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>> Abanico Salsa's iTunes recommendations...

If you prefer to buy your music from iTunes this is the page to look at.

Having originally been a striclty vinyl man I came round to the idea of DJing with CDs - am now getting used to the whole idea of downloading - it does make life easy! You don't get detailed liner notes like you often do with an LP or a CD but you are able to buy music track by track - a big bonus when buying Salsa as any DJ/collector who has been buying before downloads were so prolific will tell you... I have CD bags full of discs that I imported fom the US at great expense for only one track, the rest being unplayable on any respectable Salsa dance floor!

Anyway, below is a list of some good Salsa music that is available on iTunes (if you don't have iTunes click on the icon below to download it for free from Apple).

Most of the music has been selected with practice in mind, and more will be added as time prgresses...

Click either logo/icon to download iTunes if you don't yet have it.

It's a free download from Apple (it's legal) that allows you to buy songs at 79p each. You can also burn CDs to listen to or update songs on your iPod by using iTunes (if you have an iPod you will already be using iTunes).

Album: Details & recommended songs: Click links to listen/buy:

Artist:
Album:

Joe Acosta
"The Power Of Love"

Music style:
Recommended tracks:
Angus' Comments: 		1970's New York Salsa
La Bendicion, Bendita Illusion, Amor Perdido
I can't believe that this album is available on iTunes...! It was originally released in 1971 - and only released on CD for the first time in 2006 in limited quantities - there will be collectors who will have spent £££s and $$$s on the original vinyl copies! The Salsa tracks that I have highlighted are awesome, raw examples of independant 1970's new York Salsa... my favourite kind!

>>La Bendicion
>>Bendita Illusion
>>Amor Perdido

Artist:
Album:

Ray Barretto
"Acid"

Music style:
Recommended tracks:
Angus' Comments: 		1960's New York Salsa
Acid, Sola Te Dejare
A landmark Barretto & Fania recording... "Acid" has been played to death by Salsa teachers over the years - for good reason! "Sola Te Dejare" is a slow tempo favourite of mine for the dance floor...

>>Acid
>>Sola Te Dejare

Artist:
Album:

Cheo Feliciano
"Cheo"

Music style:
Recommended tracks:
Angus' Comments: 		1970's New York Salsa
Anacaona
Anacaona is by no means the only reason to check out this album (although it did sell over 140,000 copies when first released) - you'll see what I mean if you have a listen to "Esto Es El Guaguanco", "Si Por Mi Llueve" or "Pa Que Afinquen". The reason I have highlighted "Anacaona" is that it really is an incredible song, and is also perfect for dancing/practicing to as it has a lovely tempo. Cheo's voice and Larry Harlow's piano solo... wow!

>>Anacaona

Artist:
Album:

Grupo Latin Vibe
"All That Vibe"

Music style:
Recommended tracks:
Angus' Comments: 		Modern Vibes-based Salsa
La Llave
I am a big fan of vibes-based Salsa - especially when in the hands of masters like Tito Puente (check out "Hong Kong Mambo" above) or Joe Cuba. For me Grupo Latin Vibe don't quite cut it - except for one track... "La Llave". If you've done a Salsa class in the last couple of years chances are you've heard this track - definitely worth checking out if you want a nice slow track to practice to...

>>La Llave

Artist:
Album:

Eddie Palmieri
"Sugar Daddy"

Music style:
Recommended tracks:
Angus' Comments: 		60's & 70's New York Salsa
Too many to list...!
This compilation is awesome...! I'm a big Eddie Palmieri fan, and this has some of his great 60's & 70's tracks on it (he often re-recorded tracks on later albums). Listen to "Estamos Chao", "Que Suena La Orchestra", "Muneca" or "Ritmo Caliente" and tell me I'm wrong!

>>Sugar Daddy

Artist:
Album:

Milagros Pinera & Sanmera
"Leche Condensada"

Music style:
Recommended tracks:
Angus' Comments: 		Modern Cuban style Salsa (not Timba)
Fragilidad
There have been a couple of versions of Sting's "Fragile" floating around on the Salsa scene during the last year or two - this one outstrips them by a long way... The intro (after 20s) is stunning, and the piano and bass compliment Milagros' fantastic voice. This one will be asked for a lot!

