Alegre Records
Encyclopedia
Alegre Records was a New York
record label
that was founded in 1956
by Al Santiago who owned a 1950s record store in The Bronx
named Casalegre and co-founded by clothing businessman Ben Perlman. It specialized in Latin music and was significant for featuring artists such as Johnny Pacheco
and Tito Puente
and was the first to record a series of great Latin artists, from Johnny Pacheco, Eddie Palmieri
, through Willie Colón
. It has been called the "Blue Note
" of Latin music.
In 1960, Johnny Pacheco's first orchestra had signed with Alegre Records and their first album titled “Johnny Pacheco y Su Charanga” sold over 100,000 copies within the first year and was the biggest selling album in Latin music history up to that point.
In 1961, Al Santiago created the Alegre All-Stars, remembering the well-known Cuban Jam Sessions ("Descargas Cubanas") in the 1950s on the Panart Records
label. Johnny Pacheco got his friend, the trombonist Barry Rogers
, to play with the Alegre All-Stars which featured a unique instrumentation of flute, tenor sax, and trombone.
In 1975
Alegre Records was sold to Fania Records
.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
that was founded in 1956
1956 in music
-Events:*January 26 – Buddy Holly's first recording sessions for Decca Records take place in Nashville, Tennessee*Roy Orbison signs with Sun Records*January 27 – Elvis Presley's single "Heartbreak Hotel" / "I Was the One" is released...
by Al Santiago who owned a 1950s record store in The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
named Casalegre and co-founded by clothing businessman Ben Perlman. It specialized in Latin music and was significant for featuring artists such as Johnny Pacheco
Johnny Pacheco
Johnny Pacheco is a Dominican producer, musician, bandleader, and one of the most influential figures in American salsa music.-Early life:...
and Tito Puente
Tito Puente
Tito Puente, , born Ernesto Antonio Puente, was a Latin jazz and Salsa musician. The son of native Puerto Ricans Ernest and Ercilia Puente, of Spanish Harlem in New York City, Puente is often credited as "El Rey de los Timbales" and "The King of Latin Music"...
and was the first to record a series of great Latin artists, from Johnny Pacheco, Eddie Palmieri
Eddie Palmieri
Eddie Palmieri , is a Grammy Award winning Puerto Rican pianist, bandleader and musician, best known for combining jazz piano and instrumental solos with Latin rhythms.-Early years:...
, through Willie Colón
Willie Colón
William Anthony Colón is a Nuyorican salsa musician. Primarily a trombonist, Colón also sings, writes, produces and acts. He is also involved in municipal politics in New York City.-Early years:...
. It has been called the "Blue Note
Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
" of Latin music.
In 1960, Johnny Pacheco's first orchestra had signed with Alegre Records and their first album titled “Johnny Pacheco y Su Charanga” sold over 100,000 copies within the first year and was the biggest selling album in Latin music history up to that point.
In 1961, Al Santiago created the Alegre All-Stars, remembering the well-known Cuban Jam Sessions ("Descargas Cubanas") in the 1950s on the Panart Records
Panart Records
Panart Records was a Cuban record label of the mid 20th century, headquartered in Havana. The label specialized in popular Cuban music. Panart, which was founded in 1943 by musician/engineer Ramón Sabat, was the first independent record label in Cuba....
label. Johnny Pacheco got his friend, the trombonist Barry Rogers
Barry Rogers
Barry Rogers was a salsa musician and jazz fusion trombonist.Born Barron W. Rogers in The Bronx, he descended from Polish Jews who came to New York City via London and was raised in Spanish Harlem...
, to play with the Alegre All-Stars which featured a unique instrumentation of flute, tenor sax, and trombone.
In 1975
1975 in music
-January–April:*January 2 - New York City U.S. District Court Judge Richard Owen rules that former Beatle John Lennon and his lawyers can have access to Department of Immigration files pertaining to his deportation case....
Alegre Records was sold to Fania Records
Fania Records
Fania Records was a New York based record label founded by Dominican-born composer and bandleader Johnny Pacheco and Italian-American lawyer Jerry Masucci in 1964. The label took its name from an old Cuban song by the singer Reinaldo Bolaño. Fania is known for its promotion of what has become...
.
Further reading
- Rondón, César Miguel, The Book of Salsa: A Chronicle of Urban Music from the Caribbean to New York City, translated by Frances R. Aparicio with Jackie White, University of North Carolina Press, 2008. ISBN 978-0-8078-5859-2. Cf. Index.
- Washburne, Christopher, Sounding Salsa: performing Latin music in New York City, Temple University Press, June 28, 2008. ISBN 978-1-59213-315-4. Cf. pp.17, 19.
External links
- The House that Al Built - review of historical CD set at The Descarga Review.