FANIA ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE OF A DELUXE 2-DISC, 34-TRACK BOX SET OF THE LATE LEGENDARY JOE CUBA
“A MAN AND HIS MUSIC – EL ALCALDE DEL BARRIO” SET FOR RELEASE (February 23, 2010)
New York, NY – January 11, 2010: Fania Records announced today the release of a deluxe 2-disc, 34-track box set of the father of Latin Boogaloo, Joe Cuba. This release is scheduled for February 23, 2010 and commemorates one-year after the passing of this legend. Joe Cuba: A Man and His Music – El Alcalde Del Barrio is
a truly exceptional two-disc compilation with an accurate assemblage of
his recordings never previously compiled in album form. Featuring his
international hits “Bang Bang” and “El Pito (I’ll Never Go Back to Georgia),”
and many other diverse numbers that spanned his illustrious career,
carefully selected and researched by Latin music veteran and prominent
producer Bobby Marín.
Joe Cuba’s music embodied a perfect balance of sounds and lyrics
(both in English and Spanish) that appealed to both Anglo listeners as
well as his core Latin devotees. After listening to songs like “Swinging Mambo”
you can hear how the “mayor of the barrio” infiltrated into the Jewish
and Italian markets in New York and eventually nationwide. As
architect of the Joe Cuba sound, Joe was adept at creating pure
excitement in all of his 240 recorded titles. Few entertainers can claim to have performed at Carnegie Hall, the Apollo Theater, Hollywood Palladium, Madison Square Garden, and the Caribbean Pavilion at the 1964 World’s Fair, but Joe certainly could.
Joe Cuba (Gilberto Navarro) was born on April 22, 1931, in Spanish
Harlem, New York City, where his Puerto Rican parents moved in the late
‘20’s. Captivated by the conga playing of Sabu Martínez, Gilbert took
the opportunity to learn the instrument while recovering from a broken
leg suffered playing stickball. Gilbert jammed in the street until
given the chance to replace Sabu for a few months as part of a local
band, La Alfarona, X in 1950. Shortly after, he joined Spanish
Harlem’s Joe Panama Quintet, where Jimmy Sabater was a timbales player.
After recruiting vibraphonist Tommy Berrios, Gilbert and the band had a
falling out with Panama and formed the Cha Cha Boys with Gilbert
Calderón as the bandleader. Much to his surprise, Gilbert would soon be
billed as “Joe Cuba” by his promoter, Catalino Rolón, and the name
would stick.
A generation of Latinos growing up in Spanish Harlem in the 1960’s
were influenced by their parents more traditional musical tastes, but
adapted and combined it with the R&B and Bebop of the time to
create their own unique style, which became known as Boogaloo. Joe
Cuba was instrumental in the development of boogaloo and had the
biggest hit of the 60s with “Bang Bang,” which achieved unprecedented
success for Latin music in the US in 1966 when it sold over one million
copies. Joe’s pivotal role in the boogaloo style had him nicknamed the
“Father of Latin Boogaloo,” and his leadership in the community had him
coined rightfully so, “the mayor of the barrio” (El Alcalde Del Barrio).
Joe Cuba led an extraordinary life and left behind a legacy of
wonderful music for us to take pleasure in, as you will discover upon
listening to this album. His presence will be eternally missed, but his
spirit remains with those fortunate to have known him.
These tracks have been digitally remastered from the original master
tapes. The deluxe set includes a 32-page booklet with extensive liner
notes in English and Spanish written by Bobby Marín, never-seen photos, and the album covers of Cuba’s great recordings. The set joins The Man and His Music series that has featured such artists as Tito Rodríguez, Celia Cruz, Hector Lavoe, Willie Colón, and Rubén Blades, all on the Fania label, whose catalog Código Music recently acquired. Joe Cuba: The Man and His Music is the second release in this series from Código Music.
Special Joe Cuba record release parties featuring live acts and DJs
will be held in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco in February.
