to’s” covered the stage that catapulted him internationally.

Here is the translation of the text into American English:

The production of Dimensión Latina’s 1975 discography was the one that left an eternal mark, whose immortality was glimpsed from the very moment of its appearance. Its tracks focused on themes of romantic heartbreak. However, the rhythmic conception of “Llorarás” was the most important conception and structure of Oscar D’ León and Dimensión Latina; in fact, the song “Llorarás” marked the rupture of the old dance empire represented by Billo’s, and Dimensión came to be considered the “Billo’s of Salsa”.

An important subject in the world of music tells us in this book that: “salsa singers used phrases worn out by the use of previous generations who popularized them; in contrast, Oscar projected original modifications created by him”.

Oscar D' León in concert — Oscar D’ León in concert

When they traveled to New York, Oscar was very excited by the different stories he had experienced in the music world, and they were even happier to perform for the first time in the impressive metropolis. It was there where that musical genre that transformed them into idols, “Salsa,” was projected.

As time passes, Oscar manages to establish his own style and never changed it while climbing the steps of popularity and fame; the same happened with Dimensión Latina, though without achieving the countless triumphs Oscar D’ León obtained until his departure.

If you wish to know more about the history of Oscar D’ León, we recommend reading “Oscar D’ León: Confessions of Oswaldo Ponte by William Briceño, Editorial Fundación Simón Bolívar” to learn about the continuation, as it is a very broad topic to describe in this first part; likewise, in our next edition, we will conclude our final thoughts on this interesting and extensive biography.

Manhattan Latin Music by Jon Horn

In the year after the big war ended, a terrific hurricane tore across the island, and in the town of Santa Barbara de la Loma the Catholic church was destroyed, but the modest compound of Senora– devotee of the seven powers and gifted daughter of Yemaya, spirit of the seas – went untouched by the storm. The people of Santa Barbara were not surprised. They called Senora “La Poderosa,” the powerful one, for she could heal the sick better than doctors, break and cast spells – but only for good – and see beyond the now and here. Believers in the natural religion came weekly to the walled yard behind her neat, two-room bohio to praise the mighty spirits who might possess them as they danced and chanted to the inspired drumming of the tumbadores.

On the next full moon, Senora called her gente to a special midnight ceremony. Dressed as always in immaculate white robe and turban, smoking a long cigar and swigging from a flask of rum, she told the assembly that Hate was hard at work everywhere, and worse things than hurricanes or even the war just fought were soon to come. Now they must all concentrate their prayerful energies and send goodness in the guise of music to an evil world. The native rhythms of their island, produced from the potent mix of slaves, colons, and indios, could bring people of all kinds and colors together. As dark hands beat out on taut skins a deep, steady roll like distant thunder, Senora called up into the moonlit sky: “May the babies born of Mambo be bringers of justice and peace where there is none! Go, my Mambo! Go now and work your musical magic at the center of the biggest city in the strongest nation on the earth!”

Damaso Pérez performing Latin music — The King of Mambo Damaso Pérez Pardo performing live

And the Mambo went and did all this, and much, much more…

Story goes that a certain midtown Manhattan dancehall was dying a slow death at the tag end of the Big Band era, just after the so-called “Good War.” The guy who was managing this musical venue (maybe for the Mob) was bemoaning the lack of customers to a canny Broadway promoter who poked a sallow finger at the bemoaner and said “Hey! If you don’t mind spics and
niggers in the joint, I can fill it six nights a week!” “At this point I don’t mind if it’s spics, niggers, or little green men!” “Done deal!”

Twas the season of Jackie Robinson “integrating” baseball’s major leagues. Smart money knew that American apartheid couldn’t last forever, at least not overtly. And where else would the winds of change blow first and hardest but in the Empire City, aka Nueva York? So the Palladium opened with a hot mambo policy, the best Afro-Cuban bands were hired, and lines formed around the block. Harlem and Spanish Harlem were now welcome in a big midtown venue. And not only “spics” and “niggers” showed up, but “wops” and yids” as well, the bridge-and-tunnel “mamboniks.” The word spread, and whitebread cafe-society mavericks came to check it out and stayed to shake a tail feather. For the next couple of decades it was the “place to be, thing to do” in NYC, if you wanted to move to and be sent by the best hot Latin sounds.

