The most soulful Salsa record you will ever hear, from the sweetest singer ever, good from start to finish… Venezuelan Salsa as good as it gets!

Here you hold in your hands a brilliant fragment of time in the career of a still under appreciated genius of the afro-caribbean piano. The time was 1969, the place Caracas, Venezuela. Ramon Epiphanio (“Ray”) Perez, recently returned from NY to reconstitute his hard hitting, trombone-led “salsa dura” group Los Dementes. “Salsa” was a brand-new term at that point to describe the new generation of urban Afro-Caribbean musicians’ versions of the dance genres of Guaracha, Mambo, Montuno, Guajira, Cha-cha, Dancehall Guaguanco and others. In fact, the massively popular radio host presenting Ray’s new group is rightly credited with popularizing the term for his listening public and soon the world: Phidias Danilo Escalona.

The deep and raspy voiced, bushy-moustached (thus “el Bigoton”) Phidias had begun spinning guarachas and montunos on the radio in the mid 50s. By 1966 his show on Radio Difusora Venezuela, sponsored by “Salsa Pampero” tomato sauce, became “La hora de la Salsa, el Sabor y el Bembé”. He was quick to recognize a local genius like Ray Perez, and played his songs on his show. At seventeen and upon his father’s death, Ray migrated from Oriente province to Caracas with his family right around the time of the fall of the Venezuelan strongman Marco Pérez Jimenez. Ray bought a guitar and started to play and compose, even making music while bored at his job at the Remington adding machine company: “I put the calculators on different operations, 99, 01, like that, and each one had a rhythm… I synchronized them to make music, they would go “takata takata tit tit tit…”
 

By the mid-‘60s, Ray’s tumbao could be heard in Caracas with his newly formed “Los Dementes”, which included the Quintero brothers on percussion and an excellent local sonero Pedro “Perucho” Torcat. Perucho, whose voice would in time be much appreciated throughout the Salsa world, had a his career cut short when he died tragically in an accident at Justo Betancourt’s house in Boston, 1972. He was only 28 years old.

Mention must be made of how punk rock it was to name a group “Los Dementes” in conservative Caracas in the mid-‘60s: indeed, for a while Ray’s group was forbidden to perform using the name. But perform they did, on radio and soon TV, recording four excellent LPs by 1969 and building a strong following. Meanwhile Ray had somehow also found time to record the brilliant avant-garde side projects “Los Calvos” (1&2) with Frank “el Pavo” Hernandez on drums and the jazzy sonero Calaven singing, and “Los Kenya” with folkloric percussion maestro Alberto Naranjo.

After this intensely productive period, Ray decamped to New York, the afro-latin music capital of the world, taking his smoky, bluesy piano stylings in his fingertips. There he met up with Johnny Pacheco and played with the hottest local talent, even sold a couple of his compositions to the likes of Pete “Boogaloo” Rodriguez. Upon his return in late 1969, he formed his Pyraphon label – the LP you hold in your hands is one of the label’s first productions.
 

Standouts on the LP include “Emae Emae”, with the deeply meditative piano montuno and sound advice: “Si quieres amigo mio llegar a viejo, no bonches todos los dias porque no es bueno, busca siempre de los ancianos un buen consejo, se sencillo Buena gente y sin complejos” (Friend of mine, if you want to live a long life, don’t party every day because it’s not good, always look for a good word from your elders, be simple, a good person, without complexes).

Also “Asi mueren los valientes” (How the Brave ones die), a quintessentially macho salsa trombone masterpiece: “Asi mueren los valientes, asi quiero morir yo, con un machete en la mano, peleando por un amor” (That’s how the brave ones die, that’s how I want to die, with a machete in hand, fighting for a love”). But is it macho? At various times in the song, Ray adds ad-libs which seem to question the wisdom of dying violently instead of living to fight another day. Ray, by the way, sings and plays piano on the entire LP.

Finally, perhaps the heaviest version of “El Alacran” (“Oye colega no te asombres cuando veas…”) that you will hear. This number, an Afro-Cuban standard known as “Tumba la Caña”, was the calling card of the carnaval Comparsa “El Alacran” led by Santos Ramirez, and associated with the Conservative party in Cuban politics. Ray turns this into a fierce, trombone-led dancehall number with a nice smoky piano solo in the middle.

Coda on Phidias – the esteemed Venezuelan periodista Alfredo Churion told me that upon his death in 1985, El Bigoton’s wife threw his entire massive, priceless record collection on the street in front of their apartment in Caracas. Churion was able to grab a few armfuls on his way home.

by Roberto Ernesto Gyemant
San Francisco, CA
August 2016

Joe Bataan is totally unique. Not only because of his inimitable voice but also because he is the inventor of the Salsoul genre and the only vocalist to have crossed the Sweet Soul, Latin, Disco and Rap genres with success every time. The ‘Latin Strut’ and ‘Rap-o-clap’ hits are known to most of you but how much do you know about his incredible life story? We had the great honor of interviewing one of our favorite artists of all time and are proud to share it with you today.

