London’s Olindo Records reissues obscure 1968 salsa album by Venezuelan group Los Kenya

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London’s Olindo Records reissues obscure 1968 salsa album by Venezuelan group Los Kenya

London-based Olindo Records has reissued one of the rarest and most essential recordings to come out of the Venezuelan salsa scene during the late sixties, in Los Kenya’s 1968 album ¡Siempre Afro-Latino!.

Led by pianist Ray Perez, who following a stint in New York sharing the stage with Kako’s New York After Hour Orchestra, returned to Venezuela in the late 60s and under the influence of bandmates Luis Arias and Alfredo Naranjo formed Los Kenya. Prior to that Perez had a fruitful period with one of Venezuela’s greatest salsa bands Los Dementes, releasing an astounding seven LPs between 1967 and 1968.

For the brilliant ¡Siempre Afro-Latino! recording, the 9-piece group cooks up a heavy dose of salsa and jazz dance grooves all primed to heat up the tropical dance floor.

Also featured on the session is trumpeters Arias and Luis Lewis, bassist Miguel Silva, percussionist Pedro ‘Guapacha’ Garcia (congas), Ali ‘Cosa Buena’ Rojas (bongos), drummer Naranjo, and vocalists Calaven and Carlin Rodriguez.

Incredible from start to finish, Olindo Records has unearthed a true Latin dance classic that should find it’s way into regular rotation during all those festival summertime sets and beyond. With only a pressing of 500 copies, I highly recommend not waiting to snatch up a copy immediately.