Even the most biased salsa fan will admit that the studio recordings by the Fania All Stars were hit-and-miss affairs. There was greatness in many of them, of course, but there were also dubious experiments in mainstream crossover-- strange pastiches of Latin, disco and funk.
The album that you hold in your hands, on the other hand, makes a resounding artistic statement from beginning to end. Released in 1984, Lo Que Pide La Gente belongs to that specific moment in time when the Fania label was already past the apex of the '70s salsa movement, but still releasing great albums by the likes of Héctor Lavoé, Celia Cruz and La Sonora Ponceña.
Cruz, Lavoé and the swinging piano of La Ponceña's Papo Lucca are at the core of what makes this album transcend. Other illustrious participants include Johnny Pacheco as musical director and principal songwriter; star vocalists such as Adalberto Santiago, Ismael Quintana and Pete "El Conde" Rodríguez; and a rock-solid percussion section featuring Roberto Roena on bongo, Nicky Marrero on timbales and Milton Cardona and Eddie Montalvo on congas.
Lo Que Pide La Gente is remembered mostly as the album that includes the best Héctor Lavoé song that cannot be found on any of the late singer's solo releases: written by Johnny Pacheco and boasting the Dominican bandleader's trademark sense of humor, "El Rey De La Puntualidad" ("The King of Punctuality") is a classic gem that tackles head on the subject of Lavoé's irresponsible behavior.
The closest to a rock'n'roll star that salsa ever knew, the mercurial Lavoé was known for being late to many of his appointments-- particularly his concert engagements. Pacheco gives a humorous spin to the singer's weakness. Héctor just runs with it.
The resulting song includes choice nuggets of Lavoé wisdom such as: Yo no soy quien llega tarde/Ustedes llegan muy temprano ("It's not me who's late/All of you came too early") and Ustedes me critican con eso de llegar tarde/Pero mi gente se da cuenta que yo llego con bonito maquillaje ("You criticize me for being late/But my people realize I arrive wearing some nice makeup").
Lavoé's tardiness was due to his reckless personal life and the debilitating drug addiction that ended up causing his demise. The fact that he was gentlemanly enough to poke fun at his own faults and record such an endearing song, speaks volumes about his qualities as a human being. Lavoé would have wanted all of us to remember him with a smile. "El Rey De La Puntualidad" allows us to do just that.
Lo Que Pide La Gente is also brightened by the vocal contribution of a spirited Celia Cruz. In 1984, Celia was still the ultimate diva of the Fania empire. Her stellar collaborations with Pacheco, Lucca, Willie Colón, and Ray Barretto maintained her at the top of the game. Listening to this record, you feel a tremendous jolt of positive energy whenever her voice is heard.
Celia's participation is particularly noteworthy during Pacheco's seven minute-long "Usando El Coco," a comedic descarga that recalls the legendary "Quítate Tú," as some of Fania's biggest soneros take turns displaying their vocal bravado. Celia belting out the boast Cuando yo empecé a cantar/Ustedes estaban gateando, toditos ("When I began singing/You were still crawling, all of you") is one of the many memorable moments to be found on this classic album.
Credits
Papo Lucca - Piano
José Gazmey - Bass
Eddie Montalvo – Congas
Milton Cardona – Congas
Nicky Marrero – Timbales
Roberto Roena – Bongo
Juancito Torres – Trumpet
Tony Barrero – Trumpet
Héctor “Bomberito” Zarzuela - Trumpet
Reinaldo Jorge – Trombone
Leopoldo Pineda – Trombone
Lewis Kahn – Trombone
Héctor Casanova – Maracas
Producer – Johnny Pacheco
Executive Producer – Jerry Masucci
Recorded at – La Tierra Sound Studios, New York
Engineer – Irv Greenbaun
Original Album Art Direction and Illustration – Rickey R. Gaskins
Written by Ernesto Lechner
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