Surfin’ The Panamerican Wave!
This is a bunch of funky fellas out of Colombia, one of the main gold mines of salsa. Onda Panamericana is the name of this group and the album is called “Bamba Oe!” on the CBS label.
Certainly, just looking at the cover tells the tale of good things to come, as we see the whole group come blasting out of a trombone. Which is exactly what this stuff is — bad to da ‘bone! Strong trombones and heavy piano coupled with a tight bass player and campanero and you have a good start.
However, the names of these guys have been hidden to protect the guilty… All I know is that Joe and Luis Eduardo are the singers and Arturo Mora, Luis Zuniga and Miguel Rodriguez are arrangers on this project. Musical director is Gabriel Munoz.
- La Vida Cara is the main track for me on this album. Slamming from start to finish, but surprisingly modest in tempo which is perfect for a full dance floor just getting their grooves on to a totally dura track with their partners. I simply love their playful in-the-moment additude. The breaks are as tight as a poor scot and the swing is just perfect. The highlight moment for me is the breakdown into the piano solo. It almost feels like the song is about to change into a jazz swing number but then the congas pick up and the piano comes back with that strong montuno and we know it is the real deal. Life certainly is rich thanks to Onda Panamericana. La Vida Cara…
- Together I just can’t refrain from mentioning this track even though it is a soul/funk number and not salsa, but this cover of Ray Barretto’s Together is just dynamite! Right from the words go (”You dancin’ very good soul?”). The perfectly imperfect english is such an icebreaker for me and I just fell for this track even though I wouldn’t play it in a salsa setting.
Similarly, the track Una Vida may be exactly what some people are looking for. Very interesting track, but alas not salsa.
- Sister Sue This boogaloo just has to be mentioned. What a catchy song it is! Boogaloos are rare in salsa clubs except for the fast ones like Alfredito Linares and Sonora Carruseles. Certainly, boogaloos deserve to be played along with salsa, after all, they were part of the scene back then, so why not now? And I mean not just the boogaloos that are intended as Cha-Chas, but real boogaloos that you dance boogaloo moves to!
Anyway, the killer moment for me is the break where they go clapping “And now we lickin’” “Now we smokin’” “Have some more” “Have some more!”. Definitely have some more and more, people. I’d love to see that done live!
The rest of the album has more tough salsa tracks with taste and swing:
- El Recluta is a song about not wanting to
serve in the army. Knowing that in this case it is the colombian army, as opposed to for example the swiss’, I certainly feel for you brothers… Love those breaks. - Que Se Voltee El Mundo Similarly swinging salsa with nice breaks.
- Bamba Oe is a salsa with a nice mix of rythms, it even goes into an afro rythm mid song. Nice.
- Machaquera is another sweetie and suave guaguanco.
These songs are more the kind of tracks that can be part of the bread and butter of a salsa night, but for me, the track La Vida Cara is what brings in that exclusive caviar or foie gras to make life richer (did you catch that one?). The saffron of salsa if you know what I mean.
So, there were quite a few songs that I just had to write about. Did I mention that I really like this album?
Hasta la proxima,
- Guachi
3 comments February 15th, 2009