Latin Dance Tracks for February

Song (iTunes)	Artist	Category	Origin
Cali Pachanguero – En Otro Tiempo	Charlie Zaa	Salsa	Colombia
Al Son de Los Cueros – Heavy Salsa	La Sonora Carruseles	Salsa	Colombia
Tres Con Dos – Salsa ‘The Sound of Cuba’	El Noro, La Tribu	Salsa	Cuba
Rosa la Peligrosa – Me Dicen Cuba / Rosa la Peligrosa – Single	Havana d’Primera	Salsa	Cuba
El Pai’ De Don Julio – Chapter 1	Lucky 7 Mambo	Salsa	USA
Dakar Punto Final – Síguelo	Combo Mundial, Gerardo Rosales	Salsa	Venezuela
Odio (feat. Drake) – Fórmula, Vol. 2	Romeo Santos	Bachata	USA
With or Without You – With or Without You – Single	Johnny Sky	Bachata	USA
Pero Dime Ke Lo Ke – La Fábrica	Kinito Mendez	Merengue	D. Republic
Vontade de Amor – I Love Kizomba	Paulo Mac	Kizomba	Brazil

 

HavanaElectro – New Album from Tanga

 

It has been a few years since the Vancouver based musical collective known as Tanga has released new material. Their first album, Simmer and Serve is what I would describe as a classic salsa album, the creation of which was inspired by the Vancouver Latin music scene that members of the group were associated with. That was back in 2007 and much like the Vancouver music scene, the music of Tanga has evolved and matured. Their latest album, HavanaElectro, is a reflection of that musical journey and expands beyond salsa to include a range of styles that make up the landscape of Latin music today, especially that which is found in Cuba. As band leader Malcolm Aiken described it, HavanaElectro is a natural continuation of a 10 year love affair with afro-cuban music.

The recording of the album took place in both Canada and Cuba and reflects the diversity that you would expect to find in these two places. Afro-cuban music definitely provides the album’s foundation and this is accented by guest appearances from Jimmy Bosh as well as a few Canadian musicians including Kyprios, CR Avery and Silvana Kane. On top of the music, there is also a rich back story to the making of the HavanaElectro, which you can see and read a little bit about on the band’s website TangaLive.com.

It’s not often that you hear great Cuban influenced music coming out of Canada. However, Tanga has managed to pull it off with HavanaElectro. The album is comprised of 10 songs all of which are distinct and well executed. Take for example Dejala, the album’s opening track. Upbeat and high energy, Dejala features the trombone of legendary musician Jimmy Bosch making it a highlight of the album.  Then there is Mazacoteando, which is a great dance track especially for salsa and casino dancers.  Tanga’s version of the Willie Colón classic Che Che Cole is also pretty wicked.  This oft covered Latin anthem is refreshed with a calypso feel and smooth vocals and is bound to get stuck in your head.  And that is but a few of the tracks that make up what is an original sounding Canadian produced gem of a Latin album.

You can listen to a few tracks from the album via the SoundCloud player above and learn more about Tanga and their music on their website. HavanaElectro is available for purchase online at bandcamp.com.

Questions, comments, requests? Send me an email

-clavecito