Willie Rosario - Callejera

I admit. I do like my 'new' Salsa music, which includes 'alternative' gems such as Timba. For a hardcore dancer such as myself who dances different styles of Salsa with reasonable proficiency, different sounds allow me to do so much, and then some, during a dance. One can only develop musicality to a higher level by dancing to different sounds, not mechanical dancing to songs you're familiar with. 

My personal definition of musicality (non definite of course) - When you allow the music to move you, instead of the other way! This is not true with everyone of course. To quite a few, musicality is repetition. To each his or her own though, as there is no fixed formula, no 'right' or 'wrong'.

After an entire Sunday of Rueda Flashmobbing all round Kuala Lumpur to the groovy sounds of Timba and Cuban music, I spent the entire Marvelous Monday morning listening to old-skool Mambo, in particular a personal favorite, Willie Rosario. 

I think in the KL scene Maestro Willie Rosario is terribly underrated. How do I start by telling you about this man? With a career spanning more than 50 years (almost double the lifespan of some of you) which includes a host of award and recognition, including a Grammy Award and a place in the coveted Latin Music Hall Of Fame, he's got more albums than I have girlfriends. Let the internet reveal his secrets! Speak O' wise Wikipedia!

Discography:

• El Bravo Soy Yo! (1963)
• Fabuloso y Fantástico (1966)
• Latin Jazz a Go-Go-Go (1967)
• Two Too Much (1967)
• Haida Huo (1968)
• Boogaloo y Guaguancó (1968)
• El Bravo de Siempre (1969)
• De Donde Nace el Ritmo (1970)
• Más Ritmo (1972)
• Infinito (1973)
• Otra Vez (1975)
• Gracias Mundo (1977)
• From The Depth of My Brain (1978)
• El Rey del Ritmo! (1979)
• El de a 20 de Willie (1980)
• The Portrait of a Salsa Man (1981)
• Atízame el Fogón (1982)
• The Salsa Machine (1983)
• Nuevos Horizontes (1984)
• Afincando (1985)
• Nueva Cosecha (1986)
• A Man of Music (1987)
• The Salsa Legend (1988)
• Unique (1989)
• Viva Rosario! (1990)
• The Roaring Fifties (1991)
• Tradición Clásica (1993)
• ¡Sorpresas! (1995)
• Back To The Future (1999)
• La Banda Que Deleita (2006)

Holy crap.

You understand that choosing a song to showcase Senor Willie is no simple task. I love many of his life's work, but I'll do what must be done. 'Callejera', I choose you! Click on the YouTube link below to check out this song!

Willie Rosario - Callejera

If you folks have been following my humble postings, it might interest you to know that this considered as Salsa Dura, owing to the classic big-band nature of the song. No matter what you call it - this is old-skool Mambo at its best, guaranteed to get you on that floor and shaking that booty, regardless of how unpleasant a sight it might be.

Do you like old-skool? What are your opinions in the nu-skool/old skool debate? Would you shake it to Willie Rosario?

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