Reviews (page 3 of 8)
I listened to this on headphones while out and about, and had to fight the urge to try to shake my hips in the supermarket.
So hard not to like this album. Gets you moving and grooving, and the percussion virtuosity is hard to ignore.
Not an artist or album I had listened to before but damn it was fun! The rhythm was so contagious and it has introduced me to a genre of music I am fairly unfamiliar with but will be exploring more! Overall the album itself wasn’t my favourite so I can’t quite give it 5 stars but I still really enjoyed it
Kind of just one long song, but an enjoyable one
Let's be clear. If you're not moving while this plays then have your doctor check that you are alive. The sort of hot salsa music that is made for swinging hips, or ballads that lovers slow dance to while the waiters put chairs up and lean on brooms. Puerto Rico shows up and shows us how.
one of the funniest albums i've ever heard, loved it.
Such fun latino music! I feel like I'm on a beach in Mexico. This is exactly what I think of when I think of lation music. Saving this one for future dinner parties.
Feeling like I’m Benito.
Straight bangers
Pretty great for the genre
Has a good beat, easy to dance to, unfortunately my Anglo-Saxon hips would embarrass the rest of me if I were to try to dance to this. Fortunately I was alone in my office. Unfortunately the window is transparent. Fortunately I don't care.
213/1001 Tito Puente - Dance Mania Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ I can't give you any knowledge, but what I can say, is that this challenge is teaching me that I love Latin American music. Another I'll be revisiting at some point.
This was perfect for a Sunday morning. Fun, energetic and interesting. Will work it into the coffee rotation.
Fun album. Sound great, especially for when it was recorded. No, it's not really my favorite kind of music, but it is very well done, and I do believe people should hear it, especially for how it introduced so many (white) Americans to Latin beats & music.
What a wonderful album. Perfect introduction for me to to really listen to this legend with a critical ear. Found some awesome live videos afterwards too. Really wonderful. Awesome horns and background vocals and solos and rhythms. Musica!
Would love a glass of tinto while listening Tito
Amazing on the saturday morning. Such a great vibe, great instrumentation, good production quality and soothing vocals.
Who doesn’t love salsa
This was such a lot of fun, I don’t know a huge amount about this genre of music so can neither confirm nor deny if this is the best of it - but I had a good time. Felt like I was in an episode of Dexter. (Compliment)
Fabulous, energetic music and expert musicianship. Every track is an upbeat gem that makes you smile and want to dance.
¡Mucho gusto! This album is such a great example of why this exercise is so fun - I never would have found Tito Puente on my own but I had such a good time listening to this album. It made me want to dance around and be somewhere tropical, in a big skirt, with a drink in hand. I definitely preferred the front half of the album but I would gladly return, especially as dinner party music.
Favorite Track: Hong Kong Mambo
Honestly a fun album with several sections of killer leads (check out the marimba solo on Hong Kong Mambo)
Tito Puente does, in fact, have the bangers.
I have nothing bad to say about Tito Puente. Time well spent.
Oh I'm groovin
マンボというジャンルはおもにBGMとして聞き馴染みはあるけど、良し悪しの基準が自分の中にはないから評価を付けることが難しい。しかしこれを聞きながら踊っていたら楽しかったのでいい音楽なんだと思う。
These songs are so familiar.
Yo! El caribe, hermano!
I actually like this album a pretty good bit. Even on the very opening song "El Cayuco" i can see some of the Puente influence on Santana's music, especially in the horn hit (or whole band in Santana's case) on the synchopated beats. This music is fun to say the least. I guess what it is about Latin jazz I general is that has been used as a TV/movie tropes to death to signify fun and exotic, whether it's Ricky Ricardo from *I Love Lucy*, the theme song to *I Dream of Jeannie*, to the theme song to *Sex & the City*. It's fun and I can even shake my booty to it, but it can only take me so far. I did kind of want to give this a higher rating because I love some of the horn work on this which is absolutely spectacular but I think all in all it's a high three and a half. (7.8) ★★★½
Me gustó bastante, le puse más cuidado al final. Es otro de escuchar completo en momentos específicos. guardé: Estoy siempre junto a tí y Agua limpia todo
💃💃3.5
I like. A lot of fun. Love me some good spanish/latin music
Wonderful listen. If this doesn’t get your hips shaking… Do you even have a soul? 8/10 Favorite Tracks- “Cuando Te Vea” “Mambo Gazon” “Agua Limpia Todo”
Fun fun fun!!!
I really would not have been upset if music never evolved any further than this. Album is really great sounding, especially for something nearing 70 years old. Cmon, what more would you really want?
finally something different! loved this
a lesson on having fun
Nice
Fun!
Mambo and Cuban dance music from the 50s. Jazzy and fun. Favorite track: Hong Kong Mambo other picks: Complication, mambo goon, vanity drag, agua limpia todo.
This album is pretty fun to listen to. It's very enjoyable, I've loved listening to it, and it has many interesting songs too, with some great musical choices and rhythmic changes. It's like diving into a different world, a different time. And the music in here is made with such great taste too.
