Willie Colon and Hector Lavoe: Salsa's Original Gangsters

Source by Angel Diaz

 

Willie Colon and Hector Lavoe were very instrumental in Salsa's success during the late '60s and throughout the '70s and '80s. Under the banner of Fania Records, this duo pushed the boundaries of traditional Salsa, and, in turn, became worldwide superstars, touring Central and South America, and cities all across the Eastern Hemisphere, most notably, Paris.

To get a grasp of just how big these guys were, consider this: The Fania All-Stars shut down Yankee Stadium in 1973. The damage the stadium sustained during the show, caused by those in attendance dancing the night away, put Bronx Bombers' last month of home games in jeopardy. It was an electric time in New York City. Willie's revolutionary trombone-backed production shifted Salsa's mambo and boogaloo (Latin R&B) to a more street-oriented sound, with lyrics that reflected the harsh realities many artists skirted around. With the help of Hector's beautiful voice, the duo were able to have commercial success and still stay street.

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Ruben Blades sings "Juan Pachanga" 1978: VIDEO

This video take us back to 1978. Ruben Blades and the Fania All-Stars are in full swing with the salsa explosion. Juan Pachanga is a song with similar narrative ideas to Pedro Navaja however the storyline doesn't compare or is similar. Its a song based on a totally different person. 

Appearance by Papo Lucca, Willie Colon and Pupi Legarreta.

Juan Pachanga (Ruben Blades)

Juanito Alimaña vs. Pedro Navaja

                          
                Can you imagine this? It’s a match between two criminals, two tales written by two iconic salsa giants Hector Lavoe and Rubén Blades. Each song portrays the lifestyle of the urban Latino American experience and who would have thought that these songs were going to be part of the salsa explosion of Fania records. Well, the songs Juanito Alimaña and Pedro Navaja are classics now and the lyrics to both songs are well worthy enough of be craved in stone.


Coming straight from a New York City street corner, we have Juanito Alimaña that tells the story of a street thug that is irreconcilable with society. He is vicious and dangerous; his cousin is a police officer, which makes it seem that he can get away with any crime. Hector Lavoe depicts Juanito’s world as sordid and exquisite but the song keep us engage as if you was watching Carlito’s Way.

Juanito Alimaña (Hector Lavoe)

From the street corner of lower Manhattan, it’s known that the track Pedro Navaja was dislike by Fania bosses Johnny Pacheco and Jerry Mascucci. However, when Willie Colón and Rubén Blades’ second collaboration album, Siembra hit the record stores in 1978. The song Pedro Navaja became famous and a hit classic. Blades wrote and narrated Pedro Navaja with a tale illustrating life, death and with an unexpected dark ending. We have to ask ourselves, was there anything between Pedro Navaja and the prostitute. Did he already have a grudge? And where did the drunk come from?

Pedro Navaja (Rubén Blades)

What’s your opinion? Which one is the best song of all-time? 

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Why did Ruben Blades wrote the song "Pedro Navaja"?

Rubén Blades was inspired to write Pedro Navaja when he first heard the medley of The Threepenny Opera song. He felt the haunting story and medley of the characters in the opera and fell in love with it. Later in his life, he heard the song Mack the Knife. The first singer to record Mack the Knife was Bobby Darin and later Louis Armstrong performed the song. In parties, Blades was asked to sing the Mack the Knife song, which tells the story of a panderer's life and his presumed death. Rubén Blades was shy in singing the song but he loved it since his early youthful days.  The song stuck with him for the remainder of his life, which later influence him and Willie Colon to produce a 1978 collaboration album titled Siembra. The album introduced us to songs like Plástico, Buscando Guayaba and the hit classic Pedro Navaja.

Mack the Knife (Bobby Darin)

Mack the Knife (Louis Armstrong)

Fania music continues to live strong in PERU: Video en ESPANOL

Certain genre of music die out and disappear but the music of Fania Records maintain it's legacy in Peru.

(1980) Fania All Stars con Rubén Blades - Pedro Navaja (Colombia)

Pedro Navaja in Colombia with Fania All-Star
(1980) Fania All Stars con Rubén Blades - Pedro Navaja (Colombia) from Fernando Catano on Vimeo.