Top Picks 2013 - Salsa/Latin Jazz/Afro Cuban/Musica Cubana

I just finished airing my programs featuring the best music of 2013.  Here is my list in no particular order because they are all fine recordings!!

Puerto Rico All Stars - Echando Candela
Cubana All Stars - A Dream Come True
Mauricio Silva - Legado De La Salsa Venezolana Volume 1
Chucho Valdes/Afro Cuban Messengers - Border-Free
Orquesta SCC-Salsa Con Conciencia - Renacimiento
Africando - Viva Africando
Conjunto Sabrosura - Mona Pa Mi Bongo
Sonora Poncena - 10 Para Los 100
Yolanda Rivera - La Hija Del Guaguanco
New Swing Sextet - Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Various Artists - Sabe Venezuela Volume 2
Ray Viera Y Trombao - Sambumbia Radioactiva
La Maxima 79 - Regresando Al Guaguanco
Maikel Blanco Y Su Salsa Mayor - A Toda Maquina
Trombonranga - Al Mal Tiempo Buena Salsa
Mamborama - Baila Que Baila
Omar Sosa - Eggun
John Santos Sextet - Filosofia Caribena Vol. 2
Pedrito Martinez Group - The Pedrito Martinez Group
Buika - La Noche Mas Larga
Mitch Frohman Latin Jazz Quartet - From Daddy With Love
DJ El Chino/Various - Salsa World Series Vol. 5
Tipica Novel - Mirando Pa'l Cielo
Manuel Valera/New Cuban Express - Expectativas
Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet - Latin Jazz Jazz Latin
Mayito Rivera - Alma De Sonero
Pacific Mambo Orchestra - PMO
Timbalive - Con La Musica Cubana...NO!

Late 2013 releases that can be considered for 2014
El Gran Combo - 50 Anniversario
Pete Rodriguez - Caminando Con Papi
Eddie Palmieri - Doin It In The Park EP
Hector Aponte/Orquesta Harlem Riverside - Tres Generaciones De Nuestra Musica
David Calzado Y Charanga Habanera - Se Sufre Pero Se Goza

Farewell Chata

Chata Gutierrez, a mainstay in the San Francisco Bay Area radio scene for four decades, passed away on December 17 after a long battle with liver cancer.  She was 60.  Blessed with a great voice, smooth delivery and impeccable musical taste, Chata was a natural for radio.  She started back in KPFA under the guiding hand of radio producer Emiliano Echeverria back in 1972.   She hosted programs at KPFA and KPOO from 1972 to 1979.   I have known Chata since we were classmates in high school and actually worked together for a brief stint at KPFA back in 1976.   We were friends, colleagues and rivals but always had mutual respect for each other and the music.  She produced her long running Saturday salsa music program later known as "Con Clave" for 33 years at community radio station KPOO.  Her program was essential listening for Latin music fanatics and Salsa lovers.  She was a staunch advocate for Salsa who was awarded the Tom Donahue award in the late 1980's.  She was loved by her radio public and the Mission community in SF that supported her but was also a fierce competitor and brutally frank in her opinions about music and people.  She kept hosting her popular program despite her up and down days almost up to the time of her death with the help of radio dj Jose Ruiz.  She will sorely be missed.  There will be a  wake at Driscoll's Mortuary from 2 to 6 pm and a memorial concert immediately following at Roccapulco to honor her memory this Sunday, December 29th in San Francisco.

Renacimiento

I have taken most of the last third of this year off from posting on this blog.  I'm not making any excuses for my absence.  There has been a lot going on with my life both positive and negative that I have not shared with you.  It has been an introspective period of time for me.  However, I am experiencing a rebirth/renacimiento...I now feel that I am willing to share my perspectives that I am passionate about with you again.  So let's proceed as we head into 2014.

Yoshi's JazzFest - Free - Sunday 8/25/13 - Jack London Square Waterfront-Oakland

Salvador Santana will be headlining a free concert this Sunday, Aug. 25 from Noon to 5 pm at Oakland's Jack London Square Waterfront brought to you by Yoshi's Jazz Club.  KPFA is one of the media co-sponsors of the Yoshi's JazzFest which also features the Julian Coryell Trio, Cuban reggaeton mix-master Dos Four and the Oaktown Jazz Workshop Performance Ensemble.  It promises to be a great musical afternoon.  For more information, visit www.yoshis.com

What I Did On My Summer Vacation 2013

I have been on Summer vacation from this blog.  But I'm baaaccckkkk!!  During the last few months, I had a birthday, took a real family vacation to Spain (which included Barcelona, Catalunya and La Costa Brava..had a blast & visited my in-laws and friends), came back and saw Spanish Harlem Orchestra (so good!!), checked out Outside Lands Festival (saw great acts: Paul McCartney, Phoenix, Nine Inch Nails, Chic, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Rhye, Bombino, Bauer etc) , the San Jose Jazz Festival (Javon Jackson w/Les McCann & Dr. Lonnie Smith , Wil Campa & powerhouse vocalist Paula Harris with The Beasts Of Blues were awesome!), moving forward with plans for a new personal web site, have hosted and produced a lot of radio, raised money to keep KPFA alive, interviewed Puerto Rican salsa stalwart Don Perignon, contemporary Salsa sonero/matinee idol Michael Stuart and emerging Cuban music star Wil Campa (they were ALL great performing live in person by the way!!!).  I haven't stopped yet..I am hosting Con Sabor tonight - Saturday, August 17 from 9 to 11 pm on KPFA 94.1 FM/www.kpfa.org.  I am starting a new nightclub scene...I will be resident dj for a new weekly Salsa night "Sabroso Mondays" this Monday 8/19 from 8 to Midnight at Lukas, West Grand at Broadway, Downtown Oakland, just a couple of blocks from the Paramount Theater.  I will also return to my regular monthly spot at Cafe Cocomo this coming Saturday, August 24th with the popular Julio Bravo & Salsabor on stage!!  Que vida!!

tidbits late June 2013

memories of spring and the beginning of Summer 2013:  Don Perignon and his great trio of singers including Rico Walker, Gonzalez and Josue Rosado performing a smoking set in semi darkness due to a blackout at El Vacilon, Treasure Island...Peruvian Cuban Timba sensations Barbaro Fines and Mayimbe packed Cafe Cocomo to the rafters.   The band with it's frontline reminiscent of Charanga Habanera wowed the timberos at the club....Carnaval SF was rescued at the last minute by a Mission District community coalition led by Roberto Hernandez that pulled off the 2 day festival and parade with a volunteer staff and bands that played for free.  SFCAT, the non-profit producing entity that ran the event for the past 3 years (and that hired me as Carnaval's entertainment consultant from 2011 to 2012) went kaput this year and punted to Hernandez and the Mission coalition.....The indestructible salsa great Oscar D'Leon was joined by two violins and a full band mesmerizing the crowd at Cocomo.  Tragic news about D'Leon just weeks later.   He lost his eyesight after he was struck in the eye by a chest in a domestic accident.  Wishing Oscar a speedy recovery!  He is truly one of the great Salsa singer and performers of all time.

SF International Film Festival

The 56th annual edition of the San Francisco International Film Festival which took place in late April showcased a series of Latin films dealing with youth and the coming of age.  Be sure to look for the Brazilian film "They'll Come Back" dives into that scenario focusing on the story of a privileged 12 year old girl Cass who is abandoned on a desolated road along with her brother by her parents.  Her brother goes off by himself to get help.  She discovers a Brazil that is foreign to her defined by class, poverty and immigrants.