>>Fragilidad

Artist:
Album:

Tito Puente
"Dance Mania Vol.1"

Music style:
Recommended tracks:
Angus' Comments: 		Big Band Mambo
Too many... No.1 Latin album of all time? Could be!
This album is incredible - especially if you think that it was released in 1958 and still sounds better than nearly everything released since!! I haven't heard a Latin music critic or musician say a bad word about this album... Everyone that I have recommended it to has loved it... If the information I have is correct this is still TP's best selling album to date.

>>Dance Mania Vol.1

>>Click here to check out some old footage of Tito Puente on the vibes...

Artist:
Album:

Louie Ramirez
"Tipico"

Music style:
Recommended tracks:
Angus' Comments:

Classic 1970's New York Salsa
Feo Como El Oso, Caminante Y Labori
This album has more than just these two great tracks on it - I have highlighted these two as they are great for dancing/practicing to...

>>Feo Como El Oso
>>Caminante Y Labori

Artist:
Album:

Louie Ramirez Y Su Conjunto Chango
"Snowboy Presents Afro Cuban Kaleidoscope"
(Original album: "Vibes Galore")
Music style:
Recommended tracks:
Angus' Comments: 		1960's Latin Jazz/Mambo
Chin Chon Chow
An awesome track that is still asked for regularly when I DJ - it is also great for practicing as it has a very clear beat and a slow tempo.

>>Chin Chon Chow

Artist:
Album:

Roberto Roena Y Su Apollo Sound
"Roberto Roena y Su Apollo Sound 5"

Music style:
Recommended tracks:
Angus' Comments: 		1970's New York Salsa
Cui Cui
This is a great album from Roberto Roena (one of his best...?) and I have highlighted "Cui Cui" as it is a great tempo for practicing and always goes down really well in class, and on the dance floor!

>>Cui Cui

Artist:
Album:

Monguito Santamaria
"Blackout"

Music style:
Recommended tracks:
Angus' Comments: 		1970's New York Salsa
Asi Sere Para Ti, Guarara, Todo Es Todo
Some great Latin Funk, 1 lovely Cha Cha ("Son Del Monte") and 3 slamming Salsa tracks... for me the standout track is "Asi Sere Para Ti" but check 'em all out!

>>Asi Sere Para Ti
>>Guarara
>>Todo Es Todo

Artist:
Album:

Bobby Valentin
"Snowboy Presents Afro Cuban Kaleidoscope"
(Original released on the Album: "Bad Breath ")
Music style:
Recommended tracks:
Angus' Comments: 		1960's Latin Jazz/Mambo
Zip Zap
Originally I bought the album "Bad Breath" by Bobby Valentin in order to get hold of 2 other tracks ("Consuelate" & "Tu Eres Mi Coco" - check them out if you can find them...) but the album also had "Zip Zap" on it - wow... excellent jazzy track great for the dancefloor if you love those 'instrumental' numbers.

>>Zip Zap

Artist:
Album:

Various Artists
"New York Cty Salsa"

Music style:
Recommended tracks:
Angus' Comments:

Classic 1960's & 70's New York Salsa
Too many to mention!
It's no exageration to say that there are too many good tracks to mention on this compilation - it is one of the best compilations out there to profile the Fania record label's output at that time. Excellent if you want to add a slice of 70's New York to your dance floor...

>>New York City Salsa

Artist:
Album:

Various Artists
"New York Cty Salsa 2"

Music style:
Recommended tracks:
Angus' Comments:

Classic 1960's & 70's New York Salsa
All of them...!
NYC Salsa 2 picks up where Vol.1 left off and delves deeper in to Fania's catalogue to dig out tracks from some of the smaller NY & Puerto Rican labels that they bought whilst buying up the competition! Some of my favourite artists feature here - just wish that this compilation had been released before I spent hours & £££s sourcing and importing the original albums!

>>New York City Salsa 2