DESCRIPTION
For the third release in the Mr Bongo Cuban Classics series, the iconic 1974 debut album by the mighty Grupo Irakere is proudly reissued. Titled Teatro Amadeo Roldan Recital, this influential Afro-Cuban jazz-funk masterpiece was originally released on Cuba’s state-run label Areito, and marks the explosive beginning of one of the most important bands in Cuba’s musical history.
Led by Chucho Valdés, son of famed pianist and bandleader Bebo Valdés, Irakere became a revolutionary force in Cuban music, fusing Afro-Cuban rhythms with jazz, funk, psychedelia, and rock. The album showcases the band's genre-defying approach and sheer musical prowess, setting the tone for their enduring legacy.
The ferocious opener 'Bacalao Con Pan' is a Latin-funk juggernaut – bursting with wah-wah guitar, intense percussion, and fiery horn arrangements that ignite dancefloors to this day. The album continues to impress with the graceful ‘Danza Ñañiga’, a downtempo ballad steeped in emotional depth, and ‘Valle Picadura’, which transitions from introspection to an exuberant horn-driven climax.
Other standout tracks include ‘Taka Taka Ta’, where Afro-Cuban jazz fuses with call-and-response vocals and fevered organ work, and the psych-leaning ‘Quindiambo’, which echoes the genre-bending style of Santana. ‘Misaluba’, a cover of a Cyan track by Mario & Giosy Capuano, is reimagined with vibrant percussion and spacey arrangements, firmly embedding it in Irakere’s sonic world.
Teatro Amadeo Roldan Recital is not only a thrilling debut but also a snapshot of Cuba’s rich musical evolution in the 1970s—a period of experimentation and fusion that Grupo Irakere helped define.
TRACKLIST
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Bacalao Con Pan
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Danza Ñañiga
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Valle Picadura
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Taka Taka Ta
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La Verdad
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Luisa
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Quindiambo
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Misaluba