Around 1954/’55, the mambo crested in the Pop consciousness, with “Papa Loves Mambo,” “Mambo Italiano,” and “What The Heck is the Mambo?” on the mainstream Hit Parade. Perez Prado even took “Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White” to Number One on the charts. But the real mambo, cha-cha- cha, guaracha, charanga, and son stayed underground, a niche thing, ethnic dance
music for Manhattan Latins and the cool cognoscenti. Raided and harassed by authorities who didn’t cotton to Mambo’s miscegenating powers, the Palladium lost its liquor license in the early ’60s and closed for good in ’66, just as the “new breed” wave of Latin Soul & Bugalu was making noise on the mean streets. And the beat goes on…

The Mamboniks were cool-looking Italian & Jewish guys & gals, out of high school but not in college, who hung out around Dubrow’s on the Hiway. If one of them had a dented sportscar or an old but flashy convertible, they’d congregate around the car at the curb, the dash radio loudly broadcasting Dick“Ricardo” Sugar’s mambo show of an evening, trying out hip-swinging cha-cha steps, casually dap guys and foxy girls in tight skirts; and tho the guys were not really hoods, they’d hang with future felons down the poolroom sometimes, and push a little weed to the hipper highschoolers, who whispered that these guys rolled queers in the Village for bucks and kicks…. but the big kick for the Mamboniks was the Latin Kick, hitting the Palladium at least once a week to hobnob with Ricans and Cubans and dap Harlem dudes and debs, all dressed up in continental suits and cocktail gowns, moving & grooving to the hot, blaring rhythms of Tito Puente and Tito Rodriguez, Eddie Palmieri, Joe Cuba, Orquesta Aragon, the La Playa Sextet, and many more smokin’ outfits who played en clave. Rest of the time they hung outside the cafeteria almost
under the BMT El, hanging on the Hiway but vibing they were too hip for the Hiway, still living at home in Brooklyn only ’cause it was free, but definitely on the way out and on up – or so it appeared to those a few years younger, hung up in mundane Midwood and Madison scenes. I didn’t really know the Mamboniks, but I knew who they were (the distance between 15 and 18 being even greater than between the Hiway and Broadway): one of them would fall with the felons and do time… another would marry his little sexpot cha-cha partner and go into the restaurant business downtown… yet another would become a musician/dope dealer, accent on the dope dealer. I only glimpsed these Mamboniks passing by Dubrow’s, but they called me (while ignoring me) to a more magical city than the one I knew as yet.

Tito Puente performing Latin music — Tito Puente performing ”Oye Como Va”

Jose de la Subway Speaks of Working the Mountains

There’s one or two agents book all the bands, and you best not get on their bad side! This guy I know from El Barrio, he plays timbales – he’s no Puente but he’s still young – he pulled me into this gig, subbing for the guy who was too fucked up on duji to make the job. We all meet at the bus terminal near the Dixie Hotel on the Deuce. Takes a couple hours to get up there and it’s real country, you can smell the trees! There’s these big Jewish hotels, they all book one Latin band to alternate with whatever square Pop band they got, and of course the biggest hotels get the big name bands and the smaller hotels get the cheaper bands who sometime hire kids just breaking in who look eighteen and can play some but don’t expect no union scale. You got this shack full of bunk beds to crash in, you eat leftover childrens’ meals – if there’s a hip Rican or Soul working in the kitchen you may get extras – and they don’t want to see your face around the place till showtime. Maybe they let you take a rowboat out on the lake, but you best stay away from the pool till you’re sent out there to play a cocktail set. They always call it an ‘Olympic-sized pool’ even if it’s four foot
deep! All these white chicks are out there in bikinis trying to get as dark as the people they don’t want in the pool with them. You play some cha-chas poolside late in the afternoon and you get to check out these chicks, some of them are hot, some give you the eye, but you wear shades and keep a stone face, and of course you’re high ’cause everybody be smokin’ weed in the band, that’s all you do, and you keep the job by keeping your distance from the hotel’s clientele. Some hustling bands be doubling, tearing around those mountain roads from one little hotel to another, making two jobs a night, wearing those ridiculous rhumba shirts with the big ruffled sleeves. After the last set everybody goes to eat and hang at Corey’s Chinese Restaurant in Liberty. When it’s Mambo Night at the Raleigh you sit in. And if you fuck up, or when the contract’s over, you’re back on the Hound to the Deuce, and you don’t have much loot to show for it. You’re paying your dues, you’re getting experience.

