Trying to define Latin music is like trying to catch a prism of light in a basket. You can look in the basket and see the colors there, but the moment you move, they’re gone.
Geography: Geographically, it encompasses the music of
Language: We could try to define Latin music in terms of language, by saying it’s music sung in Spanish. Oh wait, there’s Brazil and Portugal, so let’s amend that to Spanish and Portuguese. But it’s not that simple. Because, for starters, that approach would exclude all the great salsa and regional music coming out of English speaking urban centers. Genres: How about genres? If we try to define Latin music as
What we can do is take a look at the core music by country of origin, talk a little bit about the forms, genres and artists that made and continue to make their music great. We’ll offer you suggestions about the best music to listen to while making friends with some of these neighbors. Finally, we’ll spend a little time talking about the wonderful, colorful new music coming out of today’s urban centers. Hopefully it will be better than “You’ll know it when you hear it.” Although, you will know it when you hear it. And you'll love it.
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July 16 is a very particular day for Salsa music. Eight years ago, Celia Cruz, the Queen of Salsa, passed away in New Jersey. Sixty three years ago, Ruben Blades, one of the best Salsa singers in history, was born in Panama. Through death and life, Salsa music remembers today two of its most legendary artists.
Celia Cruz left a permanent imprint in Latin music. This year, her unforgettable smile was featured in a USPS stamp collection honoring Latin music legends. Throughout her career, she produced some of the most enduring songs in Salsa music. On the other hand, Ruben Blades was one of the leading voices that shaped the whole Salsa movement in New York along stars like Willie Colon and Hector Lavoe. His songs are charged with a message that has always questioned the world around us. His hit song "Pedro Navaja" is still regarded by many as one of the greatest Salsa songs ever produced. Through the never ending cycle of life and death, Latin music celebrates today the musical legacy of Celia Cruz and Ruben Blades. Dancing to Merengue songs is not for the physically challenged and a merengue dance party should come equipped with towels for the guests that can't resist dancing every number. I have to admit that this great playlist has been tamped down a bit making it music that even people over 30 can dance to!
1. Los Toros Band - "Mi Primer Millon" Dominican Los Toros Band used to boast Hector Acosta as the lead on their vocals until Acosta decided to go solo; lately they've been associated more with bachata than merengue although their music has always been a kaleidescope of Dominican music performed with great vocals. From Indetenibles 2. Puerto Plata - "La Cotorrita De Rosa"Merengue, like most genres, is changing with the addition of electronic elements, sped-up tempos and fusion with other forms. It's nice to take a break a listen to merengue in an older style, performed here by Jose Cobles and his band. Cobles took the name Puerto Plata from the Dominican town in which he was born. From Mujer De Cabaret 3. Joe Veras - "La Cadena Se Rompio"Joe Veras is another Dominican artist who fluctuates between bachata and merengue. This song from an all-merengue album starts with bachata instrumentation and then adds horns to great effect while still keeping its distinctive Dominican flavor. From Merengue de Joe Veras 4. Grupo Mania - "Me Miras Y Te Miro" Puerto Rico's Grupo Mania has been one of the most popular merengue groups in the world even after their lead singer, Elvis Crespo, went on to solo career in 1997. Grupo Mania has had a lot of hits, but I picked a slower tempo merengue for the less manic crowd. From Alto Honor 5. Elvis Crespo - "Suavemente" (Merengue Version) Speaking of Elvis Crespo, the Puerto Rican merengue king is still a touch manic even without the iconic Grupo Mania at his back. Suavemente was one of his most popular albums and the single "Suavemente" was a fan favorite, so he performed it in several styles. This one is a merengue version. From Suavemente..Los Exitos 6. Olga Tanon - "Muchacho Malo" Puerto Rican Olga Tanon has so many hit merengues under her belt that it was tough to pick just one track. I liked this one; the title could be translated to 'bad boy' and who doesn't like a bad boy? From Mujer de Fuego 7. Kumbia Kings - "Sshh!" (Merengue Version) Putting the popular (and now defunct) Texas band Kumbia Kings on the list was a departure from the music of the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, but I couldn't resist. "Sshh!" is one of the King's biggest hits, but the fact that the band did a merengue version of the tune just shows how popular the Dominican genre is all over the world. From All Mixed Up 8. La Makina - "No Me Digas Que No" Here's a tune from another Puerto Rican group that specializes in merengue. From Merengue Power 9. Fulanito - "Ahora!" Dominican Fulanito is a real kick. His music is faster than blazes, his fusions original and often unexpected. This track is a change of pace with an electro-synth and urban flare. From Americanizao 10. Los Hermanos Rosario - "Con Agua y Jambon" I like the big band merengue groups from the Dominican Republic, and Los Hermanos Rosario is one of the best and most popular. From Aura