One thing I've learnt so far from this project is that I like jazz. I wouldn't rate this as high as the two other jazz albums I've gotten so far (Kind of Blue, The Black Saint and The Sinner Lady) but I still very much liked this. 4/5
Really enjoyed this one, great party music. We've loved BVSC for years, and I did a lot of reading on Mr. Puente, sounds like he is one of the good ones.
Classic Spanish Tunes
Hey, that guy who appeared in the "Who Shot Mr. Burns" Simpsons episode. This is really good! Super danceable. Wound up getting super pumped and doing chores around the house while listening to this. Really catchy.
Never actively listened to this style of music before, but it's delightful. Also great drumming.
I had no idea what this was, but I really enjoyed it. Very upbeat
A little dated to me, but fun and energetic!
Fun background music
Very uplifting and I enjoyed it!
I don't know enough about this genre to know whether it is a good choice or not, but I loved it.
Just a fun time all around. Enough diversity in the individual songs with the Asian influences. It made me want to dance, making the titel of the album a good indication of the fun time waiting to be had when playing the album
Great voice and instrument play. Even though I couldn’t understand her the vibe is great.
I wish I knew Spanish because that was really cool and interesting to listen to
Very fun and funky. Like most of the international stuff on this list I really enjoyed it. Got to practice my Spanish too.
Wow! "Upbeat" and "happy" hardly do this album justice as descriptions. "Long" is also appropriate, but if you're looking for something to give you a lift, Puente is never going to steer you wrong.
first listen classic stuff
Ný salsa tónlist er oft geigvænlega leiðinleg, en Tito Puente er ekki leiðinlegur. Mjög gott stöff.
Absolute banger of an album
Some of the songs made me feel like I was sitting on the side of the street at a cafe in Cuba, while others made me wanna get up and dance. GREAT mix in here and super fun to listen to.
Dance Mania turned out to be a blast. I had it spinning in the background on Thanksgiving, and it immediately pulled me back to that feeling I had the first time I heard the Buena Vista Social Club record—music so alive and locked-in that it stops you in your tracks. Tito Puente’s version of that world is different, though. Where Buena Vista hits with depth and soul, Puente is all forward motion: high-energy, hyper-tight, and built to get bodies moving. The playing is outrageous. The horns snap, the percussion sprints, and the whole band feels like it’s operating on some higher rhythmic plane. But the emotional weight isn’t really the point here. This record is about joy, movement, and pure rhythmic adrenaline. It’s infectious, it’s impeccably executed, and it’s a lot of fun—just not something that lingers with the same emotional resonance as those Cuban masters. Still, in the right moment, it absolutely shines. As holiday-week background music, it was perfect.
I wish there were more albums like this on the list. More Latin, more from the 50s, less UK/US one-hit-wonders. I had a great time listening to this, and I got through the entire 2+ hour Legacy Edition. It’s fun, it’s lively and emotive - but most of all, it was new to me, and I’m better off now that I’ve got this to play out of my library.
What a blast! More proof that an album can absolutely deliver even if you only know one out of every ten words. So much fun. Best Track: Saca Tu Mujer
Very gun album, although no tracks really stand out
latin jazz, quite nice, all songs a bit similar though
What is there to say? The height of 50's Latin dance pop. It just goes to show that people in those days really did love to cut loose and have wild fun, even though it can be hard to imagine anymore
Very fun to listen to. Made me want to do a lil jig
This album is Latin American dance music with lots of horns and percussion. I don't quite understand the lyrics, but it's very musically well done. The whole thing is very groovy and upbeat, but also has some jazz feel to it. It was a fun listen, and it was from one of the Hispanic world's most prominent musicians.
Classic Puente. Always good.
This is it, I could listen to this all day.
das isch gueti morgemusig! aso wnl s machtmer mega spass aber würkli aktiv uufneh tunis nöd ok es het en teil glöscht iwie aber jo MAMBO NO. 5?? los nomal churz drii, es 3 oder 4i wirds safe ah stimmt hong kong mambo hani en insane banger gfunde jaa isches 4i, tönt weg mim ungüebte ohr mengisch chli alles glich und weiss nöd, öb das album under anderne mambo-albe speziell wür ussesteche aber ignorance is bliss. ich han spass gha
*El Cayuco: this eats hard *Complicacion: man this album sounds INCREDIBLE, all of the sounds are so rich and lovely. it's obviously nothing like anything I ever listen to but it goes absolutely crazy Three D Mambo: second half of this track is cuckoo bananas Llego Mijan (Son Montuno): lee lee lo le low lala le laaaa *Cuando Te Vea (Guaguanco): completely obsessed with the percussion on this track, it has so much depth *Hong Kong Mambo: hardest xylophone(?) solos of all life. Mambo Gozon: this shit opened like boss fight music. energy energy *Mi Chiquita Quiere Bembe: not bad but doesn't hit like a lot of the other songs on here. okay I lied a bit, the last minute or so is fantastic. deserves more listens Varsity Drag - Mambo Jazz Instrumental: everybody is doing a good job :) *Estoy Siempre Junto a Ti: really beautiful, love the moodiness of it. reminds me a bit of Arca's older stuff (I'm sure the influence goes the other way around lol). *Agua Limpia Todo: alalalalalalala la la la la la la la la. I really dig this one. Saca Tu Mujer: it's alright enjoyed this way more than I expected to. hell yeah brother __ SCORE: 8/10 ADDED TO PLAYLIST: El Cayuco Complicacion Cuando Te Vea (Guaguanco) Hong Kong Mambo Mi Chiquita Quiere Bembe Estoy Siempre Junto a Ti Agua Limpia Todo
I know Tito Puente by name alone because of the movie Stripes. So far I like the first track. This is a super fun album.
