Album Review: Fania Records: The Latin Sound of New York (1964-1978)

Latin and salsa music took off in a big way in the 1950s and ‘60s. Oddly enough, it was thanks in large part to television star Desi Arnaz, Jr. – husband of Lucille Ball – that Americans were introduced to the exuberant, complex, exuberant and irresistible rhythms of Caribbean music. For six seasons (1951-1957) the weekly situation comedy I Love Lucy was broadcast and watched by millions. And even when the series ended, the appeal of Latin music endured.

Salsa – a hybrid form drawing from Puerto Rican, Cuban and other musical traditions – became a sensation in the mid 1950s. A celebration of Latin culture, salsa endured even when the U.S. government threw up barriers to Cuba, cutting off much of the cultural interchange that had been taking place. But thanks to both the dedication and passion of Caribbean artists – and the reality that many musicians left Castro-era Cuba and resettled in the U.S. – the from thrived.

The cultural and political disapora of the early 1960s served to re-energize the Latin music scenes in Miami and New York City. And the latter enjoyed a plethora of Latin music talent. Those conditions in turn helped lay the groundwork for the launch of Fania Records. Founded in 1964 by Dominican-born Johnny Pacheco, Fania began as a homespun effort, with Pacheco literally selling records out of the trunk of his car on the streets of New York city.

The large and growing Latin population in and around NYC helped make Fania successful, and the label drew a roster of top-flight artists. By 1968, Pacheco himself formed a group of high-profile Latin music artists, dubbing the ensemble the Fania All-Stars. The label’s catalog eventually grew to epic proportions; some estimates place the Fania archive – today owned and administered by Concord Records – at more than 19,000 master recordings.

In celebration of Fania Records’ 60^th anniversary, Concord has assembled a digital and double-album vinyl release, Fania Records: The Latin Sound of New York (1964-1978). The 16-track collection underscores the point that “salsa” and “Latin music” are really just umbrella terms that only loosely define and hint at the variety of sounds and styles within the form.

Many of the tracks on the new set were hits on original release; the Joe Cuba Sextet’s “El Ratón” was one of many hits form the Harlem-born bandleader. Ray Barreto’s jazz-funk showcase “Acid” was a hit at the peak of the psychedelic era. And Joe Bataan’s 1967 reading of Curtis Mayfield’s “Gypsy Woman” bent that tune into a Latin groove. But Fania’s fuse had truly been lit as early as 1966 with Pete Rodriguez’s “I Like it Like that.” In testimony to the tune’s durability and long-tail influence, the recording was sampled by Cardi B for her own 2018 hit, “I Like It.” Three Fania Recordings would eventually be entered into the prestigious National Recording Registry. Fania Records: The Latin Sound of New York (1964-1978) traces the label’s success well into salsa’s heyday as well, with tracks representing mid- and late ‘70s classics in the style.

Music historian Aurora Flores Hostos provides an illuminating and incisive liner note essay in Spanish and English. The lively and essential album is the culmination of a year-long reissue program highlighting important releases from the historically and culturally significant label.