Rolling Afro-Latin Music 2021: Reggaeton, Salsa, Bomba, Latin Jazz, Bachata, Merengue, Urbano and more Latinx

As always, we will define broadly what can fit here, but the emphasis should be on Reggaeton, Salsa, Bomba, Latin Jazz, Bachata, Merengue, Urbano

Here's last year's thread

Rolling Afro-Latin Music 2020: Reggaeton, Salsa, Bomba, Latin Jazz, Bachata, Merengue, Urbano and more Latinx

If you want a read a tribute to salsa singer Tito Rojas who died late last year (at too young an age), go to this Spanish language blog

https://latinosunidosonline.wordpress.com/author/latinosunidosonline/

way behind on my reggaeton listening.

Meanwhile, Latin Jazz continues on. Here are the top 2020 results from the NPR Jazz critic poll that has sepate Latin Jazz and jazz vocalists and jazz reissues categoreis

NPR Latin Jazz from above

Latin
1. Arturo O'Farrill/The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Four Questions (Zoho)
Votes: 18
Bandleader Arturo O'Farrill translates the essential inquiry at the heart of W.E.B DuBois' tract, The Souls of Black Folks, into an epic symphonic exploration. How does virtue face down violence? O'Farrill and his orchestra respond with polyrhythmic vivacity and harmonic elation. Yet, the lightly spoken sections — Dr. Cornel West's contribution — invoke the deep suffering that prompted DuBois to write more than a century ago, and O'Farrill to compose today. –Suzanne Lorge

2. Aruán Ortiz With Andrew Cyrille and Mauricio Herrera, Inside Rhythmic Falls (Intakt) 11

3. Gonzalo Rubalcaba & Aymée Nuviola, Viento Y Tiempo: Live at the Blue Note Tokyo (Top Stop Music) 6

3. Diego Urcola Quartet Featuring Paquito D'Rivera, El Duelo (Sunnyside) 6

3. Papo Vázquez Mighty Pirates Troubadours, Chapter 10: Breaking Cover (Picaro) 6

6. Dafnis Prieto Sextet, Transparency (Dafnison Music) 5

6. Manuel Valera New Cuban Express Big Band, José Martí En Nueva York (Greenleaf Music) 5

Bad Bunny is gonna be the guest on Saturday Night Live February 20

Right now I am watching a different style of Latin music-- "From Tuba to Cuba" doc for free on Tipitina's tv youtube site re New Orleans Preservation Hall Jazz Band visit to Cuba and playing with Cuban bands in different locations across the country

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-latin/rauw-alejandro-afrodisiaco-interview-1126311/

Interesting profile of Puerto Rican r’n’b & reggaeton artist Rauw Alejandro

Been listening to SiriusXM Caliente station in the car recently and 2 salsa singers, Gilberto Santa Rosa & Victor Manuelle , get played among the reggaeton and Latin pop stars who are on the charts. It’s interesting how radio playlist creators decide who can fit in their tight formats and who can’t. I wish their playlist would be more varied, but I am not in demographic surveys apparently.

Bad Bunny was ok on SNL. 1 st song was a duet with Rosalia . I’m a fan but his delivery of the 2 cuts didn’t wow me.

https://miguelzenon.bandcamp.com/album/el-arte-del-bolero

Miguel Zenon on link talks about how he listens to salsa and bolero singers for inspiration. This January album he is with Luis Perdomo. I haven’t listened yet. As I have noted on this board in the past, Zenon interviews always make me want to like his music, but then I do listen and he emphasizes improvisation, noise, and minimalism over rhythm and low-brow me gets disappointed. He is a MacArthur grant winner.

Becky G x Burna B:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz01aGerGcY
"Rotate"

Sounds good and is getting hype as part of a Pepsi ad ( with soccer /football in it)

ah, didn’t know that

hypnotic new Balvin track (with producer buddy Sky Rompiendo):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moFLjsO9TGA
J Balvin • Ma' G

New Balvin track didn’t wow me on first listen. I like some prior cuts that were more pop. Maybe on further listens the rhythm will feel more hypnotic to me, and the vocals will impress me more.

https://remezcla.com/music/anitta-kali-uchis-cazzu-respond-arcangels-insulting-instagram-story-slut-shaming-women/

Speaking of J Balvin, he’s also in this article. Didn’t know about his racist/sexist comment re Rihanna .

