Caribbean News from Cayman-Island.org

Marc Anthony

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 09:42:25 -0400

If Ricky Martin is the Latin crossover star that wears tight leather and does Pepsi ads, Marc Anthony is the one wearing the black silk and smoking a cigarette. Anthony established himself in the '90s as a contemporary Salsa superstar, and more recently, his English crossover recordings have expanded his overall audience. Universally respected for his clear and emotional singing style, he's always brought integrity to his music whether singing a shamelessly revealing romantic ballad or cutting loose with some hot Salsa. He's a "NuyoRican" (Puerto Rican from New York City) whose English vocals display no accent. Now visible as a film actor as well, Anthony exudes a cool downtown New York persona, and his mix of contemporary dance ballads and salsa works easily in his hands. - Robert Leaver

Willie Colon

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 09:42:23 -0400

Willie Colon was there during the 1960s when Salsa, as it eventually became known, was in its developing stages. As part of a young generation of "Nuyoricans" (Puerto Ricans from New York City) along with Eddie Palmieri and Ray Baretto, he helped create this new, vibrant form of music based on the Cuban "conjunto" sound. As a trombone player, he shaped the gritty, aggressive sound of the brass that characterized the New York sound. His first record introduced him to the scene as "El Malo" (the bad one) -- a reputation he often lived up to -- while he in turn introduced to the public two of the greatest singers in Salsa history: Hector Lavoe and Ruben Blades. Rhythmically, Colon's music has always been rooted in the Cuban clave beat, full of up-front timbales and punctuating horns that build tension as the cowbell kicks in. Part of his everlasting appeal comes from lyrics that revel in street culture and the gangster image he projects; however, he must be credited with mixing Harlem soul and jazz into his dangerous Salsa. - Robert Leaver

Aventura

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 11:15:40 -0400

Aventura are bachata's first boy-band. This renegade group of Dominican-American teenagers toured relentlessly through the 1990s, trying to gain acceptance for their unconventional mix of bachata, hip-hop and R&B. By the time 2002's We Broke the Rules released, nobody seemed to mind that they broke the rules anymore. "Obsession" became a huge hit, and the group has continued to experiment with bachata's boundaries. - Sarah Bardeen

Wyclef Jean

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:29:07 -0400

More Bob Marley than Bambaataa, Haitian emcee/producer Wyclef Jean is hip-hop's most globally minded star. Jean shot to stardom in the mid-'90s as a key member of the immensely popular Fugees. Though that group only released two proper albums, and disbanded before following up the multi-platinum The Score, their footprint remains heavy on everything from boho rap to mainstream hip-hop. After their tumultuous dissolution, Wyclef released his solo debut The Carnival in 1997. Whether experimenting with Caribbean rhythms ("Guantanamera") or pop ballads ("Gone 'Till November"), the album was a celebration of eclecticism. His next four disks ranged from decent (2000's The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II A Book) to great (04's Welcome To Haiti Creole 101), but they were always unpredictable and fun. In 2006, he had his biggest hit since the days of the Fugees when he produced Shakira's dancefloor anthem "Hips Don't Lie." He returned to the charts in 2007 with "Sweetest Girl," a smash featuring it-boyz Lil' Wayne and Akon. His sixth album, Carnival, Vol. 2, was released in December, 2007. - Sam Chennault

Gilberto Santa Rosa

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:29:01 -0400

Gilberto Santa Rosa became a salsero the old-fashioned way: he worked for it. Unlike younger crops of singers who are pretty faces first and singers second, Santa Rosa came on the scene in the 1970s. He climbed up through the ranks, putting in time with unknown orchestras and, when he was lucky, with bigger names like the Puerto Rico All-Stars, Tommy Olivencia and Willie Rosario. He released his first album with his own orchestra in 1986 but it wasn't until 1990 that Santa Rosa made a huge dent in the charts with Punto de Vista. The barnstorming hits "Vivir Sin Ella" and "Perdoname" established him, and his 1991 follow-up Perspectiva confirmed he wasn't a one-hit wonder. - Sarah Bardeen

