Growing up and Living La Vida FANIA December 2020
By Nelson Rodríguez
The Bronx, when the area code was 212 for everyone, was the best world to grow up in as a child. We did not realize we were in fact poor and we were blessed with what we had. There were no cell phones, video games or social media. Television consisted of ABC, NBC, CBS, channels 5, 9,11 and PBS (Channel 13).…no cable, no HBO or Showtime or Netflix or Hulu or YouTube…and no reality TV.
When we got home from school at about 3pm we would see some family-oriented comedies, Batman and Marvel Hero cartoons. Saturday mornings was a cartoon marathon unless mom required that we accompany her to shop for food and that could take up to half a day. Sometimes it was trips to the main shopping areas, that would be today’s equivalent of a mall, Fordham Road, Third Avenue or the occasional downtown to Canarsie Street to shop for coats. On my way home from school I would always stop at the corner malt shop for an egg cream, powdered jelly donuts (with real jelly), buy a few packs of either baseball, football or Basketball playing cards (purchase of a box could get you 95-99% of the entire set) or the occasional delicious grilled hamburger. My Marvel comic book purchases were for 7 cents each.
TV programming in the 60’s for me was Bonanza, The Untouchables, I Spy, Dragnet, I Love Lucy, The Ed Sullivan Show, Star Trek, Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, Dark Shadows, The Munsters, Hogan’s Heroes, The Adams Family, Get Smart, The Avengers, The Big Valley, Thunderbirds, The Saint, Man From U.N.C.L.E., The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, The Million Dollar Movie and many more shows made for family viewing. Our first color TV was a plastic sheet that went over the glass with red, blue and yellow sections like a flag. Our remote control was a human person that consisted of myself or my brother.
Life was simple: Heinz Ketchup, Hellman’s Mayonnaise, French’s Mustard, Prince Italian Bread, Wonder Bread, Hostess Cup Cakes & Twinkies (with real cream) and Bustelo (maybe Pico) Café. We had coquito carts and coquito with rum for the holidays, flan Puertoriqueño, piraguas, quenepas (mamoncillos), caña, and ‘murder burgers’ at White Castle. Paper bag sandwiches for school lunch with a piece of fruit. Dinner was white or yellow rice, beans (habichuelas), salad, tostones or platano maduro, aguacate and the meats were fried chicken, pork chops, steak & onions, beef stew, corned beef, pork roast (mainly on holidays), pollo guisao (stewed chicken) or ground beef. Sundays once of month was ‘verdura’ (boiled vegetables) with bacalao (cod fish) in olive oil.
Summers included trips to Bear Mountain, the Seven Lakes, Rye Play Land, Coney Island, the local pools, Shea or Yankee Stadium, and our favorite Orchard Beach. Just off Orchard Beach was City Island where we would go on Sundays for fish that was even sold on the sidewalks (fresh oysters & clams).
Hanging out in the neighborhood included baseball games at the PS 58 school yard, with our own green monster wall, and when it came to big games Arthur Park that was our home field for our team in the summer. In the winter football was the game of choice and basketball all year round.
In the afternoon we hung out at the church stoops or library stoops then walked over to Third Ave. and Tremont for our two slices of pizza and soda for less than one dollar. The pizza parlor was also famous for their Sicilian slices, beef patties (Jamaican), slushies and knishes (Jewish).
A few doors down from the pizza shop was one of two record shops separated by three blocks and where I brought my 45 RPM records and my first LP…”ABC” by The Jackson 5.
The 60’s led to the 70’s and the early days of Hip Hop, that would not go global until a decade later, Funk music was a particular music genre that I loved, The Hustle (primarily Black & Latino) and then Disco was a big part of my musical development. I loved all types of music.
My first exposure to Latin music was in the 60’s with my mom and dad’s Trio LP’s. El Gran Combo, Cortijo y su Combo, and Sonora Dinamita (that I believed was a Puerto Rican band). I looked at their music as ‘jibaro’ music but that soon changed. Music could be heard from all over the neighborhood …the record store loudspeakers, boom boxes at every corner, pouring out from different apartment windows in the neighborhoods and at the local parks during the weekends. I had already been hooked to the pop stations (WABC), the British Invasion and Motown. My favorite radio station was 1600 AM WWRL for their Soul and Funk with the wonderful DJ’s and the way they would present the music.
