We’ve had the extravagant exhibitionism of salsa, the lyrical nostalgia of the Buena Vista Social Club. Now it’s time for British dance crowds to re-discover the low-down sweaty groove of the pachanga, the bugalu, the watusi, the shing-a-ling and the dance vibes of nuyorican 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.
Alma Latina (‘Latin Soul’) goes right to the source with tunes by Ray Barretto, Joe Cuba, Eddie Palmieri and Cal Tjader and the other hard groove merchants which kept the dance floors of Spanish Harlem packed for two decades.
Alma Latina’s line-up follows the model of Eddie Palmieri’s classic ‘La Perfecta’ formation - with trombone and flute front line, plus the authentic back-line of congas, timbales, piano and bass.
The music is simple and direct. No special techniques or certificates in salsa proficiency are needed to respond to these irresistible dance rhythms.
Alma Street Now on Sale:
The latest release from Alma Latina is now on sale. Recorded in Birmingham UK, in August 2009, Alma Street brings together 5 magical tracks of Salsa, Pachanga and Bugaloo.
Available on Audio CD £5.00 plus £1.60 delivery to UK mainland.
Steph - tenor, flute, hand percussion
With his roots firmly set in the modern jazz context, Steve got the ‘sabor’ of latin music playing baritone sax in the Midland’s first ever salsa orchestra, Como No. He went on to form Mambo Taxi, and is now taking on the writing and arranging role in Alma Latina, as well as tackling the technical challenges of the latin flute.
Pablo - trombone, hand percussion
Pablo’s raw vocal and powerful trombone adds an unmistakable and unique edge to Alma Latina’s front line. Originally classically trained, Pablo has also played in a wide range of jazz, big-band and groove contexts appearing alongside freestyle pioneer Tony Bevan and with celebrated Nottingham based funk fusion group Manyana. He also provided the bass-clef backbone to Mambo Taxi’s dynamic horn section from where his love of latin rhythms grew.
Beppa - congas
Beppa dug his latin roots with seminal Midland’s salsa band Mambo Taxi as he studied for his degree in music. With influences like Led Zeppelin to Super Furry Animals, he is no purist. But in Alma Latina he provides an authentic nuyorican groove down on the tumbadora.
Eddie - timbales, multi-percussion
Coming from local legendary salsa groups Como No and Otra Vez, Eddie is the veteran conguero on the Midlands latin scene. Other musical engagements include Sony recording artist Joolz Gianni, and latin jazz group Quiver. From the timbales, Eddie draws on his latin jazz influences, having studied latin percussion with Miguel Anga Diaz and the legendery cuban band Irakere, to help keep Alma Latina pushing those boundaries.
JC - bass
Multi-instrumentalist and the driving force behind Dec5 Recordings, JC is potentially THE funkiest bass aficionado currently weaving his latin spell across the Midlands. JC has been wowing audiences with his afro-cuban low-end drive since joining Alma Latina in 2006.
Ricardo - piano
Ricardo’s experience is wide ranging having gigged regularly for over ten years in groups that include modern jazz, gypsy swing, blues and boogie, classical, latin, and 80's disco. Rich is building a reputation as an accomplished jazz accompanist, with such Midlands based jazz stars as violinist Ralph Allin and singers Roy Forbes and Lizzy Parks. Rich’s montuno provides the foundation of Alma Latina’s anglo-cuban groove.
We’ve had the extravagant exhibitionism of salsa, the lyrical nostalgia of the Buena Vista Social Club. Now it’s time for British dance crowds to re-discover the low-down sweaty groove of the pachanga, the bugalu, the watusi, the shing-a-ling and the dance vibes of nuyorican 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.
Alma Street Now on Sale:
The latest release from Alma Latina is now on sale. Recorded in Birmingham UK, in August 2009, Alma Street brings together 5 magical tracks of Salsa, Pachanga and Bugaloo.
Steph - tenor, flute, hand percussion
