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Photo credits: © Martin Cohen • www.congahead.com
(THANKS MARTIN!)
Notable Reviews:
NY Times Review: (c) Robert Palmer
Published: August 14, 1981
"To many New Yorkers, summer music is the music people play on the front steps of apartment buildings and in the city's parks, music that usually involves one or two conga drums, some other percussion instruments and singing, primarily in Spanish. Some summer strollers and joggers consider street-corner Latin music a nuisance, but it has a rich history and is often a singular blend of the staunchest traditionalism and more recent influences. It is rarely recorded, and it has probably never been recorded as winningly as on ''Totico y Sus Rumberos,'' a new album on the Montuno label.
Totico is Eugenio F. Arango, a native of Havana who has lived in New York for a number of years but still sings in the forcefully fluid style of the great Cuban vocalists. He most frequently performs music that derives directly from the rituals of Santeria, the African-derived religions that still flourish in Cuba, though he is also at home in more popular idioms.
The ''rumberos'' he has assembled for his album include expert players of the bata, the Nigerian drum associated with Santeria rituals. But except for a couple of religious chants, the music is street-corner rumba, sung with much feeling and exquisite musicality by Totico and backed by a lusty vocal chorus and some exceptionally fancy percussion, with Andy Gonzalez's string bass added as an anchor.
One selection on the album is a kind of summation of New York as the ultimate cultural melting pot. It is ''What's Your Name?'' the familiar rock-and-roll hit from the 1950's, and Totico and his producer, Rene Lopez, have given it a subtitle: ''Doo-Whop Bata Rumba.''
They have taken the original rock-and-roll song, sung it in the street-corner style that is usually spelled ''doo wop,'' put a rumba rhythm to it and added cross-rhythms on the bata drums. The result is one of the most striking examples of New York summer music to be found on records. ''Totico y Sus Rumberos'' is available in many shops or or call Montuno Records, 840-0580. Robert Palmer "
REVIEW: From DESCARGO.com
"Patato y Totico"
CD (Verve 86244), Released 1968; Re-Issued 2004
Editor's Pick:
Many consider the 1968 Patato y Totico album to be the definitive rumba record recorded in the United States. Some would argue that it is one of the greatest rumbero recordings, period. Purists may argue, however, that this not "authentic" rumba because some tracks offer instrumentation beyond drums and vocals.
But consider this: Carlos Patato Valdes on congas, Israel "Cachao" Lopez on bass, and the one and only Arsenio Rodriguez on tres.
Is the the only recording to find these three icons together? I can think of none other.
Superb vocals provided by Eugenio Totico Arango, Hector and Mario Cadavieco, Juan "Curba" Dreke, Tony Mayari and Virgilio Marti.
Just reissued by Verve, and remastered with crystal clarity, this one, folks, is a must-have.
Very highly recommended. (BP, 2004-06-04)
Description:
Master rumberos doin' it up! A classic.
A must-have.
