Encanto Tropical

07/11/2024

On soon is Episode 44 for World Salsa Radio!
Read about it at:
https://www.an-fi.online/post/fania-60th-anniversary-salsa-tribute-on-encanto-tropical-part-2

05/11/2024

https://www.an-fi.online/post/fania-60th-anniversary-salsa-tribute-on-encanto-tropical-part-2

Episode 44 of Encanto Tropical broadcasts as Part 2 of a tribute to Fania Records on its 60th anniversary with about two dozen salsa tracks. Host: DJ Angel Figueroa.

05/11/2024

Los Durísimos, Ricardo Ray / Bobby Cruz
Label: Tico Records, 1968



The virtuoso pianist Ricardo Ray and singer Bobby Cruz are among the most iconic duos in the world of salsa. They produced a string of albums with anthems that, while not always dancer-friendly, resonated with hard-core fans. Their mark in the annals of the ‘salsa’ explosion of the mid 1960s to mid 1970s include a unique sound of masterful compositions, arrangements, and piano — with alluring lyrics.

The 1968 album Los Durisimos, although not particularly rare or collectible, was released first on the Alegre label and then on Tico.It is a personal favourite. Both labels were appropriated by what became the “Motown” of the emerging ‘salsa’ industry, Fania Records, which celebrated the 60th anniversary of its founding in the summer of 2024; thus the album is part of the Fania universe and qualifies for consideration in any tribute marking its jubilee year.

Los Durísimos has a particularly special track named after an esteemed Cuban producer of Latin music in the pre-salsa era whose role in historical recordings cannot be underestimated. The song “Pancho Cristal” is featured in the upcoming episode of Encanto Tropical, which is Part 2 of my tribute to Fania Records in its 60th year — although the entire discography is now owned by Craft Recordings whose parent company is Concord Music.

Tune in to hear how ‘Pancho Cristal’ resonates within a selection of approximately 25 important tracks celebrating Fania history.

Encanto Tropical
Episode 44 - Fania 60th Anniversary Tribute (2)
www.worldsalsaradio.com
Nov 7 Thu 2024 22:00~ (Japan Time)
5am PT / 8am ET / 1pm UK / 14.00 CE

See the pre-show page for details about the upcoming broadcast (link in bio: An-fi > Blog). Or use the URL below:

https://www.an-fi.online/post/fania-60th-anniversary-salsa-tribute-on-encanto-tropical-part-2

World Salsa Radio

03/11/2024

Soy Boricua, Bobby Valentin
Label: Fania, 1972



Ranked 25th in the recent list of “Greatest 50 Salsa Albums” by The Rolling Stone magazine, Bobby Valentin’s ‘Soy Boricua’ (1972) certainly deserves recognition — although by nature all such ‘greatest’ lists are subjective. Regardless, it’s a personal favourite and relistening to it recently was a pleasant stroll down memory lane.

Valentin recorded the album when he returned to Puerto Rico after enjoying early success in New York first as a sideman then as a band director. It was a landmark album for the Fania Records label but soon after he would produce future albums on the Bronco label, after a period of imprisonment.

Known as El Rey del Bajo, Bobby Valentin is still with us, and his mark on Fania Records and salsa at large is without question.

A seminal album, a number of hit songs grace ‘Soy Boricua’; a fine one is “Alacrán (Tumbando de Caña), which is featured on the next Encanto Tropical — Episode 44, a tribute show to Fania Records on its 60th anniversary. This will be Part 2, as I aired Part 1 in the summer but with too many omissions making a second tribute show necessary.

Approximately 25 songs are cued up for the show. Please tune into worldsalsaradio.com to check them out!

Encanto Tropical 44
Fania Records 60th Anniversary Tribute (2)
Thu Nov 7 22:00 (Japan Time)
5am PT / 8am ET / 1pm UK / 14.00 CE

See the pre-show page for details about the upcoming broadcast (link in bio: An-fi > Blog). Or use the URL below:

https://www.an-fi.online/post/fania-60th-anniversary-salsa-tribute-on-encanto-tropical-part-2

31/10/2024

Cheo Feliciano’s 1971 album titled Cheo marked his much-welcomed return from drug rehabilitation.