Musically, the late ’50s/early ’60s were dynamic times in NYC. Monk with Trane at the Five Spot, Ornette Coleman introducing “the new thing” aka “Free Jazz,” the hard-bop funk of “Moanin’” by Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, “Kind of Blue” by Miles, Trane’s classic quartet coming into its own with “Giant Steps” and “My Favorite Things.” And the Folk boomlet peaking in the Village
with Baez and Dylan, Paxton, Van Ronk, Ochs, and many more. R&B was in a slump and the Top 40 sucked bigtime… but over in Brooklyn and the Bronx, a new generation of Nuyoricans was coming of age, and tho they still dug the Afro-Cuban sounds, the mambo and the cha-cha-cha belonged to the (recent) past, so they were experimenting: Bronx Pachanga was revved-up charanga… trombones lent a harder edge to a conjunto like Eddie Palmieri’s La Perfecta… and “Latin Soul” was Doowop (a big influence en la calle) mated with the bolero feel and the bongo/congas beat. Joe Cuba knew he was onto something when his “To Be With You” (a bolero in English) became a street fave circa ’62/’63. Ace Cuban conguero Mongo Santamaria had a crossover hit of sorts with a jazzy horn chart on “Watermelon Man.” And Ray Barretto charted nationally with a speeded-up charanga featuring a streetwise Spanish rap superimposed: “El Watusi.” The times they were a-changin’ in the barrio. Joe Bataan was “Singin’ Some Soul.” Willie Colon was getting “Jazzy.” Eddie Palmieri’s hot, eight-minute jam on “Azucar Pa’ Ti” was a breakthru, played in its entirety on the radio by Symphony Sid and even by Dick Ricardo Sugar. Pete Rodriguez came on strong with the irresistible “I Like It Like That”… and the Latin Bugalu was a mid-’60s sub-genre (e.g. Johnny Colon’s “Boogaloo Blues”). But by the early ’70s, the newly branded “Salsa” hyped by Fania Records (the Latin Motown) prevailed, and Latin Soul’s swan songs were sung by Ralfi Pagan (“Make It With You”), and Paul Ortiz (“Tender Love & Sweet Caresses,” produced by “Subway Joe” Bataan). Musical artifacts remain, but as for the vibe, “You hadda be there, folks!”

That Latin Thing

The Afro-Cuban sounds, and the extensions and variations on those templates by their New York inheritors, were the hottest and coolest Latin sounds. Musicians have big ears, and there was always cross-fertilization between the seemingly segregated genres of Latin and Jazz (eventually producing – wait for it – Latin Jazz). So why aren’t more jazz buffs, and other musically savvy civilians, into the rich “Spanish Tinge” heritage? (They’ve always been into it in their own way down in Norlins.) Different languages as well as divergent styles, plus the commercial priorities of bottom-line execs who package musical product, perpetuate musically exclusive marketing niches, even unto today. But many stateside Jazz greats especially groovitated towards the Latin
thing. Dizzy Gillespie with Chano Pozo creating Cubop… Charlie Parker’s jams with Machito… Cal Tjader with Eddie Palmieri… Herbie Hancock’s “Watermelon Man” definitively rendered by Mongo Santamaria: these are some of the finest fruits of the Jazz + Latin marriages, and there have been many more in recent years. Yet the hardcore tipico and original classics are still all but unknown to generations of US Americans, and that’s a lowdown dirty shame.

Tio Jonny to the rescue! If you dig rhythms that won’t let you sit or stand still, or love to love a great love song, I’ve got two Latin strains to introduce into your musical bloodstream: superlative slow jams of yearning, ecstasy, betrayal, and loss in the best bittersweet boleros… and hip-shaking, toe-tapping dance classics of musica caliente. Maestro Cachao wasn’t just boasting when he titled one of his signature jam sessions in miniature “Como mi ritmo no hay dos.” There’s nothing quite like this Latin thing. But don’t take my word for it. Go check it out for yourselves, sis & bro!

Joe Bataan singing Latin music — Joe Bataan singing ‘ ‘Gypsy Woman” some years ago

Musica Caliente 101

Salsa dura? Salsa Brava? Salsa romantica? Such consumer designations are so much caca de toro. To quote el rey Tito Puente, “Salsa is something you put on your food.” As a brand, “Salsa” moved a lot of units for Fania and other smaller labels in their heyday. But it was still music with Afro-Cuban roots, refined (or, purists might aver, debased) by Puerto Ricans and Nuyoricans, as insiders and aficionados well know. It was a music all about rhythm (we’ll consider the beautiful boleros shortly), pegged to the clave beat, where the Afro drums could sing melodiously while the Euro piano, violins, and horns remade themselves into rhythm instruments ( the repetitive, tension-building keyboard montunos, twin charanga fiddles, or twin trombones).