Harry Belafonte

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:28:51 -0400

Harry Belafonte is not just the wide smile and pair of slim hips that seduced so many American women in the 1960s. A crack songwriter and singer who introduced Caribbean music to the United States, Belafonte is also an activist who has fought tirelessly for civil and human rights in the U.S. and around the world. He was instrumental in cracking the color barrier in the U.S., winning fame and fortune for his stage acting (including several Tony awards), his film work, an Emmy-winning television show, and a string of hit albums through the 1950s. Born to Caribbean-American parents, Belafonte spent part of his youth in Jamaica, where he was introduced to local songs like "Day-O." As his reputation grew, so did his interest in the folk music that brought him success. In 2001, Belafonte saw a long-time dream realized when Long Road to Freedom was released. It was a visionary collection of African-American music that spans everything from Yoruba chants and slave songs to early blues recordings by artists like Brownie McGhee. And Belafonte has become no less political with age; in recent years he has been a keynote speaker at peace rallies and other leftist gatherings. - Sarah Bardeen

Elvis Crespo

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:54:00 -0400

With his long hair and boyish good looks, Elvis Crespo has captured the tropical music crown with his multiplatinum "Suavemente" (Smoothly) in 1998. A Nuyorican (Puerto Rican born in N.Y.C.) who chooses to sing Merengue (which originates from the Dominican Republic), Crespo represents the new urban Latino who has transformed a traditional folk rhythm into a new, hip style. As the lead singer of the teen group Grupo Mania, Crespo was a Latino pop star by age twenty-two. Several years later he ventured off on his own, just as the tropical music scene was achieving unprecedented crossover success. His smooth, natural voice lends itself well to his catchy original compositions. A constant presence on Spanish-language television (often performing before large crowds of ecstatic Latina girls) this Latin Elvis will continue to dance across the tropical charts. - Robert Leaver

Tito Puente

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:53:43 -0400

Most of the rock generation is familiar with Tito Puente through Santana's cover of "Oye Como Va" and his appearance in The Mambo Kings. By venturing closer to the source, they will discover what Latin jazz fans have known for years: Puente's intoxicating mix of Big Band jazz and Latin music creates Mambo madness at its finest. Tito Puente is credited with fusing Cuban charangas with Big Band swing and Bop. Puente always had one eye on dance fans and indeed, his music puts the ghost of St. Vitus in your body. But his other eye was planted on jazz fans -- he loved arranging for composers such as Horace Silver and his soulmate Dizzy Gillespie. There are many similarities between Puente and Diz's various big bands -- chief among them the spirit of global brotherhood that they celebrate. But Tito Puente never let his jazz side distract from his music's mass popularity; when the Big Band era was long gone, Puente not only kept his band together but saw it thrive. With more than a hundred albums to his credit, at least one or two should be a part of every collection. - Nick Dedina

Trio Los Panchos

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 09:23:47 -0400

A veritable musical institution, Los Panchos have served as Latin America's musical ambassadors since their formation in Mexico in 1944. Three men, three voices and three guitars sing romantic, sad songs in exquisite harmony that cuts straight to the sentimental G-spot. Although there were many different lead singers, the duo of Chucho Navarro and Alfredo Gil formed the backbone of the group for more than fifty years. They specialized in versions of the bolero, or Latin ballad, which was born in Cuba early in the twentietth century and spread to Mexico. Prolific recording artists and performers, they are immortalized in a number of Mexican black and white films which capture the irresistible charm of these Spanish-language serenaders. - Robert Leaver

Celia Cruz

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:12:31 -0400

As Salsa's greatest icon, Cruz garnered all sorts of respect, from a Smithsonian lifetime achievement award to her own street in Miami, to the title "The Queen of Salsa." Her singing is deep and soulful, with expressive improvisations influenced by her Cuban upbringing. You're expected to dance to her music, with its jumping piano chords twinkling over tight conga rhythms, spicy percussion, blazing horn sections, and, atop it all, Cruz's searing vocals. Cream-of-the-crop Afro-Cuban ensembles such as the Fania All-Stars, Willie Colon, Ray Barreto, Johnny Pacheco and Tito Puente always had to work with Cruz. Her popularity reached its peak with the movie Mambo Kings. Cruz died in 2003.