Tito Puente – El Rey Bravo

El Rey Bravo was released in 1962 by Latin-jazz and mambo musician Tito Puente on Tico Records. The record was recorded at the Plaza Riverside Hotel Ballroom in New York in 1962, with the exception of the Guaguanco track which was recorded on April 19, 1960 at RCA Victor’s Webster Hall Studios in New York.

For years he was called “El Rey” meaning “The King”, but Tito Puente really proved that El Rey Bravo was one of his best original Tico albums. Tracks like “Oye Como Va,” one of the brightest and most exuberant Latin performances of the past century, contributed to this fact. But El Rey Bravo also has many other characteristics that stem from Puente’s tight Pachanga orchestra. “Tokyo de Noche”, for example, is played by a large orchestra, having beautiful passages of flute and violin, while “Tombola” (recorded the same year with the Puerto Rican All Stars, is an amazing ballroom tune.

Through this amazing Latin album, featuring more than twenty musicians, we will select a classic in rhythm and tempo cha-cha-cha track, which to be fair, was popularized in 1970 by Santana on their Abraxas album , making it all the way to #13 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Oye como va mi ritmo”, means “Hear how the rhythm goes”.

Tracklist

A1. Malanga Con Yuca 2:30
A2. Oye Como Va 4:26
A3. Tokyo De Noche 2:31
A4. Tombola 2:25
A5. Traigo El Coco Seco 3:06
A6. Africa Habla 2:46
B1. Batacumba 2:20
B2. La Pase Gozando 3:18
B3. Tito Suena El Timbal 2:15
B4. Donde Vas 2:32
B5. Gato Miau,Miau 2:12