Hard to sit still to this. Enjoyable listen and deserves it place on the list. 4/5.
> The Beatles
Fantastic Latin/mambo dancing music. One of the best brass sections I’ve heard, percussion absolutely locked in, beautiful vocals and catchy melodies.
I really liked this. Pleasantly surprised.
Loved it-hip swingingly smooth
TITO! It's a fun album. One of those albums that make you want to see them in a dancehall in their prime. I will put this on the next time I'm cleaning because it is imposable to sit still when this is playing. There will be no breaks for two hours. Yeah it's a long one, the songs are short though. Good stuff, fun and light.
Very cool, added a bunch of songs off here.
mambo gozón is a banger, and the album is great but it also makes me want to listen to juan garcia esquivel (I hope we get one of his albums later)
Dont be a hater. Tito Puente was the Mambo King! Top flight musicians playing phenomenal Latin Jazz. Just have fun with it.
Gøy, om enn litt heseblesanes. Morsomst va det dog at æ fant et album av Tito Puente som va latin-cover av sanger fra My Fair Lady.
Why did I ever stop listening to salsa?? This album is so good, you can’t help but move and dance listening to Tito Puente. Reminds me of Grace teaching me to dance salsa the summer before senior year. I’m no good at it, but I did have a cute lead :)
You’re a woman in her early thirties, fresh off a messy divorce. Your three closest girlfriends have booked you in for a holiday in a nice sunny resort town. Your days consist of sunbathing, daiquiris, and not much else. Maybe a swim in your two-piece bikini to make sure the younger guys at the resort still sneak a perve at you. They do. One of the staff members is an outrageously confident man, always talking up your beauty and suggesting that you and your friends should join him at a local nightclub so you can get a real feel for the local culture. He speaks to women with such confidence that you are sure he is either gay or a legendary lothario. You try to get a bit of an idea of his background but he doesn’t give much away, aside from mentioning a very short stint he had as a school music teacher. Turns out it fell through pretty quickly because of some rich old man, but you get the idea that there is a lot of burning hatred there.
A great moving album, if lacking some variance.
Really enjoyed this. Latin vibes, pretty well-recorded, high energy, not annoying in its use of percussion, instant mood booster - makes me want to throw a cocktail party or eat guacamole!
Loved this. Anticipate having this on a lot.
Agree with everyone on this. Lotta fun and great vibes. Gonna make margs and tacos tonight and bop around the kitchen to this while my wife looks on nonplussed.
What a fun album 🕺 This succeeded in getting me to do an idiots attempt at a salsa dance around 8AM this morning. Dance Mania? I truly think so This music is so damn fun and really feels like swing & bebop’s cooler cousin. I personally love the vocal lines and extremely well timed hits. I wish I had more of an “In” to this kind of music in my life
I was grooving to this album. How can you not be in a good mood listening to this. Fuck me up Tito!
Really fun stuff. The whole album has just a great vibe. Llego Mijan was the first song that really cut through and made me realize this album is a little more dynamic than some of the other Latin stuff we've gotten. Hong Kong Mambo too. I know these are totally different things, but can't help but compare to Buena Vista Social Club - I remember that being a ton of vamping. This feels like it has a little more variety and structure, which I like. I can't really point to a subset of songs, but this album is definitely bookmarked for a Friday night kitchen happy hour in the future. Was pretty surprised to hear Tito actually went to Juilliard - had no idea.
Any album with a marimba and timbales is for me.
great
Good stuff
This was just an enjoyable album to listen to. Got me moving, high energy, a real nice quick one!
Really enjoyed this
This is the kinda stuff 1001 is all about. Perfect background music for working or setting a vibe around the house. Upbeat, classic Latin sound. Big horns, xylophone, the works.
Great album. Lots of fun!
Tito heeft mij positief verrast. Ik vind het jammer dat hij Amerikaan is en dat dit niet echt van de straten van Havana komt. Maar daar waan je je wel als je deze plaat luistert. Vaak is bij zo'n album één nummertje leuk, en dan heb je het wel gezien. Maar niet bij Dance Mania moet ik zeggen. Wellicht ook door het wisselen van zangers blijft het album best interessant tot het einde aan toe. Heb genoten van de sfeer die de plaat neerzet en toch ook weer een bevestiging dat van de non-pop stijlen ik toch echt wel lekker ga in het Mambo/Son/Bossanova hoekje. Meer van dit!? 7,5/10
This is super chill and maybe the perfect thing to listen to while catching up on emails after just getting back from the Dominican Republic.
1958. Gosh I'm a sucker for mambo music. So easy to fall into and groove with. Big bands also have such a sweet spot in my heart. Tito was a driving force for the genre.
