Craft Recordings, the reissue label of Concord Records, recently announced the reissue of various essential Fania Records albums on vinyl. World Music Central talked to Bruce McIntosh, the current head of the Fania catalog to find out more about his plans.
Bruce McIntosh is a trilingual entertainment executive versed in music, publishing, marketing and branding with diverse experience in the US Hispanic and Latin American markets. He is presently responsible for the Musart and Fania Records catalogs.
Bruce’s career began in music retail at the notorious Nobody Beats The Wiz chain in New York City where he pioneered Latin music retail. Later, at Handleman Company he set up affiliates in Mexico, Argentina and Brazil to supply music and video to WalMart. He moved to the label side in 2000 at Universal Music Latino, then on to Fania in 2009 and Concord Records in 2018.
WMC – Fania Records has a vast catalog of essential salsa and boogaloo recordings. Why did you choose “Lo Último en la Avenida” by Ismael Rivera con Kako y su orquesta as the first reissue?
BM – Ismael is an iconic and revered artist of the people. He was a voice for people of Afro-Latino ethnicity and sang about the issues that face them in everyday life. It’s the 50th anniversary of this very important album, so that date and the possibility of honoring him made this an opportune time.
WMC – We received a press release about another reissue, Angel Canales’ Album “Sabor”. What other albums are next in the pipeline?
BM – We have an aggressive schedule of vinyl for the year and the next. We just released Willie Colón/Rubén Blades – Siembra and have Mongo Santamaría and Ralfi Pagan on deck with a full slate going in 2022. Stay tuned to our social media and sign up to our newsletter at fania.com for more info on upcoming releases.
WMC – A few years ago, one of Fania Records’ previous owners reissued several classic Fania albums and best of compilations on CD. Are there plans to make the entire catalog available again, even if it is only digitally?
BM – We have a box set of 4 CDs to be released in 10/8 called It’s a Good, Good Feeling-The Latin Soul of Fania Records. It’s an incredible compilation of 89 classic and rare Fania Latin Soul tracks in a box with a special 7” vinyl single. The entire catalog with a few exceptions is available digitally.
WMC – In the 1980s, the recording industry worldwide forced music fans and collectors to switch to CDs. Your new releases are available on vinyl and digital. Are there plans to release them on CD, even if it is only on demand?
BM – At this time, given the market factors , the manufacturing of CDs for the Latin market is prohibitive.
WMC – Salsa (and its related tropical music dance forms) still has many fans worldwide and it is not just older individuals. In Cuba, younger musicians reintroduced timba and salsa to new generations and they were successful. Are there any plans to record new albums by legendary artists or new generations of salsa performers?
We are always on the lookout for new and exceptional talent, however we are 100% focused on being good stewards to the legacy that is Fania Records and it’s artists.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.