While searching for more funk radio shows I discovered a host of Jewish DJ’s playing Afro-Caribbean music…DJ’s ‘Symphony Sid’ Torin (born Sidney Tarnapol of Russian/Romanian decent) on WEVD, Dick ‘Ricardo’ Sugar on WEVD, The Joe Gaines Express on WEVD in 1971 when ‘Salsa’ was about to explode worldwide. Joe was an intern with Dick Ricardo and then Sid. This was my exposure to the Latin Tropical sounds, the artists and the clubs that would all advertise. Later you had Roger Dawson on Sundays and Felipe Luciano.
This began my lifetime love of Afro-Caribbean music starting with the Charanga sounds of Charlie Palmieri’s La Duboney, Ray Barretto’s Charanga La Moderna & Pacheco y su Charanga and Eddie Palmieri’s La Perfecta. And then there was a band called the Alegre All Stars that just jammed.
As young Latinos, in the late 60’s, who spoke English and loved R&B and Doo Wop it was Latin Soul (led by the legendary Joe Bataan) that gave birth to the Boogaloo and its smaller sister the Shing-a-ling all mostly sung in English but also in Spanish. It was our music and while I was not a huge fan of the Boogaloo I understood the lyrics and what they meant to us. It spoke about pain, struggles as a young Latino in the streets of New York and the war.
In one of my first trips to a downtown record store I discovered the wonderful sounds of the Mambo rhythm. It was the New York ‘Mambo’ of Machito & his Afro Cuban Orchestra. It was instant love and I was hooked. The store manager told me it was old music and I would not like it as he proceeded to show me the latest new hot recordings. I purchased the new and the old and my record collecting days began.
In the 70’s my record collecting expanded and it was the drug of my choice. I turned to DJing, went to school, played sports, and music became a hobby and affliction. A new record LP was under four dollars and I gobbled everything up. Everything Tito Rodriguez, Machito, Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, the rebels Willie Colon & Hector Lavoe, Mongo Santamaria, Larry Harlow, Eddie & Charlie Palmieri, Cal T’Jader, Willie Bobo, Sonora Poncena, Roberto Roena, Tommy Olivencia, Beny More, Novel, Orchestra Broadway, Cortijo y su Combo, El Gran Combo, La Protesta, Celia Cruz, La Lupe, Bobby Valentin, Willie Rosario, Orchestra Flamboyan, Joe Bataan, Johnny Colon, Sonora Matancera, Lebron Brothers, Johnny Pacheco, Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz, the Fania All Stars and Louie Ramirez.
I learned to read the liner notes to identify musicians, arrangers, instrumentations to select other recordings that introduced me to the lesser known bands that today we know as ‘La Otra Salsa’. The New Swing Sextet, Revolucion 70, Brooklyn Sounds, Bobby Quesada, Orchestra Colon, Orquesta Cimarron, Joey Pastrana, all the vocalists, Trios and Jazz recordings that included Latin percussion. I started to love Jazz and went back as far as the Flectcher Henderson Big Band. I became a huge fan of big bands. I grew to love John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Art Blakey, Grover Washington Jr., Miles Davis, Stan Kenton, McCoy Tyner, Horace Silver, The Crusaders, Lionel Hampton then it became everything Bluenote, Fantasy, Tico, Alegre, Motown, and Fania.
Fania, the label formed in 1964, created other labels like Inca owned by Jorge Valdes & Pedro Pai from Puerto Rico, Fania International that later became International (with the aim of signing international pop artists) with help from Jose Flores & Jorge Belliard, and Vaya (that some artists felt was created to show sales losses as a strategy to not pay artist royalties) whose associates were Larry Harlow, Alex Massuci and Leon Gast with Harvey Averne as GM and producer. Harvey also created Coco Records with acts like Fajardo, Eddie Palmieri, Cortijo, Machito, Graciela * Mario Bauza, Cesta All Stars (originally Joe Quijano’s Cesta label), Tipica Ideal and many more.
