Sonora Poncena Night Raider Inca Records (ISLP-1079) Night Raider, Sonora Poncena for the fanatics of La Sonora Poncena, the re-release of the production Night Raider evokes feelings of nostalgia because the two main singers among whom Don Quique Lucca & his son divided up the repertoire of this record have now passed away. Tonito Ledee, substitute for Tito Gomez upon his second departure from the orchestra, died in the middle of the 1980s in a stunning car accident after falling asleep at the wheel following a singing engagement at a party with La Sonora Poncena. And Miguelito Ortiz, who substituted for Tito after his first departure from the band so he could record with La Terrifica & Ray Barretto, recently died due to complications related to diabetes from which he been suffering for several years. The nostalgia is accentuated if we recall that other musicians from the recording session, like the contrabassist Tato Santaella , the timbalero Jesse Colon & the trumpeter Humberto Godineaux, have also left for other stages in heaven. For those of us who witnessed La Sonora Poncena of the 80s, we agree that, time after time, the orchestra has guaranteed the dancer the highest level of flavor & quality which has distinguished the arrangements of Papo Lucca during almost five decades. Night Raider, nevertheless, will be remembered as one of Migulito Ortizs most circumspect albums. He was the main singer of the recording session, but his performance - due to the diabetes which already undermined his energies - was far from many previous interpretations such as Sabor Sureno, Tiene Pimienta, & Musical Conquest, in which he popularized selections such as Las Lenguas, La Vida Te Doy, No Muere El Son, & La Pollera Colora, among others. Ironically, the most commercial tracks of the recording session were delivered into Miguelitos hands. In 1981, the first single to be released from Night Raider was the song Ramona, the story of a woman destined to solitude & perennial spinsterhood due to her ugliness. Son 40 Navidades, sin ninguna noche buena, recites one of the soneos while the chorus repeats the refrain; Jamona, te vas a quedar. Papo Luccas solo on the piano, linking compasses from the melody from the classic Maria Cervantes, by Noro Morales, compensates for Ortizs poor vocal performance, who - not withstanding Papos excellent arrangement & the scouting scats that accompany the version by Venezuelan Simon Diaz - could not perform with the same the excellence as in the old days of Caballo Viejo. His best interpretation from Night Raider is the bolero A Lo Mejor, complemented with another solo by Papo. Nevertheless, in the best moment of his ephemeral career as a singer. Tonito Ledee made himself known with Borrachera, Umi-Laye, & Nada Para Ti, three superb interpretations, with an abundance of cadence & rhythmic richness. Originally by Roberto Angelo, in Borrachera the scene is recreated of the person who drinks in order to forget an unrequited love. The theme of the macho man who prefers to drown his sorrows instead of confronting reality is also taken on by La Sonora in other records by means of the songs Barra Limpia & No Bebo Mas. With Umi-Laye, with touches of Bata drums & a bongo solo by Angelito Hernandez, Tonito was able to repeat the success of Yambeque & Mi Lindo Yambu. After his death, these African-style songs have been magnificently cultivated by Hector Pichie Perez. Nada Para Ti, another original work by Roberto Angelo, combines rhythmic annotations of the danzon, the son montuno & the guaracha in his arrangement, where Papo stands out with another solo along with trumpeters Heriberto Santiago & Tony El Cordoves Rodriguez. The success of Canto Al Amor, recorded by Yolanda Rivera, Migulito & Tito Gomez on the LP Explorando, was capitalized on in Night Raider by way of Cuestiones De Amor, a composition by the then director of Son 14, Adalberto Alvarez & which Miguelito, Yolanda (the only song she sings on this album which also marks her departure from La Poncena) & Tonito made popular in South America in 1981 & 1982. Just as in previous albums, the touch of jazz was provided by the track Something Easy by Dave Burns, with Papos virtuosity on the piano & accompanied by way of an overdub, with drum rolls his solo as well as the solo of trumpeter Humberto Godineau . Enjoy! Side A 1. Ramona 2. Caballo Viejo 3. A Lo Mejor 4. Borrachera Side B 1. Algo Facil/Something Easy 2. Umi-Laye 3. Nada Para Ti 4. Cuestiones De Amor Personnel: Enrique Quique Lucca: Leader Enrique Papo Lucca: Acoustic Piano Tony El Cordoves Rodriguez: Trumpet Delfin Perez: Trumpet Humberto Godineau: Trumpet Heriberto Santiago: Trumpet Antonio Tato Santaella: Ampeg Baby Bass Efrain Hernandez: Ampeg Baby Bass Jesse Colon: Timbales Vicente Johnny Rivero: Conga Angel Hernandez: Bongo, Cowbell Miguelito Ortiz: Guiro, Maracas Lead Vocals: Miguelito Ortiz Tonito Ledee Coro: Miguelito Ortiz Tonito Ledee Yolanda Rivera Edwin Rosas Musical Arrangements by: Papo Lucca Produced by: Papo Lucca Executive Producer: Jerry Masucci Recording Director: Quique Lucca Musical Director: Papo Lucca Album Cover Art & Design: Ron Levine Recording Engineers: Geraldo Rios Richard Tex Stanley Recorded @: Borinquen Sound Studios, San Juan, Puerto Rico INCA RECORDS, 1981 A FANIA RECORDS PRODUCTION
Posted on: Sat, 22 Mar 2014 01:01:10 +0000