Since 1934, Fuentes has been the premiere record label of Colombia, home to the country’s rich legacy of music. Covering the years from 1960 to 1976, this compilation is instantly likeable and very enjoyable throughout, highlighting some of the best work from the Fuentes vaults.
The music contained herein reflects the wide variety of regional Latin style as well as worldly influences found in Colombian music. Cumbias, salsas, fandangos, and rumbas are well represented, as are Caribbean calypsos, African rhythms, and some elements of American jazz. Percussion is an important element of every song, which keeps the music lively and danceable.
Even if a lot of the songs have an air of familiarity (because of the stylistic tropes they employ), most have something extra that differentiates them from their peers. One of my immediate favorites is "Cumbia En Do Menor" by Lito Barrientos y su Orquesta. Its emphatic rhythm is trance-inducing, an effect embellished by what sounds like a clarinet playing Middle Eastern scales. La Sonora Cienaguera's "La Piojosa" has a pleasantly anxious rhythm, an enticing trumpet melody, and an intriguing keyboard accent. Even Fruko y sus Tesos' "Salsa Na Ma" initially sounds fairly traditional but then fades in an eerie organ after a couple of minutes to disrupt any notions of standardization. American music infiltrates a bit on another track by Fruko's group, bursting into a '60s rock chord progression and vocal harmony before a particularly ferocious drum solo returns it to its Latin roots. The slower, hypnotic "La Pata y el Pato" by Climaco Sarmiento y su Orquesta is one of the rare tracks featuring female singers, and it's clearly one of the album's best.
While some tracks are more unique than others, there's nothing here that deserves to be skipped. Colombia has a magnificent musical heritage, and this compilation is but a tip of the iceberg. Hopefully this will pave the way for greater access to the Fuentes archives in the near future.
samples:
- Lito Barrientos y su Orquesta - Cumbia En Do Menor
- La Sonora Cienaguera - La Piojosa
- Climaco Sarmiento y su Orquesta - La Pata y el Pato
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