He was eight years old when he got kicked by a horse and became blind.
Cuban tres player and Band leader Arsenio Rodriguez is still the
main name if we speak of 40’s and 50’s Son. They say he is one of the
most influential figures in Cuban Son, together with trumpeteer Felix
Chappottin. Salsa we hear today is still based on the sound that these
great musicians made some 50 years ago. This is a rare and classic
Cuban album, get it while you can.

tracks;

1 Carraguao alante
2 Hay fuego en el 23
3 Buenavista en Guaguancó
4 Devuelveme la ilusion
5 Adorenla como a Marti
6 El homenaje esta hablando bien
7 Blanca paloma
8 Mami me gusto
9 Que feliz yo fuera
10 Besame aqui
11 La fonda de bienvenido
12 Recuerdo bien

Rumba is pure Afro-Cuban music for only voices and percussion.
It began with harber workers singing and dancing in their spare
time in the docks of Havana and Matanzas, playing rhythms on
cargo boxes. It comes in three styles, Guaguancó, Yambú and
Columbia. Carlos Embale is one of the main performers of the
guaguancó style, enjoy this rare LP.

tracks;

1 Timbalaye
2 Mañana te espero, niña
3 Donde estabas anoche
4 El mulato rumbero
5 Oh! Humanidad
6 Llora como llore
7 Tonache
8 Chambeleque
9 Genial compositor
10 Gongorongon

I have never heard one bad tune by these guys, everything
they play sounds great. This is an oldie on Ansonia, anyone
who knows from what year it is ? Los Guaracheros de Oriente
played all over the globe and with great succes everywhere.
From the almost unreal amount of downloads on the previous
LP I posted by these men, I would say, don’t miss it !

tracks;

1 El tira y jala
2 Migajas de cariño-aquella boca
3 La fiesta de los feos
4 Como tu
5 Soy un peje
6 La mulata
7 Tatalibaba
8 Si llego a besarte
9 La juma de ayer
10 Embriagame
11 Asi cantaba
12 Compay Gallo

It was in 1997, when ‘Buena Vista Social Club’ launched their
historic first cd with Ry Cooder, that I learned about Pio Leiva.
He was one of the singers, that worked with Compay Segundo
since the 50’s. Leiva was one of the main performers of the
Montuno genre, they called him ‘el Montunero de Cuba’.
He wrote the number ‘Francisco Guayabal’ that became a hit
via Beny Moré and played with Bebo Valdes and Noro Moralez.
I was one of the lucky visitors of the Amsterdam Carré Theater
when Wim Wenders made his movie of the Buena Vista Social Club,
an unforgettable evening.
This is an album on his own name and it’s a great one.
Listen to Pio Leiva !

tracks;

1 Mi chiquita
2 Bajo un palmar
3 Mireya
4 La juma de ayer
5 No te preocupes
6 Pescadores de Camaron
7 La noche buena
8 Un jardinero de amor
9 Torcuata
10 Que me digan feo
11 Cangrejada
12 Los golpes de caridad

Orguesta Aragon started out in 1939 in Cienfuegos, Cuba. They were
not the inventors but the main performers of the Cha Cha Chá.
This is the type of band that keeps existing through the years.
One member leaves the band, another comes in. Their career now
runs for about 7 decades. They still perform today. The quality
of this LP is not very well, but still worth a listen. read_more

tracks;

1 Le dije a una rosa
2 El baile suavito
3 Ven y ven
4 La muela
5 Mi escapulario
6 Que calor
7 Naranjo y Lucas
8 Separala tambien
9 Clavelitos
10 No puedo vivir
11 Comelon
12 Ah, que familia señor

My first encounter with Guillermo Portabales was in 1996, when
this_great_CD_came_out.
He was a unique performer of the ‘Guajira’, a rhythm that is halfway
between ‘Punto’ and ‘Son’. Born in 1911 in Cuba, Cienfuegos,
Guillermo was named the creator of ‘Guajira de Salon’ because he
added melodie and cadence and made it his own.
This album was recorded in 1970 in Puerto Rico with Los Guaracheros
de Oriente, also Cuban. Portabales settled in Puerto Rico and stayed
there until his untimely death on 25th October 1970.
He was hit by a car on leaving a gig at ‘La Palma’ restaurant,
he was 59 years old with a musical career spanning 42 years.

