Cheo Feliciano - RIP

[Chazro]

One of the greatest Puerto Rican soneros/singers of all time died this morning in a car accident. I've been a fan since childhood (a long time) and I'm truly sad.

Descansa en paz maestro.

(BTW - there's some sloppy reporting that Jose Feliciano passed, it's wrong)

[Ron Thorne]

Since I wasn't hip to Cheo, I wanted to hear his voice in the context of a live performance. Wow!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ow_5qch4uE

R.I.P., Cheo Feliciano ~

[Chazro]

Wazzup Ron, yr musical curiosity is always refreshing! That clip you provided was good but that's how he sounded now. Truth be told, at this point, much like Frank Sinatra in the winter of his career, his voice was barely a shadow of what it was. In his prime that voice was SO special. He was an absolute killa when it came to the salsa/dance tunes but when he slowed it down is when his instrument truly sang! A beautifully sensuous velvet tone, perfect phrasing, always in tune. Had that old skool type of class as a performer, always a gentleman.

In 1971, after coming out of rehab for heroin addiction, he recorded his 1st solo record after recording hits with Joe Cuba and Eddie Palmieri. His bandmates donated their services and recorded a classic. Anacaona, the video shown before, is actually a tune from this album. The trick to listening to songs sung in other languages, is to simply listen to the vocals as if they're instruments playing solos. It's especially easy for jazz lovers accustomed to scat singing. I do it all the time when listening to Brazilian music. Here's one from that record, simply called 'Cheo', recorded in 1971.

'Mi Triste Problema' (My Sad Problem)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... MBOJ2GP1U4

[Pete C]

One of the great bolero singers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K25mh0agOEs

[Ron Thorne]

Cool clip, Pete. He knew how to work a room, too.

[Chazro]

Pete, I gotta thank you for that clip. I've been going thru a bit of a rough patch today and hearing that song, a song I grew up with (both Tito Rodriguez and Cheo's versions!) and heard a gazillion times was nothing short of therapeutic for me. Put a lump in my throat AND gave me goosebumps! It led me to other Salsa video's and I ended up smilin' and swingin'! Thank God for music!! Here's one, kinda raw, but very powerful. I've seen this band 4 times and they always deliver! Recorded at S.O.B.'s, one of my favorite joints to catch a band.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfXTHBC9 ... detailpage

WEPA!!!;)