Exitos de Chivirico Davila con la Orquesta de Joe Cotto

Released by International Records / Salsa-International
CD3M7

Recorded in 1960s?
Re-issued 1995?

Available at Descarga, Passiondiscs and for the moment Amazon.co.uk

1. Cuando Yo Muerra 3:39 (C. Davila) (arr. Javier Vazquez) [Guaguanco]
2. Silencio 3:26 (D.R.) (arr. Louie Ramirez) [Guaguanco]
3. Soy Borincano 3:15 (R. Marrero) (arr. Joe Cain) [Guaracha Guaguanco]
4. Traigo Mi Guaguanco 3:27 (C. Davila) (arr. Javier Vazquez) [Guaguanco]
5. Tremendo Jala Jala 3:22 (C. Davila) (arr. Louie Ramirez) [Ritmo Jala Jala]
6. Chivirico’s Descarga 5:43 (Joe Cotto, C. Davila) (arr. J. Vazquez, L. Ramirez, J. Cain)
7. Mira Ese Pollo 1:53 (C. Davila) (arr. Joe Cotto) [Plena Bomba]
8. La Casa Del Jabonero 3:21 (C. Davila) (arr. Joe Cain) [Plena Bomba]
9. Pollero Gavilan 3:25 (C. Davila) (arr. Louie Ramirez) [Guaguanco]
10. Preferi Perdete 2:58 (J. Jimenez) (arr. Javier Vazquez) [Bolero]
11. Ven Guajira 3:01 (D.R.) (arr. Javier Vazquez) [Guajira]
12. Asi Es Mi Mona 2:39 (D.R.) (arr. Louie Ramirez) [Bomba]

This is a difficult album to figure out source material etc because liner notes provided with the CD gives little hint. Who is Joe Cotto? I have no idea. The title of the album seems to indicate that these songs were recorded with Joe Cotto's band with Chivirico Davila as the lead singer. Chivirico obvious did more than just sing - he is credited as the author of 8 of 12 songs in this compilation. The people who did the arrangement of the songs are fairly well known within the Latin music community - Javier Vazquez, Louie Ramirez and Joe Cain. Did they have any additional role? No idea although it's possible that Vazquez was on the piano and Ramirez on timbales as they have done in other Chivirico album(s). When were the recordings made? The best guess is that these are from the 1960's before Chivirico Davila was signed by the Fania label.

For Salsa dancers, the songs of interest are of the Guaguanco style in particular Silencio and Traigo Mi Guanguanco. Also of interest is Ven Guajira, which can be danced as Cha Cha.