Ismael Rivera con Kako y su orquesta – Lo Último en la Avenida (Craft Records, 2021 reissue)
Lo Último En La Avenida is a perfect introduction to the best of salsa. The album was originally released in 1971 and highlighted one of the salsa stars of the time at his best, Ismael “Maelo” Rivera. The Puerto Rican singer-songwriter and percussionist was one of the finest salsa vocalists of all time. His style combined irresistible dance music rooted in Cuban and Puerto Rican traditions with lyrics that resonated with local and international audiences.
Unlike other salsa albums, there are no slow tempo romantic boleros on Lo Último En La Avenida. This is entirely a lively dance album, featuring one of the finest salsa ensembles of the time, Kako y su Orquesta, from Puerto Rico. Also featured is the fantastic Cuban conguero (conga player) Patato.
This new edition of the album is an all-analog remastered 50th Anniversary audiophile vinyl reissue, also available in high resolution digital format. Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio remastered the album from the original analog tapes.
Lo Último En La Avenida is part of Craft Latino’s initiative to present high-quality vinyl reissues of the finest LPs in Fania’s catalog.
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.