Salsa Music Reviews: Salsa Bravisima

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12 Sizzling original Hot Salsas from Cuban artist, composer, Orlando Lopez "Mazacote" with brilliant arrangements from Jesus Alejandro "el niño" Perez and Arnaldo Rodriguez, in the voices of Phil Robinson, Jesus Alejandro "el niño" Perez and more.

Better known nowadays as Mazacote and currently based in Mission Viejo, the seasoned percussionist/composer/bandleader Orlando López (not to be confused with the eponymous Cuban bass legend), was born in Havana in 1939 and acquired his hand drumming skills at an early age, during his frequent visits in the early 1950s to the home of the Vergaras (the island's preeminent pre-Castro percussion manufacturing dynasty), where he met many Cuban percussive icons, such as Tata Guines and Patato Valdés.

After paying his dues with various trumpet-led Cuban conjuntos (Gran Habana, Casino Juvenil, Tejedor y Luis, Tropikabana, Orlando Contreras, Musicuba, etc), and the big bands led by Luisito Valdés and Pello el Afrokan, Mazacote escaped from his native land in pursuit of freedom, back in 1964. Since his arrival in the U.S.A., he has performed and/or recorded with innumerable Latin/Caribbean and North American artists, from Willie Bobo, Celia Cruz, René Touzet, Miguelito Valdés and Joe Torres, to Abby Lane, Connie Stevens, and Thelma Houston.

During the last four decades, Mazacote's L.A.-based bands have accompanied many prominent Latin singers (Vicentico Valdés, Daniel Santos, Cheo Feliciano, Armando Manzanero, Roberto Ledesma, et al), while employing the top vocalists and percussionists in town (Tata Rainos, Rudy Calzado, Perico, Luis Conte, Francisco Aguabella, Rolito Soto, Victor Pantoja, etc), as illustrated in countless (mostly self-produced) Mazacote recordings.

Here is a HOT salsa release,with arrangements by "El Niño" Jesus Alejandro, who also plays piano, tres and flute on this hard-driving production. In case you forgot, El Niño was, in great part, responsible for the explosive Edwin Bonilla CDs on the SAR label. Not to mention his own Cafecito Cubano (www.lmsrecords.com). Personally, I would get anything that he's is associated with, and Salsa Bravisima is no exception. Produced by Orlando "Mazacote" López, this project features Phil Robinson on vocals, Dervy Rojas and Bobby Rivas on coro. Will not disappoint.

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