In anticipation of a new Heavy Latin Funk Mix that I will be releasing soon, I offer you a quick taste of what lays in store for that release. The first song here will be prominently featured in the mix along with 60 minutes of some of the world’s rarest and heaviest Latin Funk jams. Please stay tuned!
Here’s an excellent LP from Venezuela featuring Los Kenya, a popular Latin combo hailing from the coastal region of that country. Fronting the group was Ray Perez, a charismatic pianist and vocalist who also led the amazing Los Dementes. Click here to check out an excellent interview of Ray Perez by Roberto Ernesto Gyemant.
What originally attracted me to the LP was the track “Esa Mujer”, a frenetic combination of piano & horns atop funky Latin breakbeats. The song is termed a “Guajira Surf” on the LP’s back cover, and is about the coolest Latin song description I’ve come across. However, the raw boogaloo funk rhythms emanating from this track argue for a different title entirely!
But wait, this album has something else in store for the unsuspecting pair of ears. Beginning with a corny piano refrain, the monster “Al Trigueño” soon shoots off into the realm of jazzy salsa bliss; just the right environment for Señor Perez and his 88 keys to shine. The shear mastery of the Salsa being played on this track sons just about anything coming from New York City in this period, and strongly signifies the true salsa capital of the world resides further South! It builds up into an epic explosion of rhythm and horns that has far outweighed much of the music I have come across recently.
LOS KENYA: “Esa Mujer” & “Al Trigueño”
From the Volumen 2 LP (Discomoda, Colombia, 197?)
