Craft Reissues Héctor Lavoe's 'La Voz'

June 29, 2023

Craft Reissues Héctor Lavoe's 'La Voz'

Arriving in New York from Puerto Rico in May 1963, just short of his 17th birthday, Héctor Martinez already had a sterling singing voice. He had grown up in a musical family in Ponce and attended music school, where he played the saxophone. There, a teacher insisted on perfect vocal diction and poise on stage with hopes of grooming him for a career as a bolero singer. In his mid-teens, Martinez began singing at clubs, backing friends, and soon left school to join a 10-piece band. In New York, he stayed with his sister, who was already in the city, and went to Latin clubs. In 1965, he joined Russell Cohen and the New Yorkers as the sextet's lead vocalist. Other Latin groups followed. [Photo above of Héctor Lavoe, courtesy of Spotify]

To set Martinez apart, his then manager insisted he change his last name to Lavoe, a twist on singer Felipe Rodríguez's nickname, La Voz (The Voice). Two years later, in 1967, Lavoe met salsa musician and bandleader Willie Colón. Johnny Pacheco of Fania Records suggested that Colón use Lavoe on one of the songs on his first album for the label, El Malo. It was a perfect match. Lavoe recorded the rest of the LP's vocal tracks and they went on to tour together and record 14 albums. Lavoe became a solo act in 1973, and toured and recorded with the Fania All Stars. In 1975, he recorded his first solo album for Fania, aptly titled La Voz.

In 2019, Concord Records established Craft Recordings Latino following its purchase of Fania Records and 2016 acquisition of Musart Music Group. Now, the the division has just re-issued La Voz, remastered from analog tapes on 180-gram vinyl and digital files. The new re-issue sounds fantastic. I don't understand or speak Spanish, but I do know great music and powerful singing. In Lavoe's case, it doesn't matter whether you understand the lyrics or not. The music is sensational and wonderfully arranged and rhythmic. Lavoe's voice is so piercing and strong that his voice is a solo instrument. As instrumental pieces, the album's arrangements are sophisticated, tight, hair-raising and immediately uplifting. With Lavoe's confident, boyish vocals on top, you get a sense of what the words mean anyway.

La Voz included uptempo hits such as Rompe Saragüey and El Todopoderoso as well as deeply passionate love songs such as Emborrachame de Amor and Tus Ojos. As a result, La Voz album sales were solid after its release, and Lavoe became a star and a heart-throb, appealing to both male and female Latin music fans. He also became the youthful face and voice of salsa, which had begun at the start of the 1970s as a break from freestyle Latin-soul boogaloo and a return to the son and montuno shout style of singing as well as touch dancing. Nine more spectacular albums followed. [Photo above of Héctor Lavoe]

We are lucky that Concord and Craft Latino have taken such a pronounced interest in Latin music. The history of the artists, music styles and albums is thinly documented and needs more attention, analysis and robust research and scholarship. The music is magnificent, and its storyline shares many similarities with jazz in terms of musicianship and a quest for individualism. In the case of Latin music from the Caribbean, its evolution has been shaped by immigration and the dreams families brought with them to New York. Latin singers, arrangers, bands, soloists and dances all have fascinating stories. I just wish I studied the language in high school. Not learning Spanish is a personal regret.

For those of you who are vinyl heads, La Voz features AAA remastering, with lacquers cut from the original master tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and is pressed on 180-gram vinyl. An Apple Red colored disc is available exclusively at Fania.com. The album also has been released in hi-res digital for the first time, including the 192/24 format.