Boogaloo with Fania!

Looking for some spicy Latin music for some hot summer dancing? Look no further, Fania Records has just recently put out two different releases that should quench your thirst. If you're not familiar with the legendary label, it first opened shop in 1964 and was the premier label for Salsa and other Latin music artists here in the States as well as all around the world. Although it's been quiet for a while, in the last few years new life has been infused into the label, and it's started reissuing classic albums that have grown increasingly rare as well as offering newly crafted ones.

The first is titled I Like It Like That, and it's a collection of twelve classic Fania 12 inch singles remixed and edited by current day spin wizards including Louie Vega, Giles Peterson, the wild Bonde De Role, and others. Much like the Verve Remixed series I wrote about a little while ago, this is an attempt to dust off some classic cuts and make them appeal to a younger generation of listeners.

The second release is a double disc affair which is the first of what's dubbed the Fania DJ Series, and it collects twenty three original tracks and displays them in their original splendor. It's put together by Gilles Peterson, a man who's a DJ, avid record collector (he's got an entire house dedicated to his collection), and record label owner in London, England who has a radio show on BBC which has been compared to the late John Peel's. His primary interest lies in the field of jazz and its associated genres, and as his liner notes indicate, Fania has always been in his collection.

Clear a space to dance, grab a partner, and enjoy the following.

Pete Rodriguez - I Like It Like That (Aaron Jerome Remix) : I Like It Like That - Fania Remixes

Roberto Roena - Shades of Time : Fania DJ Series: Gilles Peterson (disc 1)

Kako's New York After Hours Orchestra - Vitamina : Fania DJ Series: Gilles Peterson (disc 2)

Visit the Fania website.