Starting from Scratch- Boogaloo (RR)
thesolelife
369 Posts
For the past few months, I've been researching the Boogaloo era/genre and now have gained a greater appreciation for latin music overall (late pass). I have a few pieces (Buena Vista Social Club S/T, Bwana, Nil's, Copa 7, to name a few) but am getting deeper into these genres.I started with Joe Bataan, and several of other comps to get a better feel for what I might be looking for. So, I stepped up my game and went to GM and copped Johnny Colon's Boogaloo '67. I've also been looking at the Fania, Cotique, Tico, et al. catalogs for more research.My question is- what do Stutters think are the essential pieces that need to be in my crates? Obviously, to each its own, I know, but, it's always good to see what "the experts" are picking up.
Comments
http://www.soulstrut.com/reviews/list.php?category=Latin&page=2
http://www.soulstrut.com/reviews/list.php?category=Latin&page=3
Luckily, your timing coincides with Fania re-releasing dozens of albums that might be to your interest, including many albums formerly on Tico and Cotique that Fania has managed to buy out.
The question though is whether you want entire albums or best-of comps. Given that a lot o boogaloo-era albums had material on there that wasn't striclty boogaloo but were also mambos, cha cha chas, guarachas, etc. if you're just hunting boogaloo stuff, then, in some cases, you might be better off with a comp rather than trying to nail down the entire album.
That said, here's what I'd recommend for starters:
Ricardo Ray: Se Solto
It's arguably the first album to use the Latin boogaloo title and even though it's not considered a top tier boogaloo album, I think it's worth having just for the sake of. Plus, it's not that expensive, all things considered.
Joe Cuba: Bang! Bang! Bang! Push! Push! Push!
ESSENTIAL. And great.
Pete Rodriguez: I Like It Like That
To me, not quite as essential as the Cuba album but "I Like It Like That" was a monster hit and the other boogaloos on here are decent too.
Joe Bataan: Gypsy Woman + Subway Joe
Boogaloo/Latin soul at their finest meeting point. All of Bataan's Fania stuff is excellent, especially "Riot," but I'd start with these two for certain.
Ray Barretto: Acid
ESSENTIAL. I'd also, eventually, get "Together," "Hard Hands" and "Power"..."Latino Con Soul" too, but start with "Acid." Barretto is, to me, the most vital force in this whole lineage given how he helped influence the early sound of Latin soul and then ends up dropping these monster albums in the genre (and post-boogaloo). I celebrate his whole catalog.
Comp-wise, I've always been a big fan of the Harmless series of Latin soul/boogaloo albums. They have very good taste and their liner notes are good for learning more. THeir four main titles are:
Big Bad Boogaloo
Broasted or Fried
Freak Off
Brown Sugar
All are highly recommended.
I haven't checked out some of these new Fania comps that have dropped like "Boogaloo Di Siempre" or that Gilles Peterson CD, but both look like they have solid titles on there.
I'd also recommending reading - with careful qualifiers - Juan Flores' "Cha Cha With a Backbeat" which remains the only real scholarly research into the history of boogaloo. Keep in mind: Flores gets down some important parts of the history BUT he also gets some facts surprisingly wrong (for example, he says Willie Colon never recorded any boogaloos which is patently incorrect since "El Malo" has several boogaloos on it). Flores' essay is still a good place to start though.
http://www.boogaloorestaurant.com/
I have some really hot nuyorican cds from early/mid 90s that would help you gauge what your feeling. I can link a few tracks up later after work. The Lat-Teens, Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers, The Latin Souls and The Latinaires. Johnny Colos "Boogaloo Blues" is a fav for me and Hector Riveras "At the Party" is also nice.
I would say start with stuff by these artists and branch out from that.
El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico
Charlie Palmieri
Ray Barretto
Willie Bobo
Willie Col??n
Mongo Santamaria
Pete Terrace
Joe Cuba
Bobby Valentin
Larry Harlow
Candido
Ricardo Ray
Joe Bataan
I have Flores' part on Boogaloo already so I think I'm off to a good start per your recommendations.
I also bought Our Latin Thing DVD and that shit is
Oliver, is it also true that many latin "purists" destest Boogaloo due to it not being true latin music i.e. Salsa or Mambo?
That's the conventional wisdom though I don't know there's a huge consensus around it. Certainly, a lot of Latin giants like Puente and Eddie Palmieri thought very little of the boogaloo...even though they recorded them (Palmieri's "Aye Que Rico" really is quite excellent). From Bataan's perspective, he felt like there was a lot of resentment by mambo-era giants towards the young cats making money off boogaloo and there's some interesting racial subtexts to this controversy as well.
What you can say is that boogaloo drew much more from African American rhythm than previous Latin dances that made it big in the U.S. (which were mostly Cuban in origin) and that this crossover between the Black and Brown audiences was extraordinary even if it wasn't unprecedented (i.e. Nuyorican ballrooms attracted diverse crowds pre-boogaloo).
A more of a logistical digging question. I am having a hard time finding Boogaloo stuff, albeit I'm only digging in the Sacramento/San Francisco/Oakland/other Northern Cali areas or online (Bay on occasion or Dusty). I do wanna see what Records has though (on Melrose).
I heard many latin vinyl come from NY or East Coast and rarely makes/made its way West. Places like GM have these pieces cuz Chris actually looks for these pieces. So is it the case of these pieces being rare or shit is just dried up already out here. Perhaps a little bit of both?
The quest always continues though. Never stop digging!!!
Greatly appreciate it!!!
Perez Prado, like many other artists, also jumped on the Boogaloo bandwagon and released his own album of boogaloo songs. I don't quite remember the title, though it comes up on ebay here and there. He also released later on some funky instrumental albums, though not boogaloo, under his full name damaso perez prado on dimsa and orfeon. you should definitely pick these up when you can, as well as that "bugala tropical" album (i think dustygroove has it) which has killer boogaloo songs from south america.
Yeah, that Vampisoul comp is all boogaloo from Peru, specifically...I don't think it's across all South America.
And it's funny that Prado should come out. I was listening to his 1976 Dimsa album, "El Fabuloso" album before this thread came on. I wouldn't really call it boogaloo (nor his earlier stuff like "Love Child" or "Escandalo" boogaloo albums but they're definitely on some Latin funk tip.
But if thesolelife is interested in boogaloo stuff, I wouldn't try to sift the Prado stuff in there just yet. It's on some other sound.
Yeah, that comp does not cover all of South America, just Peruvian Boogaloo releases from the label Mag. Though, some of the artists are from other parts than Peru, like Alfredito Linares who's from Ecuador.