Antecedente by Ruben Blades (CD, Sep-1988, Elektra)

Album Features
UPC:	075596079525
Artist:	Ruben Blades
Format:	CD
Release Year:	1988
Record Label:	Elektra
Genre:	International, Salsa

Track Listing
1. Women's Name
2. Caledonia Nights
3. You're Hot
4. Our Farewell
5. Tide, The
6. Born From You
7. Contraband - (Spanish)
8. Herrera Plaza
9. Motherland

Details
Playing Time:	39 min.
Contributing Artists:	Ralph Irizarry, Tito Allen
Producer:	Ruben Blades
Distributor:	WEA (Distributor)
Recording Type:	Studio
Recording Mode:	Stereo
SPAR Code:	AAD

Album Notes
Personnel: Ruben Blades (vocals, maracas); Oscar Hernandez (piano, synthesizer); Mike Vinas (synthesizer, bass); "Papo" Vasquez, Renaldo Jorge (trombone); Marc Quinones (bongos, campana, guiro, tumbadora); Ralph Irizarry (timbales, percussion); Tito Allen, Nestor Sanchez (background vocals).Recorded at Sound Ideas, New York, New York from October-December 1987.Instantly upbeat and crackling with energy, ANTECEDENTE sees a further crystallization of Ruben Blades' reinvention of salsa as a format for the barrio narrative. The material lies for the most part in a realm of romance and nostalgia, and unlike other albums with Seis Del Solar, the keyboards have been set down and the horns picked back up for a more straight-ahead salsa feel."La Marea" and "Juana Mayo" are thick cuts of hard salsa, the latter a darkly poetic depiction of a prostitute's endless and anonymous nightwalking. "'Tas Caliente" goes on a joyride full of piquant rhythmic breaks as Ruben admonishes a muchacho to change his low-life ways "or one of these days you're gonna get it." "Patria" steals the show here though, with its simple, slowly swelling Afro-Cuban rhythmic accompaniment and arresting ode to the "Motherland." Far from any jingoistic chest-pounding, Ruben offers a sunny, open vision of the word as he heartily proclaims, "...little brother, Motherland is so many beautiful things!"