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Release Date: 01/30/1996
Run Time: 65:46
Charanga lives! At least as far as Johnny Almendra & Los Jovenes del Barrio are concerned, it does. Fronted by bandleader Johnny Almendra, who claims a musical education straight from the street corners and barrios of New York City, where Latin music is still vibrant and thriving, Los Jovenes del Barrio strive to fill a specific and much neglected niche in the genre -- charanga. Replacing the standard three-horn rhythm section with two violins and a flute, charanga has its roots deep in the early son and danzon music of Cuba. Much like American R&B, which has come to mean something much different than the original rhythm and blues of the '50s, the word charanga is now often associated with the manic, progressive timba music of Havana's modern youth. Los Jovenes del Barrio stay true to charanga's historic tradition, with some N.Y.C. influence thrown in for fun. Salsa with flute and violin backup makes for a lush, supple sound and laid-back sense of time, a refreshing change from aggressive and bright horn-driven salsa. There are a few English-language, urban-tinged cuts, featuring female lead vocals from Jillian. The record on the whole is enjoyable, if not groundbreaking. Released by RMM, one of modern salsa's premier labels, Evolucionando bears a listen. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez, All Music Guide
Release Date: 01/30/1996
Run Time: 65:46
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