The “Father of Boogaloo,” Joe Cuba, passed away on Sunday, February 15, 2009 in NYC.
He was the most popular exponent of the boogaloo. Hits such as “Bang Bang,” “Push Push,” “El Pito,” “Ariñañara,” and “Sock It To Me Baby,” rocked the hit parades establishing Joe Cuba and his Sextet as the definitive sound of Latin New York during the ‘60s & ‘70s. The Joe Cuba Sextet’s unusual instrumentation featured vibraphones replacing the traditional brass sound. His music was at the forefront of the Nuyorican movement.Singer/songwriter Ruben Blades noted: “His music lives on. That is the most any of us can hope for, after we’re dead. God bless him and we thank him for all the joy he gave us.” Ruben’s campanion of that time, Paula C remembers Joe Cuba picking up Ruben to go to gigs in Jersey. “He was the nicest guy,” remembers Paula. “I used to call him Gentleman Joe.”
by Aurora Flores

merci Frank om me erop attent te maken ; ik zal hem deze week extra in mijn playlist zetten…