Café Cubano by Putumayo

Artist: Putumayo

Name of CD: Café Cubano

Release Date: 2008

The Putumayo Record Label is one of the world´s frontrunners offering a wide range of Latin and Caribbean Music. When you listen to the CD ´Café Cubano´ you feel as if you’re instantly transported to the exotic island of Cuba. You can practically feel the hot sun, see the palm trees, and taste the Mojitos. The diversity of the selected songs makes the album not only excellent for dancing, but it’s also good listening while you’re enjoying a nice meal or when you just feel like loungin’ on a nice and comfy couch or divan.  

The songs of the CD ‘Café Cubano’ are mostly Cuban Son (Montunos) and Boleros. There are some Cuban Classics like “Lágrimaz Negras”, “Morenita”, “Escándalo” and “Despues de Esta Noche” which I personally consider to be “must haves” for all Salsa and Latin dancers. “Lágrimas Negras” and “Como A Cada Mañana” are fast paced Son (Montuno)’s which are not only good for dancing Contratiempo, but they’re also excellent for dancing Cuban Casino. The very romantic Bolero (ballad) “Despues de Esta Noche” will make all Latin dancers go on the dance floor to dance a steamy Latin Rumba, while the rest of the dancers just hold on and slow dance together with their favourite dance partners. 

As an eclectic listener and dancer my all-favourite song of Putamayo’s Café Cubano is - without any doubt – “Fue Una de Mambo”! The song is a combination of Ska and Bolero. I was so excited when I heard this song for the very first time that I just kept repeating it all day long! “El Chacal” is a Son Montuno, but I’m pretty sure a lot of modern Salsa and Latin dancers will enjoy it better while dancing Cha-cha-cha. 

I don’t want to forget mentioning the runner up in a close battle: “Ay, Mi Vidita”. The very sultry and romantic voice of Lena Ferrer has a Portuguese “Fado” sound to it which I find to be very appealing. And last – but not least – the Son “Corazón” brings back very special memories of Curacao, my native island, and the place where I learned to dance Son Montuno. Like they say on Curacao: “If you can not dance the Son, then you just can not call yourself a REAL dancer!”             

Overall the ”Café Cubano” compilation CD of Putumayo is worth every penny spent. As a salsa dance teacher I find the music to be a great tool for budding Salseros and Salseras to practice their basic Dance Steps on. It is now one of my favorite CD’s. Most of these songs have a great hit potential for the Cuban and Latino dance scene. But the modern (Western Style Salsa and Mambo) dancers prefer music with a much higher pace to dance on. So I guess most of the DJ’s of the latter will only play these songs during ’Rookie Hours’, or they will play the Son Montunos as a kind of substitute for real Cha-cha-cha songs. Café Cubano has the potential to become a classic. I am sure you will, just like me, take this marvellous CD into your own ’corazón’.

Track list

1. José Cónde y Ola Fresa – El Chacal

2. Ignacio ’Mazacote’ Carollo – Lágrimaz Negras

3. Pedro Luis Ferrer featuring Lena Ferrer – Ay, Mi Vidita

4. Rene Ferrer – Como A Cada Mañana

5. La Orquesta Mágica De La Habana – Morenita

6. German Obregón – Pincel Campesino

7. Armando Garzón – Escándalo

8. Asere – Corazón

9. Félix Baloy – Después de Esta Noche

10. Kelvis Ochoa - Fue Una de Mambo

About the author: 

Sederick Short is a salsa dance teacher, choreographer and entertainer. He’s been teaching Salsa from 1997, and he’s been dancing all kind of street dance styles for more than 26 years. He also grew up with music: his father was a bass guitar player and his mother was a singer in several small bands on the island of Curacao. These bands often practiced at their home since the time he was a young boy. Now he has his own salsa dance school together with his girlfriend Evie in the city of Almere in the Netherlands: www.salsapunt.nl , www.salsapunt.hyves.nl , or www.salsapunt.com