The album contains a song that would soon became a classic in the salsa pantheon of standards: “Anacaona”. It has been described as the first major hit of the “salsa explosion” [1]. To this day, it remains a much-loved tune for dancers and listeners alike, with its appealing instrumentation, song structure, and alluring atmosphere — but all this is topped by the sublime sound of Cheo Feliciano’s vocals himself.

However, the merits of “Anacaona” are not limited to purely musical aspects. Also important are the lyrics composed by Puerto Rican songwriter Tite Curet Alonso that make the song exemplary as “salsa consciente”, or conscientious salsa [2], a style which defined several salsa songs of the 1970s. Some reflection at the present time on the story of “Anacaona” might suggest that it is now more relevant with popular awareness than ever before — even after 50+ years.

The lyrics speak of a noble woman who was a music composer and would become chief of the Taínos, inhabitants of the island of Hispaniola, where the Dominican Republic is located today. She repudiated the newly arrived Spanish colonizers, was captured, enslaved, and killed. Her name was Anacaona.

The song remarks on her fight to protect her people and their culture. It also laments at her demise. In a show of conscious inclusivity, national or romantic sentiments are downplayed since the song composer, a Puerto Rican, chose as his subject an indigenous inhabitant of a Caribbean island other than his own [3]; thus, Anacaona is portrayed not only as a noble symbol of her peoples’ resistance and tragedy, but also the story and plight of indigenous peoples across the Caribbean. To point, her confrontation with the Spanish was a form repeated time and again between indigenous peoples and European colonizers across the Americas for the next few centuries.

It seems that for ages popular awareness was never broad enough to include much historical injustice, especially the kind experienced by First Nations peoples. However, the topics of settler colonialism and related injustices are now on the rise within a swirling, global consciousness although they are downplayed or ignored by mainstream media; yet, the story of Anacaona is profoundly relevant today. This tribute by composer Tite Curet Alonso, who wrote several songs touching on socio-cultural issues (including one about Anacaona’s husband, Caonabó), is an invitation for more awareness-raising on the injustices of the past and present.

Such is the understanding one can gain from learning the context of certain musical pieces. Salsa songs are no exception; in fact, many are rich in context.

—

Join my presentation at the Taiwan Salsa Carnival 2024, Nov 22-24, 2024:

“Context in Salsa — An introduction to develop your appreciation of salsa music as a dancer and listener”

TSC2024 is an international salsa event organized by Calvin Wang and hosted in a spacious venue in Taipei with several invited international instructors, performers, and DJs. Social dancing is provided for both salsa and bachata dancers.

Get tickets at https://copataiwan.com/index.jsp.

—

References
1. Cesar Miguel Rondon. The Book of Salsa (Chapel Hill: UNC Press, 2008), 202.
2. Andrés Espinoza Agurto. Salsa Consciente (East Lansing: MSU Press, 2022), 149.
3. Agurto, Salsa Consciente, 150.

Note
“Anacaona” was included in Episode 41 of Encanto Tropical, a spotlight on several great songs composed by Tite Curet Alonso. To learn more and replay the episode, click below:
https://www.an-fi.online/post/encanto-tropical-41-wsr

28/10/2024

Here is my recent blogpost providing some careful context for Episode 43 "Cuban Roots". A replay link is included. Thank you for the support!

Episode 43 is titled “Cuban Roots” and features Cuban music from the 1950s and early 1960s (39 tracks, 2:05:39). See the replay link at the bottom of this page.Cesar Miguel Rondon describes the 1950s as a time when Cuban music was defined by ‘spectacle’ and with ‘safe lyrics’ [1] . This ...