La salsa trasciende lenguajes y fronteras. Voy a escuchar esto en Navidad a todo volumen mientras hago los tamales y la pierna de cerdo al horno. 4.5/5
It's not one I'll listen to often, but it gets you smiling and moving... Can't not give it a 4 for making you feel something other than rage, for a change!
8.5/10 Favs: Estoy Siempre Junto a Ti; Hong Kong Mambo; Varsity Drag; Cuando Te Vea
Moro moro :D Olen nyt valmis tanssimaan tumman kaunottaren kanssa tämän tahtiin! Tosi hyvä levy!
Tutustumismatka mambon ihmeelliseen maailmaan suoraan 50- ja 60-lukujen taitteeseen. Tätä kuunnellessa kyllä rupesi haluamaan ulkomaille jonnekin lämpimään maahan, nautiskelemaan cuba libreä tai vastaavaa. Mieleeni piirtyi hämyinen, pienillä neonvaloilla varustettu pubi jossain Kuuban sydämessä. Musiikkina levy tarjoaa hyvää soitantaa ja tunnelma välittyy tänne koto-Suomeen asti. Ennakko-odotuksia ei juurikaan ollut, mutta tämä oli kevyesti positiivinen yllätys. Hong Kong Mambo katkaisi mukavasti marimbasoitollaan torvien juhlaa, ja kokonaisuutena albumi säilyttää energiansa alusta loppuun. Ei ehkä päivittäiseen kuunteluun, mutta täydellinen silloin, kun kaipaa elämäänsä ripauksen trooppista ja historiallista hehkua.
Moneen hetkeen sopivaa musiikkia. Lyriikoista en ymmärtänyt mitään, mutta sellaista svengiä, jota toivoisi omaan mieleen kesken hektisen työpäivän.
Nonii nyt lähti semmoset mambot jauhamaan, että syksyinen sadekelikään ei saa hillittyä ajatuksia cuba librejen ja mojitojen tinaamisesta jossain maailman kolkassa, jonka nimen lausumiseen ei tankerokieli taitu. Samalla tässä näytetään närhen munat kitaravetoiselle musiikille. Koko musiikkiluokan varaston perkussioarsenaali on valjastettu mukaan ja jokainen kilkuttaa menemään sillä meiningillä, että kankeinkin kaveri yleisössä alkaa etsimään katsellaan kumppania venyttelyyn ja vanutteluun. Levyn biisit soivat upeasti ja tuotannosta voisi ottaa useampikin nykyajan tietokonepaskiainen mallia. 1958 julkaistuksi levyksi tämä kestää upeasti aikaa ja kaikki eri soitinten sävyt saadaan välitettyä kuulijalle. Sinänsähän tällaisesta musiikista ei jämsäläinen jöröjukka mahdottomasti tiedä saati ymmärrä, mutta tunnelma imaisee mukaansa kuin filtteripuhdistuksen läpikäynyt Dysoni. Ehdottomasti plusmerkkistä tavaraa ja vain oma sivistyksen puute vie tältä täysien pisteiden mahikset.
Ei ole asiantuntijuutta mambossa(kaan), mutta voisin kuvitella tämän olevan vieläkin aika kuumaa kamaa tanssilattialla. Olen antanut nyt pirusti kolmosia. Tälle tulee nyt nelonen, ihan vaan koska tämän levyn soidessa on varmasti saatu enemmän pesää kuin Van Halenillä. Mmm.. olisikohan siinä ainesta uudelle arvosteluasteikolle?
not something I normally listen to but enjoyed it
Tito Puente's gonna be dead, and you're gonna say, "Oh, I've been listening to him for years, and I think he's fabulous."
Good to hear more international music. Snappy and great for dancing.
Immaculate upbeat vibes for a cloudy work day.
Very danceable and fun!
Now this was something I needed to listen to.
One long but fun song
I did not expect to have so much fun with a Tito Puente album but here I am, absolutely jamming. Listened to it twice then listened to a mambo mix for hours.
This was joyful. The marimba solo on Hong Kong Mambo is fantastic. I listened to the original 1958 track listing, which at less than 40 minutes didn't outstay its welcome. A strong four - pretty close to a five.
A fun AF album from the best music teacher Springfield Elementary has ever had.
Fantastic! 4/5
4/5
Dance to the music.
This makes me want a taco real bad
Great start to the work week
This was a bop to listen to on a Sunday morning cleaning sesh
solid. can't say much more than that
Fav: Three D Mambo Least Fav: Hong Kong Mambo Impossible to be in a bad mood after listening
Good fun
this list turning people into fans of bossa nova and mambo is like evolutionary carcinisation. platonic ideal of an album i love to see on this list. never would have found it, loved pretty much all of it
8/4/25. Really liked this. Not a genre of music I'm familiar with, but this is an album that encourages me to dive deeper and immerse myself. Loved the arrangements, the instrumentation, and fun nature of this.
It’s great - I picture a room full of people smoking cigars, having exotic drinks or dancing - while in the middle, at a round table, a group of gangsters are plotting their next move.
Hell yeah. Get some boat drinks and cigars and let this transport you to the streets of Havana. Makes even my stiff ass wanna shuffle my feet. Contagious sound, brilliantly composed and masterfully captured here
Love it
very fun! good snazzy background music.