George Goldner sold Cotique to Fania while label executive Morris Levy, who owned Tico Records, and had purchased, from Al Santiago, Alegre Records (formed in 1956) in 1966 re-sold Tico-Alegre to Fania in 74/75. Alegre had been home to Kako, Charlie Palmieri, Pete Rodriguez, Sabu Martinez, Willie Rosario, Eddie Palmieri, Mon Rivera, Vladimir and the Alegre All-Stars who were the US version of Cuba’s Jam Sessions from the late 50’s.
Fania purchased Madri Gras Records, who had offices at 424 W. 49th Street, and had originally recorded artists that played the hotel circuit and the Catskills: Sonny Rossi, Joe Cuba, La Playa Sextet, Johnny Conquet, Dominica y su Conjunto and Al Castellanos.
By 1977 (one of the best years in Salsa recordings as documented in an article I wrote for Latin Beat Magazine many years ago) Fania was ruling the Salsa market in sales with over 65% in sales while about seven other labels shared the difference. Of course this was not only due to all the super stars at all these labels under one umbrella but to the publicity marketing machine the label had with sponsored shows at radio, Latin New York Magazine, Izzy Sanabria’s “Salsa” TV show and all the press and the Fania All Stars.
Cotique Records became the home to some great Boogaloo bands that included the Lebron Brothers, Johnny Colon and Joey Pastrana…Alegre had Pete Rodriguez and Joe Cuba Sextet on Tico. Boogaloo and Latin Soul became so popular that the acts became headliners. The Palladium three (Puente, Machito and Tito Rodriguez) were not the acts of choice for the new generation. Something had to be done by the industry that hated Boogaloo so the industry powers killed off Boogaloo and Latin Soul (also documented in a Johnny Colon article for Latin Beat) but Fania still prevailed with the new Salsa recordings.
The Fania All Stars were making a name for themselves in the early 70’s but it was the addition of Celia Cruz, after her success with Johnny Pacheco on the hits “Quimbara” & “Cucala” in 1974 that took the FAS to a new level and hence Salsa was off to the races. That perfect combination exploded throughout the world. Up to that point in 1974 Celia, who had recorded eight LP’s with Tito Puente at Tico with little success, was the only female in the FAS and she won over the audiences of the newer generation that was discovering Celia Cruz for the first time. Salsa exploded…’Bemba Colora’ exploded…sales exploded.
Much of what I tell you here was confirmed over the years by Celia herself, Richie Bonilla, Eddie Palmieri, Tito Puente and Ralph Mercado while I was at RMM as well as throughout the years in conversations with Machito, Charlie Palmieri, Louie Ramirez, Bobby Valentin, Willie Rosario, Tony Pabon, Mongo Santamaria, Max Salazar and many others I had opportunities to hang with and talk at length.
Music was everywhere and the concerts were fantastic! We grew up with Fania but my world of Salsa and Latin Jazz expanded rapidly. But there is no denying that Fania Records was it for many of us and is still true for many fans today.
In the past I supplied lists of the best Fania recordings and ‘best of hits playlists’ for various magazines but the list I prepared here is The Best of Fania with the associated labels that are now a part of Craft Records at Concord.
While I know that everyone has their favorites these are the iconic hits that everyone remembers…the chart stoppers…the classics….and are selected at random. All are now part of this immense catalog.
