Bobby Matos
Charanga Chango
Hard driving latin dance music, salsa, charanga, mambo, and son montuno
“ Within every Latin jazz band, lurks a dance band, a Charanga or Conjunto anxious to escape. Mambo, Salsa, and all the Afro Latin dance forms have been influenced by Jazz. Latin Jazz bands also play dance music. And the dancers always request more, constantly asking us to play and record more dance music. So our Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble transforms into “ LA CHARANGA CHANGO” . And this recording is for all of those dancers, and the dancer inside all of us.
With a little help from friends like Larry Harlow ( our very special guest artist), we recorded new songs and arrangements, remixed and re-mastered a few older tracks, re-presented two of most danceable tracks , and resurrected two rare collector’s items , “Kimbisia”, ( a dance track from the out of print CD “Footprints”), and “Return To Spanish Harlem”, (an extremely rare boogaloo single from 1969-70). So, let’s dance.”
-Bobby Matos, Los Angeles 2006
Latin: Charanga