I have liked some of Arcangel’s music but his comments discussed in this story are hypocritical and problematic

Bad Bunny performance was great on the Grammys

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-latin/eladio-carrion-monarca-interview-1138843/

Eladio Carrion

https://remezcla.com/features/music/si-tu-quiere-dembow-dominican-rappers-once-hated-dembow-now-theyre-its-vanguard/

Dominican dembow

https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/paulus-music-tokischa/

Paulus Music - Dominican dembow and trap

Thurs April 8 from 7-9 et via Eventbrite w/ a charge $

Join Radio Caña Negra as we kick off the first workshop in our community series with
@ReggaetonXGata This webinar delves into the historical and contemporary of plena, reguetón, perreo and race led by reggaeton historian and artist, Kathleen Eccleston

$40 seems a bit pricey
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/radio-cana-negra-presents-perreo-101-with-la-gata-tickets-147172317363

63rd Annual Grammy Awards WINNER · Best Latin Jazz Album · FOUR QUESTIONS · Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

Haven’t listened to that O’farrill album yet. I wonder if he & his group add anything new or different to the standard Latin jazz structure?

so fucking ready for this Dominican banger to be the worldwide post-covid (or at least post-mass vaccination) party anthem:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFTsv6IigQQ
Axel Rulay x Verbo Flow • Si Es Trucho Es Trucho

while the original has amassed 3M views on YouTube in less than two months, the remix with Farruko and El Alfa is at nearly 3.5M views in less than two *weeks*:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KktT_jxfR8s

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2021-03-29/karol-g-reggaeton-new-album-kg0516-anuel-aa

Interview w/ Latin pop/ Reggaeton vocalist Karol G . She has An Aventura guitarist on one track on her new album coming out Friday plus various other guests - J Balvin

First time hearing “si es trucho es trucho” and loving the vibe. Hope it becomes big in Mexico too.

Excited about the new Karol G album, will probably be the first massive album of 2021 in latinamerica.

"si es trucho es trucho" is a jam

From a press pr email about the April 17 Marc Anthony livestream concert ( where he will be joined by Daddy Yankee)

This coming Saturday, April 17th two of the most iconic Latin singers join the worlds of reggaetón and salsa music on stage to perform “De Vuelta Pa’ La Vuelta,” their latest single, which has spent 13 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Tropical Airplay, marks the first collaboration between the two Puerto Rican powerhouses

diggin dat Dominican dembow:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4OCilO8oDo
El Alfa • Arrebatao

That’s a good one

Bad Bunny has announced a 2022 US arenas tour.

And it is selling out quickly.

Meanwhile the May 2021 LAMC is free and online

https://latinalternative.com/phone/index.html?fbclid=IwAR2lYgStaLOGm_ZbrKX8zpBfxJTE37QLAvyIIj8BmYMQD1sSWnSZR6BefzM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDr5FxxA58w

New Natalie Lafourcade duet Cien Anos, with Pepe Aguilar covering 1953 song popularized by Pedro Infante ; from her upcoming album Un Canto por Mexico, vol. 2.

The 'Un Canto' project benefits the cultural center El Centro de Documentación del Son Jarocho.

Marc Anthony concert stream Saturday night April 17 crashed as it could not handle demand

"si es trucho es trucho" is a jam

― dyl, Tuesday, March 30, 2021

Bad Bunny singing & dancing to “....trucho” on IG

"Young Zapatistas -- you know what they like?" He mumbled inaudibly into the microphone. "They like" mumble-mumble. "They really like" mumble-mumble. Finally, with reluctance. "They like -- reggaeton. There, you made me say it."

-- Subcomandante Marcos, quoted in Paul Theroux's "On the Plain of Snakes"

I didn’t remember to jump online quick to buy 2022 Bad Bunny tix, and now Stubhub, Ticketmaster etc are just selling them at insane prices. Maybe prices will drop close to show

Friday April 30, 2021 at 7:30 p.m.

