About Me
Thank you on behalf of the Bastar family for visiting Kako's page.
Please click on the band website link to the left for more info or go to www.RichieBastar.com
"KAKO"
Francisco Angel Bastar
, b 21 June '36, Old San Juan, Puerto Rico; d 29 July '94, USA; One of Puerto Rico, Panama and New York's most popular Latin bandleaders of the 60s, also a composer. He began as a dancer; he played percussion with Tito Puente, Arsenio RodrÃguez, Machito, Alegre All-Stars, Belisario López, Mongo SantamarÃa, Rafael Cortijo, Ismael Rivera, Celia Cruz Etc. Etc. Etc..
He formed his own combo in the mid-'50s and made two 78s on the SMC label, joining Alegre Records in '58 and among his earliest recordings on the label was the single 'Tributo A Cortijo' (Rafael Cortijo).
Kako
became artistic dir. and general manager at Alegre, Santiago's adviser and talent scout, introducing him to Israel 'Cachao' López, 16- year-old Willie Colón and numerous others; he sessioned with Conjunto TÃpico Ladi, Johnny RodrÃguez, Mon Rivera, Felipe RodrÃguez and others.
He made his album debut on Alegre with Kako y su Combo Vol. I '61, the same year contributing to the first of the celebrated albums by the Alegre All-Stars, directed by Charlie Palmieri, a descarga band patterned after the seminal Cuban Jam Session albums of the '50s, but unlike the Fania All-Stars featuring instrumentalists rather than vocalists. In '62 Rafael 'Chivirico' Dávila sang lead vocals on both Kako y su Combo Vol. II and the classic Se Te Quemo La Casa by Orlando MarÃn and his orchestra: Dávila worked with many other artists, issued nine solo albums c'70--78, toured Colombia '93 with MarÃn's four- trumpet conjunto and performed mid-'94 with MarÃn and the Partially New Alegre All-Stars at a reunion concert at Orchard Beach in the Bronx.
In '65 Kako recorded the classic Tributo A Noro in homage to his friend, the revered bandleader/pianist/composer Noro Morales, who had died the previous year. 'We decided on the Noro project on a Saturday afternoon and started recording at 5 a.m. Sunday,' recalled Al Santiago. This entailed Santiago, Palmieri and pianist/composer Héctor Rivera rounding up an 18-piece 'after hours orchestra' (essentially the Alegre All-Stars) for Kako by ferrying the musicians after their Saturday-night gigs to the studio; personnel incl. Rivera and Palmieri, piano; Cachao, bass; Louie RamÃrez, vibes; José 'Chombo' Silva, tenor sax; Osvaldo 'Chi Hua Hua' MartÃnez, guiro; Chivirico Dávila, vocals; and Joe Quijano, bongo.
Kako performed on The Alegre All-Stars Vol. 2 'El Manicero' c'65, and Puerto Rican All-Stars Featuring Kako c'65, an early- morning jam session made in Puerto Rico in Feb. '63 incl. members of El Gran Combo (incl. leader/pianist Rafael Ithier); Mario Ortiz, trumpet; Chivirico Davila, Johnny RodrÃguez and Paquito Guzmán, vocals and Palmieri (singing chorus!).
Kako also participated in The Alegre All-Stars Vol. 3 'Lost And Found' and The Alegre All-Stars Vol. 4 'Way Out' (mid-'60s).
He changed to Musicor Records for Live It Up '68, with lead vocals by Panamanian Camilo Azuquita, prod. by Al Santiago, it incl. some boogaloos, in fashion at the time. Also in '68,
Kako played on the Santiago- prod. descarga album, The Salsa All Stars on the Salsa label, featuring Palmieri, RamÃrez, Cachao, Azuquita and Pupi Legarreta, and played conga on the collector's item Cuban Roots (on Mu- sicor) by Brooklyn-born trombonist/arranger/composer Mark Weinstein, another Santiago production, as was Kako's parting shot on Musicor Sock It To Me, Latino! (late '60s), with lead vocals by Kako's brother-in-law Meñique (Miguel Barcasnegras, also a Panamanian).
Kako played timbales with the Cesta All-Stars on the Latin jam session albums Live Jam Session (late '60s) and Salsa Festival (early '70s) on Joe Quijano's Cesta label. Kako's collaborations with notable Puerto Rican and Cuban artists incl. Lo Ultimo En La Avenida '71 with Ismael Rivera, the classic Ritmos y Cantos Callejeros (early '70s) with Rafael Cortijo and Siguen Pa'lante y Pa'lante (early '70s) with Afro- Cuban conga player/singer Totico (Eugenio Arango). Kako '74 on TR was prod./arr. by Louie RamÃrez.
Kako sessioned on Azuquita's Pura Salsa '75 and they teamed up on Union Dinamica '76.
He reconvened with the Alegre All-Stars on their 17th anniversary album, Perdido '77; in the late '70s he played bongos with the Machito band.
He made his final recordings in the late '70s/early '80s, guesting on albums by e.g. Adalberto Santiago and TÃpica 73.
He continued performing in Florida in the early '90s, putting a band together with help from his son, percussionist Richie Bastar; but he was too ill to appear at a reunion of the Alegre All-Stars in July '94
R.I.P. Kako Bastar
Dont forget to go to www.RichieBastar.com
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