A Little SPICE In Your Life

At the gym and on shuffle on my iTunes, Latin (Spanish) music has been invading my ears.  In honor of this almighty coincidence, here is my twenty-fifth pick:

Artist - Tito Puente and his Orchestra
Album - Dance Mania
Released - 1969
Label - RCA
Genre - Latin


Tracks
Side One
El Cayuco
Complicacion
3-D Mambo
Llego Mijan
Cuando Te Vea
Hong Kong Mambo
Side Two
Mambo Gozon
Mi Chiquita Quiere Bembe
Varsity Drag
Estoy Siempre Junto a Ti
Agua Limpia Todo
Saca Tu Mujer

I grew up listening to Tito Puente and a whole slew of Latin artists, so when I went to the record store looking for old Spanish music and I found this one, I was extremely happy.  Though I'm not as fluent as I should be in speaking and understanding Spanish, I feel like I know enough to get by.  Playing this record reminds of me of my childhood  and how my Dad, brothers and sisters would go over to my Uncle and Aunt's house and have these parties where everyone would be dancing all night.  Those memories will always be there.

Back to the subject of this record and Tito Puente, who debuted his own band in 1940 and became an iconic Latin artist till his death in 2000.  This record became known by word of mouth (which I happen to think are the best ways to know about a record) and was one of the best dance music albums in the Latin America field.  For what it's worth, even though you don't understand Spanish, the sound and rhythm will get you dancing and moving your hips.

Enjoy!