01. Amorcito
4:41 02. ¿Dónde Está Mi Café?
4:52 03. Colgado de un Bolero
4:16 04. Mambo-Cero
5:42 05. Engañame
2:50 06. Danzón, No. 1
5:19 07. El Arreglador
3:24 08. Recuerdos de Cuba
3:54 09. Amorcito (Charanga Version)
This album is a graduate project for the Afro Latin Music program at California
State University Los Angeles. Dr. Paul De Castro, the director, says that
of the many fine recordings that have come out of the program over
the last twenty years this is the most enjoyable to listen to.
The principal lyricist is based in Cuba and most of the musicians
are Cuban as well, so the result is very authentic. And the musicians
are among the finest available anywhere. For instance, many consider
Justo Almario to be the greatest saxophonist alive today;
the wonderful trumpeter Leider Chapotín is the nephew the
legendary Cuban trumpeter Felix Chapotín; and the percussionist
Calixto Olviedo was an original member of the outstanding
Cuban timba group NG La Banda. Rachel López,
the flautist and daughter of the well-known Cuban bassist Rigoberto,
is not famous now but soon may be. Each song represents a different genre:
Chachachá, afro, bolero, mambo, guaracha, etc. Two of the tracks use the
traditional charanga format which features
flute and violins, but no horns. So there's a pleasant variety to the cd.
One tune asks a very serious question: ¿Dónde Está mi Café?
(where's my coffee).