When Guerra graduated from high school, he entered the Autonomic University of Santo Domingo, enrolling in courses in Philosophy and Literature, the sort of Liberal Arts curriculum that attracts many young freshmen still unsure of what they eventually want to do. Guerra Goes to Boston: A year later, his true passion became clearer and Guerra moved to the Music Conservatory of Santo Domingo. Subsequently he won a scholarship to the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston where he studied musical arrangement and composition and met his future wife, Nora Vega. Finishing college, he returned home and found work as a musical composer in television advertising. He also played guitar locally; it was during these gigs that he met the vocalists that eventually became the 4-40. First Album: In 1984, Guerra and the 4-40 released their first album, Soplando. Guerra was very interested in jazz, and he described the music on Soplando as a “fusion between traditional merenque rhythms and jazz vocalizations". Although the album didn’t do very well, it was re-released in 1991 as The Original 4-40 and today is considered a collector’s item. Record Contract: In 1985, the 4-40 signed a contract with Karen Records and, in an attempt to be more commercially accepted, Guerra altered their musical style to reflect the very popular, more commercial merengue. He included sections of ‘perico ripiao’, a form of merengue that added the accordion to the more traditional orchestration and was often performed at a very fast pace. His next two albums followed this formula and Guerra/4-40 started to gain in popularity and recognition Juan Luis Guerra and the 4-40: Since there were a lot of changes in the vocalists who made up the 4-40 over those years, by 1989 when the group’s first really successful album came out, the group’s name now featured Guerra as the central vocalist and Ojala Que Llueva Café (I Wish It Would Rain Coffee) was billed under ‘Juan Luis Guerra and the 4-40’. Bachata Rosa: The success of Ojala was followed by Bachata Rosa in 1990. Bachata Rosa sold 5 million copies, won a Grammy and is still today considered a seminal album in Dominican music. Although Guerra is not primarily a singer of traditional bachata, Bachata Rosa brought world awareness to a Dominican form of music that, before the album, was limited in popularity to the Dominican Republic Areito and Guerra's European Tour: 1992 saw the release of Areito and the beginning of controversy. Areito focused on poverty and poor conditions on the island as well as in many other parts of Latin America. His countrymen did not care for this change of tone from upbeat music to social commentary, but the album was well received in other parts of the world. Guerra spent that year touring Latin America and Europe. But living on the road was starting to get to him. His anxiety was high, touring was wearing him down and he started to wonder whether any amount of success was worth living like this. Fogarate and Retirement: Fogarte was released in 1994, but it met with limited success and the criticism that his music was getting stale. Guerra did a couple of concerts to promote the album and then, in 1995, he announced his retirement and concentrated on acquiring local television and radio stations and promoting unknown local talent. During the four years of his retirement, Guerra became interested in and converted to Evangelical Christianity. When he came out of retirement in 2004, it was to present the world with his new album Para Ti which was mostly religious in nature. The album did well, garnering two Billboard awards in 2005 (for "Best Gospel-Pop" and "Tropical-Merengue"). Guerra's music is neither strictly merengue nor bachata but blends those basic Dominican rhythms and forms with his love of jazz, pop, r&b, blues - or whatever musical style has caught his interest at the moment. His lyrics are poetic, his voice smooth with a slight rough edge, his musical sensibility always original. If you listen to his new, 2007 album, La Llave De Mi Corazon, you'll understand what makes this artist so extraordinary. Wilfrido Vargas is one of the most influential Merengue artists in history. A true Merengue pioneer, Vargas revolutionized the sounds of this vibrant Latin music genre, which he exposed to the world during the 1980s. The following is a short biography of the legendary Dominican artist Wilfrido Vargas.
