…Fruko was also involved in a group called the Latin Brothers,
who had a string of hits in the mid-seventies.Like most of the
Disco Fuentes projects there was something faintly old-fashioned
about their trombone led sound, but over the decades they have
acted as a school for some of the greatest of Colombia’s salsa
and tropical musicians, both instrumentalists and singers.
Among their number was Joe Arroyo, the biggest Colombian
figure in salsa, and inventor of the purely Colombian phenomenon
called musica tropical, a salsa based music that incorporates
the native rhythms of the coast.
A masterful singer who merges cumbia, salsa, merengue,
compas, soca and other Caribbean musics seamlessly into his
Joe-son mix, Joe Arroyo’s early life followed the the well-trodden
path of many Colombian singers; he started singing professionally
at the age of eight, and by seventeen he joined Fruko y sus Tesos.
After a period with the Latin Brothers, he formed his own group
La Verdad in 1981. His effective mixture of Colombian and general
Caribbean rhythms presented in an exhilarating and colourful stage
show has brought him to the forefront of those Latin musicians
whose appeal is not limited to one country, but stretches
across the continent and beyond..( the Rough Guide )

tracks;

1 El son del caballo
2 Suavecito… apretaito
3 Deja ese orgullo
4 Para tí mi cantar
5 La india catalina
6 El palito de limón
7 Guantaranure
8 A sol caliente
9 La mondonguera
10 Juan retazo

Our minds are funny things, do you know that phenomenon ?
The way an lp sleeve can influence what we think about it..
When we see a cover with a cheesy picture of a nude, we
expect a lesser album then when seeing an album cover
like this one. Our perception can fool us sometimes but
in this particular case the sleeve doesn’t lie. I think this
lp is exceptional good as frontsleeve already suggests.
Great picture of a great band, Anibal Velasquez made
dozens of albums. Though not entirely sure, I’ve got
reason to believe this lp is from 1974. What ever
year it was, ‘Golpe Currambero’ will convince
you of Anibal Velasquez’ quality’s,
listen and agree..

tracks;

1 El emigrante
2 Mi fosforito
3 Mi casa vacia
4 Tomasa
5 La paciencia
6 Soy tu marido
7 Golpe currambero
8 Mi suki suki
9 No vuelvo contigo
10 Que mujer
11 Esta listo
12 El tartamudo

Spring is making an early entry this year, very nice, little sunshine
temperatures around 17 degrees, nothing to complain about.
Sunny weather asks for sunny music, let’s see what happens
with Pedro Laza y sus Pelayeros. His tropical sound should
find a few happy listeners at least, get & spread..

tracks;

1 La machaca
2 Juancho el flojo
3 La lora
4 La parijuela
5 La tijera
6 El guayabo
7 Negrito revuelve el agua
8 Rosa ines
9 Asi son
10 La batata

Colombians are lucky people don’t you think ? Living
in a warm tropical country, their mothers gave them
the most beautiful names thinkable. Perhaps I am
just being sentimental but names like Aniceto Molina,
Lisandro Meza, Lucho Bermudez, Guillermo Buitrago,
Calixto Ochoa, Michi Sarmiento, I could go on and on.
Here in my little polderland we have names like Jan,
Henk, ko, Piet en Kees. I know every country it’s own
charm and culture and I am very Dutch so don’t mis-
understand me but I can envy you guys with such great
names. What really completes it of course is the music.
Colombian Tropical is the happiest sound you can
imagine, Aniceto Molina is here at the GG to
make you realize once more..

tracks;

1 El niño ingles
2 La palomilla del brujo
3 La mexicanita
4 El tragon
5 La rolita
6 Van a chivatear
7 Baila mi rumba
8 Cuando sera ese dia
9 En el monte
10 Con quien la vio

Okay fellow groovers, back to reality. When I first saw
this lp, I was naive and thought it had something to do
with Colombian salsa band ‘Sonora Carruseles’. And
when listening to the first track one continues to feel
a certain link with the group. However after searching
the web for it, I didn’t find anything. Listening to the lp
I got captured by surprise, as pleased as punch, “lo
Primero Conjunto Miramar” found it’s self another fan.
Original songs, no salsa but cumbias, porros, pregon,
Guaracha, son and guajira, pure sweetness to the ear.
Now I have tried to convince you before, so no more
superlatives, just get it and give it a spin..azúcar !..