You had been learning music when you were in teenage jail at Coxsackie Correctional Facility. How were you introduced to music ? Did somebody put you on this track ?
Coxzackie reformatory was three years of my life. It gave me time to think and slow down my negative ways. I was determined to make something out of my life while I was locked up. I was not going to waste a minute feeling sorry for my situation. I attacked every form of learning that was available at this prison. I received my regent and h s diploma at 16 and was very proud of my accomplishments. I attacked music in the same way under the tutelage of Mark Francis, a music teacher. It was under him that I realised my dream to become an musician. He was a tough instructor but I was determined nevertheless!

Before that, what was your link, connexion, with music ? Did you listen to music at home through your parents ?
I always listened to the radio at home and was attached to certain programs that played the current hits of the day. I would buy hit parade mag and follow songs on the air and sing along tunes as they played on radio. This was a great influence early growing up listening to pop music like Nat King Cole, Patty Page, Frank Sinatra and Doris Day. Later on, we discovered Alan Freed and other R&B stations that were playing different sounds of music that intrigued our generation , R&B and rock n’ roll. Through these sounds, I developed my sound: « Latin Soul ». We took a little from all the artists of the past and rearranged their styles to fit our own. Smokey (Robinson) was the first major influence as was Judy Garland and The Heartbeats and Nat King Cole and George Gershwin. I discovered my style through Latin and R&B music at a time when the boogaloo was emerging in NYC. My ear training in hallways helped me to vocalise a style all of my own. I’m the neighbourhood street singer that everyone can identify with. This is unique because everyone wants to sing at one time or another! I had to go and get what I wanted nothing was given to me. It was this aggression that made what I am today. A person that was ahead of the curve but never wealthy lol.

You were a teenager during the fifties. It was the time of doo-wop… Who were your favourite ones? What did you like in this music?
Doo-wop was before R&B and connected the music in a more up to date fashion. Different voices were now more prevalent; female groups and bands etc. Pop was always around but more mainstream. Smokey used cha-cha rhythms and didn’t know he was opening doors to Latin Soul. His lyrics were an inspiration to my music-writing. We all took a little from many artist to develop our styles. My styles were to keep other artists from copying. My use of modulations – breaking from the form of standard AAbA TO AbAcA, changing my songs in mid-stream from ballads to up tempo mambo and cha-cha – was unique. Nevertheless this is how Joe Bataan competed in a world of reknowned artists.

Your style…
My boogaloo was different because I tried to tell stories with my lyrics as opposed to using just chants to excite the audience. In the long run this enabled me to last as long as I have. ‘Younger than the Sun, and older than yesterday’ !

Do you believe doo-wop was sort of a missing link between R&B and pop?
Doo wop preceded R&B and was the root. The music was separated through economics and availability of airplay. Pop dominated the radio stations and doo wop was searching for national air waves. R&B spread like a virus… and finally opened the doors to the world with a fresh sound that the masse listened to.

You came with a similar kind of mix, including Latin music ? How did you come to that?
I mixed my music by what I was exposed to at an early age. Growing up listening to ‘Crusing Down The River’, Day by Day, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Hi Lows, and later on The Flamingos, The Heartbeats, then Frankie Lymon and Smokey Robinson – without forgetting show tunes from South Pacific, Annie Get Your Gun, Showboat – and then Tito Rodriguez, Tite Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Joe Cuba and many more. I was a romantic growing up wanting to fall in love and be happy and successful. But the one ingredient that was missing was the guidance of the Lord. But I was rear up spiritually. Nothing would have been possible in my life until I found the connection. Having lived in darkness most of my early life I came to realize something was missing. This is the only reason I am still performing at this stage of my life with added vigour, with a message I want to share. Joe Bataan almost died 20 years ago and the Lord revived me and has allowed me to bring his message to the world.

What is the particularity of boogaloo, the first music you played?
Boogaloo is a name given to a form of music that I am connected with called « latin soul ». In my lifetime, I created the name « salsoul » as a mix of latin and soul dance music around the world. I also introduced rap music in Europe through Salsoul and RCA records with ‘Rap –O Clap-O’ in 1979. Boogaloo has been known through many different names. Latin/soul/acid rock, salsoul/boogaloo etc. The feature film documentary called “We like it like that”, directed by Mathew Warren, which I am featured in was at SXSW in March and will premiere in NY in Summer (date and place to be announced soon!) will finally tell the true story of the « boogaloo » and we hope to bring it to Europe. The formula of Boogaloo was, early on, English lyrics set to a cha-cha beat. Smokey’s early songs were in this vain but perhaps he didn’t know!

Who were the most influential musicians in the Latin World? Musicians from Fania?
The early musicians on Fania were Johnny Pacheco, Willie Colon, Bobby Valentine and myself. so it wasn’t so much the influence of Fania Records, it was more Tico, Ansonia, Decca records artists that influenced me. Such great artists as Tito Rodriguez, Tite Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Joe Cuba, Cal Tjader, Randy Carlos, etc.

