Conjunto

"Conjunto Obaoso" de Onelio Scull –
Santeria-Cubana: Toques y Cantos Sanretos Lucumi
Santero LP-135, Made in Mexico

Don't Judge a Record by its Cover was the title of a piece I wrote on a Hungarian record back in December. That adaption of the adage was in the spirit of its meaning then, but that the adage also has to be taken quite literally is a well known fact among collectors of thrift store records. Even the girl behind the cash register will sometimes tell you to check the record. I always check the record. But if I like the cover I'll buy the record regardless. A nice cover is worth the 50 cents or dollar, and sometimes, if there's not even a record in it, they even might give it to you for free. I did check it too, when I came across this Santeria Cubana record in the Goodwill on Palm Beach Boulevard right near our house. And I knew, before I even checked, that the content wasn't going to match the cover, it was simply too heavy for that. I knew I was going to get two for the price of one. You can't be too picky when collecting from thrift stores. Not only do you have to accept that sometimes the record inside doesn't match the picture on the outside, you also have to take the scratches for granted. The content of this Santeria Cubana record had everything wrong with it but yet I was excited to buy it. The cover is beautiful and while I regret not having the record that's supposed to be in there (a record that promises this spiritual Caribbean religious practice that combines Voodoo with Catholicism,  and all the drumming and chanting that comes with it), I still was excited to hear what was inside. It appeared to me that it would be in the spirit of the cover. The first record inside is called Santos Cantados con Nieves Quintero y Su Conjunto (Canta Luz Celeni Tirado) Y Coro on a label called L.P. Antillano (LP 25) from which I selected a track from side B Misterios Espriritistas. The second record is a rosario (a rosary prayer, I assume) that lasts more than 30 minutes. I copied the first 5 minutes of the Rosario en Honor a San Martin de Porres to share. Neither record has any information concerning place and time of recording on it. That said it didn't take too much effort to find Nieves Quintero on line. He's apparently a legend of Puerto Rican cuarto music. The rosary in honor of San Martin de Porres record yielded less information. The saint, of course, is well written about, but the recording remains a mystery. There's no name attached to the recitation, and Leonor (the record label) is not found anywhere on line. There is no additional information whatsoever printed on that label.

Trémolos

La Familia Santiago – Trémolos y Alabanzas
Grabaciones Genesis, GR-LP-3

Cristóbal Santiago, San José, Puerto Rico, 1972

Trémolos y Alabanzas is only the third record to appear on the Puerto Rican label Genesis. I wonder how many records Cristóbal Santiago ended up producing before the label would go belly up. Father Cristóbal Santiago recorded this record with his wife Rosa Viruet de Santiago, and their children Milagros, Wifredo, Altagracia, and Rosita. There are also appearances Raffi Amaro and Los Embajadores de Luz on this record. On the photo (above) the four children all look to be about the same age, I wonder what they're doing these days, 40 years after performing in church with their father. Do they still play mandolin? Do they still perform in church? The record is signed and dedicated to Hector Graciani and his fiance Doria Encarna, there's an address and phone number on the label, but whatever I type into a search box I don't get any results that link to this record. I like it when musicians have absolutely no presence on the internet; everything I write here about the Santiago family will be a first. And I can do no better than to make a few assumptions.  

There's something about Christian records that makes me want to revert irony, sarcasm, or even ridicule, when discussing the music. But you gotta believe me that this is something about me, and not about them, the Santiago family. It's me, raised a Christian, and no matter how well I realize the hypocrisy of it all, there remains more than just a little bit of a Christian in me. 

Below you'll find the title track of the record that was written by Cristóbal Santiago.

Children's pop

Quetcy Alma "La Lloroncita" – Ahora te toca a ti
Pop Art LP-152
Pop Art Records, New York

I talked about children's songs before but I focused solely on traditional play songs. Those songs that evolved through the times and that were conceived by children, they were games. Adults wouldn't pay any attention to them. But there is also a very different type of children's song, the kind that is created by adults and made for adults. It's called pop music and children can be a commercial asset in that world. Companies bank in on the cuteness and innocence of children, often with making them sing lyrics that are quite risque.  I used to not pay attention to either of those categories but a person can change (perhaps it's a sign of getting older) and now I pay equal attention. I've given up on age discrimination so to say. There have always been child stars, it's a whole chapter in the history of recorded music. Every country, every era, every style has its popular child performer, boys and girls alike. Careers that of course are not meant to last. This record here of Quetcy Alma was given the "happy-sad" concept, like the Tim Buckley Happy, Sad LP with the two sides of Tim Buckley on the sleeves. Quetcy Alma is a Puerto Rican girl (woman I should say) from New York. Apparently she lives in Brooklyn and joined the Jehovah Witnesses. Occasionally she performs.

Since I figured out how to embed an audio file to these posts, I haven't offered them for download anymore, but I'll make them available again. Just click here for this one, or let me know if you want something from any of the records I've written about.

The song I picked is the title track from the LP Ahora te toca a ti. Hope you like it.