(Bronx, NY) Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture presents “The Musical Journey of Jane Bunnett” on Friday April 30, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. on Zoom, Facebook Live and YouTube. There will be tributes from percussionist Pedrito Martínez, pianist Hilario Durán, Yissy García of Maqueque and producer and writer Nat Chediak. The evening is hosted by Michael Ambrosino, producer and host of Currents, Dialectics & Dialogs at 33third.org

I missed that last night.

If you would rather catch up on reggaeton tv appearances than Latin jazz streams there is this

https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/latin/9548779/latin-artists-late-night-tv-2021-list/

amazing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jYEz66J_J4
Karol G ft. Mariah Angeliq • El Makinon

I need to pay so much more attention to Karol G. I also loved "Bichota", but she's got a whole album to explore, KG0156 - Moka mentioned it upthread.

there's also the Sech album 42 to check out. reggaeton needs more of my love, basically.

btw I’m including all the reggaeton/dembow/urbano tracks on this thread (there haven’t been all that many unfortunately) in an integrated Rolling Spotify playlist for all the Caribbean music threads (soca, dancehall, reggaeton/dembow/urbano, Martinique, other caribbopop). now 75 tracks in, feel free to follow:

ILM rolling Caribbean vibes 🥁🥁🥁

https://tidal.com/magazine/article/the-rise-of-dominican-dembow/1-56634

I missed the Friday May 7 Eddie Palmieri and small band stream $25 fee , via a Philadelphia entity . Not sure if still available

Apparently Latin Alternative Music Conference sessions are available now after that conference

https://latinalternative.com/phone/index.html?fbclid=IwAR2lYgStaLOGm_ZbrKX8zpBfxJTE37QLAvyIIj8BmYMQD1sSWnSZR6BefzM

great beat / riff:

original: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N06bpHYU1ow
Nio García & Casper Magico • Travesuras

star-studded remix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4pOLx72GkU
Nio García x Casper Magico x Ozuna x Myke Towers x Wisin & Yandel • Travesuras (Remix)

Tokischa, Haraca Kiko, El Cherry Scom: “Tukuntazo”

Plus 9 more

https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/the-10-best-songs-by-latinx-artists-in-2021-so-far/

some very nice tracks on that list, but no "Si Es Trucho Es Trucho", no glory.

posted Sofia Kourtesis' "By Your Side" on the Bobbins and Summer Hits threads.

Reggaeton star goes the 80’s disco pastiche route (ripping off a bit of Fergie in the process). Dropped a week ago and is climbing to the top of the charts in Spain and Latinamerica, seems like it will be an early summer anthem in there:

Rauw Alejandro - todo de ti
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFPLIaMpGrY

^ reposting from the summer 2021 rolling thread.

If this ends up having stating power It’ll be curious to see if it ends up influencing other trap/reggaeton artists to shift into other pop territories. You can only do so many songs with the same dembow beat... after 4/5 years of almost every latin hit using a variation of it I think the audience might want a change.

Reading Carina del Valle Schorske free subscription email about dancing in NYC. She wrote interesting NY Times magazine article I linked to above a little while ago. Latest email has details related to that article.

Because of family responsibilities I keep missing N#d S#blette’s Thursday night postmambo online events with movie docs and guest speakers. Tonight he is showing a doc Old Man Bebo about Cuban pianist Bebo Valdes .

At Birdland for Isaac Delgado now.

This is great! I knew some of the horn players but this keyboard player who I still don’t know the name of is killing.

Salsa dura, sabrosura!

Esto es el guaguanco!

I mean he didn’t sing that particular song, just a couple of other guaguancos.

