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Roberto Roena: Roberto Roena Y Su Apollo Sound
ByRoena started out young, as a teenager, on the island as a dancer in Santurce, where he caught the attention of Rafael Cortijo, who put him in his band as a bongocero. The training paid off, and Roena began touring internationally with El Gran Combo, after which he formed this very well-regarded band. The horn-driven band was a sensation, and this, its first recording, appeared in 1970. There were, of course, echoes of Sly and the Family Stone, Blood Sweat and Tears, and a cover of Otis Redding, whose "Dock of the Bay" got mistranslated as "Duck of the Bay," and thus, oddly, appears as "El Pato de la Bahía." But there were also songs with a deep history in Puerto Rico, including "Soñando con Puerto Rico, that dated from the 1950s, at least. "El Escapulario" may or may not owe something to the classic Mexican film of the same name, which appeared in 1968. The only doubtful moment comes with "Han Pasado Algunos Días," whose intonation seems a bit wobbly. But otherwise, this is a time capsule, music of the moment, and in some ways, a look into the complex political and cultural synthesis that includes US citizenship but no presidential vote, and federal assistance in food, but no income tax from purely insular sources for Puerto Ricans.
If you think the music is challenging and rhythmically complex, so is Puerto Rico. And Roena captured it fairly in 1970. The vinyl sound, remastered, of course, is first rate and the album graphics preserve the look and feel of the original.
Track Listing
Tu Loco Loco, Y Yo Tranquilo; Sing A Simple Song; Consolación; Soñando Con Puerto Rico El Escapulario; El Sordo; El Pato De La Bahía; El Barrio Sin Guapo; Han Pasado Algunos Días; Spinning Wheel.
Personnel
Roberto Roena
percussionAdditional Instrumentation
Elías Lopes: trumpet; Mario Alvares Cora: trumpet; Al Abreu: tenor saxophone; Oswaldo "Cuchón" Nuñez: trombone; Claudio "Lin" Torres: bass; Frank "Gole" Fernández: timbales, drums; Celso Clemente: conga; Albert García: piano; Piro Mantilla: vocal; Dino Gay: vocal; Frankie Calderón: vocal.
Album information
Title: Roberto Roena Y Su Apollo Sound | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: Craft Recordings
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