Nuyorica Roots! [Import]

Various Artists - International - Caribbean & Cuba | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 29, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Soul Jazz
• ASIN: B00004R64V
• Also Available in: Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #146,953 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #53 in Music > World Music > Caribbean & Cuba > Afro-Cuban

Track Listings

1. Together-Ray Barretto

2. Oye Como Va-Tito Puente

3. Descarga Cachao-Tito Rodriguez

4. Acid-Ray Barretto

5. The Word-Harvey Averne

6. El Pito-Joe Cuba

7. Druma Kuyi-Mongo Santamaria

8. Tanga-Machito

9. My Spiritual Indian-Eddie Palmieri

10. Seformoel Bochinche-Arsenio Rodriguez

11. Tito On Timbales-Tito Puente

12. Mama Guela-Tito Redriguez

13. Horsin' Up-Orchestra Harlow

14. Que Suene La Orquesta-Eddie Palmieri

15. The Oracle-Sabu Martinez

16. Riot-Joe Bataan

Editorial Reviews

Limited 10th anniversary edition of Soul Jazz Records' classic journey into New York's Latin music scene of the 1960s including free limited-edition postcards, poster and extensive booklet. Nu Yorica Roots! is a definitive study of the Latin music scene in New York during the 1960s.This album features non-stop Bugalu and Latin classics from Tito Puente, Ray Barretto,Joe Cuba and others alongside the original deep Afro-Cuban sounds of Machito, Mongo Santamaria and Arsenio Rodriguez and the pioneering avant-garde radicalism of Eddie Palmieri and others. Nu Yorica Roots! presents a fascinating documentation of how Latin musicians in East Harlem blended elements of their Cuban and Puerto Rican musical roots with African-American Jazz, Funk and Soul to creating wild, exuberant new musical hybrids that rocked El Barrio.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's a good feeling, June 10, 2000

By 

Derrick A. Smith (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nuyorica Roots! (Audio CD)

This compilation serves as abundant proof for those who still need it that "fusion", in other words musical hybridization, happens whenever a collection of artists find themselves in a new situation and must respond in their own way. The "roots" of the title has a double meaning, then: it refers to the Cuban and Puerto Rican roots (at the very root is Africa) of this music, but it's also another perspective on the melting pot of New York City as reflected by its Latino musicians; though the fusion of influences here is more subtle than that heard on the original Nu Yorica! compilation, the stew boils with a similar popping viscosity (leading in some cases to a thermal breakdown.)

Many of the greats of Latin music are represented, among them Eddie Palmieri with one of his earliest masterpieces "My Spiritual Indian", which prefaces the bolder experiment of "Un Dia Bonita" (found on the original Nu Yorica set.) Percussion masters Mongo Santamaria and Tito Puente show up with seminal tracks, Tito's typically-ebullient and Mongo's typically-rootical, with the strong and beautiful raw chants and percussion of "Druma Kuyi."

Much of the most contemporary-sounding material comes when Latin and black idioms meet. Witness the opening "Together", a monster proto-funk jam pinned down by a sped-up montuno piano motif, or even Joe Bataan's bugulu "Riot (It's a Good Feeling)" which contains in its innocent party-flavored groove a commentary on the mood of the "wild guys" who have had enough and must throw a brick at something.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Boricua to the bone!, August 25, 2004

By 

H. CRESPO (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nuyorica Roots! (Audio CD)

This is some of the best traditional Latin music from New York, most of it has a true old fashined jazzy salsa feel and flavor to it. There is also soulful boogaloo, funk, some of the best Latin jazz I've ever had the pleasure of enjoying, and chants/drumming jam that sounds like the Afro-Rican bomba style (Druma Kuyi). It also commemorates the Afro-Latin elements of our music with dignity and pride and is therefore accurately described as ROOTS music, with a clear African flavor and stamp. If you're Afro-Rican, PLEASE get this! You'll definitely enjoy it!!!