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Chico Sonido

Published April 28, 2009 Boleros y Baladas , Cumbia , Events , Latin Funk/Soul Leave a Comment

Just wanted to drop another great audio set I heard recently from Chico Sondio. I’ve had the honor to dj with Chico a few times at Mas Exitos/Mas Discoteca and the guy absolutely floors me with the stuff he’s got. I’m constantly asking him “what the fuck was that song?” Some of the sickest and jankiest Latin beats on the planet.

Be sure to listen to his “paisadelic” set at the fully fitted blog. Peep the last song also, which is coming out on his debut album. From the sound of it, it’ll probably be one of my favorite records this year.

Fucking great stuff Chico!

http://fullyfitted.blogspot.com/2009/02/live-home-part-14.html

Banda Macho: Los Covers

Published April 27, 2009 Garage/Rock , Latin Funk/Soul 1 Comment

1. Banda Macho: Tiburon

I tend to get a lot of questions whenever I play Spanish versions of American songs in the clubs. People find it funny and I have to admit there is a certain kitsch value to it.

However, for Banda Macho I guess it was no laughing matter. They pretty much made a living pumping out tunes that belong to their neighbors to the North. I have 4 of their LP’s and they are all cover albums. For some reason it is a subject that I am interested in, especially how Latin Americans interpret musical genres of American culture. And I am certain I will explore more of this in the future.

Banda Macho hails from Monterrey Mexico and are still around from what I have read. The song Tiburon (Shark) draws from both the popularity of the movie Jaws and Jimmy Castor’s song “Supersound” (sans the 1 minute break at the end).

El Zarape

Published November 19, 2008 Cumbia , Latin Funk/Soul , Latin Jazz 5 Comments

1. Joe Bravo: Yolanda

Pretty obscure stuff from the El Zarape label. Now most of the music I’ve heard from this label seems to be really bad regional Mexican. However, every now and again these Tex-Mex labels would always throw in some sort of funky cut.

Yolanda I believe was originally a popular cha-cha-cha number. And I think I actually own an LP from Joe Bravo and it doesn’t sound anything like this.

2. The Mexican Revolution: Listen Here

The song “Soul Searching” by The Mexican Revolution is the song with the big fat break so I hear (I don’t have it). But the soul jazz cover of Eddie Harris’ “Listen Hear” will do just fine. This standard is pretty much covered by everyone.

3. Augustine Ramirez: She’s Looking Good

Found this today in a stack a records I was going through. Didn’t even realized I owned this joint. Anyway, I thought I’d amend this post by putting the best song on the album up for you people.

Again, more bad regional Mexican music from the El Zarape label, except for the Roger Collins’ cover She’s Looking Good. To go from crappy polkas and horrible rancheras to a soul number is beyond me. It probably was the thing to do back in the day or maybe even the label/producer’s idea. This happens repeatedly on labels like this, Gas, Musart, and other Mexican/Mexican American record labels of this era.

El Baile De Kung-Fu

Published August 31, 2008 Latin Funk/Soul , Queso Leave a Comment

1. Mestizo: El Baile De Kung-Fu

I found a website that indicated they were the actual band Mestizo which began in the SF Bay Area in the 70’s. But I’m not quite sure if it’s the same band that’s on this 45.

Irregardless, it appears that Mestizo was riding the coat tails of Carl Douglas’s one hit wonder “Kung Fu Fighting” and “Dance The Kung Fu“. A popular song and/or topic to cover at the time i guess. I’ve heard other Latin American versions, as well as Jamaican reggae funk versions too.

This is a 45 I pulled a few weeks back from that KRMX collection which I was speaking of in the last post. It’s pretty indicative of the collection as a whole. I’m always getting surprised. It ain’t the best song in the world, but it’s pretty ridiculous and amazing in its own right. Please note that I created by own genre “Queso” (cheese). It’s a pretty subjective category since I tend to stick music that resembles nacho cheese into it. There is so much Latin cheese-ball that a category was warranted.