Best 10 Merengues of all times !!!

[GringoRubio]

btw - can you name some classic salsa performers?

I think my problem with salsa is the same as with German music. They usually have a guy that beats on something in an annoying, monotonous way, that is amp'd up. After an unknown amount of time, I find myself in the corner, rocking, hands over my ears, muttering something like "make it stop, make it stop". In Salsa, I think it's a cow bell that the preferred instrument of torture.

Anyways, help me.... ?

 

[Marianopolita]

I love Raulin Rodriguez. Kiko R has some good ones too. Check out Luis Vargas as well. They are all on youtube and you can convert to mp3 easily enough.

Check out Luis Vargas? Just an fyi you are talking to someone that knows about tropical music. Although Luis Vargas is not one of my favourite bachata artists I am familiar with some of his music over the last 15 years. I think he totally transformed his acoustic style post 2005 when he came out with Inolvidable. Compare that album to Sangre llama. Night and day acoustically but both very good albums.


-MP.

 

[Marianopolita]

btw - can you name some classic salsa performers?

I think my problem with salsa is the same as with German music. They usually have a guy that beats on something in an annoying, monotonous way, that is amp'd up. After an unknown amount of time, I find myself in the corner, rocking, hands over my ears, muttering something like "make it stop, make it stop". In Salsa, I think it's a cow bell that the preferred instrument of torture.

Anyways, help me.... ?

First of all, I don’t think you will hear anyone from the Caribbean or of Caribbean heritage refer to an instrument of tropical music as a cow bell. Por favor ten cuidado.


For salsa it depends on the type of salsa that you like. Are you old school salsa? Puerto Rican salsa? Colombian salsa? Cuban salsa? You need to narrow it down. I like all of the above but what I would choose to listen to depends on my mood. I don’t listen to as much music as I used but when I do it depends on what I feel like hearing. I could listen to the PR oldies of Hector Lavoe then switch to unique Carribean salsa rhythms aka Joeson by Joe Arroyo or enjoy classics by Grupo Niche also Colombian or Cuban salsa which also varies from masterful acoustic beats of Issac Delgado to classic beats of traditional groups like La Charanga Habanera.


-MP.

 

[GringoRubio]

Check out Luis Vargas? Just an fyi you are talking to someone that knows about tropical music. Although Luis Vargas is not one of my favourite bachata artists I am familiar with some of his music over the last 15 years. I think he totally transformed his acoustic style post 2005 when he came out with Inolvidable. Compare that album to Sangre llama. Night and day acoustically but both very good albums.


-MP.

I defer to your knowledge. Thanks for the recommendations.

Yeah, I always get that response from Salsa lovers when I say cow bell, but they never correct me with the correct percussion instrument (of torture). Cow bell it remains.

 

[Marianopolita]

I defer to your knowledge. Thanks for the recommendations.

Yeah, I always get that response from Salsa lovers when I say cow bell, but they never correct me with the correct percussion instrument (of torture). Cow bell it remains.

Percussion, well there are many instruments. Even if you say la campanita it would change the perception people start to get when you say cow bell. I think old school salsa would be best for you. 


-MP.

 

[Peterj]

Don't know the artist or the name of the old meringue, but my personal favorite is about the dominicano chaffeur in NYC trying to hit up a blonde and bragging about all of his "stuff", and her only response is "Me no speaky Spanish"

That's a bachata, not a merengue by David Paredes - No Speak Spanish My Love

[video=youtube;TGoao89GOFY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGoao89GOFY[/video]

 

[GringoRubio]

Percussion, well there are many instruments. Even if you say la campanita it would change the perception people start to get when you say cow bell. I think old school salsa would be best for you. 
.

I think your right. I caught myself rocking out to amazing music only to discover that it was 1920's Cuban music.

I suspect the monotonous pong, pong,pong sound of modern salsa comes from a 2nd hand, industrial looking synthesizer that has a number of percussion sounds with one option being, I kid you not, "Cow Bell".

 

[Rafael Perez]

Awesome thread.
But i can't beleive that Jossie Esteban y la patrulla 15 was left out!?????? i love many of his songs. Dont forget the song, Tabaco y Rón of Fernandito Villalona, and Los Diseñadores by Dionis Fernandez.

 

[ddoran]

Cucu Valoy

No me empuje!



Cucu Valoy comically showing to a Cibaoano Guardia that a black man with a funny Spanish accent isn't necessarily a Haitian

 

[Marianopolita]

I think your right. I caught myself rocking out to amazing music only to discover that it was 1920's Cuban music.

I suspect the monotonous pong, pong,pong sound of modern salsa comes from a 2nd hand, industrial looking synthesizer that has a number of percussion sounds with one option being, I kid you not, "Cow Bell".

I am not surprised that you like Cuban salsa and often the older the better. However, many of the modern artists are good too. I think it’s because they had such good examples to follow. 


-MP. 

 

[the gorgon]

i see where you claim to be versed in tropical music, and i asked you if you were familiar with english tropical music, but my question was deleted. so, do you see any similarity between Trinidadian Soca music and merengue, especially insofar as the rhythm is concerned?

 

[Marianopolita]

Awesome thread.
But i can't beleive that Jossie Esteban y la patrulla 15 was left out!������ i love many of his songs. Dont forget the song, Tabaco y Rón of Fernandito Villalona, and Los Diseñadores by Dionis Fernandez.

Jossie Esteban y la Patrulla 15 of course is a great band but I find that his music is mostly merengue pa’ bailar. Whereas, many artists mentioned in the thread is merengue that you can just listen to and enjoy all day long and it’s the same merengue that you can dance to if you go out. Some of the artists mentioned are delight to see live in concert. 

Pochy Familia is interesting too. Their merengue is unique. Crazy lyrics. All in good fun. 




 -MP.

 

[Marianopolita]

i see where you claim to be versed in tropical music, and i asked you if you were familiar with english tropical music, but my question was deleted. so, do you see any similarity between Trinidadian Soca music and merengue, especially insofar as the rhythm is concerned?

Yes, music in the Caribbean in general have similarities. Same tree different branch of Afro beats. For historical and cultural reasons each social group did something different with it to create a genre of music. I am not a fan Trinidadian Soca but definitely hear the correlation. Listen to Afro Colombian music which is Joe Arroyo’s brand and there should be no questioning how all music from the Caribbean is connected.


-MP.

 

[the gorgon]

Yes, music in the Caribbean in general have similarities. Same tree different branch of Afro beats. For historical and cultural reasons each social group did something different with it to create a genre of music. I am not a fan Trinidadian Soca but definitely hear the correlation. Listen to Afro Colombian music which is Joe Arroyo’s brand and there should be no questioning how all music from the Caribbean is connected.


-MP.

thank you...

 

[ROLLOUT]

i see where you claim to be versed in tropical music, and i asked you if you were familiar with english tropical music, but my question was deleted. so, do you see any similarity between Trinidadian Soca music and merengue, especially insofar as the rhythm is concerned?

None, whatsoever; this coming from a former musician.

 

[ExDR]

Best of all times has to include "Compadre Pedro Juan" as the number 1, also the "Chiva Blanca, Merenguero asta la tambora, Jarro pichao, Te quiero"

 

[the gorgon]

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[nrg2003]

Best tipicos?