Jamón y Queso

A new look plus new music! Finally!

What's up mi gente... I know your starving for some arepafunk. Tranquilos... I got you.

First off - Caminito Serrano by Jaime Llano Gonzalez. Afrosound has a really dope version of this song too. This one reminds me of Chicha which is a cool, psychadelic cumbia sounding music from Peru. Check out Chicha Libre, a Brooklyn-based band thats got an awesome sound.

Mambo en España by Orquesta Riverside is one I have been saving for a special occasion. This is some good music that will never grow old. I know you'll love it.

I end the set with the Fania All Stars playing El Raton. In the liner notes there's a clip from the New York Post that sums up all the excitement from the night that this song(among others) was recorded live at Yankee Stadium. It's nuts.... Just to give you an idea of how crazy this show must have been... Mongo Santamaria, Tipica '73, and El Gran Combo warmed up the crowd....

En serio? For real? Arr ju kidin me? Just picture that, all those guys are opening up the show, then you got the Fania All Stars showing up with Manu Dibango and Jorge Santana. Holy chit, its no wonder 40,000 fans rushed the stage and the show had to end early.

Yankee Stadium, August 24th, 1973. Wow

Here's a video of El Raton being performed live in Zaire. Enjoy.

Alright, be good. Peace!

Arroz Chino

So this week I found a set of 45's that belong to my Pops. You know when you find a dollar in your pocket? Well, it was something like that. Except, I did cartwheels. Maybe you do cartwheels too when you find a buck? No se.

Anyway, the first selection for this week came from that stack of 45's. It's a song called Pesebre by Grupo la Droga. I couldn't find any info on this group on the net (fun name though). This track is funky - I can't get enough of it.

There is a funny intro to Sono Sono by the Alegre All Stars - it's the voice of Kako , the timbalero. Cheo Feliciano provides the vocals on that track and then you hear him again on the next track El Pito by the Joe Cuba Sextet. Back to back Cheo - you can't beat that.

Charlie Palmieri's Tiene Sabor will make you wanna dance if you weren't already. Be on the lookout, he plays the melodica towards the end and it sounds so dope.

Saludos a Michelle, who I caught checkin' out this blog. Gracias chica! Atleast I know someone is reading this =)

Alright friends of arepafunk, have a great week.

Peace.