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AN OUTSTANDING, AWESOME and MODERN Charanga band with an INT

S. | 01/21/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This 1980 Charanga Casíno recording (released on Roberto Torres's SAR label) is EXACTLY the type of record that could get anyone who isn't into Charanga music to become A FAN of this music as this ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT recording not only showcases how advanced this band was for its time, but also how to put ZESTINESS, ZINGINESS and LIVELINESS into this HIGHLY INTENSE and VERY DYNAMIC recording featuring a HIGHLY DANCEABLE quality swing!



This is exactly what Casino have turned into throughout their recordings.

From a fairly classic Charanga band with a slightly more pronounced Cuban style of sound, to an INTENSELY RHYTHMIC "Nuyorican" style of band with a tougher approach!



Concerning this record, their 3rd (SAR-1017), their progresses as a band already begin to become more apparent before they would reach their ultimate peak in their 1982 recording which is EVEN BETTER than this one!...









1.La Bamba was a MEGA-MASSIVE 1950's HIT-tune originally written by a certain Ritchie Valens.

Here it has been given a METAMORPHIC treatment from being the VERY CHEESY OLD-STYLE Chicano Rock-pop tune that it really was (for me), to a MIND-BLOWING and STIMULATING Charanga tune with a 1960's Pachanga feel through the style of the Violin arrangements.

This tune also features a NICE and LONG Violin solo by Alfredo Triff, an EXPLOSIVE REPRISE with the Chorus doing a great call and response thing along with the Cencerro Cowbell coming in to give an EXTRA INTENSITY, DIMENSION and SWING to the tune!...

Sammy Galvéz also does an OUTSTANDING Flute performance throughout this TRADITIONAL,TYPICAL and BREATHTAKING tune GUARANTEED TO LIFT THE SENSES UP AND GET ANYONE OUT OF THEIR SEATS FROM THE SECOND IT STARTS!...







2.Papa Frita Con Hamburger features a VERY POSITIVE lyric narrating humorously about a man FED UP with his woman making him Fried Chips and Hamburger EVERY DAY for "breakfast, lunch, and dinner" to the point of not knowing whether to get rid of her or not!...

The 2nd part follows up with GREAT Flute work by Galvéz again and a CLASSIC Piano Montúno for a Conga-drum solo by Roberto Carrero to come in!

The band charges back at you again with the vocalist recommending the woman to get a pan out and start cooking, before the Flute comes back yet again for what is an ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL extended tune FULL of different breaks with ANOTHER FINE reprise at the end!...

(The "POSITIVE" message here is C-L-E-A-R: NO MORE FRIED CHIPS WITH HAMBURGER!)......

SUPERB STUFF!...







3.Espero Seguír Queriendo is a very DIFFERENT kind of tune featuring a MUCH MORE melodically "sweet" kind of musicality with the lady singing on vocals.

It is after 2.45 mins that the band charges back at you with NICE melodic Violin background arrangements, SOLID Flute work by Galvéz, and a couple of short different musical breaks with the choruses coming back in...

This is basically a NICE and SYRUPY tune that STILL has enough swing, and that Casíno SOMEHOW MANAGE to make work!...

A NICE winner tune!...







4.Casíno Llegó A Colombia begins in Guaguancó rhythm for a minute before we get straight into a LIVELY and DYNAMIC 2nd part with another CLASSIC Montúno pattern on Piano for a VERY motivated and enthusiastic Timbale solo by James Guevárez!...

Afterwards, you'll surely notice again the feature of the cymbals or the Cencerro cowbell which are atypical of classic Cuban Charanga, but because Casino are a NY Puerto-Rican band who go for a more modern style of sound, they successfully break the old traditional boundaries for the good cause of giving an extra rhythmic edge and swing to their music (which is also what many other U.S Charanga bands have done throughout time)...

Otherwise, another ROCK-SOLID tune!...









5.Mis Sueños De Amor features another long 1st part, but, the minute the CLASSIC Montúno on Piano comes in, you know EXACTLY what you're going to get! A GREAT 2nd part WELL WORTH the wait with TYPICAL and CLASSIC style of Cuban Charanga Violin background arrangements with, AGAIN, an ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT reprise towards the end with the Cencerro cowbell coming in, and GREAT Flute work, AGAIN!

ANOTHER tune that WILL FILL your room!...











2 OUT-OF-THIS-EARTH tunes, 1 SWEET/SOLID/danceable enough tune, and 2 ROCK-SOLID ones round out this MUST-HAVE recording reaching a total play-time of 40.48 minutes [including Song.6 which unfortunately (for me) is a Ballad...]





(And sorry for repeating myself so much, but I just feel I have to say EVERYTHING I feel, because if I leave ANYTHING out, I feel EXTREMELY UNSATISFIED!)









Right, now, with songs 7 & 8 we come to T-H-E 1982 ALBUM!...

The one that Mr. Roberto Torres didn't feel like including on one Cd (and therefore I couldn't review as a whole), and the one that had somebody coming over asking us WHAT THE HELL is this music that he LOVED SO MUCH in a special evening I went to!...



It was the 1982 album which for me is Charanga Casíno's ALL-TIME BEST recording, and can be heard in its total integrity, IF, you purchase their following Cd Charanga Casino re-issued 1995 featuring its last 4 songs + the FULL 1983 recording which UNFORTUNATELY would be their last one, and the beginning of SAR's downfall as well as Salsa music's!...



[I've given the details of these recordings in the Customer Images section below the album picture].







In fact, I recommend ALL the other Casíno Cd's/VINYLS to the REAL fanatics/purists of Charanga music!...

The other one I recommend is Lo Mejor de la Charanga Casino, Vol. 1 featuring their 1st 2 FULL albums with the songs BADLY listed, but with good enough sound quality!...



Sound-clips of the majority of the SAR Cds can be checked in the mercadodemusica website.









Musicians (Songs 1 to 6):



Felípe Javier Rámos: Director/Güiro [Gourd-sraper]/Choruses

Sammy Galvéz: Flute

Rafael "Yaya" Sotolóngo: Vocals

Oscar Díaz: Vocals

Cristina "Cuqui" Vergára: Vocals

Charlie Cubídes: Piano

James Guevárez: Timbales/Bongoes

Wilmo "Bimbo" Rivera: Bass/Choruses

Roberto Carrero: Conga-drums

Alfredo Triff/Lendell L. Mitnaul Jr: Violins



Arrangements:



Frank Bello/Mike García/Alfredo Valdés Jr./Paquíto Pastór



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