Here's some pure, unadulterated, swingin' salsa gorda from the Bronx that will most definitely get them onto the dance floor. No romantica filler material, only capital 'S' Salsa decked out with with four trumpets, two trombones and terrific tres and cuatro accompaniment by Louis 'Carrasceao' Rodriguez. There are two generations at work here: Dave Santiago Sr. is one of the lead vocalists and plays guiro and maracas. His son, Dave Santiago Sr., plays flute. Latin Affair also boasts one of our favorite New York congueros, Papo Pepin. (review by Descarga) Learn More
Great Colombian band (well, based in Miami, with musicians from all over the world) that merges the power of Fania era salsa with modern Colombian blast-off swing. Great singing, cool nasal coros, Colombian style, great band, good material, including a medley of Hector Lavoe's "La Murga" and "Che Che Cole," plus classic tunes like Ray Barretto's "Nadie Se Salva da La Rumba," and a bunch of originals. This is letter perfect salsa, no mistakes, no bad tempos, no intonation problems; everything's for dance euphoria, percussion slapping away, the coros accentuating the proceedings, the singer winding his way through the backdrops, everything coming together in a non-stop festival. Highly Recommended. (review by Descarga) Learn More
Cross cultural meeting, led by the German pianist Gunther Bruck, who can bring a band together, that's for sure. Recorded mostly in Brooklyn, the album features some heavyweights from Venezuela, including the brothers Quintero, Luisito and Robert, along with Nelson Gonzalez on tres, and the Colombian/Austrian bassist Juan Garcia-Herreros. The music's really flexible, dropping into timba breaks, then moving into salsa; it's made by masters, and you can tell. Learn More