The Best of Fania & Family of Labels
Eddie Palmieri “Vamonos Pal Monte”
Willie Colon & Ruben Blades “Plastico”
Ray Barretto “Indestructible”
Johnny Pacheco “Acuyuye”
Orchestra Harlow “Arsenio”
Sonora Ponceña “Canto Al Amor”
Ray Barretto “El Watusi”
Eddie Palmieri “Puerto Rico”
Tipica 73 “La Candela”
Orchestra Broadway “Isla Del Encanto”
Celia Cruz & Johnny Pacheco “Quimbara”
Eddie Palmieri Ft. Cheo Feliciano “El Dia Que Me Quieras”
Willie Colon & Hector Lavoe “Che Che Cole”
Ray Barretto “Que Viva La Musica”
Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz “Aguzate”
Tipica 73 “Yo Bailo De Todo”
Bobby Rodriguez y La Compañia “Sunday Kind Of Love”
Ralfi Pagan ‘Make It With You”
Johnny Pacheco Ft. Hector Casanova “Esa Preita”
Ray Barretto ‘Guarare
Orchestra Harlow Ft. Ismael Miranda “Señor Sereno”
Tommy Olivencia y La Primerisima “Plante Bandera”
Charlie Palmieri Ft. Vitin Aviles “La Hija De Lola”
Joe Cuba Sextet “El Pito (I’ll Never Go Back To Georgia)”
Pete Rodriguez “Micaela”
Orchestra Broadway “Presentimiento”
La Lupe with Tito Puente “Que Te Pedi”
Tito Puente “Para Los Rumberos”
Pete Rodriguez “I Like It Like That”
Roberto Roena y su Apollo Sound “Traicion”
Fania All-Stars “Descarga Fania”
Justo Betancourt “Pa’ Bravo Yo”
Pete ‘El Conde’ Rodriguez “Catalina La O”
Eddie Palmieri “Azucar”
Willie Colon & Hector Lavoe “Abuelita”
Ismael Miranda “Borinquen Tiene Montuno”
Tipica Novel “La Batalla De Los Barrios”
Sonora Ponceña “Bomba Carambomba”
Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz “Sonido Bestial”
Ray Barretto “Cocinando”
Celia Cruz & Willie Colon “Usted Abuso”
Willie Colon & Ismael Miranda “No Me Digan Que Es Muy Tarde”
Bobby Rodriguez y La Compañia “La Moral’
Hector Lavoe “El Cantante”
Fania All-Stars Ft, Ruban Baldes “Juan Pachanga”
Eddie Palmieri “Un Dia Bonito”
Celia Cruz & Johnny Pacheco “Cucala”
Ray Barretto “El Hijo De Obatala”
Wille Colon & Ruben Blades “Pablo Pueblo”
Hector Lavoe “El Todopoderoso”
Fania All- Stars Ft. Ruben Blades “Sin Tu Cariño”
Wille Colon & Hector Lavoe “Barrunto”
Tipica 73 “La Botija De Abuelito”
Ismael Rivera “Las Caras Lindas”
Lebron Brothers “Salsa y Control”
Willie Colon & Hector Lavoe “Panameña”
Ray Barretto “Ban Ban Quere”
Hector Lavoe “Un Periodico De Ayer”
Roberto Roena y su Apollo Sound “Mi Desengaño”
Ismael Rivera y sus Cachimbos “Dime Por Que”
Sonora Ponceña “Jubileo 20”
Bobby Rodriguez y La Compañia “Numero Seis”
Eddie Palmieri Ft Ismael Quintana “Oyelo Que Te Conviene”
Hector Lavoe “Mi Gente”
Johnny Pacheco y Pete ‘El Conde’ Rodriguez “La Escencia del Guaguanco”
Louie Ramirez Ft. Ruben Blades “Paula C”
Cheo Feliciano “Canta”
Willie Colon “Idilio”
Tipica Novel “La Rutina y El Sabor”
Sonora Ponceña “Yambeque”
Willie Colon & Hector Lavoe “Todo Tiene Su Final”
Eddie Palmieri “Nunca Contigo”
Celia, Johnny, Justo & Papo “Ritmo, Tambor y Flores”
Johnny Pacheco “Guaguanco Pa’a Que Sabe”
Willie Colon & Hector Lavoe “Calle Luna, Calle Sol”
Johnny Colon “Boogaloo Blues”
Pupi & Pacheco “Salsa”
Tito Puente “Fiesta A La King”
Celia Cruz & Sonora Ponceña “Sonaremos El Tambo”
Pete ‘El Conde’ Rodriguez “Pueblo Latino”
Sonora Ponceña “Boranda”
Fania All-Stars Ft. Cheo Feliciano “El Raton”