Can't be in a bad mood listening to this.
So lively and invigorating. Just love Tito's vibe ❤️
solid
Groovy, aged very well with a great band and excellent voice
good
Fun times, talented, not my thing really.
Got this album on a pretty depressing day, and while it didn't cure my sadness it definitely made me feel better. Hard to mope around when your body just wants to move. 4/5
felt like i was in casa del mar (positive connotations)
you can never go wrong with mambo.
++: El Cayuco, Complicación, 3-D Mambo, Llegó Miján, Cuando Te Vea, Hong Kong Mambo, Mambo Gozón, Mi Chiquita Quiere Bembé, Estoy Siempre Junto a Ti, Saca Tu Mujer +: Varsity Drag, Agua Limpia Todo 9,4/10
Actually very nice morning music
BEST SONGS: - Complicación - Hong Kong Mambo
I really like Spanish music and this was a good listen on the hottest day of the year!!
Very good dance music that makes your subconscious move your hips
I need this in my veins
Honestly, I wish I could be friends with this guy. That's what the music sounds like. Just a damn good friend who likes setting a really nice mood with some latin dance music.
People from the 80's think they invented "World Music", but this 1957 release would like a word about that. (I know, I know, he was born in NY!) Great music, the time flew by listening to it. Perfect for getting your body moving and putting a little zip in your step.
Cha Cha real smooth!
I actually enjoyed this album. Did sound a bit repetitive but the overall vibe was fun and electric + .5 of a star for enjoying with my mrs Fav song el cayucco
Great album. I love the rhythm and brass. 4/5
Mood-lifting.
Running late and hit a traffic jam, but this music kept me in a positive frame of mind. Some of this felt like improvisation.
Good stuff. Fun music
I could definitely see having an episode of dance mania from this. I’m much too self conscious to dance. But I could see someone doing it
Great
This was pretty dope, really classic Cubano music. Excellently performed. I enjoyed it so much that it made me want to rewatch one of my favorite feel good movies, Chef.
A lot of fun. I woke up cranky and after a few seconds I was up and dancing.
Because of my age I only know Tito Puente because of his involvement in the two part classic “Who Shot Mr. Burns” episode from The Simpsons. This album was groovy and fun. But I hadn’t noticed that Apple Music began playing similar songs after the album was finished. It took three tracks for me to clue in. So I feel that if this sounds so similar to other artists can it be one of the best? I’m probably overthinking it. 4/5
Very fun although I probably won't listen again.
This was a lot of fun, not my usual type of music at all, but got me moving a bit. Makes me want to take a salsa class or something! A few of the songs faded into background for me, but I can definitely see myself listening to this again.
very very good
Latino, Good 4/5
El Cayuco 4 Complicacion 3.6 3-D Mambo 3.8 Llego Mijan 4 Cuando Te Vea 4.1 Hong Kong Mambo 4.3 Mambo Gozon 4.2 Mi Chiquita Quiere Bembe 4.2 Varsity Drag 4 Estoy Siempre Junto a Ti 3.8 Aqua Limpia Todo 4 Saca Tu Mujer 4 Score: 4
one of my favorites to see live, Tito was the best!! He and Celia Cruz I looooovve them and this music - this album is great, but there are better ones... so fun to clean the house to
Exuberant and joyful. -1 star as an album because all the songs sound alike. But for 38 minutes pure body moving rhythm. Love the percussions & horns.
Grooves galore to get the body movin and how can you not have a smile on your face while listening. Some songs feel a little pedestrian now because of all that came in the wake of this album but anything this album settles in something like Mi Chiquita Quiere Bembéi enters the picture. An absolute wonder of a track. A great time for musician and listener alike.
Great rhythms, hot horns.
« When you listen to something like this you really get the feeling the Latin people are having way more fun than everybody else. » oui 100% ☀︎c’est pas quelque chose que je serais allée chercher par moi-même et c’est probablement pas quelque chose que je réécouterais mais je suis contente d’avoir essayé. c’était une vibe ☀︎je donne des 3☆ si je suis neutre par rapport à l’album, mais j’ai bien aimé celui-ci. donc 4☆
Buen álbum, el primero de todos, mí abuelo los escuchaba, y ahora que escuche s Tito puente me enteré el porque, en definitiva, me gustó, diferente a los álbumes que estuve escuchando
those horn blasts on "Hong Kong Mambo" scare the shit out of me! other than that, there's not a lot to say about Dance Mania other than it probably being a very good stepping stone into understanding what "mambo" is. those trumpet performances are enough to make me want to maybe pick the instrument back up for the first time since freshman year in High School. Cuba proves itself as the second most influential island in the Caribbean in terms of music, just behind the eternal tower of influence that is Jamaica. yeah i know Tito Puente's not Cuban, but i'm sure Nuyoricans are welcome to master the timbalero as well.
Nice easy listen
I had never heard of this at all, and while it's not something I would have normally sat down and listened to, it would make great background music. I enjoyed it more than I expected to.
Infectious rhythms, bright horns, a wonderful listen. This album definitely holds up.
