TITLE: La Maldicion Del Timbal
LABEL: Peace & Rhythm
Puerto Rican salseros Orquesta El Macabeo played live on my radio show in September 2015. When they arrived, you’d have thought they were a punk band, right down to the case of PBR they tried to smuggle into the studio. Indeed, most band members got their starts playing punk and ska, and salsa purists back home look down their noses at them. Of course, that’s exactly the same reaction Willie Colon got in New York in the early 70s. Macabeo has the rock ‘n’ roll energy most salsa lost long ago; now on their fourth album their chops have caught up to their ideas and the result is one of the best salsa albums I’ve heard in a long time. Macabeo has the pop songcrafter’s knack for a great melody and this disc is full of them. Lyrically they cover some heavy topics: love and honesty (2), people you can’t trust (3), social stagnation (4), the Catholic Church (5), the daily grind (6), aging (7) and best of all modern life in Puerto Rico, the land that can’t escape colonization (1 and 8). The arrangements are outstanding, a quantum leap from their early days without sacrificing the spirit that makes this band unique. Definitely one of the top salsa acts right now.
TOP TRACKS: 2 3 6 8
ALSO RECOMMENDED: 1 4 5 7
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