MUCHO MAMBO

Tito Rodriguez: Cara de Payaso
From A Man And His Music: El Inolvidable (Fania, 2009)

I'm the first to admit that I'm not a leading expert on Latin music – not even close. But the Fania label, I do know. Fellow blogger/journalist Oliver Wang has hepped me to some great tunes Latin tunes over at Soul-Sides over the last couple of years, and my appetite has certainly been whet from some of his selections.

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, I was reading about Pucho and His Latin Soul Brothers as I've been catching up on some old Waxpoetics issues (in this case, issue 9.) Pucho was well known for his mambos, as was Tito.

This particular comp, which was released a couple of weeks ago, is a 2-CD introduction to the uninformed (me), a greatest hits, if you will. Interspersed among the studio tracks are a few live tracks like the hip swayer “Si Te Contara.” If I spoke Spanish, I'd be able to speak with a more educated sense of what's transpiring. Maybe he's wooing a lady on the dancefloor with some sensuous speak, or maybe he's talking about running weekend errands. I honestly couldn't tell you the difference. What I can say is that his voice is assured and confident; sweet, with a lilt. He knows his strengths and plays to them, never trying to do more than is needed, itself a lost artform. This all lends to a certain sensuality in the song, all the more enhanced with its musical counterpart – also confident and succinct. It is steady and effectively utilizes dynamics. Throughout the verses, the dynamics lay low like a prowler in the bushes just waiting for the opportunity to attack. That moment comes midway in a bridge, of sorts, where the brass really breaks through.

“Cara de Payaso” has a faster tempo. The dynamics are again in play here, playing more understated during the verse and breaking out during the bridge and chorus. Percussion is one of the strongest elements of Latin music, and again midway through the track you get a nice break with a little cowbell... and who doesn't love a little more bell?

This compilation proves that you don't have to know much about a genre of music to enjoy it. You don't even have to know the language. You can listen to the sounds of a well-trained, fully capable band and to the singer's passion for his artform and somehow the message still gets through. After all, passion, the last time I checked, still counts for something and is the reason music like this lives on even after its creator has passed.