Trivia
Wilfrido Vargas was born in 1949 in Altamira, a small town located in the Dominican province of Puerto Plata. Just like many other famous artists, Wilfrido Vargas developed his passion for music because he grew up surrounded by instruments and different melodies. Both of his parents were musicians and from an early age he was exposed to the sounds of guitar, flute and accordion. During the early 1970s, Wilfrido Vargas moved to Santo Domingo to pursue his music dreams. In 1972, he formed his first Merengue band called "Wilfrido Vargas y sus Beduinos." A couple of years later, he created a new band under the name "Wilfrido Vargas y Orquesta." King of Merengue Wilfrido Vargas built his reputation during the 1980s. In fact, back then he was the absolute king of Merengue music. He achieved that title because of the way he changed Merengue music by increasing the tempo of it and adding elements from other Tropical genres such as Cumbia, Reggae and Urban sounds. During this decade, Wilfrido Vargas produced some of his most enduring songs including "Abusadora," "El Jardinero," "Comejen" and "El Africano," among many others. Since then, Wilfrido Vargas has continued his career living out of everything he created during those years. During the 1990s, Merengue flourished as a worldwide phenomenon thanks to artists like Olga Tañon, Los Hermanos Rosario and Juan Luis Guerra. Even though Wilfrido Vargas lost some of the popularity he gained in previous years, his influence on Merengue music is perennial. He changed this music genre and opened the doors of the world to one of the most vibrant rhythms ever created in Latin Music. Born: Feb. 3, 1977
Trivia:
Early Days: In the early 1990s, hip hop was overshadowed by Spanish reggae coming in from Panama and rather than make a decision for one type of music over another, Yankee and like-minded friends began to rap over the popular dancehall music, creating a new musical fusion that over time was named reggaeton. From his experience with the active street life around him, Yankee had plenty to rap about. For instance, the budding performer had originally hoped for a career in baseball, but when he was 17, he was inadvertently caught in the middle of a barrio shoot-out and was shot in the leg, ending his professional baseball dreams. Daddy Yankee Records First Album: While hip hop and rap were still underground movements in Puerto Rico, there was one club where the new fusion was welcome called The Noise. Yankee started hanging out with the rappers and DJs at the club, and there he met the DJ/producer Playero, who gave him his start, featuring the budding artist on the 1992 album Playero 37, and who helped him with his full-length debut album, No Mercy, that was released in 1995. No Mercy did not receive much recognition, and Yankee continued recording as a guest artist on several other albums. El Cartel: In 2000 and 2001, Yankee independently released El Cartel and El Cartel Vol 2, albums that were very well-received in Puerto Rico, but received little attention in the outside world. In 2003, El Cangri.com caught the attention of urban music fans in Miami and New York, but it was with 2004’s Barrio Fino that brought him global recognition and debuted at the top of the Latin music charts. Daddy Yankee Becomes Star With 'Barrio Fino': Barrio Fino owed its phenomenal success to two singles that kept the album at the top of the charts for over a year. Surprisingly, while “Gasolina” made it to the top of Billboard’s "Hot 100" and even today may well be the single that non-Latinos associate with reggaeton, the album’s phenomenal success within the Latino community was “Lo Que Paso, Paso.” With “Rompe” from the 2005 album Barrio Fino en Directo, Daddy Yankee became the worldwide name associated with reggaeton. Barrio Fino en Directo was released under his own label, El Cartel, and quickly reached platinum status. Yankee then turned his energies to trading in on his name; he crafted deals with everyone from Reebok to Pepsi and, in many ways, became more of an entrepreneur than a musical artist. El Cartel: The Big Boss: In 2007, his long-awaited album El Cartel: The Big Boss was released to continued success. But straight reggaeton was starting to wane and Yankee was ready; in attempt to broaden the scope of reggaeton’s popularity, the new album featured a stellar guest list that included Akon, will.i.am and Fergie of the Black-Eyed Peas and Scott Storch, among others. Recently, Daddy Yankee has turned his attention to the movie industry. His film about a man from the barrio who finds salvation through urban music, Talento de Barrio, is currently in release. Yankee claims the film is only very roughly autobiographical. If you're interested in listening to the music of Daddy Yankee, here's a list of albums that should get you started on your way. Born: April 20,1923 in the Bronx, New York.