Sorry, Issac Delgado

You may have seen Ned there. Or he went the night before I guess. Hmmm, trying to remember if Delgado has ever come down to DC. I dunno. Sounds like a good show. I don’t recognize band but Ned says band is :

. Let the record show that the band is: Issac Delgado Jr. (pno), Yorgis Goiricelaya (bass), Liván Mesa (keys), Marcos López (timbal), Camilo Molina (timbal, Fri and Sat), with a double conga chair -- Manny Márquez and Roberto Vizcaíno Jr. -- each with three drums and also each with a juego de bongó as well. Horns are Mike Rodríguez, trp; Román Filiu, sax; Carlos Pérez (former Havana d'Primera), bone

Reading a reference to Alvaro Diaz as emo reggaeton . Need to investigate

I like Alvaro Diaz on first quick listen

the workers painting my bathroom like listening to Dominican bachata singer Zacarias Ferreira as did one of the moving company employees. Ferreira also did 2 shows recently in the DC area

https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/2021-latin-grammys-winners-list-1234999583/

Latin Grammys

Saw a tweet saying reggaeton vocalist Myke Towers performed on Latin Grammys w/ salsa band doing “Perequito Pin Pin.

I wonder if this is on YouTube or a Latin Grammys page

Latin Grammys Honor ‘Patria y Vida’ and Celebrate Rubén Blades
The Cuban protest anthem was named song of the year. Camilo and Juan Luis Guerra tied for the most awards. Blades, honored as person of the year, also won album of the year.

Myke Towers rapping with salsa dancers and band on 2021 Latin Grammys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5wQq7xsX1o

Not amazing but I like that Towers live rendition even if that’s a Grammys cliche to get different generations to all enjoy

Eslabon Armado are a California based Mexican pop group with ranchera roots I think. This song is getting lots of radio and Spotify plays. I like it (kinda soft but that’s ok)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CULF9lXH87w

https://afropop.org/audio-programs/the-sound-of-new-york-latin-music

"The Sound of New York Latin Music" takes a deep sonic dive into the great New York Latin discography, with host Georges Collinet and guest host Ned Sublette, who produced and megamixed. Special guest Dr. Ben Lapidus, author of New York and the International Sound of Latin Music 1940-1990, tells us stories of the musicians and the conditions that made the city's music unique. With nonstop music by Ray Barretto, Jerry González and the Fort Apache Band, Markolino Diamond, a snippet of Joe Quijano's bugalú version of "Fiddler on the Roof," and about a thousand more.

Cool. I’ve seen Ben Lapidus play tres when Mike Eckroth does his Arsenio Rodriguez tribute, which is a lot of fun.

Didn’t know about his recent book though, nor that Chris Washburne had one as well.

Hmm. Looks like Mike Eckroth's sister Rachel is nominated for a Grammy. Maybe I will bring it up on the Rolling Jazz thread.

Haven't seen Lapidus play, but maybe someday. Oh wow, Washburne's Latin Jazz book came out in 2020. Who knew?

Here's sad news:

RIP flamboyant, brilliant Yale art and music professor Robert Farris Thompson. I saw him speak in DC twice and was wowed by his knowledge of African art, music, and religion as well as Afro-Latino art, music, and faith. This Texas raised guy, who spent some years living in Nigeria, schooled audiences ( including me) on the history of pre-salsa mambo music in an entertaining manner that was also scholarly. Beyoncé is seen reading his book Black Gods and Kings in her Black is King movie, and his Flash of the Spirit book on African art and culture inspired many.

I almost took his class Freshman year, but in the end I only sat in on the first few classes. Little did I know...

Was looking to see if any musicians commented on his passing. Didn't see anything right away but then finallly I saw a long post by Neil Clarke.

Eddie Palmieri tweet

Sending my deepest condolences to the family of my dear friend Dr. Robert Farris Thompson. I thank him from the bottom of my heart for his depth of work as an art historian and including my musical contributions within the content of his many books and additional publications. 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/fYsRCq73SF

— Eddie Palmieri (@EddiePalmieri) November 30, 2021

Greg Tate-musician and critic in a public FB and IG post

A giant of African cultural scholarship no longer walks among us but along what Sun Ra called The Celestial Road. Professor Robert Farris Thompson’s lectures and books impact on C. Daniel Dawson,David Hammons. Jean Michel Basquiat, Kelly Jones, Kerry James Marshall, Henry Louis Gates, Judith Wilson, Sanford Biggers, and Arthur Jafa was immense, especially Flash of the Spirit which we essayed upon in Flyboy In The Buttermilk under the title ‘Guerilla Scholar On The Loose’. Peace go witcha Professor RFT.

