VivirLatino

As a Nuyorican, the sound of summer for me has always been not the oceans waves but rather salsa music. For me then the Spanish Harlem Orchestra’s new release, United We Swing, available May 15th, couldn’t come at a better time. These Grammy wining artists bring classic big band salsa via Spanish Harlem, NYC more commonly known as el barrio. United We Swing reminds me of when I was a child watching my mother get dressed up to go dancing at the Palladium or the old Copacabana where dancing, not drinking or picking up a date, was the main affair, and the musica was live not dj’ed. With good reasons, the musicians that make up the Spanish Harlem Orchestra have worked with the legends of salsa like Tito Puente, Hector Lavoe, and Celia Cruz.

One would think it not easy to follow on the success of their previous album, Across 110th Street, which won the Grammy for Best Salsa Album in 2004. With their third album, United We Swing, they have not only matched but surpassed expectations. En El Tiempo Del Palladium plays tribute to the golden age of Latin dance institutions through a son montuno.

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