Died: May 31, 2000 in New York City while undergoing heart surgery. Quote: "If there is no dance, there is not music." Tito Puente Awards:
A consummate showman, Puente was called “El Rey del Timbao”(the King of Timbales), the “King of Latin Music’ and the “Sultan of Salsa” (even though he frequently argued that there was no such thing as salsa). So – what was there to be disappointed about? Well, he really wanted to be a dancer. The Early Years: Tito Puente was born in the Spanish Harlem section of New York City. His parents emigrated from Puerto Rico a few years before his birth; his father worked as a foreman for a razor blade factory. His mother, Ercilia, started his piano lessons when he was 6 years old and a little later added dance lessons. Unfortunately, Puente had a bicycle accident as a child, seriously injuring his leg and forever ending his dreams of dancing his way to the top. Although he was trained in piano, Gene Krupa was his hero, and Puente started studying percussion when he was 10. Five years later, he dropped out of school and took a seasonal job with a Miami Beach band where he learned and performed various Latin dance rhythms. Returning to Manhattan, he got a job with Jose Curbelo, who later became the first mambo king.World War II: Puente was drafted in 1942 and spent 3 years in the Navy, participating in 9 battles and learning to play the saxophone. Thankfully for Latin music, he came back from the war and took advantage of the GI bill. The next few years were spent at the Julliard School of Music, where he studied conducting, orchestration and musical theory Tito Puente Becomes The King of Mambo: In 1948 Tito Puente formed his own band, “The Piccadilly Boys”. A regular at the New York Palladium, Puente, Perez Prado and Tito Rodriguez became the stars of the Palladium, and helped popularize the new Cuban music called the mambo. In 1956, he was named the “King of Latin Music” by virtue of a popular poll and 1958 saw the release of his best seller Dance Mania. Jazz and Rock: In the 1960s, Puente became interested in jazz. He began playing in New York jazz clubs, trying to fuse jazz and the Latin beat he helped popularize. My favorite album from this period is Night Beat, recorded with Doc Severinson. In 1970, Carlos Santana recorded an old Puente hit "Oye, Como Va" and it skyrocketed into the Top 40, while in 1977 Santana and Puente performed together in a Manhattan concert that sent the audience into screaming fits of adoration, more typical of a Ricky Martin concert. Tito Puente never slowed down for a minute, recording his 100th album in 1992, opening a restaurant (see it in the wonderful film Calle 54) and establishing the Tito Puente Scholarship fund in order to help young artists work in music. Performing until the end, Puente collapsed after a concert in Puerto Rico. He died after open-heart surgery in May 2000. One of the most popular Reggaeton artists, Don Omar has made a solid contribution to the success this Latin music genre enjoys today. Often referred to as the King of Reggaeton, Don Omar is able to combine a nice Rap flow with rich melodies that borrow elements from different musical styles.
