newby here - interested in danzón music

[carvin5string]

Just found your site while searching for info on danzón music. I have a copy of the song Besemé Mucho by Banda Machos which is a beautiful danzón style. I am interested in finding more of this style music. Can you suggest any particular artists or groups I should look for?

[Bob]

Here are a few to get you started:

Orquesta Aragon "Danzónes de Ayer y Hoy" Volumes 1 and 2 (Discuba)

Cachao "Master Sessions" Volumes 1 and 2 (Sony/Crescent Moon) (not exclusively danzón, they include some great ones, and are beautifully performed and recorded)

Antonio Arcaño y sus Maravillas "Danzón Mambo 1944-51" (Tumbao Cuban Classics)

Orquesta Neno Gonzales "Danzones" (Salsa Center)

Orquesta Antonio Maria Romeu, "El Mago de Las Teclas, 1937-40" (Tumbao Cuban Classics)

Also check out our CDs "Danzonemos" and "Goza Conmigo".


for historical/educational interest:

"The Cuban Danzón - Before There Was Jazz, 1906-1929" (Arhoolie)

"The Cuban Danzón: Its Ancestors and Descendants" (Smithsonian Folkways)



for a jazz-influenced interpretation of the style:

Gonzalo Rubalcaba "Mi Gran Pasión" (Messidor -possibly out of print, it's hard to find but worth the effort)


This is just the tip of the iceberg; there are many more great recordings out there.

A good source for all these recordings is descarga.com.