V.A.-Subway Salsa-The Montuno Records Story-NYC LATIN LABEL CUBAN ROOTS-NEW 2CD
V.A.-Subway Salsa-
The Montuno Records Story-

NEW 2 CD IN DIGIPACK

Killer grooves from the Montuno record label – a crucial imprint in the New York scene of the 70s and 80s – with a roster of artists to rival the best at Fania and Alegre! At a time when some of the bigger Latin labels were crossing over with commercial hits, Montuno was really dedicated to keeping a traditional sound – often returning the music back to its Cuban roots in the way it was presented and produced – which meant a nicely stripped-down style that holds up beautifully over the years! Instrumentation often includes a nice touch of jazz – and the lyrics are lively, and perfectly tied in with the rhythms – as you'll hear in this overstuffed collection of goodies.

Titles include "Caballo" by Yambu, "La Tia" by Batacumbele, "Aqui Se Puede" by Airto, "Zaperockero" by Zaperoko, "Songo Y Guantanamo" by Son De La Loma, "Mientras Yo Viva" by Tambo, "Ensem Ensem" by Scorpio, "Bailala Pronto" by Manny Oquendo Y Libre, "Bon Bon De Chocolate" by Lou Perez, "What's Your Name" by Totico Y Sus Rumberos, "Corta La Cana" by Bongo Logic, "A Sandy" by Skah Shah 1, and "Vencindad" by Yambu.
Also features great notes on the legendary Record Mart store, which was home to the label – a place where we still shop for Latin music in New York!

Various Artists
Subway Salsa - The Montuno Records Story


The shop Record Mart, one of Latin New York's most important historic musical landmarks, served as the home base for Montuno Records, a small but important independent label started by proprietor Jesse Moskowitz in the 1970s.


This collection samples the recordings from Montuno's catalogue that exemplify danceable Afro-Antillean music, from Nuyorican salsa to Haitian compas, Latin jazz to traditional Cuban genres as well as several interesting hybrids incorporating funk, doo wop and Brazilian sounds.


Includes tracks by key artists such as Airto Moreira, Manny Oquendo y Libre, Son de La Loma, Totico y sus Rumberos, Lou Pérez.


Comprehensive liner notes by Pablo Yglesias aka DJ Bongohead, including an in-depth interview with Jesse Moskowitz, plus original LP artwork and many unseen pictures.

Record Mart, an unassuming music store down in the sprawling complex of the Times Square subway station in Manhattan, should be considered one of Latin New York's most important historic musical landmarks. It its heyday it was not only a place where occult knowledge and cultural legacies were exchanged and passed on from one person to another, but the shop also served as the home base for Montuno Records, a small but important independent label started by proprietor Jesse Moskowitz in the 1970s. The shop and label are inextricably intertwined and constitute a New York Latin institution of sorts. Thankfully, the two entities and its proprietor are alive and well today, keeping the spirit of Subway Salsa alive for old fans and future generations alike.

I call this compilation an homage because I want to pay tribute to a label that stands out as a plucky cultural beacon from a time when Fania reigned supreme, a little bit of Gotham "gumpshun" that has inspired me (and many others) in various ways over the years. I vividly remember as a young visitor to La Gran Manzana (The Big Apple) going down into the subway, paying my fare, and taking a voyage of discovery not on the metro line itself, but rather in the brightly lit, somewhat grimy confines of Jesse's cramped store, soaking up the sights of Latin album cover art, the tropical sounds blasting over the speakers, and eavesdropping on conversations among the diminutive shop's knowledgeable staff and customers. The sights and smells, music and voices would mingle and create an almost overwhelming collage for the senses, as I would attempt to focus my excited eyes and ears on the retail displays, while the rushing crowds flew by in a blur of color and the screeching, rumbling din of the trains below competed for my attention. Just as the New York metropolitan transit system is a crossroads and a means of exchange and travel, so too is its sole surviving cultural tenant Record Mart, an underground urban grotto oasis that despite a period of closure and a dwindling market, seems to hold on as tenaciously as many veteran salsa musicians from the 70s still do to this day in the city.

This collection samples the recordings from Montuno's catalog that exemplify danceable Afro-Antillean music, from Nuyorican salsa to Haitian compas, Latin jazz to traditional Cuban genres (including the all-percussion rumba, the flute and violinflavored charanga, and guitar/trumpet-dominated son), as well as several interesting hybrids incorporating funk, doo wop and Brazilian sounds.

Pablo Yglesias aka DJ Bongohead     

Tracks list     
1. Coco My My (Tambó)
    
2. Caballo (Yambú)
    
3. No quedó ni el gato (Zaperoko)
    
4. Báilala pronto (Manny Oquendo Y Libre)
    
5. El avance (Son Primero)
    
6. Mariana (Son De La Loma)
    
7. Muñeco (Tambó)
    
8. Ensem'...Ensem'... (Scorpio)
    
9. Vecindad (Yambú)
    
10. Bon Bon de chocolate (Lou Pérez Y Su Charanga)
    
11. La tía (Batacumbele)
    
12. Bailaré (Zaperoko)
    
13. Aquí se puede (Airto Moreira, Flora Purim & friends)
    
14. A una mamita (Totico Y Sus Rumberos*)
    
15. Y yo ganga (Son de la Loma)
    
16. Profesor (Yambú*)
    
17. Qué humanidad (Manny Oquendo y Libre)
    
18. Pido que lo toque (Son Primero)
    
19. El Zaperoko (Zaperoko*)
    
20. Mientras yo viva (Tambó)
    
21. Estoy como nunca (Manny Oquendo y Libre)
    
22. Corta la caña (Bongo-Logic)
    
23. Zaperockero (Zaperoko)
    
24. A Sandy (Skah Shah #1)
    
25. Songo y Guantanamo (Son de la Loma)
    
26. A New Thing (Yambú*)
    
27. Monte tiene garabato (Son de la Loma)
    
28. What's Your Name? (Totico y Sus Rumberos) * Not Included On Vinyl Release