It's Tito Puente. If you can't do a little dip in your hip listening to Dance Mania, then I don't know what to tell you. But I also understand that for many people, this isn't an album you simply get served on a random day and decide is the greatest thing ever. There's only one Tito record in my collection, but if I'm putting it on in 2025 or later, that says something about him and his music.
Fun. Jaunty. Different. I liked it.
Perfect for a hot day
Nice latin sounds.
There are a lot better swing, jazz, and Latin albums from that time period, but still enjoyable nonetheless. 3.5/5.0: Very Good
great percussion, fun listen
Great music, still sounds fresh despite its age.
Charming and cheerful.
Fun Latin jazz / dance feel
Have yet to hear a bad Tito Puente album
Great. There's a lot of bonus tracks. I usually skip those, but not on this album. Favorite song: Mi Chiquita Quiere Bembé
I was really into it. Goof apparently only cared a little bit
19/04/2025 A harmless album.
Great Latin music. Loved it
I enjoyed it, perfect for a Friday. The brass stabs got a bit much by the end
It’s impossible to sit still when this album is playing. Every track had me smiling and doing a shimmy. Really fun from start to finish.
The arrangement and variety of instruments makes it hard not to want to move your body, dance a little, or even bop your head while tuning in. As I listen to it I imagine hosting a lavish dinner party in the 50s with lavish dishes and decor. I always romanticize this time (despite it likely being very racist). I think of a house like in Sabrina (1954), and hosting a beautiful ball with everyone in their gorgeous gowns sipping a drink in their beautiful crystal glasses. The vocals on the album fit so well. I especially love the miramba and drums. It gives a beautiful transatlantic feel. The mambo jazz and salsa work well together in this album. Enjoyed it a lot. Very relaxing yet fun. Favourites include “Hong Kong Mambo”, “Estoy Siempre Junto a Ti”, “Complicación”, “El Cayuco”, “Agua Limpia Todo”, and “Varsity Drag”
Solid Spanish jazz and samba kind of music. Enjoyed it.
Well this is just a good time
I love how fun this is. It has excellent instrumentation and it just makes you want to move your body. I lived in the Dominican Republic for 2 years and this reminds me a lot of some of the music I'd hear there.
I did not think I was going to like this, but having a hectic morning at work, this was kind of perfect. I loved it. So flowy and fun. Very dancey and vibrant. I had a blast with this one.
That'll put some pep in your step!
me gusta dance
Awesome. I’m loving the Cuban influence on this list. This record is aptly titled, and the trumpets are piercing and impeccable. As Whit Stillman says, “The Cha Cha is no more ridiculous than life itself”.
Okay so it’s very dated swing dance stuff in Spanish. But it’s very good
Amazing Mambo and Latin Jazz Top notch and epic music.
positief plaatje met paar uitschieters...
Super fun.
If this was on in the background at a bar I went to I’d probably be okay with it; but it wouldn’t be my type of bar.
All of the songs basically sound the same and do the same thing, but that thing is incredibly fun and enjoyable for easily more than the albums length
Nice music that I feel like would be fun to dance to if I knew how to, catchy good rhythms. 3.5/5 Also good jazz vibes.
I am flabbergasted. I saw the year and the genre and I was prepared for a slog; I figured there was a pretty good chance I would cut out early on this one. But I'll be damned, this was fun! Maybe this is something I can only appreciate on some days and this is one of those days, but I actually enjoyed my time with this album. Also the sound is shockingly clean for something from 1958, even if it was remastered in 1991. 4.1
THE ATMOSPHERE. Kind like what I said about buena vista social club, where I feels like a real snapshot into a culture in a certain place and time, which I feel like you don't get with American/western popular music at this time. I love the brass stabs. and just the instrumentation as a whole. Lots of fun was probably involved with making this, and you can feel it. Favourite songs: el cayuco, Complición, three D mambo, cuando te vea (guaguanco), mambo gozon, Mi chiquuita quiere bembe, estoy siempre junto a ti (this one feels a lot like that Isaac Hayes song really random I know), Agua limpia todo, saca tu mujer (probably would have been quicker to say the ones I didn't like.) Overall around 8/10
This is the album I needed right now. Such a great, up beat, cheery sounding album. Took my down and self-loathing mood and picked me up right off the ground. Now I want some mexican food.
Love this. Makes me think of being at the Tropicana Club in Cuba . There is something joyful about this music. I was jiggling away quite the thing in my seat on the bus on the way home, and you can’t ask for much more than that
All I was missing was chips, salsa, tacos, and a margarita
Can't say I've listened to much Mambo so have nothing to compare this to, but Dance Mania is easy to listen to and so cheerful. I paired my listen with a walk on a sunny day, but it would be great music to put on while cooking as well.
I don't know what's being said but the trumpet can translate anything.
Loads of fun, the kind of music you can’t help but dance to, it just makes you want to Tito all over the Puente, if you get my meaning.
Pretty fun stuff. It had me bopping my head and tapping my foot while I had my earbuds in at work.
¡Qué maravilloso álbum! Me dio ganas de bailar y sacudir el trasero. Cancion Favorita: "El Cayuco"
Love the big band feel, so fun! Could dance all night to this.
I have no reference for what is good and what is bad Latino music, it got the hips pumping and sounded lovely it has to be at least a low 4
It was indeed a mania of dance.
