Just recently discovered this great track.. I'm honestly not too familiar with Santa Esmeralda's output aside from their first LP "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" (1977, Casablanca) and "Sevilla Nights," but this is one excellent piece of latin-inspired disco. Some hot drum breaks on this track with some wonderful Costandinos-esque passages (check out those horns at 4.45). Apparently this also made the top 10 of the dance chart in 1979, so something of a follow-up hit for them as well. Ironically some of the "latin disco" acts I've come across lately (Santa Esmeralda and Two Man Sound particularly) seem to be produced largely by either non-Spanish/Spanish-speaking or non-Brazilian producers. It probably clouds their authenticity a bit, but this song certainly gives a few more points in Santa Esmeralda's favour. This version that I posted is only 6.56, but there is a fourteen minute suite out there that I'll hopefully get my hands on one of these days..
LINKS:
SANTA ESMERALDA - ANOTHER CHA-CHA LP @ DISCOGS
SANTA ESMERALDA - ANOTHER CHA-CHA LP (REVIEW) @ ALLMUSIC.COM
CATEGORIES: MINI DELIVERIES
9 comments:
Hmm...was this the same "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" the Latin Rascals recorded in 1989?
I haven't heard the Latin Rascals' version yet, but I looked up the credits, and it's the same writers on both, so it must be..
LOL yes I was actually debating whether I should post the Usha Uthup song.. Someone sent me a few mp3s of her songs a while back. I saw her on TV shortly after and I was hooked..
If she has a Greatest Hits CD or something, I'd love to find it!
I didn't know "..Misunderstood" was originally by Nina Simone, Thanks for pointing that out!
In 1979, my dance partner "Disco Eve" and I won third place in a dance contest at a bar called Big Daddy's. The final song was "Another Cha Cha". True Story!
And yes, I was "Disco Joe". True Story!
Disco Joe and Disco Eve.. lol, that's cute! I imagine the venue - Big Daddy's was probably not as cute ;)
Hey now, cut Joe some slack there.. It was the height of the disco craze after all. :)
As far as Two Man Sound goes, "Que Tal America," is the only thing I've heard by them so far. It's a pretty good track, sounds like I oughta check out some of their other stuff..
lol.. It's hard to believe there were "disco dancing championships" once.. I know I'd also find them cheesy and amusing at the same time :) I'd like to see some of these one day..
Thanks for the tip jeem.. That LP sounds like a gem!!
Offer Nissim is doing a new remix of Another Cha Cha for santa esmerelda :)
Thanks for the heads-up jimiphil! :)
I have to hear this sometime..
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