ROBERTO ROENA Que Suerte He Tenido De Nacer Fania Records (JMLP-557) This is one of Roberto Roenas favorite albums. Que Suerte He Tenido De Nacer is the eleventh recording of the Apollo Sound and on it, Robertito debuted as singer of the song Sigo Buscando Un Amor. Nevertheless, after a decade of hits Que Suerte He Tenido De Nacer did not attain the response of Tu Loco, Loco Y Yo Traquillo and that of Mi Desengano. However, with time, the LP has been recognized as one of the most honest and sincere efforts of the discographic trajectory of Roberto Roena. The precursor of the concept of the symphonic bomba, the performance of the melodious rhythm of the Afro-Boricua folklore with strings, is found on the album Que Suerte He Tenido De Nacer. The bomba, the Afro-Antillean heritage that Roberto learned from his teacher and mentor Rafael Cortijo, is disguised here in classic colors. The concept, purified a few years l8ter by Lalo Rodriguez on the album El Niño, El Hombre, El Sonador y El Loco, was recreated with unequalled beauty by the music arranger Louis Garcia, author of the beautiful passages for violins and violas that, in counterpoints with oboes and clarinets from the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, elevates the original bomba of Jossie Leon performed by Tito Cruz, to a level of musical sophistication without precedent in the genre of folklore. The content of bomba Algun Dia Sera, as was to be expected in 1980, capitalized on the formula of the song with meaning introduced by Ruben Blades in his recording with Willie Colon and in compositions such as El Cantante, popularized by Hector Lavoe. Thus, the sequence begins with El Aplauso, a son inspired by Jossie Leon in the melancholy way of singers who are unknown to the public. After the interpretation by Tito Cruz, the son singer Carlos Santos distinguishes himself with a sublime and sentimental version of the ballad Que Suerte He Tenido De Nacer by Albert Cortez, repeating the success he obtained on the previous album with his version of El Progreso by Roberto Carlos. From Sigo Buscando Un Amor, the third track of the sequence, Roberto Roena told me the Jerry Masucci wanted this song to be performed by Hector Lavoe. When we were practicing the number, the guy (Jerry) arrived at the studio and asked about the song. He asked me if it could be given to Hector. And I told him no. I recognize that if the song were to be sung by Hector it would have been a success. I said to him; Jerry, Hector is THE singer, but I have three singers. And now Im going to sing it myself. He told me that I was crazy, Roena remembered while laughing loudly. The truth is that in this way Roberto joined together with the nucleus of directors of the Fania orchestras, such as Larry Harlow, Papo Lucca, Johnny Pacheco and Willie Colon, who had made inroads, even if only once, as singers. Of course, Roenas interpretation was not a success on American radio. It did not even retain its original arrangement. He does not sing it live and today it is a rarity in salsa. In the track sequence Roena uses the bomba Yo Soy De Ley, interpreted by Carlos Santos, who, in an arrangement by Papo Lucca, also accomplishes his goal with the hit Trago Amargo, inspired by the theme of disaffection, making up a large part of the work of the romantic ballad that was introduced in the 1980s and that exercised great influence of the salsa movement. The songs are respected because they are expressions of happiness, love and sadness and because they are the prevailing feelings of the people. Tito Cruz and Carlos Santos sing them like this, moving between the cadence of the pachanga and the cumbia, in Cancion De Las Canciones, another significant contribution to the genre. Roberto Roena finishes the recording with a fusion of salsa and disco music, so trendy at the beginning of the 1980s. Todos Quieren Saber is sung by his buddy Mario Alvarez Cora, a colleague from the time of the Combo de Cortijo who, besides performing as a trumpeter for the Apollo Sound, also recorded various boleros. For Roberto Roena, Que Suerte He Tenido De Nacer is one of the greatest achievements of his discography career. This is a diversified record. Thank God, I prepared myself well to work hard on the rhythm and orchestration. Enjoy! Side A 1. El Aplauso * 2. Que Suerte He Tenido De Nacer ** 3. Sigo Buscando Un Amor * 4. Yo Soy De Ley *** Side B 1. Trago Amargo **** 2. Cancion De Las Canciones * 3. Algun Dia Sera * 4. Todos Quieren Saber * Personnel: Roberto Roena: Leader, Bongo, Cowbell, Guiro Mario Alvarez Cora: Trumpet Fernando Marcano: Trumpet Elliot Feijoo: Trumpet Lutty Maldonado: Trombone Coco Andujar: Tenor Saxophone, Flute Efrain Hernandez: Ampeg Baby Bass Mario Roman: Acoustic Grand Piano Cuqui Santos: Timbales Papo Pepin: Congas Lead Vocals: Tito Cruz Carlos Santos Roberto Roena (A3) Mario Alvarez Cora (B4) Coro: Tito Cruz Carlos Santos Mario Alvarez Cora The Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra: Strings Musical Arrangements by: Luis Garcia * Elias Lopes ** Lenny Prieto *** Papo Lucca **** Produced by: Roberto Roena Executive Producer: Jerry Masucci Album Cover & Liner Photos: Lee Marshall Album Cover Design: Ron Levine Album Art Director: Tony Green Recording Engineer: Bernie Fox Recorded @: La Tierra Sound Studios, NYC FANIA RECORDS, 1980 A FANIA RECORDS PRODUCTION
Posted on: Tue, 14 Oct 2014 21:55:13 +0000
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