Search Results for: Tito Puente

Background

It is no secret that music has always been a vast source of social expressions that tell an infinite number of stories dating back to the time and focused on the awakening of the personal and collective conscience of the people at the time. This is exactly what has happened with salsa and Latin music in general from its origins. 

As is the case for almost all known musical genres, salsa was the result of a set of migration waves caused by the political, social and economic issues that were gestating in a large part of the Latin countries. These people saw in various cities across the U.S. the place they were looking for to start a new life far from the suffering of the past. This is how large Latino communities were growing in the country, New York being one of the cities with the highest number of these new residents.   

Although people from all over the continent immigrated to the United States, there is no denying that Puerto Ricans and Cubans started making an impact on their new home, at least in cultural terms. Cities that received these new citizens were already becoming too small for the large number of immigrants who would not stop arriving, which presented a challenge for the old and new inhabitants. 

A number of new arrivals were forced to live in inhumane conditions to find themselves in places which did not have minimum conditions of dignity to house human beings. This led many of them to live a life of squalor equal to the one from which they were fleeing, or even worse.   

This is how neighborhoods were starting to be born in New York City, which was gradually configured in small communities inhabited only by people of one or certain nationality. It was this mix of old and new culture that gave birth to new rhythms that were born on the streets and began to spread robustly. At that time, we were starting to enjoy the talent of Cheo Feliciano and historic boleros of Pedro Flores were becoming increasingly present in the rickety windows of Latin low-income neighborhoods. 

This social situation coincided with the creation of the record label Fania Records from the hand of the legendary Johnny Pacheco and Jerry Masucci. The early work of the label attracted a great deal of attention due to its freshness and novelty in comparison with what was being done at the time. Fania All Stars, Bobby Valentín’s orchestra and a few other groups, not noticing it, began to start a trend to the sound of timbales and claves whose rhythm was increasingly fast and furious. 

The young people of the time were clamoring for music far from art academies and social circles which became more and more unattainable for them. Something that many would call music closer to the street and much more like them. The black population had ceased to be represented by much acclaimed jazz artists at the time and could feel its purest essence in boogaloo.   

For those who do not know, boogaloo can be defined as a genre of Latin origin resulting from the mixing of Afro-Cuban rhythms and American soul, which was already beginning to be sung in both English and Spanish. This last shows the widespread influence of the arrival of so many Latinos to the United States in such a short amount of time. 

This is what made the figures that would later emerge so famous. In addition to Pacheco and Valentin, names like Pete Rodriguez, Monguito, Ismael Miranda, and Ismael Rivera were also popularized. And of course, nor can we fail to mention the explosive duo formed by Héctor Lavoe and Willie Colón.   

What the term salsa means 

After the emergence of the already mentioned artists, there came about a great confusion concerning the meaning of the term salsa, as that was the word chosen to refer to the music done by a growing group of singers in New York. This, of course, did not make Tito Puente and Machito content, who saw the pioneers of this new trend as intruders who came to take the place they had already earned by pluck and application. 

Some scholars of the subject have stated that the term salsa comes from a kind of like campaigning in which this rising genre was likened to the seasoning used in food to make it more appetizing. Others said that it was just a phrase that says échale salsa (salsa in Spanish can also refer to sauce used in the kitchen) used by various musicians for sudden changes in rhythm. Fania Records used this to make its artists famous and it worked as well as expected. 

During the 1970s, the genre hung over the youth of the time and the old school that took quite a lot to impress. 

What part Cuba and the Cuban Revolution played in all this.

It is undeniable that Cuban music had a before and an after due to the Cuban Revolution. When Castro came to power, high tensions began to arise between the island and the United States, which caused the Caribbean country to be perceived as a threat by the media of the time. This made its cultural and artistic expressions to be no longer seen with good eyes. This led artists who were afraid of being censored to rename it as salsa and pass it off as Latin music. 

This salsa ended up by uniting an entire continent in a single voice, for it spoke of a shared culture and a common origin that not only stood for Cuba, but also for Latin America in full. This was what turned the genre into an identity movement for countries such as Puerto Rico, Colombia, Venezuela, and many more. There was a time all these nations were competing to be considered the official home of salsa. 

This brought about a countless number of historic concerts in which the Fania All Stars, other groups, and artists proved that the Fania got huge potential as a product. This was the exact same Cuban music with certain variations that never left the art world despite pressures to do so.

If you want more information, you can read Génesis of Salsa, its essence, characteristics, rhythm, history and expansión 

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The role that the Cheetah Club played in the beginnings of salsa in New York

As we all know, New York City has been instrumental in the birth of what is today known as salsa because this has been the place that has seen the birth and bloom of the greatest talents who have given life and added rhythm to this wonderful and fast-paced genre. That is why when we talk about the history of salsa, we cannot leave out the most populous metropolis in the United States. 

