蜜芽传媒

In this episode, Huey stays in New York to explore the legacy of Fania Records. Fania was the home to the biggest names in salsa, we鈥檙e talking Willie Colon, Celia Cruz, Eric Gale, Ray Barretto, Ralfi Pagan, Bobby Valent铆n, Rub茅n Blades, H茅ctor Lavoe, and, Ismael Miranda. Formed by bandleader Johnny Pacheco, alongside former New York cop Jerry Massucci, Fania had humble origins, with the two men selling records out the back of their cars. The label rapidly grew and became known as the Motown of latin music. The label was so successful that the Fania All-Stars would regularly play huge venues like Madison Square Garden, and famously Yankee Stadium.

Huey delves into Fania鈥檚 huge back catalog to tell the story of the label, and also explores the legacy of Fania鈥檚 rival, Salsoul. Formed when Fania was totally dominant, Salsoul followed the label鈥檚 blueprint by creating a house band stacked with talent, The Salsoul Orchestra. Salsoul, as the name suggests, initially combined soul music with salsa, and released records by the likes of Joe Bataan. Salsoul went on to ride the wave of disco, but always kept it鈥檚 latin DNA.