Listening to this on a rainy February morning in Dublin probably isn't what was envisioned when this was put together, but I'm all the better for it
Tito Puente was a great artist, but this album just didn't have the heft of somebody like Louis Prima.
Yet another artist familiar mostly by name. I'm quite excited to hear this album, since I'm not very aquainted with Latin dance music like salsa and mambo. While I'm familiar with Tito's music just a bit, I'll be the first to admit that I know "Oye Como Va" mostly from Santana's version. It's energetic, fun and makes you want to move. I have no idea what they're singing about, but the music has lots of details and intricate nuances, which is nice. Surprisingly good listen.
Soy latinoamericano, así que créeme cuando digo que no todos comulgamos con los ritmos y estilos musicales mundialmente reconocidos como típicamente latinos. Es decir, no me gusta la salsa. No es un estilo que busco escuchar, pero si suena, pues bien está. Al menos es mucho mejor que escuchar country.
This being a genre that I'm not entirely familiar with and also being in a language I don't wholly understand makes it a tad difficult to tell tracks apart, however there is still a recognizable amount of range here that, I think, is pretty impressive. This was just really phun, I enjoyed all of it. Good work, Tito. 4/5
Try not to dance. I recommend the 2 disc remaster release. 2hrs of awesome
an original, samba samba samba
Классная музыка, зажигательная. Интересный исполнитель, очень продуктивный
Great latin sound!
[Ordering drinks in a Havana cafe] Fredo Corleone: Uno... por favor... [to Michael] Fredo Corleone: How do you say "banana daiquiri"? Michael Corleone: "Banana daiquiri."
Délicieux et si familier. Un vrai canon dont il est impossible de s’imaginer qu’il n’a pas toujours été tel
A pretty good album, I liked Mamba Gozon and Varsity Drag the most.
I loved listening to this album. It is appropriately titled, as each track made me want to dance. This would be a nice background to a casual dinner party at low volume in the background.
Completely out of nowhere for me but I enjoyed it. Very much out of my comfort zone. When you have Hispanic Americans doing this and African Americans knocking out motown/soul/disco as sources of inspiration, it is genuinely astounding that white America is incapable of producing decent dance music
Couldn't resist to dance
If you’re looking for something to spin while you and your dance partner mambo the night away, you’ve come to the right place. https://open.substack.com/pub/richcain/p/project-1001-dance-mania-vol1-by?r=4ztyq&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Felt like I was at the Hong Kong Mambo, but then realized I wasn’t.
Wonderful Latin jazz album. Everything about this is first class arranging and musicianship from the tight latin percussion to the horn ensemble riffs, to the brilliant marimba feature on ‘Hong Kong Mambo’. It’s a great recording and I was surprised that this was originally released in stereo in 1957. The sense of 3D space is superb. The brass is bright but not harsh, the various percussion instruments present as one groove but can all be heard individually, and the vibraphone on track 10 is warm and clear. The various vocal features are passionate but not overdone. Overall just a joy to listen to. 4.5 / 5.
Great fun!
Just fun as hell. The 50s and Latino music was awesome. Peak culture of fun and enjoying life!
good
i enjoyed it! i don't know a lot of latin jazz besides bossa nova which feels more like jazz that has latin influence rather than this, which is more latin music that has a jazz influence. i basically think this kind of music is really hard for me not to like because i'm never going to think it's bad. yay!
I like this.
new to me and I really like it!
Fun album
Solid. Very.
Bonkers! Loved it!!
Fun Cuban Music
Good addition to the list. Feels like a classic.
Hoy toca disco de artista sólo conocido por su nombre y su aparición en Los Simpsons. De entrada, el Mambo y el Chachachá son ritmos que sirven para levantar cualquier situación y hacer que uno "cinturee" al compás de la música. Increíble cómo estas músicas llegan a artistas actuales del género urbano, neosoul, fusión, como Nathy Peluso (Mi país, Mi país). Hasta mañana
This isn't a genre I ever seek out but goddamn it's fun when it comes on. How could you not be happy when listening to this?
Confession: I was anticipating just listen to a few songs and writing the review. Instead I listened to the album twice. There is just something fun about this album that made me think mojitos, fedoras and bowling shirts dancing badly on a beach. I am no bassanova officionado, but I enjoyed this album today. I think that is the sign of a good album: the elicitation of emotion, which this achieved successfully. Key songs were the famous El Cayuco and Llego Mijas! This one might find its way to vinyl for me should the opportunity arise
I believe this is the only mambo album on the list. You'll hear Tito Puente's song Oye como va on Santana's album Abraxas, but otherwise he is representing Cuban music alongside Buena Vista Social Club and Sabu. Despite hailing from New York with Puerto Rican parents, Puente would champion an assortment of Latin music, though Cuba would take center stage as a result of the Rhumba craze starting in the '30s. Puente would utilize his Juilliard education to bring us "jazz with the Latin touch" Enter Dance Mania, a sophisticated record that respects its latin roots while giving it the flair of jazz for modern audiences (well, modern at the time). Tito Puente's orchestrations put particular value on the momentum of the groove, understanding the role it plays as dance music first and foremost. Few albums seem to impress the importance of its cultural roots as Dance Mania. A rousing success of a record.