Did you go to the Apollo Harlem ?
I did go to shows on the weekends and Wednesdays on famous amateur nights. Some of the greatest talents were on stage on Wednesdays.

You became more famous with a great cover of The Impressions, ‘Gypsy Woman’ released on Fania. We love the “Singin’ Some Soul” LP. Who were your main influences in Soul music?
As I said before, Frankie Lymon, The Heartbeats, The Flamingos, The Shirelles, Bobby Freeman, The Moonglows, The Orioles…

We have always loved the Latin Soul genre and consider you as one of the godfathers of that style. Looking back on it was it something that you reflected on or was it something that came to you naturally, through encounters?
Latin/soul came to me naturally but was influenced by my environment and airplay at an early age. « MY QUOTE””’STREETOLOGY », my sixth sense or mother wit lol.

You founded Ghetto Records. What impact did the label have back then? We struggle to find the original records, why is that?
Ghetto records is another chapter in my life. I was funded by negative elements that interfered with my music plan for a latin/soul Motown Records label. Economics took us over by storm and I was forced to drop this project after a small success. This label was a threat to all the record labels of that era because I was a musician stepping into another music world that was considered taboo for guys like me lol.

After that, you participated in the creation of Salsoul Records in the late seventies. You collaborated with them up until the early eighties. What were the differences (production, audience…) with the previous 60s Fania period?
I left Fania because I had no real creative freedom there and I wanted to do my own things. I knew exactly where I wanted to go, what to sing, how to arrange it, what to put on the cover etc. I didn’t need anybody. At Fania I was directly dealing with Jerry Masucci, the boss, but the label wouldn’t back me up and I had very little room to manoeuvre so I decided to try my luck elsewhere and started a new label. I contacted the Cayre Brothers who had just started Mericana Records. That was around 1972. I had read an article about this new label. I explained to them what I wanted to do, mixing different styles, Latin and soul. They were interested but couldn’t understand why I would leave Fania to come to them. And they didn’t know much about Latin music. But they decided to take a chance and give me a small budget to do the album. I called the album ‘Salsoul’. It turned out to sell very well so the Cayre Brothers were pretty pleased with the outcome. So we decided to start a new label called Salsoul which I would A&R. That was the start of it. I had a lot more freedom and we had more budget so it was great, and the label became hugely successful during the disco era

During the disco years, as you said before, you had a hit with ‘Rap-O-Clap-O’! Is this your best seller? Do you still enjoy this tune now?
Yes, I always kept my ears open to what was happening in the streets and I’d see these kids in a party. That was around 1978. They would clap their hands and stomp their feet to the sound of DJ’s spinning records and other guys rapping. So I thought « Let’s Do Something ». I talked to two of the rappers – Dr. Jekyll & Mr Hyde (who would later record Genius Rap) and booked the RCA studio and got some musicians in. But Jekyll & Hyde blew up the date. They thought I was probably joking so they never showed up. I had booked the session and all the backing musicians and there was no way out so I decided to rap myself. But it turned out to be a huge success after DJs like Larry Levan at the Paradise Garage got behind it. Especially in Europe where it was one of the first rap records to cross the Atlantic.

You decided to stop after “Bataan II”. What happened?
I was involved in all kinds of activities, a lot of social and community activities, sports, etc and had a family to look after so I had less time for music.

You worked as a youth counsellor in one of the reformatories you had spent time in during your youth. Did you transmit to them your approach of music, all your experience? And did you find in young guys some brand new Joe Bataan?
Yes it was a great experience and there were some amazing kids in there. Of course I told them about my experience and always played music to them. The place was constantly filled with MUSIC. I never had any problems with any of the kids there. They respected me. I didn’t really seriously train them simply because it was forbidden to keep in touch with them once they had left the reformatory.

After a long retirement, you released a record in 2004 for Vampisoul. Everybody said the boss is back… Why did you accept to go back on a mic? What was your message?
It happened pretty simply. I was performing at the SOB club in New York and the musician and producer Daniel Collas came to me and introduced himself. He wanted to know if I would like to come and sing on one of his sessions. I thought why not? This led to the album which became “Call My Name” which Vampisoul licensed and released. We made a deal pretty quickly with them as they were fans.

When you go back to your discography, which album would you take to a desert island?
It’s very subjective and I realised with experience and traveling in many countries that everybody have their own favourite, depending on which I’m very pleased with. It’s a great feeling to know my music still touches people. BUT on a personal level, I’m very fond of the album “Singin’ Some Soul” on Fania. It was a great album and I was backed by superb musicians like Bernard Purdie, Cornell Dupree and none others than Doo Wop stars The Imperials on vocals. The funny anecdote is I fell asleep during the session and missed it so I only put my vocals after the battle, once they had finished the job!
 

On Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/joe.bataan