Willie Colon y Hector Lavoe “La Murga”
Eddie Palmieri “Palo Pa’ Rumba”
Tipica 73 “Salsa Suite”
Ray Barretto “Canto Abacua”
Machito Orchestra “Mi Ritmo Llego”
Cesta All-Stars “El Rinconcito”
Willie Colon y Hector Lavoe “Timbalero”
Tipica Novel “Tiene Sabor”
Sonora Ponceña “Fuego En el 23”
Orchestra Broadway “Las Musiqueras”
Johnny Pacheco “Viralo Al Reves”
Bobby Rodriguez y La Compañia “Siete Mujeres”
Willie Colon y Ruben Blades “La Mora”
Ray Barretto “Vale Mas Un Guaguanco”
Willie Colon y Hector Lavoe “A-Ah, O-No”
Tito Puente y La Lupe “La Tirana”
Fania All-Stars “Quitate Tu”
Hector Lavoe ‘Hacha y Machete”
Willie Colon y Hector Lavoe “Juana Peña”
Johnny Pacheco “Agua Del Clavelito”
Willie Colon y Ruben Blades ‘Plastico”
Celia Cruz y Johnny Pacheco “Toro Mata”
Ray Barretto “Acid”
Orquesta Flamboyan “Paz”
Richie Ray y Bobby Cruz “Richie’s Jala Jala”
Sonora Ponceña “Timbalero”
Willie Colon & Hector Lavoe “Piraña”
Ismael Rivera “El Nazareño”
Tipica Novel “No Ne Regañes”
Hector Lavoe “Rompe Saraguey”
Bobby Rodriguez y La Compañia “Latin From Manhattan”
Fania All-Stars “Congo Bongo”
Orchestra Broadway “Sin Clave y Bongo”
Johnny Pacheco “Ponle Punto”
Eddie Palmieri Ft. Lalo Rodriguez “Nada De Ti”
Ray Barretto “Quitate La Mascara”
Pete ‘El Conde’ Rodriguez y Johnny Pacheco “Los Compadres”
Tipica Novel “Que Viva El Son Montuno”
Fania All- Stars “Anacaona”
Ismael Miranda “Asi Se Compone Un Son”
Larry Harlow Ft. Jr. Gonzalez “La Cartera”
Eddie Palmieri “Lindo Yambu”
Sonora Ponceña “Moreno Soy”
Lebron Brothers “En Las Nubes Trepao”
Ismael Rivera y sus Cachimbos “Las Tumbas”
Bobby Rodriguez y La Compañia “Sonero Del Barrio”
Willie Colon “El Gran Varon”
Johnny Colon “Merecumbe”
Fania All-Stars Ft. Celia Cruz “Bembe Colora”
Hector Lavoe “Mi Gente”
Ray Barretto “Adelante Siempre Voy”
Eddie Palmieri Ft. Lalo Rodriguez “Oyelo Que Te Conviene”
Willie Colon y Ruben Blades “Siembra”
Pupi & Pacheco ‘Picunina”
Tipica Novel “Salsa En Nueva York”
Sonora Ponceña “Hasta Que Se Rompa El Cuero”
Willie Colon y Hector Lavoe “Aguanile”
Justo Betancourt “No Estas En Nada”
Eddie Palmieri “Pa’Huele”
Ismael Miranda y Orquesta Harlow “Abran Paso”
Orchestra Broadway “Barrio Del Pilar”
Hector Lavoe “Vamos A Reir Un Poco”
Tipica 73 “Xiomara”
Sonora Ponceña “Suena El Piano”
Celia, Johnny, Justo y Papo “Besito De Coco”
Hector Lavoe “Songoro Consongo”
Johnny Pacheco “Alto Songo”
Lebron Brothers “Que Pena”
Willie Colon y Hector Lavoe “Te Conozco”
Eddie Palmieri “Un Puesto Vacante”
Joe Bataan “Subway Joe”
Cheo Feliciano “Mapaye”
Pete ‘El Conde’ Rodriguez “Soy La Ley”
Roberto Roena y su Apollo Sound “Tu Loco Loco, Y Yo Tranquilo”
Mongo Santamaria “Mambomongo”
Eddie Palmieri Ft. Cheo Feliciano “Paginas De Mujer”
Willie Colon y Hector Lavoe “El Dia De Mi Suerte”
Ismael Miranda “Maria Luisa”
Johnny Pacheco y Pete ‘El Conde’ Rodriguez “Dulce Con Dulce”
Sonora Ponceña “Tumba Mabo”
Wille Colon y Hector Lavoe “Vo So”
Ray Barretto “Lucretia The Cat”
Ismael Rivera y sus Cachimbos “Yo No Quiero Piedras En Mi Camino”
Orchestra Harlow Ft. Celia Cruz “Gracia Divina”
Justo Betancourt “Distinto y Diferente”
Sonora Ponceña “Tumba La Caña Jibarito”
Bobby Rodriguez y La Compañia “What Happened?”
