The slogan on the cover says it all! Conga maestro Eddie Montalvo has produced this album “Pa’l bailador” (For the dancer), and it shows. The energy is high, the tone is upbeat, the music is rich and the tempo is spot on.

His achievement is notable not only for the songs themselves, but because of how it came about. Montalvo funded the entire project himself and a host of salsa luminaries came together to lend a hand to this independent venture by one of their greatest ever congueros. In this video, Montalvo shares some stories about how salsa legends Ruben Blades and Cheo Feliciano volunteered to record songs on the album for free, and why Montalvo chose to record in Puerto Rico instead of NYC.

Eddie Montalvo talks about how the salsa world came together to help create his new album

The CD opens with what is immediately my favourite track of the lot, a swinging version of the classic “Abicu” dripping with flavour, lots of musical changes to play with on the dance floor. An essential track for DJs everywhere!

Tito Gonzalez recording the vocals for “Abicu”

Other personal highlights are the driving and aggressive ‘Caonabo” that’s sure to get everyone dancing, and the cha cha “Amor En Serio”.

In the middle three tracks, vocals by Ruben Blades and Wichy Camacho give the music a slightly lighter feel, while still preserving the old-school percussion and swing. “Lección Rumbera” ups the ante before “Timba Timbero” throws in a sudden, rumba-infused change of tone and “Tumba Tambo” closes things out with a punchy but moderately paced number for those tired legs.

This was one of my favourite new albums of 2012 and I highly recommend it for fans of the classic 70s sound, updated with modern recording technology and all the swing and percussive richness that you would expect from the man who succeeded the great Ray Barretto in the Fania All-Stars.

Tracks:

1. Abicu – 4:46 (Vocals by Tito Gonzalez)
2. Amor En Serio – 4:53 (Vocals by Rico Walker)
3. Caonabo – 4:24 (Vocals by Cheo Feliciano)
4. El Hijo Del Ricachon – 5:22 (Vocals by Ruben Blades)
5. Ensillala – 4:38 (Vocals by Wichy Camacho)
6. Garantia – 5:47 (Vocals by Wichy Camacho)
7. Leccion Rumbera – 6:44 (Vocals by Domingo Quiñones)
8. Timba Timbero – 6:16 (Vocals by Hector “Pichie” Perez)
9. Tumba Tambo – 4:56 (Vocals by Issac Delgado)

Eddie Montalvo (second from right, middle row) with the Fania All-Stars