MASTER OF THE ACCORDION CECI BASTIDA GOES BEYOND THE KEVS MNT] MIT QUEIRE DARTE nc CHAYANNE aed BANDSLATING PT EE SERGIO Pa aqFLASHBACK ]Angin Kee gh Inada ate ny orm Ingeege oe cane Sesh. the Soeded othe sith he mgeeta robber het eungen comp ue cnt won" ay Dane odin Ping eck ret Spey ge ted en tom 55. oe eck tl fino vtedaged taonrdbox at nowt ten bu dng the sesobum nuh feedcodton were Serta wes snbmintin ‘Tums cut, Barretto’ Add ‘uespassed cultural and generational divides to become a short-lived but igh infuersilcross- ‘ver album. The late conga rmaeeto’ fire album with the iconic Fania Records salsa label brought Blac. soul, Anglo rock'n' rll and brown Afto-Carbbean folktore together during ‘the turbulent 60s. Acid ate through musical bounder {es and became poof that the burgeoning salsa move zment— synonymaus with Fania —wae more than agence. This cexy, unl, jazzy, feisty, music by young people for young people sparked a creative ingui- ctud that harvested a cul: ‘url identity for displaced and marginalized Latinos Il co without cepregat- ing them. The undeniable traces of Avican American, and Anglo pop music also ‘welcomed non-Latinos. But Acid fell prey to Barrett's own artistic cannibal: {sm he released the excellent Hard Hande that eame year and by 1973 had released eight more important albums, Fani's 1,300 albums, including landmark works bby heavyweight salsero like Willie Colén and Rubén Blades, only buried Berretto's debut deeper. journalist and author Emesto Lechner, who has compiled antholo- sies on Eddle Palmieri, Celia Cruz and others since -Emusica bogan revitalizing the sleeping Fania giantin 2006, says, "Acid is just one ofthe hundreds of musical treasures in the Fania catalogue, which find tobe en inexhaustible teasure trove” Forty years later, it's easy to see how the sloum became just another masterpiece ina museum ful of master- pieces. But for the same reason that the Mona Lisa isn't les important because it's hanging in the Louvre with the Venus de Milo, Aci’ influence and dmelessness ie ‘worth revisiting if not discovering Its not that Acids forgotten. Its tracesble lineage permeates in musicians from sales-rockfusionist Carlos Santana to pioneering reggaetonero Tego Calderén. But perhaps, thas collected {dust long enough. "As a reintroduction toa new genera- don, you're not going to find a much better alburn than, this” says. co-producer of Acid Hervey Aver, “There's something in therefor everyone t's a masterpiece and its range showed that nothing was impossible” HARD HANDS HIMSELF Barretto was a renaissance man —a cass act ‘way ahead of all of us" explains Aver, who ‘went on to produce many Latin artists and win two Grammys. "He was a true Nuyerican —born In New York fin 1925] to Puerto Rican parents, but he also considered himself Black because he was that much into that music” Echoing Averne, Cuban master timbalero Orestes Vat, who played on Acid and later with Santana, agrees. “Ray's problem was that he was always ahead of his ‘ime he says."He was comething ele, and you think, ‘How much ofa musician coulda conga player be?” Ray ‘wae an incredible musician!” ‘Barreto was introduced to music by his azz loving mother ‘as child But while serving n the US. Army in Germany, longtime friend and percussionist George Rivera explains, segregation and racism were prevalent and that while hang- ing out with African Americans Private Baretta took in ‘theirmusie, After hearing Manteca by Dizzy Gillespie and ‘Chano Pozo, jazz became Barretto fist ove. Ray Hipped ‘the stings off banjo and stared using the skin (the ound tambourine-lke body] as a conga drum,"River says Berretto retumed home in 49 and started playing around ‘New York. During a jam session, Charlie Yardbind” Parker walked in, took note and invited the 20-year-old ‘congero to sit infor a week-long gig. Barett inevitably became a fixture as a session player for jazz labels, “1 don't care who you were,” Averne says. "Ifyou needed a ‘conga player on your jazz album back then, you called Ray Baretta” Ironically, racism unintentionally also played a minor role in Barretto crossing over into Latin mule. Ri- vera says that when renowned Black percussionists Mongo Santamaria and Wille Bobo got wind that their bandleader, legendary timbalero Tito Puente, was push- ing aheed without them during a month-long gig at a “Miami Beach hotel that barred Blacks from playing, they ditched him and the band. Puente then auditioned Bar. ‘etto who landed the job and stuck around to record on Puonte's most celebrated sloum, 1958's Dance Monia ‘When the opportunity came to front his wn band, Barretto jumped on it His ist it El Watus”off 19621 ‘Charanga Modema, was