Reviews (page 5 of 9)
Nice!
Another great upbeat Latin album. Super fun.
Saaaabor
While I've never looked into the Mambo genre before, this was a very fun record. I'll be glad to put it on more in the future. Favorites: El Cayuco, Cuando Te Vea, Hong Kong Mambo
Very fun, liked the music and the energy.
I had a great time listening to this album.
Latin Music is not something I listen to that much but this was a thoroughly enjoyable album full of songs that left me tapping my feet. A very cheerful album that has great melodies and catchy rhythms. El Cayuco is a stand out.
While I haven't listened to many mambo/Latin jazz albums, this album kept me entertained the entire listen thru. Fun sounds and great rhythm.
Actually found this really fun
Señor Puente leads an orchestra of extraordinarily talented musicians in joyous, life affirming mambo. It really is a thrill to listen to and the quality of the recording is amazing - you can hear each individual instrument and voice contribute to the sound. And whilst an entire album’s worth might become a little repetitious over time, nevertheless, you still come away with a feeling of intense delight.
I find it interesting that so many Latin American bands were led by percussionists. And Tito is the most famous of all. Even though all these songs are for the dance floor there’s still a fair bit of variety across the album. I like the instrumentals, especially those featuring his vibraphone playing and the lead singer’s super-suave voice is lovely to listen to. It’s been a long time since my salsa phase, and I’m not going to hurry to play this again, but I would say that, within the context of music coming out of the fifties, this one scores pretty high up there.
Listen to 'Dance Mania' via a huge PA system on a smoldering hot summer's night, harvest moon rising and the street party in full swing. Don't listen to Dance Mania via a cheap pair of headphones, cramped into your home office (box room) staring out of the window at a drab urban Bristol scene on a cold, damp, Autumnal work day. Even then, you can't help but have your soul stirred by Tito Puente. There's something about his music that can transport you from any place to a traditional - if not a tad cliché - Latin location, band playing 'Agua Limpia Todo', the whole village convening to salsa dance, drink cold beer and flail sevillanas on a cobbled plaza. The only disappointment of Dance Mania is that it doesn't include 'Oye Como Va', which is one of my (and no doubt many others') main frames of reference for Tito Puente, via the guitar of Carlos Santana. But you can easily forget that, the moment the orchestra chimes the opening bars of El Cayuco. All the way through to the upbeat Mambo piano runs of Saca Tu Mujer, you'll be daydreaming about being teleported to an exotic location, wondering what could've been if you'd spent your formative years learning the Cuban flamenco and listening to Mambo rather than sitting on a park bench, passing round a bong whilst listening to Limp Bizkit.
Ча ча ча для курортных романов.
Great background
4.0 - This is as good a place as any to listen to infectiously energetic mamba, played and recorded impeccably. This sounds like your drive home in the wee hours of Sunday morning when the party's over and all the bars are closed and you've got NPR cranked. Especially love the marimba solo on \"Hong Kong Mambo.\"
I don't come from a "dance culture" and I think it impairs my true appreciation of this kind of thing (and probably of life in general) but this is still clearly fire.
It was good to hear other Puente songs. The music just puts me in a good mood. (7/10) Fav. Track: Hong Kong Mambo
Put me in a good mood :D
I really loved this. It made me feel like I was on holiday. So good, we listened to it twice,whilst eating fajitas
¿Merengue?
I poured myself a drink with some rum and sat on my balcony in the sun. Fastest way to travel to a sunny country and getting the feeling of vacation that I really needed. Found myself dancing some wannabe mambo moves during this album. Do yourself a favor and travel to the sound of Tito and his band.
Cool
Shockingly got on pretty well with this!
A nice predecesor to the vast (and better) latin albums produced in the 70's New York
that was awesome - never heard it before!
Great album for reading and just to generally have on
Buena Vista Social Clubia olen välillä kesäisin fiilistellyt ja tämä levy menee aika samoille viivoille. Kun ensitahdit kajahtivat ilmoille, alkoi heti tehdä mieli rommia. Tasaista suorittamista läpi levyn. Tykkäsin!
as 'Dance Mania' permeated throughout my mind and body I found myself enjoying it. I am not sure I am going to be adding Tito Puente to my rotation of artists but when I get the hankering for a hunk of Latino dance music he is the one I shall turn to. I give "Dance Mania" four maracas filled with jalapeño seeds
Danceriffic!!!
Really enjoyed this surprisingly.
Dá calor só de ouvir, mas pô, bem divertido e dançante
Deadly album, great to put on in the background and chill with a cup of tea.
Much like Jazz, I love "Latin Music" and Cha-cha-chá, but I have a hard time differentiating it. This entire album is straight fire, but I could not really separate which tracks I like and which ones I don't like. I would buy this cd, put it in my car, and just have it play forever whenever I'm going to or from the grocery store.
Classic salsa, pretty lovely.
Disco perfecto de música afro-latina, más espefícicamente cubana. Te traslada a un club de la Cuba pre revolucionaria, con moeración, sosiego y perfecta combinación de vientos y voces.
Very good Latin music, but I'm never going to listen to it again.
Fun Latin jazz. The drums and horns are fantastic. I’m not much for dancing but this would make a great background album.
funtimes
Really enjoyed this one! Looking forward to exploring more of his albums. There are so many!!
