Mongo Santamaría . Sofrito, O Mi Shangó

I really like where you’re headed with this, Pozole. While I cue up the next song, I have to say I can’t agree more with you, man. I have to walk behind the booth every other song to see what y’all are playing! And even in a record that I own, you guys bring to light these amazing songs that I haven’t even noticed. I hadn’t really paid too much attention to Ray Barreto’s ‘Power’, and on an album called ‘Power’! Thank you for rectifying.

That track got me all excited to post an old favorite, but I just realized that I let Smokestack borrow it. Well, it’s in very capable hands, I can’t wait to see what he’ll do with it. So let’s try something else, inspired by your last two posts (and by the opportunity to blast “Sofrito” on La Peña’s sound system last Saturday. Someone asked me what ‘Sofrito’, and the best (only?) answer was to have her look at the record cover.)

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No doubt many of you know Mongo Santamaria’s “Sofrito”, a Pelanga favorite and a classy, classy tune. A just-so-slightly melodramatic piano intro turns into one of the most memorable tumbaos in salsa, adorned by such an elegant horn section and beautiful solos waay up top. Monguito’s subtle work on the congas keeps everyone grounded and lets them shine. Restraint can be so powerful!

This is not the song I meant to post, but I can’t help it.

Sofrito by Mongo Santamaría

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What you might not know is how Monguito follows this up. In the next track he brings us back down low, with a praise to Shangó that is equal parts heavy funk and pure rumba cubana. What else can I say?

O Mi Shango by Mongo Santamaría

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¡¡Quema!!

Franz Tunda, I know you’re busy, but I also know some of what’s hiding in your crates. Wanna take it from here?

Enjoy,
papicultor.

 

Little Joe x B-Boy Whacko

I can’t agree with Pozole more! Within Pelanga’s broad musical range you’ll definitely find several common themes: soulful rhythms meant to uplift your spirit and make your body move. Whether it’s a hyphy Papicultor cumbia remix or a choice kompa selection from Pozole, you’re guaranteed to learn something new with each record and party while you’re at it! Because we each have our own musical inluences we constantly inspire each other to dig a little deeper.

In fact, last month I wasn’t able to make it out and I hear Tunda played some James Brown and ESG. Who knows, maybe I’ll play a little Little Joe y La Familia at the next Pelanga! In the meantime check out Necessary Whackness – the full 50min afro-latin-funk-rock mix that features this monster latin-funk tune “Recognize Me”.

The mix, released just earlier this week, is a collaboration with my friend and Forever We Rock crewmate, B-boy Whacko. You might be wondering about his name? Well basically dude goes whacko when his jam drops! See what I mean (check the toprock battle clip below)?

-DJ Smokestack

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Little Joe y La Familia – Recognize Me (1977)

This is probably one of my favorite latin-rock songs ever – some true message music! Little Joe’s production defines the DIY concept of the hard working independent Chicano musician – on down to the hand drawn cover (I’m guessing by a close friend or relative?). Of his ridiculously deep catalogue La Voz De Aztlan is one of Little Joe’s harder to find LPs. While “Recognize Me” is heavy funk fit for any breakin cipher, the rest of the album is made up of polkas, rancheras, and even a salsa track. Make no mistake, Little Joe plays it all…earning Grammies and playing/recording every style you can think of since the 60’s.

Here’s a message from Joe, from the back cover:

From the dusty hills of Tejas, to the smoggy barrios de Califas, to the steel mills of Gary and Pittsburgh, to the snow covered mountains of Denver, La Musica lives. La Musica is listened to, lived to, danced to, and low rided to …La musica Chicana comes from EL CORAZON Y LA ALMA. LA VOZ DE AZTLAN is a portrait of love, energy, and identity.

DJ Smokestack & B-Boy Whacko – Necessary Whackness

 

 

Pelanga Power

There’s a huge list of things I love about being a DJ with La Pelanga. One of my favorites is that each of us come from different regions and with different ears for incredible music. What excites us all the time is how so much of our different music is actually closely connected. This is true even when one of us thinks they did a mix that isn’t really “pelanga-esque.” I’m talking about my fellow Pelanguero, DJ Smokestack who just put together an amazing ultra-funk, beat-rock mix for one of his B-boys homies. (I’ll let him share if it if he wants). And just as we’ve begun to do in person when we feel inspired by what the other is playing, I’m gonna tag team with him on the virtual blog-turntables and slide the crossfader over to this sizzling track from Ray Barretto.

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Right On is right! I wish I had a cleaner copy, but funk ain’t ever really clean. While I got Ray Barretto’s record Barretto Power out I might as well play the title track Power that is equally funky, but more in that old school Nueva York latin strut type of funk.

I can’t help but think that this instrumental jam was written just so you could tell your own “day in the life” urban monologue over it. You know the kind that starts off with “So check this out. The other day man, I was walking down 12th Street, when I saw…”

Alright who’s got the next record to throw on?

~pozole

Why Zumba when you can Rumba?

