Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Fania All-Stars - Live at the Cheetah Vol 1 & 2


I was digging through my Dad's closet a few weeks ago looking for any old records he had. Amongst the big pile of shit that is Boston, REO Speedwagon, and Kenny G I found a few gems. A live Donna Summers record, The White Album, an old Menudo album (mine when I was little), and Vol 2 of this legendary piece of music. 

Recorded live at the NYC club the Cheetah, a few years prior to their famous Yankee Stadium gig, it features one of their best line-ups ever performing so tight even the paraplegics must have been dancing. Larry Harlow, Ray Barretto, Willie Colon, Johnny Pacheco, Roberto Roena, and Bobby Valentin all provide the musical backdrop with their coke fueled grooves while Hector Lavoe, Ismael Rivera, among others provide the vocals.  

Here we have both Vol 1 and 2 originally released as separate records. There's a reason they became some of the highest selling Latin music albums ever.

3 comments:

  1. Posiblemente el único de La Fania que mi pai no tiene... le dije "Oye papi, tu tienes La Fania Live en NYC?"...me contesta, "JA! yo tengo TODOS de la Fania, ese concierto en Yankee Stadium es de sus más famosos.... whuh?...en el CHEETAH??...ese si que no!!... y que es eso de bajar cds completos de gratis??"... he says thanks by the way.

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  2. Kemuel- have you ever heard Willie Colon & Mon Rivera's "There Goes The Neighborhood" from 1975? I've had this album for 25 years. Man, it's a badass joint, must be heard synthesis of new and old school... Mon is a monster!

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  3. That album is a scorcher indeed Philip! i have it on CD, must be somewhere in this mess... If i recall correctly, the great Papo Lucca of la Sonora Ponce~a played some mean piano on that one. And undoubtedly, Mon is the shiznit.

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