the fist Latin songevertohit the sillboard charts, peaking at No.3. This Bareto original, along with Santamaria’ rendition of Herbie Hancock's “Watermelon Man,"catalyzed the Latin boogaloo craze that would explode afew years lter with Pete Rodriguez’: "Like I Like That" and oe Cuba's "Bang! Bang!” ‘While purists thumbed their nose at boogaloo for trying to blend American R&B, rock'n'roll and soul with Cuban and Puerto Rican shythms, the pioneering Barretto went to bed with it-And when his volin-fute-percussion charanga, ‘band began cramping his style and holding him back, he disbanded it and packed on some sonic pounds with his fret two-trumpet conjunto, ‘Around the same time ftist and more traditional ‘bandleader named johnny Pacheco and a lawyer named Jerry Masucci launched Fania Records. By 1967, Masucet ‘reeled in Barretto, who became Fania’ “frst big-time acquisition,’ according to Averne, ‘And with theirbig win came big changes. Arerme, who refreshes his memary by listening tothe album during the interview, says, As {listen to this, 'm realizing that ‘earned more from Ray than he learned from me, He Drought me out ofthat cuchifrito mentality of record {ng Before Ray, we would goto some shitty studios and record six songs in three hours, whileThe Beatles would spend a week inthe Bahamas mixing one damn song, land they were just four guys. We had more guys play- {ng the maracas, cle and jawbone! To make the best records, you go to the beet recording etudice, work tatunacon C31with the best technicians, use the best musicians —that’s what Learned.” ‘The stage was set for Barretto’ musical ex: plorations: a bandleader with an Aclistineup, a new sound, original songs, new arrangements and fan ambitious label willing toinvest some dough by letting their new “acqui- sition” record at RCAS legendary studio A "PORTRAIT OF RAY BARRETTO" Ww: songs range ing from salsa to boogaloo, from soul to jazz and bilingual yes to boot, Acid sounds more like alate 608 Spanish Harlem compila- tion than a single album by single group Yet some: how, itis exquisitely tight. ‘The opening EI Nuevo ret" lasts off with 1 trumpet-conge intro so enticing that Carlos Santa nalifted it two years later, swapped out the trumpet for his electric guter and lugged it int his signa ture rendition of Puente’s “Oye Come Va" Gust listen to Santana's "Oye" for 10 seconds at minute 1:34, followed by the beginning ‘ofthis Barretto tune and you'llece} Inching ite way int full-fledged salsa ter- sitory, this son montuno is ‘unapologetically danceable and 2s good as any newly ‘bom salsa tune at the time, “The English-eung”Mercy, ‘Mercy, Baby!""A Deeper Shade of Soul"*Soul Drummers" and "The ‘Teacher of Love" bring on the Funk, rock'n'roll and a surplus of Latin sou, courtesy of Puerto Rican-born, ‘crooner Pete Bonet. The bond does their best james Brown on "Mercy while "Deeper Shade” snags the guitar riff from the classic rock'n'roll song "Twist and shout” ‘These four crossover tunes delve so deep into the ‘African American aesthetic that it wouldn't have been a stretch to call Barteto a eell-oxt or wannabe, “wouldn't call these songs attempts, ‘cause Ray pulled it off Averne affirms. “But they were his way of saying, "Tm going to do this thing that appeals ta the young people without feeling ashamed or like I sold out or prostituted myself” That was brave and courageous, bro.” ‘After realizing that Barretto also brought jimmy Sabater nd Willie Torres todo the two-voiee, doo-wop harmony back vocals, verne says: "Those two voices were magic together. Ray knew what the hell he was doing, man” ‘with Fania pushing the album hard, the gamble paid off. wo years [after its release}, Acid was sil selling,” Rivera says, "Barretto became a crossover ac.'A Deeper Shade of Sou” got airtime on WWRL [a Black RAB sta- tion in New York ity). Eventually he recorded with The Rolling Stones and The Bee Gees. Ray was also the first truly Latin at to play on Don Kirshner’ Rock Concert chow [the precursor to MTV] in 1977" Vlaté alo recalls Bs retto and the band appearing on American Bondstond and following two no-name bands atthe time, no less than funk pioneers Kool & The Gang and sly and the Family Stone, at gig in Hatlem. ‘The album's most groundbreaking tune, "Aci with a heavy bassline fllowed closely by the scratch: {ng giro and a clacking clave. The rhythm section lays down a lazy, summer tumbao (a percussive, repetitive beat), s0 sultry you can almost picture beads of conden: sation forming on your cold drink. Then, one by one, the ret ofthe members take their solos. René Lépezs first trumpet solo is easy to spot after Bat- retto hollers: “Yeah, Renny! Go on baby!" vilat6 then