La Voz

by Hector Lavoe

Overview

The title of this album surely says it all. Anyone unfamiliar with this "Cantante de los Cantantes" will be left spellbound with the melted-butter quality of his voice. In the first track, "En Todopoderoso," within his first verse Hector Lavoe sets himself far apart from all contemporaries by virtue of his angelic timbre, only to later outdo himself as he effortlessly soars over the coro. La Voz being Lavoe's first of nine solo records for the Fania label, he turned to labelmate and longtime collaborator Willie Colon to produce and arrange. From the graceful, sophisticated horn intro on "En Todopoderoso" to the blazing mambo section in "Paraiso de Dulzura," Colon's mark as arranger is indelible. Unlike fellow Fania artists like Ruben Blades and Colon (both of whom sing coro on this album), Lavoe keeps this record quite vocal-centric, omitting the fiery horn or percussion solos and long dance sections that became so characteristic of the genre. Though these elements are missed, Lavoe certainly keeps interest. In the final track, "Mi Gente," asserts himself as a master sonero. His own improvisational abilities went a long way to establishing his reputation in the first place, and he does not shy away from using them on this project. The experience created by La Voz is a warmth and refinement only achievable by the combination of two factors. The Fania label in its prime, and perhaps New York salsa's most distinctive voice to date. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez

Product Details

Release Date:	06/23/2023
Label:	Concord / Craft Recordings
UPC:	0888072503397
Rank:	25354

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Hector Lavoe   Primary Artist,Choir/Chorus
Ruben Blades   Guest Artist,Choir/Chorus
Willie Colon   Guest Artist,Choir/Chorus
Jose Mangual Jr.   Bongos
Milton Cardona   Congas
Mark Dimond   Piano
Tom "Bones" Malone   Trombone
Hector "Bomberito" Zarzuela   Trumpet
Nicky Marrero   Timbales
Willie Garcia   Choir/Chorus
Jose Rodriguez   Trombone
Eddie "Gua Gua" Rivera   Bass
Ray Maldonado   Soloist,Trumpet

Technical Credits

Bob Katz   Mastering
Jon Fausty   Engineer
Virgilio Gonzalez   Composer
Roberto Garcia   Composer
Johnny Pacheco   Composer
Orlando Brito   Composer
Hector Lavoe   Composer
Lee Marshall   Cover Photo
Willie Colon   Arranger,Composer,Producer
Louie Ramirez   Arranger
Jose Febles   Arranger
Mario Cavagnaro   Composer
Jose L. Delgado   Composer
Jose Luis Delgado   Composer
John Child   Liner Notes
Jose Luis Delgado Perez   Composer
Mario Cavgnaro   Composer