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Ya Llegaron Los Cubanos

Artist:   Maykel Blanco y su Salsa Mayor

Style Released Album Tracks Charts
Timba 2003 12 0
Buy_now_audio

$10.99

© 2003 Envidia Producciones. All rights reserved.
Audio album download includes album tracks, liner notes and cover art.
All audio tracks in MP3-VBR format. About LPM album downloads.
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# Name Play Time Info
01  Ya Llegaron Los Cubanos
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3:21 Roy Sainz - Piano
02  Tu Experiencia
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3:55 Francisco Payo - Bajo
03  Si Tu No Quieres, No Te Quiero
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4:47 Oswaldo Huerta - Bongo
04  Déjala Que Aprenda
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4:33 Raine Martinez - Conga
05  La Discordia de las Frutas
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4:19 Javier Ortiz - Timbal
06  No Juegues Con la Candela
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4:16 Frank Padron, Eloy Abreu - Trompetas
07  Rumberos
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3:41 Ulises Benavides - Trombone
08  Chico Choco
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4:40 Cristobal Mildestein - Saxo
09  La Trompeta
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3:59 Gilberto Rivero, Javier Verdugo - Guiro, Maracas
10  La Siguatera
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3:52 Pedro A. Matos, Tirso Duarte - Voces solistas
11  La Que Siempre Quise Tener
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4:19 Lazaro Lino, Yadimir Pérez - Voces solistas
12  El Veterano
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5:23 Jose Lusson, Barbarito López, Ciso Guanche - Coros
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100% composed and arranged by Maykel Blanco, this first release "Ya llegaron los cubanos" was recorded with his previous group -SUPREMA LEY. It is hard to find fault with the album. Very groovy and danceable.

Review of Ya llegaron los cubanos by Michelle White of www.TIMBA.com

I would describe Ya llegaron los cubanos as timba/son. Certain aspects of the arrangements bring to mind classic son/salsa, such as some of the mambos and the harmonies of some of the coros, while the rhythm section is timba. Maykel also mixes occasional moments of jazz, Afro-Cuban jazz and rumba into the arrangements. It gives the CD a somewhat softer feel than Salsa Mayor's Recoge y vete, but it doesn't lack for timba effects or the charateristic Maykel Blanco dance factor.

The CD kicks-off with the title track, which is up-tempo at about 108 BPM and meant to get the dancers onto the dance floor: "Yo lo canto pa' que Cuba baile". Ya llegaron los cubanos is infectious and I defy anyone to sit still when this song starts.

Maykel brought in his friend Tirso Duarte to sing lead on two of the songs: the laid back Tu experiencia and No juegas con candela. Tembas seem to be a recurring theme with Maykel. Tu esperiencia is a song about a young man with a 40-something girlfriend. The arrangement of No juegas includes moments of afro-cuban jazz triplets and percussion that bring to mind rumba and it a perfect vehicle for Tirso's vocals.

The other temba song happens to be my favorite from the album, El veterano, in this case an older man who has a twenty year old girlfriend. Maykel follows the Cuban tradition of borrowing phrases from well know songs. For example in El veterano he borrows from Charanga Habanera/Forever, "Me preocupa tu situación por eso un consejo te estoy dando."

One interesting aspect of this CD is that nearly all of the songs fade out during the guía/coro section, which makes it seem as if these songs were really meant for a live show rather than a studio CD. I never saw Suprema Ley live, but Salsa Mayor performs some of the Suprema Ley repertoire on occassion.

If you are looking for a CD that you can dance to from beginning to end don't pass this up. There is not a single song that will disappoint.