Cover art of "El Juicio."
There’re old-style salsa artists who have been so influential and have produced so many good albums that it wouldn’t do justice singling out only one of their productions.
Thus, this week’s pick is a special one. Instead of selecting only one album by the legendary Puerto Rican trombonist, singer and songwriter Willie Colón, one of salsa’s greatest figures, this edition will include three sets: “El Juicio (1972);” “Lo Mato (1973)” and “Siembra (1978) — his three most critically-acclaimed productions featuring none others than vocalists Héctor Lavoe and Rubén Blades.
Before entering into details, it’s essential to note that these albums were released at the height of the “salsa gorda” movement — a time when classic salsa bands were putting out ferocious, raw and danceable music based on pulsating Afro-Caribbean sounds and a time when the music, improvisations and arrangements were by far more important than the singers’ looks.
Altogether, these knockout salsa gems contain not only some of the biggest salsa hits ever recorded but also a handful of Lavoe’s and Blades’ top performances.
On “Lo Mato,” for instance, Lavoe shines on the anthemic tunes “Calle Luna, Calle Sol,” “Todo tiene su final,” “Vo so” and the timeless “El día de mi suerte” — four songs that marked an era and are as relevant today as they were when they were first released.
On “El Juicio,” one of Colón’s best-selling discs, Lavoe shows off his superb skills as an improviser and singer in the holiday favorite “Ah-ah/O-no,” “Piraña” and the two smash hits “Timbalero” and the percussion-driven and santería-inspired “Aguanile.”
With “Siembra,” Colón changed his style a bit by sophisticating his sound and lyrics, but the quality of the music remained the same. This shift was due partly to the lyrical contributions made by Blades, his new singer in the band and the now-famed Hollywood actor, singer-songwriter, Harvard lawyer and politician.
In contrast with Colón’s previous recordings, “Siembra” features less upbeat material and more social commentary, as exemplified in “Plástico,” a track that rips societies driven by materialistic forces, and “Pedro Navaja,” a song that spotlights barrio life of young Latinos in 1970s New York.
While the Colón-Blades dynamic duo specialized on improvising and producing fiery arrangements, it transcended to a higher level of musicianship as it went from sheer high-powered jams to low-key, socially-conscious salsa songs driven by slow-tempo beats.
Two other standouts on “Siembra” are its title track and “Buscando guayaba,” a song that’s embedded in the minds of most Latin Americans who have a conscience.
In retrospect, the Colón-Blades team succeeded because they created a winning formula comprised of a unique sound, stunning vocals and knockout lyrics.
They also shined because their sidemen/bandleaders were also stars in their own right: Justo Betancourt, Milton Cardona, Johnny Pacheco and José Mangual, among others.
Thus, unlike some modern salsa strains, which are marked by inane music, cookie-cutter sounds and superficial artists, “salsa gorda” was, and still is, made for dancers, people who pay more attention to the lyrics and sounds than to the artists’ personal images.
These are albums that have had such a tremendous impact on the Latin American music scene since they were released that they deserve a special place in our collection.
Essentially, going through life without at least listening them once would be like having the entire Beatles’ collection without “Revolver.”
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