El Cantante

I know I haven't posted in awhile. I moved and that was hellish but successful. Then I had to reconnect equipment, settle debts, and unpack. I've been a little busy but I'm back now and I felt it was high time I added some authentic latin flavor to my blog and in my opinion the only person that can do that is the one and only Hector Lavoe. Now of course the only song of his I could possibly share with you is the one that made me a huge fan of the man and of salsa in general and that is "El Cantante". For those that know this classic know how brilliant it is and for those that have never heard this song, well you are in for a wonderful treat. Trust me.

Where do I begin about this song? That was the biggest question confronting me about this entry for Hector and the answer hit me like a brick dropped on my head. THE VOICE! When you listen to Hector sing and how his voice just sounds like silk in any octave. You realize one thing really quickly and that was this man was born to sing much the same way Marvin Gaye was. Silky smooth voices that could handle anything you threw at them make and sound amazing doing it and just like Marvin had his seminal classic "Mercy Mercy Me", Hector had "El Cantante"

Those that know me know I have no grasp of the spanish dialect so I am really not up on every song Hector is saying but to me that doesn't matter. It's beautiful to listen to from the piano to the stings that add a serious dramatic effect to the trombones and the percussion, they all combine to make this one amazing piece of music. However, the song is basically an entertainer telling his fans that while I sing and dance for you and bring you joy, I have feelings too and I am human just like you but you don't want to know that about me, you just want me to sing. It's a serious sentiment sung in such a magnificent voice over such divine music that it's hard to stop listening to. At least it was for me and it brings me back to a time in my life where I danced all night with good friends. I will always love this song and hopefully you will grow to love it too.