VIII Chimpún Callao Salsa Festival
20-21 of August, 2004

By
Translated By
with thanks for the photos to the
Municipalidad del Callao.

Versión en español aquí

Salsa maestra in Perú

Seldom do we have the opportunity to see so many of the great salsa stars together in one place. Raphy Leavitt and La Selecta, Ray Barreto and Tito Allen, Richie Ray and Bobby Cruz, Lucho Cueto and Las Estrellas de Nueva York, Johnny Rivera, Ray Sepúlveda and Joe Arroyo, a luxury lineup for two nights of great music that, without a doubt, will be remembered for a long time to come.

Friday August 20th.
The evening began just after 10 p.m. with a classic version of Coro Miyare which sounded particularly good in the wind and percussion sections of the New York Salsa All Stars, directed by the pianist, Lucho Cueto. At that same moment there were still dozens of people trying to get into the Yahuar Huaca sports complex. Some are more in a hurry than others and elude the resale of tickets at 13 Soles each. "The thing is to get in quickly so we don't miss any of this hot concert", said a twenty-something salsero. Meanwhile, on the stage, the New York brass and percussion was heating up the thousands of chalacos.

Johnny Rivera and Ray Sepúlveda start off the show. First they interpret their salsa romántica hits separately and then together on stage they give the public a hit of nostalgia with a reminder that it isn't worth the hassle falling in love with a rendition of "No vale la pena enamorarse". Beer -at only four Soles- is divided into light and dark varieties in the side zones of the complex. "There is something for everyone at a reasonable price", afirms a vendor.

The Feeling of La Selecta
The first stellar moment came when La Selecta with Raphy Leavitt got up on stage. Emotions that have been pent up for more than 30 years in the hearts of the chalacos overflow with the first tune: "Somos el son". I can still recall the tears in the eyes of a veteran porteño, descendent of the African slaves, shouting among the multitudes that, "That is how an orchestra should sound!" or that "La Selecta is the only one!" That is the social message of the group directed by Raphy Leavitt and it strikes a deep chord in El Callao, a port with poor neighborhoods and people who are musical, almost by birth.

But that is not all! It is interesting to note that many young ladies who couldn't be more than 20-ish, know the words by heart to songs like, "Mi Barrio", "Herido", "La Cuna Blanca" or "El Buen Pastor".

So it is not strange at all that after having sung their hearts out singing the repetoire of their idols, and just getting over their sore throats, along comes Sammy Marrero, the legendary sonero of the group, and he is one of the most applauded members. His voice today still far surpasses all of the expectations of the audience. El jibarito really stands out with the pregones and he clearly holds the audience in the palm of his hand, especially after a somber interpretation of "Payaso" (where he appeared to characterize the person mentioned in the song), and then he put on the t-shirt of the Sport Boys, the most popular soccer team of this Peruvian port. All these warm feelings moved the Mayor of Callao, Alex Kouri, to get up on stage and promise that La Selecta will be back to participate in the next festival. The people will hold him to his word.

New York Salsa came back on stage and this time with special guests: Ray Barreto and Tito Allen. After taking a few minutes to adjust the sound, they were ready. Lucho Cueto on the piano and the first few notes from the keyboard sound familiar. He gets inspired by "Nostalgia Chalaca", the famous polka which is practically a hymn in Callao. The public applauds and the rhythm continues. Jimmy Delgado and Carlitos Soto, on the timbal and the bongó, respectively, do their thing. Then, Tito Allen appears to interpret "Nostalgia Chalaca" in a salsa version. The arrangement was impeccable.

The first tune ended and everyone got very quiet because the legendary Ray Barreto is about to take the stage. This conga player, who is 75 years old, brought with him his characteristic charisma to the Festival del Callao. It is a privelege to see him seated behind his mythical congas. But there is no time to lose and soon the number, "La Familia" begins to reverberate throughout. Tito Allen shows us once again his vocal virtuosity. The sonero is as good as he ever has been.

The audience wants more and the orchestra plays, "Ay no". Tito is in tune with the audience and highlights his improvisational skills and stage presence. Barreto is leaving? No, the audience asks him to stay and the band takes off with a gust of sabor. The next tune is "Indestructible". The crowd goes wild. "You don't see an orchestra like this every day", afirms an excited fan. But nothing can compare to when Lucho Cueto comes in with his piano on the number "Cocinando". This is a great oppportunity to hear improvisations on the bass, percussion and on the wind instruments. The agressive trombone of William Álvarez shakes the Yahuar Huaca stadium. Simply, he is a maestro. Luis Doñé and Wilson Torres are highlighted on the trumpets. Jimmy Delgado jams on the timbales puts the icing on the evening with a spectacular jam that shows off his total talent. It seems to be mostly over, but New York Salsa gives us one last tune: "Con llanto de cocodrilo". Tito Allen asks the audience to participate in the chorus and the end of the concert comes undone. That was Friday, and we enjoyed it like never before.

Saturday August 21st.
Again, all roads lead to the Yahuar Huaca Sports Complex. The New York Salsa takes the stage. This time they are accompanied by the Colombian sonero, Joe Arroyo. The clave is heard loud and clear and he begins to sing, "Pal' bailador". The band sounds impeccable. That is not necessarily the case with the son of Cartagena, who unfortunately sounded very off. The crowd knows it but dances anyway. "En Barranquila me quedo", "La noche", "Tania" and "La rebelión" are part of the repetoire. All of these songs were popular in Perú in the mid 1980s.

The party continues and then comes the moment when Callao -almost like a religious commandment- reafirm their admiration for Hector Lavoe. "Aléjate" and "Mi gente" are interpreted by the charismatic singer Pacho Hurtado. The neighborhoods of Corongo, San Judas Tadeo, Puerto Nuevo and La Siberia celebrate. The tributes to the 'Flaco de Oro' are ever present in El Callao.

The Heavys Arrive
Finally, the moment has arrived to hear -for the first time together in Perú- Richie Ray and Bobby Cruz. "Agúzate", a dynamite rumbera number, becomes the first number to explode in the Yahuar Huaca stadium. The crowd never tires of singing the choruses. Friends ask each other if it is really true that the "durísimos" are on stage together. And so it is that while Richie's piano takes off, Bobby sings his heart out with a voice that is still as strong as ever, to the surprise of many present. Time appears to have stood still for these two living legends.

The audience continues singing and celebrating with their idols. "Juan en la Ciudad", "Guaguancó raro", "Los Fariseos", "Pancho Cristal", "Sonido bestial" and "Jala-jala" unearth long buried memories. The Yahuar Huaca stadium, like never before, smells like the Bronx of the 70s. This is not the place for the weak of heart.

The hour of farewell draws near. Richie stands in front of the orchestra and raises a pray for the chalaco people. His fans -converts- accept it all. "Ahora vengo yo" is the closing tune. Bobby continues in his impeccable manner. Richie Ray invites Lucho Cueto up on stage and together they close the concert. Inspiration and talent, class and experience, are only a few of the virtues that crown the spectactulary second night of salsa in Callao.

Apunte SalsaPower Local Correspondent, Martin Gómez, with Ray Barreto.

The VIII Festival de la Salsa Chimpún Callao musically speaking was a success. I would like to note that the organizing committee tries very hard every year año. Even so, the special press corps does not understand why there were so many obstacles presented to allowing us to cover this event. It would be good to find a way to overcome this in the future.

 

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Actualizada el día 07-Mar-2005