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…with Franco and L’Orchestra TP OK Jazz! I mean no offence to Zumba enthusiasts out there, but with Franco’s hypnotic guitar playing and trademark Congolese Rumba, why workout to anything else? Here’s a 9 minute groove that’s guaranteed to get your whole body loose!

 – Smokestack

Minuit Eleki Lezi 1 & 2 197?

 

La Pelanga at La Peña – SAT, March 24!

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Calling all dance-oholics and lovers of this blog! La Pelanga returns this Saturday, March 24 at La Peña in Berkeley. As all who were there last month will tell you, we only bring the most potent bailables to feed your dancing addiction. Again it will be a full night of: Cubmias, Merengues, Salsas, Kompas, Rumbas, Sambas, Soukous, Reggaeton, Afrobeat, Makossa, Coupé Décalé, and more! All of which will be played with love from your Pelanguero deejays: China tu Madre, Franz Tunda, Papicultor, Pozole and hopefully Smokestack who is recovering from injury.

 

It’s been a long week and damn it, it’s time to celebrate! Celebrate our friends, our loved ones, our communities our selves and all the cultures that go into making musica sabrosa (aka musica pelanga), such as…

Doors open at 9, $5-20 sliding scale, all ages welcome.

Official Facebook Invite

Nidia Góngora y el Grupo Canalón de Timbiquí

For those of you with a short attention span, the summary is this:
If you (or a friend) is at the SXSW festival in Austin, go see Grupo Canalon de Timbiqui!

We already told you once before about Nidia Gongora and her Grupo Canalon de Timbiqui. This is the Colombian group I am most excited about today. One of the highlights of my trip to Colombia last month was the opportunity to spend a couple of nights with Nidia, el Grupo Canalón, and their Timbiquí family.

Happy times! Canalón got invited to play at SXSW (South By Southwest), one of the most important music festivals in the US. This is their first time abroad, and they were all in Bogotá applying for their visas. The community of timbiquireño expats hosted Nidia and her group at their home to celebrate the occasion.

The song is “Me voy ahogando” (I’m drowning) – one of many songs and stories about the Río Timbiquí. In these times of shrinking distances and frequent (and sometimes forced) migrations, so many of us are found longing for the times, places, and stories that define “who we are”.  They are no different, and I assure you that the Río Bogotá just won’t do…

(Speaking of that: Amparo works in the neighborhood, el Barrio San Cristobal de Bogota, which is the home to a large Afro-Colombian community – many of whom have been displaced to the city due to the ongoing conflict in the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. She works with them to help keep their social and cultural traditions alive. She is raising funds to buy traditional musical instruments, clothing, history and literature books, etc. for the “Escuela de Formación Cultural Afro”. If you are interested in supporting her work, drop me an email or leave a comment below, and I’ll be very happy to put you in touch with her.)

I had the chance to visit Nidia’s home in Cali a few days later and meet her wonderful family. Before I finished each can of Poker, her husband Jorge had the next one open for me. I never heard “Un canto a mi tierra” – her love poem to Timbiquí in collaboration with Quantic and his Combo Bárbaro – sound better than that night, a-cappella between her and her 8? year old son Jorge Andrés. And wait for it, Fiorita has a voice!

Nidia is a wonderfully talented musician, an amazing story-teller, a gracious host, and a proud ambassador of the music of the Pacific Coast of Colombia. (She tells me she makes a mean sudado de piangua also – so bummed to have missed that.) I don’t exaggerate: her group is magical to listen to. If you happen to be in Austin for SXSW (or if you are thinking about making the trip), please don’t miss this rare opportunity to see them!

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Much love and respect,
papicultor

Joey Pastrana – Let’s Ball

Here’s some more heat from my recent trip to Colombia.

As I told you a couple of years ago, I spent a few (pre-internet) years trying to figure out who played this incredible song, and several years after that trying to track down a copy of Joey Pastrana’s brilliant debut album. This wasn’t easy – I like to buy my records in person, and don’t like to pay a fortune for them – but I finally found it.

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Man, I love the sound of this group. From the fat rhythm and horn sections, to Joey’s breaks on the timbales, to Ismael Miranda’s voice, to the groovy “Rivera sisters” – who aren’t really sisters, and are definitely not just ‘backup singers’ – I feel like I’m hearing Cortijo’s younger, crazier sibling. (And Cortijo is pretty crazy himself.)

It’s hard to choose a song or two from this album. Every song is gold! Anyway, here’s a soulful boogaloo:

Bien Dulce by Joey Pastrana/Let’s Ball

a savage descarga:

Mani Picante by Joey Pastrana/Let’s Ball

and please go check out Rumbón Melón if you haven’t.

Joey tells the story of how Cotique’s George Goldner sent him straight to the recording studio after hearing his band play just one song. Dude was so excited with what he heard, that he rushed to get the album out as quickly as possible. It seems that he didn’t even have time to check the spelling of ‘Pastrana’ on the cover…

Enjoy,
papicultor