goes off on the timbales, as Barretto gently beats his congas, saving his energy for his own solo. Roberto Rodrigues, ‘roliable auto mechanic by day and a punctual band ‘member by night, who was deeply admired by Baretto for his work ethic, busts out the second trumpet solo. Following Rodriguez, there seams tobe some confusion fon who goes next. Voices ate hestd debating: ei Louis Ccritz on plano or Barretto on conga? During our interview, Vilat clarifies. "We recorded that in one shot" he says. Sensing my disbelief, he emphati- cally epeats, "Yeah, we got that on the fist take. We re corded it asa descarga or a jam session. No papers, nonothing! [That's why you can hear some confu sion at the end) *Vilaté adds“'m also remember: ing that during his sol, Barretto cracked the head of hie conga — that's how hard he playea!™ Adding to Barretto almost mythological per- sone, Bonet original Acid liner notes recall jan mingin the Bronx and jarretio's finger bleeding allover the conga drum ‘during his slo, Since Bar- retto played with his eyes closed, he didn't ize ituntil he was done ‘After Barretto's pouncing, hhead-cracking solo on “acid” Cruz inevitably joins the chugging tumbao fon piano, asthe rest ofthe band ples on during the remaining 47 seconds. “The straight, classic salsa 'Sola‘Te Dejaré"is the album's most seemingly harmless tune,a song sungby aman in the first-person, cautioning his self-absorbed ‘woman that she's going to end up alone. Then, you find out that Barretto was actually talking smack to the band's recently departed vocalist Willie Garcia. It's the stuff of hip-hop and reggaeton —not salsa — rivalries. "Wille let Barrett's band thinking he was the shit and thatthe band wouldn't survive without him, so Barretto ‘wrote the tune for him,’ Rivera explains. Barrette would strike again when Vilat6 and four ther members took off to form Tipica 73. Barretto, who was a fairly permanent member and music directo ofthe con: stantly rotating salsa super-group The Fania All-Stars, ‘didn’t skip beat and enlisted the help of goneros Wile CColdn and Héctor Lavoe. A pissed off Barreto essentially {gave his ex-bandmates the middle finger by posing a ‘Gark Kent and revealing his Superman °S" emblazoned cheston the cover of is new album, Indesuctibe ‘A couple of years later, Barretto, who had an uncanny abil- ity to spot ste- power in-the-making, auditioned alitle- 32) tatagacan‘known crooner in the Fania mailroom, where the young, Panamanian lavyjertumed strapping musician worked is name: Rubgn Blades. In 1975, Blades sang on “Guararé.” Barrett's fst Grammy-nominated work As the young, blades became the poster ehild for Fania, the disillusioned and elder Barretto eventually returned to jazz 2002, Boreto told NPR's Mara Hinojosa host of "Latino USA, that his age and inability to connect with a younger crowd ‘pushed im back to jazz. He also el that making salsa ‘music had reached a point of saturation for him. ‘Acid ends witha second sublime, instrumental tune“Es pirtu Libre” that begins with a dark tribal duel between Barretto’ conga and Vila’ timbales. Reaching back to jane roots, a melancoli,Funeral-eeque trumpet solo is closely followed by a muted second trumpet echo- {ng afew seconds behind, after a brief pause, the band delivers a riveting jazz number, where the rhythm takes ‘haunting turn ax Bonet pounds on a donkey jawoone ‘hat when struck, gives off @ chilling, slight rattle like 1 spookir vibraslap. The trumpets the piano an the ccongis sporadically fre off their own grooves fora dis- combobulating sequence that has a hint of acid jazz (the term wouldn't be coined until the "0s), ‘And that’s as close asthe allum gets to detivering on the psychedelic or hallucinatory promise that its ttle suggests. Masucei suggested calling t Acid purely for ‘marketing purposes." lot of ery’ ideas were cheap and inappropriate” Averne says, "Barretto isthe last guy jn the world who should have had an slburn titled, Aci He never took a drink He never had a cigarette. How the hell are we calling this elbum Acid? He wasn't ‘pretty’ clean-cut, He was VERY clean-cut!To me— ‘Renaissance Man; ‘Portrait of Ray Barretto or The Many Sides of Ray Barretto’ — would have all been better tiles” UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ACID repertoite, the album reached a broad range of| artists from different eras and varying musical backgrounds. Apart from snatching Barrett's intro from "I Nuevo Barretto” Santana and his band, for example, = under Sarett's and Fania’ polite‘were fans of Acid "The song got me to Santana, says Vilat, who played with the Mexican-born rocker for about nine years. "Santana's manager came to New York ‘and sai ‘Carlos wants to have you playa few shows to see ‘how you ft in the band: When I asked how Santana knew me, he said that Barretto was one oftheir favorite bands ‘and that‘Acid' was one of the fist songs they loved." [NPR producer and reporter Felix Contreras, who has dedi- cated airsime and written about Fania rebirth through musica, ays, Records like Acid contributed to bands like Sentana finding depth." Despite Contreras’ assertion and ‘Acid predating Santana's debut by two years, its Santana whos often credited asthe ultimate crssover band that fused salsa and rock To this, Contreras says, "But you die ‘over the good stuff like Puente end Barretto through ‘Santana, whe had the advantage of organic marketing ‘twas the right muse atthe right time embraced by the hippie culture. You can always speculate that i Bar- retto had moved to Ashbury [San Francisco] and got the ‘hippies behind him... who knows." “There's a lt of things Ray does not get recognition for!" Vilat6 says before explaining that Los Van Van — 2 ‘well-known Cuban son band, influential in their wn right — were fans of Acid Vilaté then hums and scats Barrettos "Son Con Cuero" of Hard Honds) and Los Van \Van® later hit “Sendungue silaity, to show the s ‘Although Acid does not quite enjoy the same adulation land reverence of other Fania records, it was in the fist batch of Fania Records to be remastered by Emusiea, Perhaps, the best example ofits timelessness and global, cross-cultural reach was when Amsterdam's punk/funk hip-hop outfit Urban Dance Squad heavily sampled "A Deeper Shede of Sou!” in 1991 on their smash rap song fof the same name, which peaked at No.2 in the US.on ilboard’s Hot 100. ‘camilo Lara, best known for his one-man beat machine, Mexican inetitute of Sound, belive the album is the nexus ofthat period. "I think Acid is the perfect postcard ‘of 1968” he says. "I's the perfect (and wild) cross be- ‘beeen soul, funk and Afio-Latinthythms” He adds that the album hes “grown with dignity” and concedes that ‘it would be impossible to create a record like Acid today. ~“ichae a fury and naiveté that is nonexistent today; he says, When asked if Acid hae direct influenced his ‘music, Lara says, "I wish one of my tracks could sound 24) atngn cor From tpt ota: Hae Hen, 1968 Ter 1970, Bart Foe 1972 Gon Face, 180, loss, 19, Lat Sad Wan (at 0, 2007 half as good as ‘spfrtu Libre’ but Fo have a track on ‘my upcoming alburn (ue later this year] called" MIS(S) My Acid," which isa tribute to Mr. Bareeto: For reggactonero Tego Celdetén, i’ Barretto’ jazz {sta influence that resonates with him. And although CCalderén admits that he was initially baffled by listening te some of Barreto’ Latin songs being sung in English, Ccalderén realized that Barretto was a product of New ‘York. Either way, Barreto’ style speaks loudly of the “freedom in musi’ which is evident in Calderén's foe- ‘quent departures from making cookie-cutter reggaeton. ‘Then there's Venezuelan taste-maker-producer-compas: cer-guitarist Andrés Levin, of Yerba Buena fame, who says hn feels a “genetic responsibility to this masterpiece {Aci for being conceived the same year that he was. “Te was my fist sonic impression of what New York City ‘was about," Levin says But pethaps Adis most long lasting, acerbic quality its reluctance to accept musical boundaries, as hinted by Calderén, Acid made it okay to put salsa, boogaloo, rock ‘ni roll and soul songs on one sfbumn, and to sing in Eng: lish and spanish and to eater to different peoples without being disingenuous or crass, Whether they know it or not, this is traceable in hot, ente-benalng ate like Calle 13 or even Café Tacvba, which take the established regeacton ‘or rock forms and make it thelr own by adding challeng Ing music elements without worrying who they pis of Maybe more abominable than having bought this album so cheap or finding it scratch-re, i this ober {ng incertitude: How often does taking in too much art saturate people tothe point that they no longer enjoy it? Oras some ofthe interviewees admitted how often are people so caught up in living that they overlook beauty that i right front of them? 1 don't pretend tobe a student of salsa nor have I delved ‘enough into the expansive Fania catalogue to know how this albu compares to other music ofthe time. But per hhaps in this ease, ignorance served me well. tt allowed ‘me to enjoy the hell out of Acid in a vecuurn — to hear ft, appreciate it and savor it for what itis. [t nvited and challenged me to diginto the Fania catalogue, which for ome time I mistakenly dismissed as music that did not speak to me. Now Ilnow, it's for me, fo you, for my ids, your kids, their neighbors, our parents.