Spanish Harlem Orchestra / Un Gran Dia En El Barrio
Album:Un Gran Dia En El Barrio Collection:World
Artist:Spanish Harlem Orchestra Added:Sep 2002
Label:Ropeadope Music Entertain 

A-File Activity
Add Date:2002-09-30 Pull Date:2002-12-02 Charts:Reggae/World
Week Ending:Nov 24Nov 10Oct 27Oct 20Oct 13Oct 6
Airplays:131224

Recent Airplay
1.Mar 07, 2006:At the Cafe Bohemian
Mama Guela
4.Aug 05, 2003:At the Cafe Bohemian
Mama Guela
2.May 29, 2004:Morning Glory
Tambori
5.Jun 03, 2003:At the Cafe Bohemian
La Banda
3.Mar 13, 2004:Morning Glory
Pa' Gozar
6.Nov 19, 2002:At the Cafe Bohemian
Pa' Gozar

Album Review
Fo
Reviewed 2002-09-25 
SPANISH HARLEM ORCHESTRA – Un Gran Dia En El Barrio
Rope-a-dope, 2002

USA / Puerto Rico – Harlem style Latin jazz! That means Puerto Rican musicians, working in the hot urban tradition of Tito Puente and Mongo Santamaria. The Cuban brand may have a little more variety or a more subtle charm, but you can’t beat this stuff for sheer block-party value. This is a big-label effort with some big names (Oscar Hernandez, Ray Vega, etc), so the production values are very high. Features four vocalists, all men (and all good).

Fo’s Picks: 1, 4, 5, 6, 7

01. 3:33 – uptempo hip-shaker, all cylinders are clicking. Improvised lyrics 2nd half.
02. 5:32 – mellow ballad: very good ensemble horns, nice vocal and piano solo.
03. 3:32 – up/medium instrumental: good percussive groove but not very interesting.
04. 4:18 – midtempo in a classic style: very carefully arranged and quite successful.
05. 3:53 – another midtempo classic; the vocal and band interplay is absolutely perfect.
06. 4:49 – uptempo salsa: hot rhythm, catchy chorus & good break; improvised lyrics.
07. 5:48 – deliberate tempo; excellent back & forth vocal, solos for bass and congas.
08. 3:44 – up/medium, a bit poppish (and no solo space), but has its moments.
09. 4:09 – midtempo guaguanco: don’t cry over a lost love, play music!
10. 4:20 – midtempo: steady, with a positive lyric for barrios everywhere.

[Fo] - 9/25/02

Track Listing
1.Mama Guela 6.La Banda
2.Obsesion 7.Pa' Gozar
3.Tambori 8.Somos Iguales
4.Aprende a Querer 9.Vale Mas Un Guaguanco
5.La Musica Es Mi Vida 10.Pueblo Latino