This album, The Winners, originally released in 1987 on
Vaya Records, was the last of three collaborations between the
late, great sonera, Celia Cruz and world renown
trombonist, producer and singer, Willie Colón. Celia's readily
apparent improvisational vocal prowess leaves no doubt as to why she was the
most sought after female sonera of the era. ¡Por algo le
decían "La Reina"! Willie does not play any musical instruments, but his
phenomenal skills as a producer and innovator are tantamount. As evidence of
the high esteem and affection that Willie held for the trombone, he recruited
not one, not two, not three, but FIVE excellent trombonists for this album:
Steve Turré, Barry Rogers, Angel
Vázquez, Leopoldo Pineda and Lewis
Kahn. Also, in addition to producing the album, Willie sings the
chorus lines along with some of the most melifluous voces of the
era: Milton Cardona, Tito Allen,
Domingo Quiñones and Adalberto Santiago. With
a cast of seasoned musicians, this album had all the important elements in place
for a blockbuster recording.
I picked up this CD on a Tuesday and wanted to find a song to play on my
Wednesday radio show. Since I have a DJ gig on Tuesday nights, I did not have
much time to listen to it. So, as is customary, I put it in my stereo and had
my finger on the fast-forward/skip button and planned to listen to the
first 30 seconds, or so, of each song until I found one that I would play during
my show the next day. However, the introductory horns of the second track,
Son Matamoros, gave me pause and I had to continue
listening to it. Considering the format of my radio show; which
is salsa for the dancer, I had found what I thought would be
the perfect song for the show. Son Matamoros is a
tribute to Miguel Matamoros, one of the most significant Cuban
composers of all time; who in the 1930s wrote several songs that would evolve
into popular standards: Lágrimas negras, Son de la Loma,
Mujer de Antonio, and El que siembra su maíz. Covers of
Matamoros' compositions by Celia Cruz and Beny Moré, among
other greats, established many of his compositions as popular musical staples
throughout Latin America. Son Matamoros, a very nice
salsa dance track, is a fitting tribute to the legendary composer.
Well, I thought that I had found a very nice tune for the next day's show.
Yet, out of curiosity and with my finger once again on the
fast-forward/skip button, I thought that I would listen to the beginning of
the other songs. I didn't get very far! The very next rack,
Vendedores, also gave me pause and I had to listen to
the entire song. "That's nice, too" I thought.
So, I started listening to tracks 2 and 3 repeatedly, trying to
decide which I would play. While doing this, I had inadvertently gone to track
4, El Paraíso. "Another one!" I said to myself, out
loud. "Wow, this is a bad ass CD!" I thought. Well, in the end, this track,
El Paraíso eventually became my favorite track on this
CD; partly due to its theme of innocence lost and the resultant eternal
damnation of humanity caused by a single bite of the forbidden fruit in the
Garden of Eden.
Well, the tally so far has reached three hot tracks for the salsa dancer.
Yet, I was surprised to discover that this CD has four more excellent tracks for
the dancer! Celia and Willie have proven to me that they were the real "dynamic
duo!" Also, sure to move the dancers are the tunes Dice
Antonio, Yo sí soy veneno,
Se tambalea and Aché para
todos.
For that Wednesday's show for which I had been preparing, I ended up
playing two of these great tracks: El Paraíso and
Yo sí soy veneno, and I have been playing other tracks
from this CD during every show since I received it! An impressive 7 out of 8
tracks are sure winners for the dancer! Celia and Willie got the title
right!
If you have read any of my reviews before and subsequently listened to the
music that I have recommended, you certainly realize that I do not take this
task lightly. As the cow told the bull, "I don't want a bum steer!" So, you
can rest assured that I would not steer you wrong!
Jokes aside, I very highly recommend this CD!
© El
Caobo