Willie Colon y Ruben Blades “La Maleta”
Fajardo y Pacheco “Salsero Sentimental”
Louie Ramirez Ft. Azuquita “El Poeta Lloro”
Sonora Ponceña “Noche Como Boca E’ Lobo”
Bobby Valentin “Cuando Te Vea”
Willie Colon y Hector Lavoe “G’hana E”
Ismael Rivera y sus Cachimbos “Mi Negrita Me Espera”
Celia, Johnny, Justo y Papo “Se Que Tu”
Sonora Ponceña “Changuiri”
Eddie Palmieri “Ritmo Alegre”
Lebron Brothers “Amazona”
Justo Betancourt “La Tapa Al Pomo”
Willie Colon y Ruben Blades “Tiburon”
Bobby Valentin “Hay Craneo”
Sonora Ponceña “Prende El Fogon”
Hector Lavoe “Un Amor De La Calle”
Roberto Roena y su Apollo Sound “La Hija De La Vecina”
Hector Lavoe “Bandolera”
Ray Barretto “Hipocresia y Falsedad”
Bobby Valentin “Son Son Charari”
Orchestra Harlow “Señor Botanico”
Orquesta Novel “Moñono”
Ray Barretto “Vine Pa’ Echar Candela”
Fania All-Stars “Hermandad Fania”
Hector Lavoe “Sombras Nada Mas”
Orchestra Harlow “Que Sera Lo Que Se Pelean”
Tipica 73 “Canuto”
Cheo Feliciano “Mi Triste Problema”
Ray Barretto ‘Oye La Noticia”
Willie Colon y Ruben Blades “Buscando Guayaba”
Sonora Ponceña “Ramona”
Fania All-Stars Ft. Hector Lavoe “El Rey De La Puntualidad”
Cheo Feliciano “Franqueza Cruel”
Johnny Pacheco “Mango Mangue”
Ismael Rivera y sus Cachimbos “Que Te Pasa A Ti”
Orquesta Novel “Salud, Dinero y Amor”
Tipica 73 “Los Campeones De La Salsa”
Ray Barretto “Together”
Celia, Johnny Justo y Papo “Asi Cantaba Papa”
Hector Lavoe “Para Ochun”
Ismael Quintana “Mi Debilidad”
Sonora Ponceña “Ñañara Cai”
Johnny Pacheco “Las Muchachas”
Bobby Valentin “Huracan”
Tipica 73 “Sonaremos El Tambo”
Pacheco, Fajardo y Pupi “No Tiene Rival”
Sonora Ponceña “Madrugando”
Ray Barretto “La Pelota”
Ismael Miranda “Las Esquinas Son”
Orquesta Sabor (Angel Canales) “Lejos De Ti”
Mongo Santamaria “Sofrito”
Ray Barretto “Prestame Tu Mujer”
Pacheco y Melon “Don Toribio”
Tito Puente “Que Bueno Baila Usted”
Ray Barretto “Arralle”
Tommy Olivencia y La Primerisima “Trucutu”
Sonora Ponceña “El Pio Pio”
Lebron Brothers “Sin Negro No Hay Guaguanco”
Eddie Palmieri “Ajiaco Caliente”
Roberto Roena y su Apollo Sound “Que Me Castigue Dios”
Orchestra Harlow ‘El Paso De Encarnacion”
Adalberto Santiago “Ay Carey”
Johnny Pacheco “Primoroso Cantar”
Wille Colon y Hector Lavoe “Llego La Banda”
Justo Betancourt “Soy Professional”
Eddie Palmieri “Bajo Con Tumbao”
Ismael Miranda “La Cama Vacia”
