Descarga Total [Enhanced]

1. Descarga Total

2. Oye Guaijar Mi Son

3. Pa'Gozar Pilon

4. Havana Danzon

5. Solo Me Quede

6. Pelea

7. Mambo con Cha Cha Cha

8. Llevatela

9. Yoruba Song (Introduction)

10. Yoruba Song

11. Tumbao Pa'Changuito

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Known in Latin-jazz circles for his virtuoso flute playing, Orlando "Maraca" Valle has produced a party album that follows the time-tested formula for the best Cuban music: masterful musicianship and an infectious good-time spirit that will keep dancers moving from the first track to the last. Like Olympic athletes, the members of Maraca's group and his guest artists execute their expert moves with apparent ease, delivering a "total jam session" that segues smoothly from classic son, danzón, and mambo to Latin jazz, Afro-Cuban chanting, rumba, rap, and the hard-driving Cuban dance fusion called timba. Notable soloists include groundbreaking Cuban funk percussionist Changuito, formerly of Los Van Van. Singer Félix Valdés recalls the improvisational vocal stylings of the Cuban soneros of the Big Band era, contrasting with grittier salsa tracks sung by Wilfredo Campa. Maraca and his band follow in the footsteps of Cachao's Master Sessions and the seminal output of Chucho Valdés and Irakere, with whom the prodigious Maraca began his career at the age of 16. Like the recordings of those Cuban greats, Descarga Total celebrates the sheer joy of good music. --Judy Cantor

Tracks:

Descarga Total
Oye Guaijar Mi Son
Pa' Gozar Pilon
Havana Danzon
Solo Me Quede
Pelea
Mambo con Cha Cha Cha
Llevatela
Yoruba Song (Introduction)
Yoruba Song
Tumbao Pa'Changuito

Amazon.com

Known in Latin-jazz circles for his virtuoso flute playing, Orlando "Maraca" Valle has produced a party album that follows the time-tested formula for the best Cuban music: masterful musicianship and an infectious good-time spirit that will keep dancers moving from the first track to the last. Like Olympic athletes, the members of Maraca's group and his guest artists execute their expert moves with apparent ease, delivering a "total jam session" that segues smoothly from classic son, danzón, and mambo to Latin jazz, Afro-Cuban chanting, rumba, rap, and the hard-driving Cuban dance fusion called timba. Notable soloists include groundbreaking Cuban funk percussionist Changuito, formerly of Los Van Van. Singer Félix Valdés recalls the improvisational vocal stylings of the Cuban soneros of the Big Band era, contrasting with grittier salsa tracks sung by Wilfredo Campa. Maraca and his band follow in the footsteps of Cachao's Master Sessions and the seminal output of Chucho Valdés and Irakere, with whom the prodigious Maraca began his career at the age of 16. Like the recordings of those Cuban greats, Descarga Total celebrates the sheer joy of good music. --Judy Cantor

Customer Reviews:

Good Dancing.......2006-11-05

The first 4 songs are really good. It is worth your money. Josephine.

WOW!!!.......2002-05-23

This is by far the most amazig CD that I own. Its jam packed with sensuous sounds, honoring traditional Cuban rythms with a modern twist. This is like no other CD I have heard in the last couple of years, by far these musicians are extremely talented and their sounds are very superior to those from other Carribbean islands. The energy and passion is sure to blow off your speakers. If you don't own this CD, you're really missing out! It will keep you dancing all night long!

This is one GREAT CD! Masterly Cuban Latin Jazz........2001-06-20

"Descarga Total" (it means "Jam Session") is the latest release from leader and flautist Maraca and his band. All excellent musicians (this is Cuba were talking about, right!) they are leading exponents of Cuban Jazz which is a great concoction of Cuban rhythms allied to Jazz discipline and creativity.

The band has succeeded in producing a CD which mixes great compositions and high levels of musicianship. Maraca started his career with the very excellent Chucho Valdes and his band Irakere (check out some of their CDs most of which are outstanding) who, except for the US embargo against Cuba would be as huge in the US as they are in Europe. Anybody who has heard Irakere will know that they are a tough act to follow but in my opinion Maraca manages it. The sounds of the flute is entirely appropriate to the feel of the music and Maraca plays beautifully

There are many excellent cuts on this CD but the first "Descarga Total" and the second "Oye Guajira Mi Son" are particularly good. Congratulations to Maraca for writing all of the material to such a high standard. My feeling is that there is a lot more excellent music left to come out of this guy!

This band is now, in my opinion, the Latin Jazz outfit to watch, or more precisely, listen to and I will be following their progress with great interest.

An unhesitating recommendation; buy this!

Blazing.......2001-05-02

For lover's of Cuban music and its derivations, particularly the big band varieties, I highly recommend this album. Right from the first song, 'Descarga Total', this recording is high energy, fast, danceable music. The second song 'Oye Guajira mi son' is PACKED with sabor -- done right, the way it should be! I'm also a big fan of the seventh song, Mambo con Chachacha with its loud trumpet and pumping rhythm. I had the good fortune of catching Orlando Valle playing at SOB's in New York and I was thrilled to hear them play BETTER live (and with only half their band) -- which is saying a lot considering how over-produced some albums are these days.

The description of the songs in the liner notes was also very helpful for me in distinguishing the different veins of development in Cuban music, as well as the various influences.

I've listened to lots of dance music from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Columbia, Dominican Republic, Congo, and the United States (NY, Miami and LA). Descarga Total is one of the BEST new albums I've heard in a while and I highly recommend it -- and if you can, go and see them play live!

Traditional forms + a twist of humor = a blast.......2001-02-27

What a refreshing disk this is! I was beginning to lose some of my enthusiasm for Cuban music because a few recent disks have seemed too blatantly commercial and over-marketed, a little too much geared to ride a wave of popularity. Here's a disk where everyone is just having a blast and enjoying the music. There is a fine combination of traditional sounds and rhythms and yet with a little, good-natured, satirical bent. For example, they nod and pay their respects to Perez Prado in the mambo-cha, but with a grin on their faces. Listen to the pizzicati strings, or to the way the piano suddenly barges in. This song and the superb opening track would make the album getting just by themselves. The rest of the tracks are fine, too. Excellent musicianship and ensemble playing, freshness and verve.