PINA, JUAN CON LA REVELACION - Juan Pi?a Con La Revelacion (Sealed) (LP)

HIGHLIGHTS Juan Pi?a Con La Revelaci?n is the debut album of this Colombian artist and his eight-piece band, originally released in 1975 on Discos Zeida. An excellent little slice of Colombian mid-70's madness, with an interesting and joyful sounding mix of New York style salsa, Cuban son montuno and guajira with Colombian tropical flavors. Includes the two hot salsa tunes 'Negro con salsa' and 'Chana' as well as the salsa guajira 'Hogar campesino'. This hard to find album is now reissued for the first time, pressed on 180g vinyl and presented in its original artwork. DESCRIPTION At the age of 24, Juan Pi?a formed the eight-piece La Revelaci?n with his brother Carlos, releasing their first album in 1975 on Discos Zeida. This self-titled debut LP of Pi?a with his group is something of an anomaly in his discography as subsequent albums would feature a different sound and concentrated almost exclusively on Colombian coastal Caribbean and 'sabanero' genres. Although Juan Pi?a's debut record never made much of a splash, it is an excellent little slice of Colombian mid-70's madness, with a very diverse sound. An interesting and joyful sounding mix of New York style salsa, Cuban son montuno and guajira with Colombian tropical flavors, the simple, spare arrangements featured electric guitar, piano, Latin percussion, two trumpets, occasional sax, and Juan sang lead while Carlos backed him on chorus. It also sounds like Joe Arroyo may have done 'coro' chores on Juan Pi?a Con La Revelaci?n (Arroyo was a very close friend of Juan and sang chorus on several Revelaci?n albums). This album is hard to find in the original edition, but collectors in the know treasure it for its two hot salsa tunes ('Negro con salsa' and 'Chana', both written by famous Chocoano composer and vocalist Alfonso C?rdoba "El Brujo") as well as producer Rafael Mejia's salsa guajira 'Hogar campesino' and the genius rendition of the Peruvian classic 'Virgines del sol'. A beautiful and mature sounding work for the relatively young Juan Pi?a and his crew, and well-worth rediscovery by today's Colombian music enthusiasts. Pablo E Yglesias DJ Bongohead of Peace & Rhythm