September 8 - Show #24

Theme song: Chin chon chow – Louie Ramírez

Song-Artist-Album-Label

Times are changin’ – Jimmy Sabater/Louie Ramírez – Louie’s Grooves – Vampisoul

A deeper shade of soul – Ray Barretto – Acid – Fania

Oh, yeah! – Joe Cuba Sextet – We Got Latin Soul – Charly Records

Boogaloo mania – Charlie Palmieri – Rough Guide to Bogaloo – World Music Network

Fever – La Lupe – El Barrio: The Bad Boogaloo Nu Yorican Sounds 1066-1970 – Fania

Taking over – Ralph Robles – Latin Soul, Descarga & Boogaloo – Manzana Producciones Discográficas

One, two, three – Ramsey Lewis – Goin’ Latin – Verve

Soul limbo – Cándido – Thousand Finger Man – Blue Note

McCanna – Les McCann Ltd. – A gozar! – Blue Note

La bruja negra – Joe Torres – Latino Con Soul – World Pacific

Soul cha – Joe Torres – Latino Con Soul – World Pacific

Latin bit – The Jazz Crusaders – A gozar! – Blue Note

El arriero – Gato Barbieri – Fénix – RCA/BMG France

Ilya – Irakere – The Best of Irakere – Sony

Samba Toff – Sexteto de Jazz Moderno – The Bossa Nova Exciting Jazz Samba Rhythms Vol. 5 – Rare Groove

Isto é bossa nova – Os Farroupilhas – The Bossa Nova Exciting Jazz Samba Rhythms Vol. 5 – Rare Groove

Mr. Lucky – Vince Guaraldi – The Latin Side of Vince Guaraldi – Fantasy/Original Jazz Classics

Lumen – Moonshine – Café Do Brasil: A Pure Blend of Cool Brazilian Music – Metro/Union Square Music

Sem essa – Wilson Simonal – Can You Dig It? Thrilling Rare Grooves from Jazz to Soul ‘n’ Brazil to Boogaloo – Brown Sugar Records

Corcovado – Everything but the girl – Red Hot + Rio – Antilles/Verve



Highlights of the show:

Latin Soul opened today with a great set of boogaloo and Latin soul. Great kick off setting the tone for fun and crazy dance. Here you may find a review on two of the albums which are long-time favourites of Latin Soul!




Latin Soul opened today with a set of boogaloo, a catchy rhythm based on fusion of different musical styles. The tag of Latin soul also lies close to describing what this sound is like: the sinergies from musicias growing and living in the Spanish and Black Harlem from the late 60´s and early 70´s in New York City. These two albums here reviewed are compilations presented which have been favourites of the show since the very first days of Latin Soul back in February. Either 'We Got Latin Soul', released in 1987 by the British label Charly Records, or 'El Barrio: The Bad Boogaloo Nu Yorican Sounds 1966-1970', a Fania label 2006 reissue, are great compilations to get introduced to this ephemeral style that wiped the Latin club scene and airwaves during a bunch of years at a crossroads of styles and changing times. From this sounds, the more popular salsa started to get more popular, and boogaloo couldn´t fit any longer. It is a hard position to be at when you may sound more like soul with English lyrics and next track lacks the presence of the brass and it is pure steady Latin rhythm. Nonetheless, the innovation and the fresh sounds catched a fire for a while, and today they are great tunes to revisit and check on creativity of artists of the times. The clapping beat present along the songs is truly an asset to let one self be carried away and twist, shout and grab if you are to dance in company. Preety much all the great Latin artists of the time had themselves carried away and participated of the new movement. 'We Got Latin Soul' opens with a long-time favourite that got to the top of the charts and put boogaloo on the map: 'El watusi', by the obiquotous Ray Barretto is a hot tune sustained by a monotone catchy piano beat and a crazy percussion as background to a conversation-like lyrics in Spanish. Ray Barretto and his percussion is to Latin soul what Miles Davis to cool jazz. You may find his 'Soul drummers' and he also closes the album with 'Boogaloo con soul'. Awesome timbales solos guaranteed! The rest of the album presents artists such as Joe Cuba with 'Sock it to me' and 'Oh, yeah', the song aired tonight, two pure fun tunes grabbing you to at least tip and tap your foot, even jump here and there. Joe Bataan´s 'It´s a good feeling (riot)' couldn't be a more accurate pick. Tito Puente is brought with two tunes as well, remarkable the rendition done to Miriam Makeba´s classic ' Pata pata'. In conclusion, a must have if you want to know more of Latin sounds with a very peculiar prospective on a very hot sound. The second compilation -El Barrio: The Bad Boogaloo Nu Yorican Sounds 1966-1970'- is another boogaloo must have to enjoy and know the basics of the style. Some big hits of Latin as La Lupe and her version on 'Fever', the song aired tonight, alternate with more obscure artists as the great The Latinaires, whose 'Camel walk' theme is a favourite of Latin Soul. You may find here artists as Ray Barretto, Eddie Palmieri, Ralph Robles, Johnny Colón, Bobby Valentín and Joe Cuba, among other great and maybe not so popular musicians. More tracks in this album than this other and a more varied selection truly enjoyable. These two albums and you'll be trapped in the clapping, the hot lyrics -mostly in English-, the beating piano and the soul brass, just to describe it somehow. Truly recomendable music to have fun. As they said in the heat of the boogaloo moment: Sock it to me!! All of this and more, always on Latin Soul, on Tuesdays nights at nine pm on the North East Texas region on 88.9 FM KETR, or on ketr.org. Thanks for listening!