Another book to add to the list...

Bobby Sanabria said about Farris Thompson:

Professor of Mambo, Cool, and the Multiverse. I was honored to have him write the liner notes to our first Grammy nominated album, Afro-Cuban Dream: Live & In Clave!!! way back in 2000. His books are essential reading. His final book on Mambo will be forthcoming.

His tango book looking good to me.

7.
Rauw Alejandro
"Todo de Ti

NPR top song list

Pareles listed some alt Latino stuff in NY Times - Bomba Estereo and others

Pareles best 2021 album list in NY Times has Bomba Estereo, Mon Laferte, & Mdou Moctar in his top albums plus in his 15 more deserving albums -Arooj Aftab, “Vulture Prince”

Khaira Arby, “New York Live” and Cuban pianist Omar Sosa- East African Journeys

Jon Caramanica has reggaeton on his list including Rauw Alejandro

This C Tangana album that made Rolling Stone top 10 ( as did Rauw A ) is pretty good. He’s from Spain and used to write w/ Rosalia ( and they were together). He’s got rumba , flamenco, bachata, folk and rapping and singing on his 2021 album.

Still have yet to listen to Michele Rosewoman but she always seems to have a great band.

C Tangana is my most listened to album of the year according to my Spotify unwrapped. For a dabbler like me it's a nice dip into the various genres. My favourite is Ingobernable with the Gypsy Kings. NPR also has it at as their no.5 album. I had not paid any attention to him before this year and but then I realised most of the Rosalia's El Mal Querer album was co-written by him.

I really like the way C Tangana utilizes multiple genres and does so in a way that doesn't seem forced.

A decade old, but I just came across this whilst checking up on Kirk Lightsey.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VR5ezSoPCuw

Jerry Gonzalez has been gone 3 years now. His brother for a bit too. I liked their attitudes and their playing. Does Lightsey's 2021 Coltrane revisited have a Latin jazz feel to it?

Don't know, will check it out. I never even knew Lightsey and Gonzalez were so tight.

Did Greg Tate ever write about Latin jazz or salsa?

Not that I am aware of but it is certainly possible.

Feel like probably not much though.

He was a big fan of Robert Farris Thompson (an advocate for African and Latin), but Tate seems to just to have been into African music more than Latin (in addition to African-American)

2. Yotuel, Gente de Zona, Descemer Bueno, Maykel Osorbo, El Funky, ‘Patria y Vida’

Jon Pareles #2 song on his 2021 song list in NY Times

He has a C Tangana song too plus a few others that might interest folks on this thread

12. Jorge Drexler and C. Tangana, ‘Tocarte’

A Camilo song and a Yendry song too on Pareles list too

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/07/arts/music/best-songs.html

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-spanish-language-albums-2021-1269982/

Something for everyone--35 albums. reggaeton, pop, salsa, rock, folk . Well maybe not Latin jazz

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/22/arts/music/reggaeton-electronic-fusions.html

Reggaeton & edm hybrid songs plus some Reggaeton & r’n’b or house hybrids

Jazz Critics poll 2021 has a separate category for Latin Jazz

Latin

1) Miguel Zenón & Luis Perdomo, El Arte Del Bolero (Miel Music) 23
2) Arturo O’Farrill, . . . Dreaming in Lions . . . (Blue Note) 21
3) Eliane Elias, Mirror Mirror (Candid) 8
4) (tie) Carlos Henriquez, The South Bronx Story (Tiger Turn) 7
4) (tie) Ches Smith & We All Break, Path of Seven Colors (Pyroclastic) 7
6) (tie) Rubén Blades y Roberto Delgado & Orquesta, Salswing! (Rubén Blades Productions) 4
6) (tie) Arturo O’Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Virtual Birdland (Zoho) 4

Rolling Afro-Latin Music 2022: Reggaeton, Salsa, Bomba, Latin Jazz, Bachata, Merengue, Urbano and more Latinx

new 2022 thread