SABOR Con Angel Canales Alegre Records (ASLP-6001) Only a boricua who has been absent from his homeland knows what its like to be far away from Puerto Rico when winter arrives in New York City. Or when youre inside a taxi or walking through the congested streets of the Bronx or the Latin barrio, & all that you see around you is skyscrapers & more skyscrapers. The anxiety & the feeling of impotence that overwhelm your spirit in the asphalt jungle can be soothed only by memories. In 1975, the unique voice of Puerto Rican singer Angel Luis Canales comforted the thousands of boricuas who felt oppressed by nostalgia with his composition Lejos De Ti: a confession & affirmation of his Puerto Rican identity, in which he assures us that his love for the homeland will never die, even though he was raised in New York. The song is a guaguanco with lyrics that evoke images of old San Juan, Villa Palmeras & its rich bomba heritage, Boca de Cangrejos, the fried snacks on the griddle, & the river crossing through the old Ancon de Loiza Aldea, where his grandmother lived. Lejos De Ti is still the most remembered track off Sabor, an album produced by the recently deceased Joe Cain, recorded towards the end of 1974 & released by Alegre Records in 1975. And yet, the entire album is one of the best salsa releases of the mid 70s. Canales favored a different style of interpreting Afro-Caribbean rhythms, combining elements of Hector Lavoe, Ismael Rivera, Vicentico Valdez & Paquito Perez (the singer with Orquesta Zodiac de Loiza). He would extend the melodies with his nasal voice, defying the poetry of the montunos, but singing out of tune & mispronouncing a few words. His diction was far from perfect. The architect of Canales success was Colombian pianist Edy Martinez, who arranged seven of the eight tracks in this session. Because of a previous commitment with Mongo Santamarias band, he left fellow Colombian Jose Madrid in charge of performing the piano on this record. Under Martinezs direction, Canales embraced fame Sabor was his second album -- between 1970 & 1971, he had recorded the session Brujeria with pianist Mark Dimond, who founded Conjunto Sabor after spending a number of years with Willie Colons band. Angel Canales reappeared four years l8ter with Orquesta Sabor Los Rumberos Nuevos. That same year in 1975, Larry Harlow produced Mark Dimonds classic Beethovens V on the Cotique Record label with vocalists Frankie Dante & Chivirico Davila. Sabor enjoyed great success. The singer toured Europe, the U.S. & South America, where Colombians, Pamananians, & Peruvians remember him with affection to this day, even though health problems forced him to retire from the stages. During the golden age of salsa, singers were expected to master all genres -- & boleros were no exception. His vocalizing on La Hiedra & No Te Acostumbre are noted for their theatricality, a gimmick that Canales employed in order to mask the limitations of his voice. Salsa dancers who thrive on piano, trombone, & percussion solos will be delighted with Sabor Los Rumberos Nuevos, Sol De Mi Vida, El Cantante Y La Orquesta, & the hit Hace Tiempo (with its memorable chorus: ay, ay, ay, no me hagas padecer asi). Before becoming a professional singer, Canales worked as a jeweler (dimond cutter). One look @ the covers of his first couple of albums is enough to conclude that he pioneered the use of bling- bling in salsa. As a composer, Canales was a solid chronicler of barrio life. The story told in Perico Macona is a good example: a man who smokes a joint & loses all self-control, insulting his own friends with his brusque remarks. Unfortunately this was the only recording that Canales did for Alegre Records as he sign on the following year (1976) with Tito Rodriguezs TR Records & recording a ton of hits for the label. Enjoy! Side A 1. Sabor Los Rumberos Nuevos * 2. Sol De Mi Vida ** 3. La Hiedra ** 4. Perico Macona ** Side B 1. Hace Tiempo ** 2. Lejos De Ti ** 3. No Te Acostumbre ** 4. El Cantante Y La Orquesta ** Personnel Angel Canales: Leader, Maracas, Guiro Juan Torres: Musical Director, Trombone Ricardo Montanez: Trombone Tom Malone: Trombone Emerito Benitez: Baritone Saxophone, Flute Jose Madrid: Acoustic Piano Eddie Testo: Ampeg Baby Bass Antonio Tapia: Conga Gadier Quinones: Timbales Aldemaro Luis Rivera: Bongo, Cowbell Lead Vocals: Angel Canales Coro: Angel Canales Antonio Tapia Musical Arrangements by: Luis Cruz * Edy Martinez ** Produced by: Joe Cain Executive Producer: Morris Levy Recording Director: Juan Torres Album Cover & Liner Photos: Dominique Album Cover Design: Yogi Rosario Recording Engineer: Sandy Sina Recorded @: Le Recording Studios, NYC ALEGRE RECORDS, 1975 A FANIA RECORDS PRODUCTION
Posted on: Sat, 29 Mar 2014 04:01:09 +0000
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