Early Days William Omar Landron was born in Puerto Rico in 1978. He grew up in the city of Santurce listening to Latin music genres like Salsa and Merengue. However, from an early age he also developed a taste for Urban music. He started his musical career singing in nightclubs and working as a backup singer for different artists. 'The Last Don' Don Omar's career kicked off from his very first solo production. Thanks to songs like "Dile," "Dale Don Dale" and "La Noche Esta Buena," his album The Last Don captured Reggaeton fans all over the world. The studio and live versions of this album have sold over a million copies worldwide. A Reggaeton Idol By 2006, Don Omar was already a Reggaeton sensation. Because of the popularity enjoyed by his album The Last Don, he was honored with various music awards that included the Best New Artist Award he got at the 2004 Billboard Latin Music Awards. Don Omar went back to the studio in 2006 to produce his next album: King Of Kings. This production received a Latin Grammy nomination in 2006 for Best Urban Album and sold over 500,000 copies around the globe. After King Of Kings, Don Omar has continued to build his image as one of the most influential artists of the Reggaeton genre. His albums iDon and Don Omar Presents: Meet The Orphans have also enjoyed big success among fans of this essential Reggaeton artist. In particular, the single "Danza Kuduro" from the latter album has become one of the most successful hits Don Omar has produced to this date. Merengue is a type of music strongly associated with Dominican national identity. The genre started gaining in popularity in the mid-19th century, displacing the current musical leader, tumba. Influenced by Spanish decema and plena, merengue is probably a close cousin of the Haitian "meringue", a musical genre sung in Creole but with a slower tempo and more sentimental melody.
Merengue Tipico: The early merengue was called "merengue tipico" and was origianally played on accordion (introduced by German trade merchants), saxophone, box bass, guyano and double-ended tambora drum. It was the music of the lower-classes in the early 20th century, called obscene because of oblique references to sexual and political issues. Evolution of Merengue: In the 1930s, merengue came into its own during the dictatorship of Rafael Turjillo. Because of his country roots, he was already a merengue fan; during his presidential campaign he asked several bands to write merengue music promoting his political bid and was a champion of merengue as the symbolic music of national culture. But Trujillo's rule was a reign of terror, and the somber mood of the country was reflected in its music. With the assassination of Trujillo in 1961, merengue starting incorporating American rock, R&B and Cuban salsa elements. The instrumentation changed, with electronic guitars and synthesizer replacing the traditional accordion. The first internationally well-known musician (and Dominican idol at the time) promoting merengue was Johnny Ventura. Johnny Ventura: Johnny Ventura started playing music in 1956 with the espoused goal of "waking up the audience." He succeeded by adding matching costumes and synchronized dance movement ala Motown. Ventura was the undisputed 'King of Merengue' for 3 decades, abetted by the "pay-as-you-play" (payola) radio promotion system that is still in effect today. Wilfrido Vargas: In the 1970s and 1980s, attention turned from Ventura to Wilfrido Vargas, the trumpeter and composer who was primarily responsible for bringing merengue to an international audience. Ventura had taken the first step in modernizing merengue; Vargas took it a step further. He increased the tempo to what it is today - a distinctive galloping speed. He then started fusing the predictable music with Latin American rhythms such as Colombian cumbia, reggae and eventually added hip hop and rap to the mix. He also broadened the appeal of the music by covering familiar Latin American ballads in the merengue style. Milly Quezada: There were many merengue stars that made their claim to fame during the 1990s including Jossie Esteban y La Patrulla 15, Sergio Vargas and Bonny Cepeda but the vocalist - and one of the few famale merengue artists - that caught the public's attention was Milly Quezada. Vying for the title of 'Queen of Merengue' with Puerto Rico's Olga Tanon is Milly Quezada. Before embarking on a solo career, Quezada was originally the lead