Late Review: "Saint Latin's Day Love Massacre"

Everyone loves nostalgia. Okay, maybe not necessarily, but there's no denying that older works are what make the present what it is. What I really mean is that, it is impossible to ignore past works of art when they have such an impact on the present. The butterfly effect is real, people.

This is what initially drew me to Joe Bataan's work, truth be told. Surfing YouTube or just any social media site can often be counterproductive. You got lost in the rabbit hole that is the internet. There are times, however, where you stumble upon something really great. It can be as simple as a funny video, a good article (like mine), or in this case, a great musical body of work.

Joe Bataan's life and career is a very interesting one to say the least. Born Bataan Nitollano to a Filipina mother and a African-American father, Joe grew up in the bosom of New York. Running around with Puerto Rican gangs, it seems like he fell in love with Latin culture and music. After a brief stint in a juvenile detention center, he ultimately formed a band and made music for the next 50 years.

One of his greater body of works, Saint Latin's Day Love Massacre, is an ode to the Latin culture he grew up around. Songs are both in Spanish and English with splashes of salsa and soul littered all over the place. It combines inspirations from everywhere and puts it all together for something that was totally unique at the time.

To set the tone of the album, "Coco E" sets with a blaze of energy. The opening trumpets sets the tone of the whole song and the rest of the album. A blend of modern song (for the time) and typical salsa music captures Joe Bataan's voice in a subtle way. The song is entirely sung in Spanish yet it doesn't feel like it was appropriating or mocking the culture. It feels more like a celebration of Latin music. Even the lyrics reflect this notion. Oftentimes, salsa music doesn't necessarily feature flashy lyrics or anything profound. So the lyrics are often fun and joyous, not to be taken seriously as if all in the name of a good time.

The second song off the album, " I Wish You Love, Pt.1", has to be the one of the most famous songs of Joe Bataan's career. (It's also one of my favorite songs off the album, but on with the review!). It begins with several soft guitar riffs and a steady drum in the back. A ballad of sorts, it details a failed love, a love that might have not worked for whatever reason but there is no bad blood. "I wish you bluebirds in the spring / To give your heart a song to sing". It is songs like this we see the talent of Bataan's vocals. He exudes sorrow for his love which adds an emotional layer to the track. The most haunting lyric of the song has to be this: "Your breaking heart and I agree / that you and I, we could never be / so with my best, my very best / I set you free". It's a great track that probably was or is in your parent's playlist at some point.

The third track is "I Wish You Love, Pt. 2". To put it simply, it is a salsa version of "I Wish You Love, Pt. 1". It goes from a somewhat somber song to a dance-fest where one might not even notice the melancholic undertones. By reworking the nature of the song, Bataan and his band members are able to really go at it with their instruments. The addition of horns and Spanish vocals in the background add to the authenticity of the song. With each listen, one might find themselves tapping their feet or bobbing their head to it.

Coming in at number four is "Para Puerto Rico Voy". As the song title suggests, the song is an ode to Puerto Rico. The track begins with a set of claves and other classical salsa instruments. All the instrumentations blend in perfectly to create a track that has authentic salsa influence while retaining its own originality. This track is also sung entirely in Spanish. It is extremely catchy as the chorus stays in your head for awhile: "Para hay voy, para Puerto Rico voy!"

Track number five, "If I Were a King" sends Joe Bataan back to his roots, who began his career singing doo-wop. It's a slow jam and serves as a nice calming point to an already balanced out album. It sounds like something you would have heard on the Art Laboe Show (Southern California residents know what I mean). I mean when Joe Bataan begins signing lyrics like "If I were a beggar, I'd beg for your hand", how can you not think of that one special person?

After this, is "Charangaringa". If I were to give you $500 for guessing what kind of song this will be, what would be your guess? Well, if you thought "a salsa song", then you're out of luck cause I do not have $500 dollars. But I do commend you for using some deductive reasoning. Continuing the salsa composition of the album, it doesn't feature heavy vocals. They often repeat the chorus several times. This allows the band to mess with the tempo and show off their instrumentation. It really is a fun track to just enjoy and digest. You might call this "palette cleanser" track.

Next, we have "Ramona"! Now this track begins like you expect, telling of a story of an encounter with a woman named Ramona. This song starts off being sung in Spanish but bits and pieces of English are thrown in there. It features heavy trumpets along all with the flavors and snare of an authentic salsa song.

The eighth track is "El Regreso". Spanish for the return, it borrows heavily from the rhythm of other songs off the album. It almost blends in with the track before. It does distinguish itself, however, by having a much faster tempo. If dancing to this track, you might get a cramp by the end of it. Beginning the song in English, the band switches over to Spanish soon after. Although it is my least favorite song off the album, it does enough to warrant its own playthrough. Out of all the tracks, I bet this one might get your parents or grandparents up and moving.

My favorite track off the album has to be "Mujer". Like the rest of the album, it's a fusion of both salsa and the ballads of the 70's. Bataan's vocals really stand out as he holds notes and showcases his own vocal range. The whole song is sung in Spanish. It starts off the way you might expect; he croons over the woman he desires the most. With an opening that goes "Tanto dias buscando un amor, como tu / y no se donde a empazer a buscar", it starts off on a strong note. Around the 2 minute mark, however, the lyrics and rhythm begin to change. It becomes a bit more lively and the lyrics become more playful, not concerned with the women he just described. Or maybe they're already on the dance floor, as if they began to dance and let the music take over...

Last but not least, the final track of the album is called "Shaft". It begins with and ends with funk. "Shaft" is a Latin reimagining of the theme song of the 1971 film titled, well, Shaft. Blending the original with their own influence, it makes for a grand closing to a fun album.

Though it does well on its own two legs, there seems to be missing the album finishes playing through. It's almost a feeling akin to being let down. You might ask yourself, "Is that all?". Some songs blend into another, especially in the latter half of the album. In addition, one will find that there is more authentic salsa music out there that does a better job of exploring the culture. It is a well crafted album yet it misses the mark on these aspects.

If you don't like salsa or dance music, this album might not be for you. However, there are tracks that might find its way onto your playlist if you do give it a chance. I believe its fusion of 70s music trends and traditional Latin music can infect anyone's heart. Get your favorite partner or friend and see if you don't end up dancing to at least ONE of these tracks.

You can sue me after, but only if it doesn't happen.

Rating: 8/10 or a solid B+ (whatever grading system you prefer really).

*Thank you so much for making it to the end! Let me know what you think and what I should write about next! It doesn't have to be a review, I'm willing to write about anything.*

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