As the music morphed from Havana to New York, it got faster and louder (como no?), but the rhythms certainly didn’t cool down, tho they could sound hot and cool at the same time when vibes were featured, as in the ’50s party classic “Chop Suey Mambo” by Alfredito (Al Levy) or on many jams by T.P., Joe Cuba, or Latin-converso Cal Tjader. Anyone who felt this music in their bodies and souls (which are most definitely not separated in this art) would know this was musica caliente – and, as Ray Barretto titled one of his best workouts: “Que Viva la Musica.”

Say you’ve heard some of the great old school sounds and want to hear more? Tio Jonito is going to start you off with a sampler of the best (or at least some of my favorites) from the great days of this musica caliente, sometime in the late ’40s on into the ’70s. You go online and find these smokers on my list and you’ll not only get a little musical education but you’ll swing your butt off and have a ball. Vaya!

Orq. Casino de la Playa w/Miguelito Valdes: “Bruca Manigua”
Arsenio Rodriguez Orq.: “Dame un Cachito pa’ Huele”
Machito & his Afro-Cubans: “Tanga”
Chano Pozo: “El Pin-Pin” (nice later version by El Gran Combo)
Los Astros: “Que Lindo Yambu”
Arcano y sus Maravillas: “Rico Melao”
Sonora Matancera w/Celia Cruz: “Caramelos”
Sexteto La Playa: “Jamaiquino”
Randy Carlos: “Smoke” (“Humo”)
Fajardo y sus Estrellas: “Ay! Que Frio” (+ jazzy ’70s cover by Ocho)
Cortijo y su Combo w/Ismael Rivera: “El Negro Bembon”
Orquesta Aragon: “Caimitillo y Maranon”
Cachao y su Ritmo: “Malanga Amarillo”
Chappotin y sus Estrellas w/Miguelito Cuni: “Alto Songo”
Mongo Santamaria: “Afro Blue” “Para Ti”
Mongo Santamaria w/La Lupe: “Canta Bajo”
Tito Puente: “Oye Como Va” “Ran Kan Kan”
Eddie Palmieri & Cal Tjader: “Picadillo”
Tito Rodriguez & Orq.: “Mama Guela” “Ave Maria Morena”
Joe Cuba Sextet w/Cheo Feliciano: “El Raton”

Mon Rivera: “Lluvia con Nieve”
Orquesta Broadway: “Como Camino Maria”
Ray Barretto: “Cocinando”
Pete “Conde” Rodriguez w/Johnny Pacheco Orq.: “Azuquita Mami”
Willie Colon Orq. w/Hector LaVoe: “Abuelita”
Eddie Palmieri w/Charlie Palmieri: “Vamanos pa’l Monte”

Pete, Celiz, and Tito performing Latin music — Pete El Conde Rodríguez, Tito Puente, and Celiz Cruz performing ”Qué Bueno Baila Usted”

Boleros 101

Boleros are Latin love songs, and the best are equal to any operatic aria, Broadway show-stopper, or Pop ballad, especially those written and sung from the 1940s through the ’60s, the era of the bolero. Behind even the slowest bolero there’s a rhythmic roll (maintained by bongos, congas, or light timbales taps), analogous to the roll of “r” in spoken Spanish. Can’t abide musica romantica? The bolero, friend, is not for you. Latin America – notably Cuba, Mexico, and Puerto Rico – turned out great boleristas in the epica de oro, and the tunes they sang were world-class, true standards which sound just as strong today as ayer. But leave me not wax rapturous; rather let me share some of my fave boleros with you, and point you YouTubeward to hear them all.

Beny More: “Como Fue” “Hoy Como Ayer”
Olga Guillot: “Mienteme” “Tu Me Acostumbraste”
Trio Los Panchos: “Nosotros” “Sabor a Mi” “Los Dos”
Vicentico Valdes: “Tus Ojos” “La Montana”
Tito Rodriguez: “Inolvidable” “En La Soledad”
Los Tres Ases: “Delirio” “Estoy Perdido” “El Reloj”
Cheo Feliciano (w/Joe Cuba sextet): “Como Rien” “Incomparable”
La Lupe w/Tito Puente Orq.: “Que te Pedi”

Santos Colon w/Tito Puente Orq.: “Ay Carino”
Armando Manzanero: “Mia”
Los Tres Diamantes: “La Gloria eres Tu”
Javier Solis: “Si Te Olvides (La Mentira)”
Los Tres Caballeros: “La Barca” “Regalame Esta Noche”
Los Tres Reyes: “No Me Queda Mas”
Pedro Infante: “Contigo en la Distancia” “No Me Platiques Mas”
Jacaranda Castillon: “La Gata Bajo La Lluvia”