We all know how important the city that never sleeps is to the development of this musical genre, but where and how does this set of rhythms specifically born? Right, well this was a now-defunct nightclub called Cheetah, which met all the conditions for giving birth to salsa and making it a cultural phenomenon, which is now known worldwide. 

The establishment, located in an area full of theaters and nightclubs close to Times Square, witnessed a spectacular and historic evening in which, unexpectedly, brought together several of the biggest stars of Latin music, including Willie Colón, Ray Barreto, Bobby Valentín, among others. None of them could ever imagine that they would draw crowds eager to hear them. From that night on, the Latins finally had voices to make known to the rest of the planet their purest essence. 

As soon as the band started playing, those present started to dance no matter what. According to calculations by a pianist for Fania All Stars, they gathered as many as two thousand attendees who were lined up around the block to enjoy the talent of some of the considered greatest exponents of Latin music.  It should be noted that the artists from that night had never played together, but when they took the stage, everything went spontaneously and the audience fell madly in love with them. However, nothing was by chance. 

How it all started 

After the Second World War, Latin music and dance began to be present in New York City during the 20th century. This was due to the arrival of Cubans, Puerto Ricans and other immigrants from the southern part of Latin America, who brought with them a number of rhythms that started playing in discos and nightclubs from various US cities. 

When these sounds arrived in the Big Apple, there was a very interesting mixture of these sounds with jazz and some instruments that were incorporated to have as a result what we know today as salsa. This is how some of the most popular genres began to be played and become famous in places near the Cheetah Club, so, as a logical consequence, the establishment would end up falling under the spell and rhythms of so cheerful melodies.

One of those places was the Palladium Ballroom, where artists such as Machito and Tito Puente performed. Of course, the public that gathered there was Latin in origin, but its privileged location in the heart of Manhattan made it very well known to the locals of any nationality. It got to the point where there were spectators from the five continents and of all religions, which was unthinkable with any other musical style. 

This is how the great concert at the Cheetah Club succeeded in bringing Latin music to places nobody thought it could reach and all thanks to American artists with a Latin background that was very awake in their being. 

How was the Cheetah club created and what became of its facilities? 

The Cheetah club was created by Olivier Coquelin and Border Stevenson in 1968 when it was formally opened to the public. From the beginning, it had two spaces specially designed for dancing: a dance floor of reduced size located on the top floor and a bigger one which could accommodate about two thousand people at the same time. Likewise, there was a stage on which no less than 20 musicians could perform in the same show. 

Although the club enjoyed a certain fame among the locals in the area, what really made it famous was the concert performed by the Fania All Stars on August 26, 1971. That was a day that will undoubtedly remain in many people’s mind forever, both attendees and musicians. This was the moment when the musical phenomenon initiated by Johnny Pacheco and Jerry Masucci would reach well beyond what its creators have never dreamed of. 

The idea of performing the show was conceived by Ralph Mercado, who would comment to Masucci on this. Given that the Cheetah Club had a large space and enviable acoustics, it was the place they finally selected for the historic concert. 

Anyone seeing the place in which would be the colorful establishment would never imagine what happened there 50 years ago. At present, the formerly nightclub is a residential condominium of more than 20 floors housing large apartments with wide windows. 

Although there is nothing left of the place that witnessed one of the greatest musical events in Latin music history, the memory of that special night will remain in the minds of those who witnessed such a waste of talent on that now-defunct platform in the 1970s.   

For more information, you can read Génesis of Salsa, its essence, characteristics, rhythm, history and expansión and Where the idea of the name of the Fania Record label came from

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With a full tank, Transition by Tito Rodriguez, Jr.

Bella Martinez, International Salsa Magazine by the hand of www.SalsaGoogle.com presents and highly recommends this formidable and exquisite production of Tito Rodriguez Jr. The firstborn of the unforgettable Pablo “Tito” Rodriguez.

Long live music!  Repeat after me: “Long live the musicians so they can keep making it”.  And I add: “Long live SALSA”.

As soon as I got my hands on it I listened to it, many times.  Not that I needed an explanation, but I could not stop listening to it and go off to take care of my duties.

So much so that I had to send the radio station of the Puerto Rican salsa singer on vacation for a few days until I finished writing the note that had chosen to write itself.  The CD cover – showing the photo of Tito Rodriguez, Jr. settled on my desk for several weeks as if it belonged to the surface in front of which I sit every day.  Until one fine day I said to myself: Today I hope to be able to understand the instrumental pairing of everything that happens in this piece.

Here I go…

In the first cut (Bailando con la más fea) there were several bars after the first minute, that transported me to my days of partying in New York during the bravo launch of that orchestra that I haven’t heard for a long time.

Of course, while that orchestra sounded bigger than it was, this one I’m examining today – Tito Rodriguez, Jr.’s – sounds bigger than it is and on steroids; among other reasons because the baritone enhances the personality of this serious sounding arrangement, albeit hand in hand with a jocular lyric.