Willie Colon, Hector Lavoe y Yomo Toro “Aires Navideños”
Fania All-Stars Ft. Hector Lavoe “Mi Gente”
Justo Betancourt “Ella Esta En Otra Rumba”
Hector Lavoe “La Fama”
Cheo Feliciano “Nabori”
Eddie Palmieir Ft. Lalo Rodriguez “Deseo Salvaje”
Fania All-Stars Ft. Celia Cruz “Isadora”
Joe Cuba Sextet “Cachandea”
Orchestra Harlow “Tumba y Bongo”
La Lupe “Oriente”
Cheo Feliciano “Los Entierros”
Eddie Palmieri “Ven Ven”
Joe Cuba Sextet “Bang Bang”
Joe Bataan “Ordinary Guy”
Hector Lavoe & Willie Colon “Triste y Vacia”
Eddie Palmieri “Sujetate La Lengua”
Tipica Novel “Llego La Charanga”
Orchestra Harlow “Cari Caridad”
Celia Cruz y Johnny Pacheco “Tres Dias De Carnaval”
Joe Cuba Sextet “La Palomilla”
Ray Barretto “Vive Y Vacila”
Tommy Olivencia y La Primerisima “Evelio y La Rumba”
Ray Barretto “Arrepientete”
Fania All-Stars “Por Eso Yo Canto Salsa”
Ismael Miranda “Mi Niña Bonita”
Joe Bataan “Gypsy Woman”
Johnny Pacheco “Azucar Mami”
Orchestra Broadway “Pelencho”
Tipica 73 “Guaguanco De Los Violentos”
Bobby Valentin ‘Soy Boricua”
Willie Colon “Oh Que Sera”
Eddie Palmieri “Bilongo”
Roberto Roena y su Apollo Sound “Guagaunco Del Adios”
Willie Colon “Sin Poderte Hablar”
Eddie Palmieri “Tu Tu Ta Ta”
Hector Lavoe “Tus Ojos”
Orchestra Broadway “Guaripumpe”
Ray Barretto “Fuerza Gigante”
Joe Bataan “If I Were A King”
Tipica 73 “Busco Una Chiquita”
Bobby Valentin “Use It Before You Lose It”
Ray Barretto “Y Dicen”
Hector Lavoe “Alejate”
King Nando “Fortuna”
TNT Boys “The Meditation”
Joey Pastrana “Riki Chi”
Harvey Averne “My Dream”
Ray Barretto “Soul Drummers”
Richie Ray y Bobby Cruz “Bomba Camara”
Hector Lavoe “Llore”
Tommy Olivencia “Maria La Belicosa”
Fania All-Stars “Mama Guela”
Tipica Novel “Vamos Pal Monte Company”
TNT Boys “Musica Del Alma”
Ray Barretto “Ay No”
Willie Colon y Hector Lavoe “Esta Navidad”
Tipica 73 “Tumba Tumbador”
Orchestra Broadway “No Se Va Poder”
Tito Puente “Tito On Timbales”
Ray Barretto “Tumbao Africano”
Ismael Quintana “La Blusita Colora”
Alegre All-Stars “Manteca”
Graciela y Mario Bauza “La Botanica”
Eddie Palmieri “Melao Para El Sapo”
Richie Ray y Bobby Cruz ‘Guaguanco Raro”
Pupi y su Charanga “Pacheco y Massuci”
Markolino Diamond con Frankie Dante “El Quinto De Beethoven”
Ray Barretto “Al Ver Sus Campos”
Mongo Santamaria “Amanecer”
Andy Harlow “La Loteria”
Eddie Palmieri ‘Tirandotes Flores”