MP3 Funqueros - LATIN: Latin Soul

One of a class of persons displaying the qualities of both a funkster and a salsero.

10 MP3 Songs
LATIN: Latin Soul, URBAN/R&B: Disco (R&B)



Details:
....Roll back to fall, 1998.
SPELLBOUND was putting the finishing touches on our new album, "Funqueros", a disc which Bobby moon & I, (SPELLBOUND's founding songwriters/performers) had struggled for well over a year to finish - recording and mixing as money permitted. the plan was to put it out a small quantity of the disc on our own, then squeeze it into local stores and onto any radio stations we could. the rest would be sold at shows or used for promotion. We were no strangers to this approach, and had been moderately successful with our previous, self-titled CD in 1996, so off we wentâ¦â¦.Not quite! Like cosmic messengers, in came a few exceptional spirits to change our destiny, and their word was thus: âHave patience my sons, and your CD will be done right-with cool packaging, primo distribution, and the works.â Knowing the staggering amount of work we faced in doing it all ourselves again, we gratefully accepted the offer and got down to the nitty gritty stuff â which brings us toâ¦
â¦Now.
SPELLBOUNDâs âFunquerosâ has finally made it to you, and weâve survivedâ¦basic tracks and percussion in the summer heatâ¦tedious vocal sessionsâ¦horns, then more hornsâ¦revolving saxophonesâ¦colds & herbal remediesâ¦subtracted songs/added songsâ¦rapido guitar sessionsâ¦spiritual crisisâ¦too much coffee/not enough coffeeâ¦shoestring budgetsâ¦bruised egos & trips...musicians with attitudesâ¦chemical-induced lunacyâ¦band mutinyâ¦salsa dance lessonsâ¦equipment glitchesâ¦paranoiaâ¦impossible punch-insâ¦Valley flakesâ¦and far too many tapes! (Did I mention a whole lot of fun, too?!!)
â¦Of the songs that made the final cut on this CD, the opener, Tune You Up hits you straight off with the Funk â âI was listening to a lot of Sly & Parliament at the time,â Bobby Moon recalls. âWe had performed this one live a few times already, and the audience response was always positive.â Siente (Spanish for âfeelâ) is the next track off the album, tempering the Funk with Latin overtones, and debuts our sultry Peruvian vocalist Charo Salinas. The Crown features L.A.âs Sonora. Bobby says of the words âthe lyrics are about achievement - âgot to work to do my very best/ to win the prize/ to get the crown.â Sonora heard it, loved it, and asked me if she could sing it. Johnny Malone came up with his vocal hook for the outro on the 11th hour â literally â while we were mixing the tune; so we added his vocal & the song really clicked, for me anyway.â Sonoraâs up again on Iâve Got This to Say, with her sweet vocals over hard swinging Funk. Bobby stretches out for the next track, El Tropico writing the lyrics and singing in Spanish for the first time. The song is basically a happy, lyrical tribute to tropical music & dance styles we like â Guajira, Guaguanco, La Rumba, Son-Montuno. Salsa maestro (and padrino) Johnny Polanco is featured here playing the distinctive and beautiful tres â a guitar-like instrument prominent in Cuban music. World Alive was actually written over a year ago, and in ensuing live performances has always received an enthusiastic response, for reasons not totally understood by us. At this point we wouldnât dare leave it off the disc, so here it is. After that, we go into a special style of music which I affectionately refer to as âaccidental rumba.â Itâs Ay, Que Rico Es! With English lyrics, a Spanish chorus, and me playing acoustic guitar. Go on, sing along â youâll feel better! The Spanish sabor continues, as I switch to keyboards on Just in Time with Charo doing harmonies. She recalls: âThis was my first time singing in English, and I was really nervous, but it turned out to be a pretty easy part, and everyone was very supportive. âDuring the middle of the tune thatâs me playing Matthewâs classic old Fender Rhodes piano, and the outro features a smokinâ Johnny Polanco tres solo. Timeâs Up is a slow-burning groover that finds us back in funk territory. âPaulâs guitar solo is so funky on this song, it reminds me of the great Albert Kingâ, says Bobby who is playing the funky organ on this track. We leave you with a final dose of pure psychedelic funk. Itâs our instrumental, Keep Doinâ Your Own Thing â which is what I bid you until next timeâ¦Paul Thomas, SPELLBOUND, 1999