dj nyc

Latin Music U.S.A. - PBS

Saw the first part of this special last night on PBS,highly recommended, traces the history of Fania records, development of latin music in the USA throughout the last 50 years. The next portion is on 10/19.

Ruben Gonzalez - El Bodeguero

Here's a nice track to add to the slower Cha Cha recommendations I posted in February.  Should clarify that this more for listening than dancing, it's closer to latin jazz and a little slow by cha cha standards. 

Ruben Gonzalez - "El Bodeguero"

djnyc slower cha cha recommendations

This is by no means a comprehensive playlist since there are so many great cha cha songs if you delve deeper into the catalogs of Oscar D'Leon, Tito Puente, Willie Rosario, El Gran Combo, Hector Lavoe, etc, but this is a start. This is a list of some good, *slower cha cha songs to dance to beyond Tito Puente's Oye Como Va. A good starting point which sounds similar to Oye Como Va is Ray Barretto's Cocinando Suave.
Here is the list of 20 solid, slower cha cha songs

1. Ndiabaane - Africando
2. Cha Cha # 3 - Bebo Valdes & His Orchestra
3. Me Lo Dijo Adela    Bobby Capo   
4. Sabor Sabor - Curtis Folks, Frank Reyes
5. Cafe - Eddie Palmieri   
6. Negro de Sociedad - Eduardo A. Lopez Boniatillo
7. Que Cosas Tendrán - El Gran Combo
8. Quitate Tu - Fania All-Stars   
9. Oriente - Henry Fiol   
10. Mi Negrita Me Espera - Ismael Rivera
11. Salchicha Con Huevos - Jimmy Sabater   
12. Wabble Cha - Joe Cuba Sextette   
13. Cha Cha Rene - Johnny Pacheco   
14. Ay! Que Frio - Ocho   
15. Mata Siguaraya - Oscar D'León   
16. Ahora Si - Ray Barretto
17. Quizas, Quizas - Ruben Gonzalez   
18. Escucha el Ritmo - Spanish Harlem Orchestra   
19. Cha-Con-Cha - Tito Puente   
20. Ven Vida Mia a Bailar- Tito Rodriguez