El Explosivo (LP)

Beschrijving

Reïssue from this fine 1968 LP, Fania-352. Produced by Johnny Pacheco, arreglos de Javier Vazquez/Bobby Valentin.

Swinging solo debut for Betancourt, who at the time was one of Sonora Matancera`s lead vocalists. Although he would become a highly successful salsa singer on his own right (four years later, with Pa Bravo Yo), this is a superb sample of the Betancourt personality and imposing skill that would give him notoriety in the years to come.
Betancourt`s debut on Fania is an array of musical styles ranging from boleros, to Cuban son and even boogaloo-ish songs. Arrangements were done by the nomadic Javier Vazquez and Bobby Valentin. There are boogaloo tracks here like “Yira, Yira” that sound strikingly similar to the sound in Valentin`s “Young Man with a Horn.” The album does have several great songs like “De Cara a Tu Vida”, “El Lenguaje de Flores” and an ode to his native land “Mi Cuba Bella.” “No Estas En Nada” is a different version from the one recorded on Distinto y Diferente.

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