vocalist for Milly y Los Vecinos which, while based in New York, proved that merengue could be popular and successful in the enclave of Puerto Rican salsa. Merengue Spreads from the Dominican Republic: Merengue did have an uphill battle catching on in New York but finally made successful inroads among the dance-crazy population. Helping to promote merengue's popularity was the large influx of Dominicans into the Puerto Rican dominated city. Over time, Dominican merengue gained an equal footing with Puerto Rican salsa romantica both in the dancehalls and on the radio. Olga Tanon & Elvis Crespo: As merengue's popularity increased with New York's Puerto Rican population, the Caribbean island started to spawn its own merengue stars. Chief among them is Olga Tanon, the other "Queen of Merengue" and probably the artist most responsible for promoting the genres popularity in Puerto Rico itself. Tanon's style is unique and wild, her contralto voice is strong and her music often courses through styles from electronic to flamenco. Elvis Crespo hit the Puerto Rican merengue scene with a big bang. While his musical style is similar to Tanon's, his look is unique with characteristic long, straight black hair and wild, trippy antics. Crespo originally sang with Grupo Mania before breaking out on his own in 1998. His debut album was the massive hit, Suavemente. The following list offers some of the best Reggaeton songs ever produced. If you are just getting into Reggaeton or want to get a party playlist of classic tracks from this genre, this is a good point to start. The list include some of the biggest names of Reggaeton music and so it includes hits from Don Omar, Wisin y Yandel, Tego Calderon and Daddy Yankee.
10. "Pasarela" - Dalmata This has been one of the most popular songs produced by Dalmata. The track, which is part of the 2007 collaboration work with Ñejo, offers an interesting melody that plays Reggaeton along Mariachi arrangements. A very nice song for a Reggaeton party night. Album: Broke & Famous 9. "Baila Morena" - Hector y Tito (feat. Glory and Don Omar) One of the most famous singles from Reggaeton duo Hector y Tito, "Baila Morena" includes the participation of Glory and Reggaeton superstar Don Omar. This single is usually considered one of the best Reggaeton songs. Album: Season Finale 8. "Lo Que Paso Paso" - Daddy Yankee From Daddy Yankee's hit album Barrio Fino, "Lo Que Paso Paso" is one of the best singles on this musical production. A perfect song for a party night and a playlist dealing with best Reggaeton songs. Album: Barrio Fino 7. "Metele Sazon" - Tego Calderon From one of the greates Reggaeton pioneers, "Metele Sazon" is one of Tego's best singles. On this track, Tego Calderon displays his distinctive flow that has captured Reggaeton fans all over the world. Album: Mas Flow 6. "Felina" - Hector y Tito One of the best song from Hector y Tito, this song offers the traditional contrast of voices that characterized the musical production developed by this Reggaeton duo. Album: A La Reconquista 5. "Baila Conmigo" - Zion y Lennox "Baila Conmigo" is part of the Reggaeton compilation album Desafio. This is a 2003 hit from the Puerto Rican duo and it is definitely one of the best Reggaeton songs especially if you are in a dancing mood. Album: Desafio 4. "Oye Mi Canto" - N.O.R.E. (feat. Daddy Yankee) "Oye Mi Canto" has been one of the most succesful songs especially on radio stations. The melody offers a nice contrast of good Reggaeton flow with the female chorus that goes along the song. This is one of the best singles by N.O.R.E and the track includes the participation of Daddy Yankee. Album: Oye Mi Canto 3. "Rakata" - Wisin y Yandel Reggaeton's most popular duo Wisin y Yandel have produced many hits. "Rakata" is regarded as one of the best Reggaeton songs ever produced by the Puerto Rican artists. Album: Mas Flow 2 2. "Dile" - Don Omar From the album The Last Don, this track became one of the biggest hits in the musical career of Don Omar. The single offers a great interpretation from one of today's most influential Reggaeton stars. Album: The Last Don 1. "Gasolina" - Daddy Yankee" Gasolina" is probably the most famous Reggaeton song in history. This track became a worldwide hit that moved Reggaeton music to new levels of popularity. Thanks to this song, Daddy Yankee became a superstar of this genre. Album: Barrio Fino |
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