During the second theme (El vive bien) we experience a very Cuban theme of those that sandungueando the waists of those who follow the leather beats to’ fuete.

Shortly before entering the third minute, the interplay of saxophones and twists in which the baritone and bongo play suggest to me that this song shares the flavorfulness of the pregón that says “Salsa ahí na’ma’ como me gusta a mí…” from one of the tracks on Gilberto Santa Rosa’s production Colegas (2020).  In fact, Gilberto collaborates in this production, specifically in the song Volver.

In the third cut (Ándate nena), the trumpet solo stands out within an arrangement for large orchestra and allows the performance to be sprinkled with conga, marking the nostalgia of the memory of those geniuses that the traditional big bands left us as a legacy.  The saxophones sound like those of the Palladium orchestras.

The 4th track (Volver) is an arrangement where the influence of Bobby Valentín’s inventions is evident.  The track starts like the romantic arrangements of the 1990’s, although with a heavy and dominant piano, prior to the alto saxophone playing that opens the way for the rest of the saxophones in perfect synchrony with the conga, timbal and bongo.  This cut features Gilberto Santa Rosa, although the song didn’t need Santa Rosa to shine.

Tito Rodriguez, Jr. gave way to the most prolific salsa singer in commercial salsa to perform a song that was already the polished diamond of this collection.

I found it to be a classic big band arrangement with an avant-garde touch where the saxophones give way to a touch of a musical arrangement that wants to be a sonorous orchestra.  However, the perfection of the thing doesn’t let the sonorous touch tuck in the modern big band concept.  Well, I understand myself.  “Afinca y echa pa’ lante…” said Santa Rosa.

In the fifth track (Con el tanque lleno) the orchestra starts off powerful in sound and playfulness.  The song is about a “convertible, colorado y con el tanque lleno”.  The pregón reads: “Soy soltero y con el tranque lleno” (I’m single and with a full tank).  I don’t think you will be surprised when I confess that this is my favorite song in this collection.  The lyrics are funny, but the arrangement is a smashing one.

The conga’s correspondence with the melodic trombone solo by Alex Zapata’s blows sets the stage for a masterful closing by the saxophone ensemble under the leadership of Ismael Vergara’s baritone.

The sixth track (No vale la pena) is evidence of the chameleonic capacity of Sammy Gonzalez, Jr.’s voice, which can be used to proclaim, to sound, to become the most romantic rogativo in the middle of a heavy song, all within a romantic lyric full of feeling.  Well, rarely does a man play the “victim” of a sentimental breakup.

This is one of those few times, a situation that makes the pregones both jocular and nostalgic at the same time.  The contradiction of suffering and laughing is also visited at the end of the mambo, which makes the theme one of general interest in addition to the musical interest it awakens.

The seventh track (Pa ti morena) is a very brave Cuban son.  I don’t know if this son is played in that unlikely combination of the style of Tito Puente, Machito and Tito Rodriguez knowingly or if it was pure chance.  I felt like I was reaching for heaven while listening to Sammy Gonzalez, Jr.’s vocal performance when the alto saxophone solo brought me back to reality.

The beginning of cut #8 (Para los bailadores) marks the change of tempo to an aggressive one where the bongo is the one telling where the baritone is going. When the vocalist suggests to Tito Rodriguez, Jr. to enter the mambo with an anticipatory “y nos fuimos”, no one doubts the greatness of the orchestra’s sound.

The timbal solo by Tito Rodríguez, Jr. declines when the performer requests “mambo otra vez”.  It is in this track that the distinctive sound of this orchestra is most noticeable, one inspired by the traditional big bands, although influenced by the advanced currents.  In short, this is real salsa and it is salsa to enjoy.  As promised in the lyrics, this song brings to the arena a very cool rhythm that is not to be confused with charanga.

After I finished writing this note, having already listened to the complete production, I was tempted to ask Tito for an audience and ask him “a couple of questions” according to me.  That brief call went on and on and I asked him everything I could, taking advantage of the nobility of the timbalero heir to the musicality and name of one of our greatest musical glories….

During the “cañona” that I wanted to call an organic interview, Tito confirmed that Transición is his fourth album and the first to be titled in Spanish.  Let’s go well, Tito.

This album was preceded by Curious? (1978), which featured José Alberto “El Canario” and Rubén Blades; Eclipse (1995) and The Big Three Palladium Orchestra live at the Blue Note (2004).

Why the title Transición?  I’ll tell you about it next time.  Obviously, Tito deserves another chapter in my salsa journey.  Talk to you soon and I’ll tell you about his 2009 adventure when he was in Puerto Rico fulfilling one of his musical dreams.

Tito Rodríguez, Jr. Transición

By: Bella Martinez “La Escritora Irreverente de La Salsa”

Puerto Rico

WebSite: Bella Martinez

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