26/10/2024

Episode 43 is ready for "replay". My apologies for the technical issues which prevented it from being broadcast on Thursday. I hope listeners can now enjoy the show. 🎧🙏🏽

残念ながら、ラジオ局の技術的な問題により放送はありませんでした。番組を聴こうとした方には申し訳ありません。しかし、ご都合の良いときに再放送をお聴きいただけます。よろしくおねがいします。

https://soundcloud.com/worldsalsaradio/world-salsa-radio-encanto-tropical-43

24/10/2024

I am having technical problems and I’m unable to connect with the world salsa radio server. Unfortunately I cannot broadcast my show.

技術的な問題があり、World Salsa Radio サーバーに接続できません。残念ながら番組を放送できません。

22/10/2024

This Thursday -- after a short hiatus -- Encanto Tropical is on!

Episode 43 examines Cuban music of the 1950s and early 1960s, especially the kind of hard-hitting sound that predated the New York style of the following decade when the term 'salsa' was coined.
​
Explore with me some catchy and hard-hitting tunes!

Featured bands and artists include La Sonora Matancera, Orquesta Aragon, La Gloria Matancera, Conjunto Casino, Roberto Faz, Arsenio Rodriguez, Beny Moré, and many more -- 39 songs make up the 2-hour show!

Encanto Tropical 43
www.worldsalsaradio.com
Thu Oct 24 21:00~23:00 (Japan time)
5am PT / 8am ET / 1pm UK / 14.00 CE

World Salsa Radio - Encanto Tropical

21/10/2024

It was wonderful being a guest on The Empowered Dancer Podcast. I’m no big dancer for sure, but in this episode with host Bobbie Miles, I talk about how a dancer’s awareness of the context behind salsa songs can invite a deeper connection with the music. Check out Episode 32 on YouTube or Spotify (25 min). Many thanks to Bobbie Miles!

YouTube
https://youtu.be/hrNnmpUgoXM?si=nuo3pEj3julZbGga

Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7rjX391xOGgFwEIyI3e00O?si=6LEDI3UsTDWTFE3pL80odQ

Follow TEDP on Instagram at:
https://www.instagram.com/theempowereddancerspodcast

16/10/2024

I’ve been overwhelmed with work, parenting, and health issues, so unfortunately I haven’t done much for Encanto Tropical recently. Hopefully, that changes soon. 🙏🏽❤️🙏🏽

12/10/2024

Definitely in October's ten picks for Encanto Tropical... a great tune by DJ Mirco • Merlino Dj • Dj Pepe El Rumbero 🇮🇹 opening the 表参道 サルサ・ラテンフェスティバル 2024 ★韓国 SALSOUL JEIO 再来日イベント★ in Tokyo last weekend.

06/10/2024

Great times yesterday at 表参道 サルサ・ラテンフェスティバル 2024　★韓国 SALSOUL JEIO 再来日イベント★！🎶🚀

Thank you Mamiko-san for having me as the DJ and thank you to all the wonderful customers and performers. The energy was amazing! Salsoul Jeio / HIDE & PEKO / Saeko Sugaya / Los Guaracheros.🙏 - Evidence to follow!

Big ups to Christian Harris / Ricky Lee / Fumiko Tanaka / Hajime Yamazaki / Yoshie Noboru and others!

05/10/2024

“Tu Foto” en Tokio! Genial ✨💯🚀
Peppe El Rumbero Artaserse | Angel Figueroa

04/10/2024

With Ivan Venot – I just got recognized as one of their top fans! 🎉

29/09/2024

Happy Monday. September is almost done! That means another chart...

The monthly chart for September 2024 recognizes another selection of ten new additions to the growing universe of contemporary salsa songs. This is, of course, a subjective selection. As usual, narrowing it down to just ten songs was not an easy task. As in past charts for the radio show Encanto Tro...

28/09/2024

Big shout out to the new top fans of Encanto Tropical! 💎 Grazie / Arigatou / Gracias

Ivan Venot 松原善治 Enrique Melendez

25/09/2024

DJ Jeremy Castex debuts on World Salsa Radio with his show “Temazo” soon…

Thu 26 Sept 20.00 CE
11am PT / 2pm ET / 7pm UK / 03:00 +1 日本
www.worldsalsaradio.com

Wishing my colleague and friend all the best!