Search - Hector Lavoe :: 15 Exitos

Not his best hits record

MamboCha. | Cherry Hill, N.J. US | 01/24/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I took the time to write this review because I consider Hector Lavoe to have been one of the best soneros ever (son is the original Cuban name to what was later called salsa; therefore, salsa singers are most times called soneros). Lavoe was not much of a composer, but was an extremely versatile original singer with a voice and timbre hard to match. This combined with great composers, writers, and orchestras; meant that "most" of the productions Hector Lavoe was in were worth the time, there was a collaboration of talent from everyone.



Lavoe started and became famous under the Fania label as the singer for the famous trumpet player Willie Colon and his band, they started in the late 60s and separated in early 80s. All those Willie Colon records made with Lavoe around the 1970s are landmarks in Salsa history. The image created around this two was to make them the bad boys of salsa. They had like a streetwise tone to them, in terms of music and lyrics; some songs were danceable, sad, instrumental, etc. In other words, they had substance.



However, when it comes to this hits album in particular, forget it. The sound is flatter than the individual original recordings, why? Who knows. And if this was not enough, a bunch of song are edited from their original versions to cram them all on this disc. Oh, and how the hell are they going to make a compilation of Lavoe hits without including "Periodico de Ayer". If you are looking for only one album to get a taste of Hector Lavoe's solo career, Hector's Gold is the one. However, nothing beats collecting the Willie Colon/Hector Lavoe albums of the 70s.



Sadly Hector died in 1993, Willie Colon is alive and kicking but his new music is not. There were people behind that music that are not around anymore. Most of the Salsa being done these days is not worth a cent. All this great Puerto Rican, Cuban & Dominican artists that created the Salsa movement of the 70s in N.Y. with the Fania label grew up in the era when Cuba was the #1 in tropical music and was extremely influential. Cuban culture is the real mother of "Salsa", and Cuba under communism is almost as dead and destroyed as Lavoe's flesh. If it was not for the Dominican Johnny Pacheco who started the Fania label, and the Puerto Ricans in N.Y. that took the music, elaborated, and prolonged its existence, this music would have died before it did: In Havana clubs in the early 60s instead of in N.Y.C. clubs in the early 80s. This Fania guys were for the 60s & 70s what the Grammy winner Buena Vista Social Club was for the 40s & 50s, just the among the best of their era. Just stay away from this one in particular, and get Hector's Gold instead, after hearing "Periodico de Ayer" you will realize you did the right pick.This music was never truly marketed outside its niche market and has been abandoned through time, but don't let this deceive you.

"

Lo mejor de Hector Lavoe

Alex | Colombia | 08/01/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bueno mijos si les gusta la salsa clasica

Entonces este CD es lo mejor que pueden tener en su coleccion.."