For this once I had to do some colouring on the cover,
it has some ugly stickers and other damage.

tracks;

1 Guanajo relleno
2 Se me fue la montuna
3 Canto a la Vueltabajera
4 Luz que no alumbra
5 Los carreteros
6 Esto se llama montuno
7 Mi son Cubano
8 Voy a Santiago a morirme
9 A la orilla del guaso
10 Echale salsita

From Cuba, this is Conjunto Casino, well known for their renditions
of many styles. Founded in 1937 as Sexteto Casino and grew
stronger eversince. Ansonia guarantees a fine piece of Latin
music oncemore.

tracks;

1 Tu me brindaste tu amor
2 Basta ya de llanto
3 La cuerda floja
4 Besame o mienteme
5 Papa y Aji
6 Ven ven
7 Vivo en la montaña
8 Siempre
9 Ocoricoco
10 La naturaleza
11 Besame alma mia
12 Que titingo

Elio Revé Matos, (right side)( picture; ‘the Rough Guide’ on World Music )
Forget about this cover and check the music !

One of Cuban’s styles born out of ‘Son’ is ‘Changüí’.
It’s main performer is without doubt the late ‘Elio Revé Matos’,
He died in a car accident in 1997, a great loss to Cuban music.
The LP I ripped for you, by Orquesta Revé, is a fine example of
his fantastic sound. It’s cover is awful but it’s music is great.
I’ve added the cover they used for the later issued cd.

tracks;

1 Ruñidera
2 Rumberos Latino-Americanos
3 Se que tu sabes que yo se
4 Changüí campanero
5 La boda en bicicleta
6 Que lastima me da contigo mi amor
7 Tan linda
8 21 de Mayo

Time for Latin again.
It was many years ago, that I thought I bought this LP,
came home from a fair with a totally different album inside.
So when I found it again, a few months ago, I checked it first,
bought it again and concluded I finally got it.
Very nice son by ‘Mario Muñoz “Papaíto”‘, produced
by Roberto Torres.

tracks;

1 Mi son hace sentir
2 Hay comentarios
3 Al romper la aurora
4 Buey viejo
5 Cimarrón
6 Guajira de mis amores

Global Groove’s Sunday Special is all about Cuban Music today.
I had a special friend in Cuban music. As I have friends in every
type of music. If I want to find out something concerning Reggae or
Popmusic, I turn to my buddy Gerard. If it concerns Samba, I turn to
Zeca or Justin, for questions about Cuban music I always went to my
late friend Dirk. On an occasion, Dirk was in some kind of financial
trouble, he sold me his complete collection of Cuban music. He knew
that I would keep it all together, waiting for better times. I am so
sorry he left us.
Now I am just wishfully assuming that the here-after is somehow
connected to the World Wide Web. This is my chance to give him
back some of the music that he loved so much ! To you Dirk !

Beny Moré y su Orquesta – Y sus Amigos

This is one of Dirk’s albums,
Beny Moré with his sharp voice, a national hero in Cuba.
I quote the backcover;
“These recordings focus on different stages of Beny’s carreer.
From the early days of the mambos recorded with Perez Prado in
Mexico, to Mariano Merceron, Ernesto Duarte and eventually his own
big band in Cuba. Also included here are two of the classical duos
with Pedro Vargas and Beny’s own giant band recorded in the
mid 50’s in Cuba.”

tracks;

1 Fiesta de tambores
2 Salomon
3 Maria Cristina
4 Demasiado Santa
5 No me vayas a engañar
6 Tu veras Margot
7 Dulce desengaño
8 La vida es un sueño
9 Solamente una vez
10 Bombon de pollo