Eddie Santiago, born 18 August
1955, is a famous salsa singer from Puerto Rico. At a young age,
Santiago demonstrated great love and talent for salsa music. He
performed with several groups, including Generacin 2000, Orquesta La
Potente, Orquesta Opus, and the Orquesta Saragey. Santiago's career
took off in 1986 in Puerto Rico and Latin America as a soloist, forming
his own band, and recording songs including: "Tu Me Quemas", "Que
Locura Enamorarme de Ti", and his best known hit "Lluvia". His fame
spread to Europe and the United States, making him one of the most
popular Salsa singer in the late 80's and early 90's. He was one of the
main singers singing what was called "Salsa Erotica", erotic Salsa, due
to the eroticism present in the lyrics. His first major recording on an
international label was with Sony Music in 1999. He also recorded for
the TH, EMI Latin, and Polygram labels, including the well regarded
production inspired by the music of Rafael Hernandez, entitled
"Enamorado". He has sinus problems which is a huge problem for him when
he tours in certain places due to climate changes, such as Mexico City.
In an interesting note, it was his 1988 concert in Mexico City's
Palacio de los Deportes which propelled the then-unknown singer to
international superstardom. In 1999 he released "Celebration: Epic
Duets". He was joined on that album with other stars in the Latin music
scene, Victor Manuelle, Huey Dunbar and Elvis Crespo. The album was
named one of the best recordings of 1999 by the National Foundation for
Popular Culture. Santiago has had great success and has earned a number
of gold and platinum records, along with numerous awards.
Choco Orta A veteran performer, Choco Orta is an accomplished percussionist, actress, dancer, and singer with a passionate and extroverted style. Her sensual, deep and emotional contra-alto voice make her a unique woman sonera and a Puerto Rican sensation. The renowned music journalist Peter Watrous, wrote for the Times -June 30, 1999- "I heard her in Miami and she was the real thing, a strong improviser with a big, big old-fashioned voice…" With over 20 years of performance experience and more active than ever, Choco Orta is now actively pursuing a career as a singer and in the last three years her solo act has traveled to France, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Chicago, Tampa (as Puerto Rican Cultural Ambassador), Miami, New York City, and Puerto Rico. She is a regular guest star at New York City's Copacabana and has worked with the orchestras of Nacho Sanabria, Roberto Angleró, Waldo Borres, and Julio "Gunda"Merced as a bandleader. At a press conference held by El Nuevo Día newspaper in 1999, salsa legends Charlie Aponte, Cheo Feliciano, Víctor Manuelle, Ismael Miranda, Domingo Quiñonez, Tito Rojas and Gilberto Santa Rosa were quoted as saying that, "Choco" Orta is the most dignified aspiring salsa singer to Celia Cruz's throne." Her sensual, deep and emotional contra-alto voice make her a unique woman sonera and a Puerto Rican sensation. The renowned music journalist Peter Watrous, wrote for the Times -June 30, 1999- "I heard her in Miami and she was the real thing, a strong improviser with a big, big old-fashioned voice…" With over 20 years of performance experience and more active than ever Choco Orta is now actively pursuing a career as a singer and in the last three years her solo act has traveled to France, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Chicago, Tampa (as Puerto Rican Cultural Ambassador), Miami, New York City, and Puerto Rico.
3 de la Habana y su Grupo
3 de la Habana ha logrado una proyección artística de alto vuelo, y una excelente combinación de piezas a tres voces con elaborados arreglos vocales, que alternan con funciones de solistas realizadas por los tres, creando un estilo de gran aceptación.
En la época de los grandes grupos instrumentales, 3 de la Habana presenta en estos momentos, esa ventaja tan anhelada por toda entidad artística, de un formato y un sonido prácticamente único, con una batería de percusión cubana (pailas, congas, bongó) y bajo, además de su guitarra, logrando que los contracantos, basados en las excelentes posibilidades vocales que poseen, creen un efecto sonoro de gran amplitud, que se hace valer por si mismo, sin necesidad de metales, teclados y otras sonoridades, como el aplauso y favoritismo de su público demuestra.
Televisión, documentales, radio, entrevistas de prensa se hicieron habituales. España, Italia, Puerto Rico, Estados Unidos, Guadalupe, Grecia, Colombia, Inglaterra, Australia, R. Dominicana, Canada y Mexico. Algunos en repetidas ocasiones, han aplaudido sus actuaciones, logrando esa condición tan importante, de despertar el interés porque vuelvan.
La Canción, el Son, La Trova, en fin, el arte contenido en un repertorio que tiene la virtud de abarcar varios segmentos de público, nos lleva, a través del estilo personalísimo de este grupo, por un recorrido de ritmos con el buen gusto como denominador.
3 de la Habana constituye una propuesta renovadora y digna del gran escenario y por qué los sueños de aquellos que tienen talento, tesón y confianza, pueden volverse realidad.
