Album Review: Various Fania Records 1964-1980

Album cover for Fania Records 1964 - 1990. Photo / Supplied

This double album, dubbed the original sound of Latin New York, literally trumpets the influential artists on record label Fania, which popularised salsa and Latin soul in the early 60s. It starts out in a lo-fi traditional vein with Johnny Pacheo and Larry Harlow songs from 1964, but as time goes by and the influence of soul, jazz, and rock 'n' roll take hold, the songs start to bristle with street-smart cool and swagger, like on Willie Coon's The Hustler, with six minutes of relentless percussive clatter, and Joe Bataan's gem Subway Joe, which is like a Latin version of the Rolling Stones-meets-The Meters and Curtis Mayfield.

Stars: 4/5

- TimeOut