tracks;

1 Carruseles
2 Reina de cumbias
3 Sufre negra
4 Picale
5 La silenciosa
6 Pregonando
7 Chela
8 Salpicon
9 La pestañita
10 Mar adentro

..over 200 downloads for this lp,
very good numbers..

tracks;

1 El mejoral
2 El estanquillo
3 El chevrolito
4 Merenguito sabroso
5 Agustinita
6 Bertha caldera
7 El medallon
8 Toca colacho
9 El playonero
10 Se fue mi amor

When you take this lp in your hands and look for any scratches,
you won’t find them. Listening to it however I’m affraid we have
to accept some noises towards the end of side-b. Especially
track 11. side-a is clean but is slightly off centre so getting
closer to track 6 it is starting to sound false a bit. Now about
the quality of the music, that’s another story. Take the second
number, ‘El aguacero’ by Anibal Velasquez, I fell in love with
that song straight away, the backing drums are somehow
quite different, I love’m, simply irresistible..
Overall, wonderful release, awesome
cover, some great tunes,
small disturbing
errors..

tracks;

1 Los Corraleros – Juana patiño
2 Anibal Velasquez – El aguacero
3 Luis E. Martinez – Cumbia sampuesana
4 Climaco Sarmiento – La cigarra
5 Los Hispanos – Cumbia marinera
6 Banda y Corors de Bocachica – Si mañana muero
7 Julio Erazo – Cumbia de margarita
8 Los Alegres del Sinu – Cumbia cereteana
9 Luis E. Martinez – Cumbia cienaguera
10 Los Corraleros – Cumbia campesina
11 Alejandro Duran – Me quede llorando
12 Andres Landero – La pollera rosada

On Discos Fuentes we find this swell collector. It’s from
1974 and it has the traditional Fuentes pretty girls sleeve.
You may say, kinda cheap but I like’em a lot. Other than
that it contains some real jewels, another Angel Vásquez
song amongst others. Don’t miss it, Colombian gold..

tracks;

1 Andrés Landero – Muchachas cumbiamberas
2 A.M. Mejía – Lindo magdalena
3 César Castro – La cachuchona
4 Andrés Landero – La cigarrona
5 A. Lenes – Dos puntas
6 Eliseo Herrera – Cumbia saramuya
7 Don Fabián – Cumbia que te vas de ronda
8 Eliseo Herrera – La bonga
9 Pablo Flórez – Palo prieto
10 Angel Vásquez – Uuey ja
11 Ramón Vargas – La motilona
12 Duque Palomino – Cumbia de amores

..know something, I’m getting tired of my own writing,..
it really sucks..I can’t tell you anything useful, don’t know
anything about the band,..just know what my ears tell me
..azucar, this vallenato is pure Colombian treasure..
..nothing else..I’ll shut up now, go listen..

tracks;

1 El picaflor
2 Corazon adolorido
3 El pobre no se endereza
4 Lluvia de amor
5 Zenaida
6 Enamorao con pena
7 Recuerdos
8 Pajaro sorprendido
9 Petronita
10 El regaño

Friends of vallenato, attention. This old record brings us
some of the finest. It starts out with Emiliano Zuleta’s
‘Gota Fria’, a straight hit if you ask me. Nicolás ‘Colacho’
Mendoza is vocally accompanied by his friends Pedro
García Díaz and Esteban Salas. The rest of the group are;
Adán Enrique Monteras – guacharaca
Juán José Calderón – cajero
Carlos Huertas Trujillo – guitarra
Justo Velázquez – bajo
Carlos Veléz – cencerro
Acordeón by Nicolás ‘Colacho’ Mendoza
I am not exactly sure about the year of release, the back-
sleeve speaks of 1967 but my Spanish is not good enough.
Can anyone translate and tell us please ?
Great, thanks in advance, now get listening and be sure to
spread it around, enjoy..

tracks;

1 Gota fria
2 Ausencia
3 Sin razon
4 Matilde
5 Rosita
6 Amargura
7 El tigre de amador
8 El cumpleaños
9 Aparecio la ilusion