TRACKLIST
Las Caleñas Son Como Las Flores
Estoy Soda
Ins Rock
Infierno En La Isla
Quiero Salsa Na'Ma
La Finquita
Enyere Kumbara
Ave Maria Que Rumbon
Que Es Lo Tuyo
Almendra
Los Chismes
DESCRIPTION
Julián y su Combo was founded in 1962 by left-handed guitarist Julián Angulo Ponce, who was originally from Guapi, Cauca, Colombia and made his name in Cali and Buenaventura, signing initially with Bogotá’s Sello Vergara in 1966. During a 20-year period Julián y su Combo released eight records (with several band name variations). Angulo was part of the first generation of artists from the Colombian Pacific who migrated to Bogotá in the 1970s, and his combo enjoyed popularity in his adopted city as well as in Medellín and Mexico. The band also travelled to Venezuela and the US. Angulo described his sound as “Afroantillano”, combining Cuban, New York Latin and Puerto Rican elements with Colombia’s own tropical traditions. The combo’s arrangements were distinguished by the bandleader’s funky, jazzy electric guitar work (Angulo played without changing the order of the strings), a hot rhythm section and the potent brass line-up of two saxophones and a trumpet (much like Cortijo y su Combo).“Noche de fiesta” (1975) was the first of two albums Angulo cut for the Medellín-based INS label (Industria Nacional del Sonido Ltda), and the record was distinguished by having the great Peruvian bandleader and composer Alfredo Linares guesting on piano. Linares also shared the arranging duties with the combo’s trumpet player Carlos Rivas. At that time Alfredo Linares was musical director at INS and this album bears his influence in the funky ‘mambo rock’ sections (breaks and handclaps galore!) and hot Cuban and Latin jazz piano styles that also graced his own records. The lead vocals were equally split by Julian’s long-time singer José Arboleda and the band’s drummer “Guapachá” (guest artist Clelia Ramírez joined the band on coro). “Noche de fiesta” is sought after by collectors and DJs the world over not only for its hard salsa and instrumental “descarga” (jam) tracks but also because of the funky dancefloor cuts ‘Enyere Kumbara’ (covered by Quantic), ‘INS-Rock’ and ‘Estoy soda’ as well as the excellent original version of ‘Las caleñas son como las flores’ (made famous later the same year by The Latin Brothers).Pablo Iglesias aka DJ Bongohead