Classic Afro Cuban
Fun listen. Good vibe. Sounds like the music from the beginning and end of office space.
Fantastic, quintessential mambo. I do wish that there were some longer songs on the album, but it is still very good.
Anything Latin is just so fun and enjoyable. You can't listen to this album and not want to move to it.
Full of bangers. I loved this. Very fitting title.
I definitely want to dance now.
I have a bit of a soft spot for this kind of music. Really evoked an atmosphere, and it sounds like the musicians had a real laugh making it. Standouts were El Cayuco and Mambo Gozon.
Very tasty!
Another great Album from the fifties. It all starts sounding a bit the same after a while though
Cuban jazz feeds my soul like few other genres of music can. I almost forgot that until I put this album on today. Love the vibraphone on “Hong Kong Mambo”! Great album cover.
Being married to a puertorriqueña and having been to Puerto Rico several times in my life, I've heard a ton of Tito Puente and have enjoyed it every time. One of my best friends in college was a Peruvian musician who also was obsessed with Afro-Cuban / Afro-Peruvian / Latin music so I was surrounded by the sound via him as well. It's feel good music that makes your hips move, your lips smile, and your body feel warm. Standouts for me are "El Cayuco", "Hong Kong Mambo", and "Saca Tu Mujer".
The peak of mambo from the master himself. Just a great all around record. Very enjoyable listen this morning.
Fun listen while cooking. Who doesn't like Cha Cha and Salsa music? I'm vacillating between a 3 and 4. Four because it's enjoyable to dance to, 3 because some of the songs bring back memories of my grandma watching Lawrence Welk. It's a holiday, so I'm rounding up!
Would never listen to this normally, but thoroughly enjoyed it. Love those horns!
Fun and festive. Great dance party said vibes.
A lot of fun! Particularly liked "Hong Kong Mambo."
So much fun!
I fucking love Latin music. This album is so groovy and fun to dance/vibe to!! Hell yeah! Would be a great one to have on vinyl. Nothing with a big Wow factor but like that doesn’t rly matter to me with this sort of music. Good shit
June 18 2025 'moa ver 1. El Cayuco. Wepa! Sabrosón, as salsa is. Hard to hate. 2. Complicación. Difícil apreciar algo más que sabrosura. Si es por mi gusto, me va a gustar todo el disco. 3. 3d Mambo. Todo sabroso, man. -Creo que solo anotaré lo que skippearía- Mi chiquita could be skipped, kinda. Hard not to like. 5 por being salsa, 3 to my likes. I'll give a 4.
Consistently good the whole way through
Good vibz. Simpsons: Oh yeah (guest star in Shot Mr Burns doesn’t get much bigger than that)
if you're looking for mambo, this album is certainly... a mambo album! it's very joyful and very groovy, unsurprisingly it IS the kind of music that you'd put on if you're dancing with yourself or with your lover. can't say too much else about it other than it's well produced and performed. everybody mamboooooo!!
4 stars. Made me wish I could do some salsa dancing.
Can't beat this album if you want to mambo. Wall to wall classics.
i love dance mania
Great album! Listened to it while driving with the top down, perfect for a beautiful day. Upbeat!!
It’s just an awesome vibe.
So fun. Reminds me of margaritas and hangovers.
This is fun and unexpected! I'm surprised this is from the early 90s. I thought this would be the '60s era. But I like the Spanish Big-Band percussions.
This put a spring in my step during my 6am dog walk.
Great fun! Would pair nicely with sunshine and rum, but still a blast on an overcast day tippy-tapping away at a keyboard. Fave track - "Cuando te Vea" sounds a little like the theme song to "Narcos", but really this album isn't about individual tracks - it's the _vibe_. 😎
Very enjoyable and upbeat
Some good stereo mixing. Great music for a sunny day or to bring some sun into your day. This album will probably come back for Sunday morning coffee here and there.
I listened on my phone speaker while working, so it wasn't a close listen. I was definitely moving my hips more than usual and had fun the whole time. It's not a style I'm well versed in, but it was pretty undeniably a good time. Album Cover: B
I killed a spider while listening to this album and it gave me the courage to stomp on it. Needless to say, it was a good album.
mambo! 4/7
The purpose of this chart I think is to ensure every genre is included and the best from each of those. As such it's a pleasure to listen to something that was around a long time ago within it's distinct bubble. I'm not sure if it influenced any music nowadays but it's very good at what it is - produced and played.
Okay a couple things: 1. It is interesting to hear the music that Carlos Santana was so obviously influenced by. I thought half of the songs were actually the original version of oye Como va. 2. What he does on this album he does amazingly well. But he really doesn't stray far from his original formula. 3. This really makes me want to have an outdoor party with grilled shrimp and rum drinks.
Joyful. I had no idea what was being sung about but you just can't stand still. Brilliant rhythms and fun. Lovely album.
Not my kind of thing but brilliant fun!
Enjoyed it, and yes it made me wanna dance!
Fun album
Legend. I could listen to this all day.
It's my cue to slip into a bikini, pop a straw into a coconut, and soak up the sunshine 😎 P.S. I heard mañana hehe