Tito Puente for the win! Such a good vibe
Great music to work to, especially what Spotify kept playing after the album ended. Glad to have gotten more exposure to this genre, I'll definitely be adding them to my party playlists! Songs tend to sound all the same though... Highlights: -El Cayuco -Hong Kong Mambo -Varsity Drag
This was a fun listen. Dave got it right, this is awesome cookout background music.
Listening to this was an absolute delight and had me smiling the entire time.
Now that’s an awesome album. I can’t speak to it, I can only say that I really enjoyed that.
Miami!
Great album. Excellent!
Fun Latino vibes
good vibes
Fun, great background.
How absurdly fun!
New playlist material
ótimo album!
This was fun
6/27 A lot of classics on here, brought me back to DR for an hour. Standout Tracks: 3-D Mambo, Llegó Miján, Cuando Te Vea, Mi Chiquita Quiere Bembé, Agua Limpia Todo
i was skeptic at first, i kept on delaying listening to this bc 1. dance mania?? 2. what language is this? i was waiting for a time when im in ~that~ mood. but then as soon as it starts playing, im like YES! hahaha but im right, it's like those music used sa traditional dances in school. did i dance while listening to this? HELL YEA
This is that upbeat latino music they always use in tarantino etc movies to make it seem lighthearted during a shootout etc. pretty friggen catchy tho lol.
Typical 1950s South American music
🕺
Si si siiiii! A very fun listen.
A vibe. I’m not often in the mood for this vibe, but it’s nice regardless. I mean you can’t deny the musicianship
First Listen Favorites: El Cayuco Complicacion Mi Chiquita Quiere Bembe Honorable Mentions: Varsity Drag Estoy Siempre Junto a Ti Llego Mijan
I like this style of music, but this album isn’t doing much to draw me in. It’s decent but I don’t think I’ll be coming back to it
This was a fun pull. I don't know enough about mambo, or Latin jazz depending on how far down the genre rabbit hole we want to delve, to have any firm opinions about quality of music presented. What I can say is for the most part, while the songs tended to sound extremely similar to my ear, there were only two tracks that didn't work for me. "Three D Mambo" had the off-beat percussion lines that threw me for a loop, and the slower "Estoy Siempre Junto a Ti" just didn't match the energy and tempo of the rest of the album.
To quote the movie "Stripes": "Y'know, one day, Tito Puente will be dead, and you'll say, 'Oh, yes, I've been listening to his work for years.'" it's catchy. feel like having some chips and SALSA.....
I liked it. Very fun alblum. Enjoyed. I would describe as Spanish Jazz. I wouldn't purchase but would definitely listen to again. Sort on a precursor to Santana
I kind of enjoyed this… I’d listen to it again when I’m in the mood.
I genuinely don't know if this music existed before him and he made it popular, he invented it, or was just capitalizing off an existing genre, but... It's fine? I listened to volume 1 for over an hour in the car and had no idea when I one song ended and another started. But it wasn't terrible or worse brain melting boring. But it was just like having white noise on. It was. Fine.
Any given Tito Puente song is a nuclear beam of fun and you have to have a heart of stone too not enjoy it. Any subsequent Tito Puente song, you are either teaching mambo to masochists or working on a torture tape.
Rhythmically rich, joyful music that puts me in the mood for a tropical drink with smoke spilling out the top while wearing a sharp seersucker suit. But two-plus hours of this high-energy music more than gets the point across, thank you very much.
Like knowing what a Horatio Alger story is, to be a well rounded 20th Century American, you should know what Tito Puente sounded like. Like Alger, it isnt necessary to consume the whole canon to get the gist immediately.
Good
Decent album just not for me lol
Fun album, though not something I'll probably come back to (because it's too passionate and joyful for my wretched ass)
I thoroughly enjoyed thus but it also highlighted my ignorance. It sounds to me like a more polished (dare I say poppier!?) version of Buena Vista Social Club or Ibrahim Ferrer but that is the full extent (or lack of) my knowledge of this genre of music, to my shame. I must pay more attention.
Fun little mambo jam.
Outstanding production. For something that was recorded in 1958, it sounds like it was recorded in a studio yesterday with modern equipment. Is it good? Sure. But I can't decipher why this is any different than any other music I've heard at a taco joint before. Happy I listened, respect the talent and the arrangement but don't feel the need to listen to it again. Unless I'm making tacos.
Good playing, good singing. Quality album. Just haven’t been able to get super into it.
Good dance music, feels wrong to listen at home. 3.1/5
Neat
Sterk 3
Overraskende bra løpe-musikk
Hard for me to make the connection but clearly highly enjoyable!
Yeah this was a good time!
None of this sound bad, but it's definitely not going to stick with me. Kind of a in one ear and out the other album. The opening track was pretty good though. It get's a mid 3
Pretty fun, but not my usual thing so I genuinely have no idea whether this is good or bad in the world of Mambo/Rumba. It did sound a little samey to me, but I would be interested in listening to more like this though.
Warm sounds. I felt like I was in Miami (in Dexter's universe). This album is a delight.
Fine for what it is (not for me).
Classic,
Solid, but nothing that really stuck.
lol that searching 'Dance Mania' inevitably brings up loads of 90s dance mix CDs. well I feel thoroughly on holiday.
alright but gets old quick. 6/10
Latin Jazz gets me schmovin Fave track: El Cayuco
Yeah, an album that sounds like this should be included in the list. I agree with that. 3/5
Listening session: august 12th, while getting ready in the morning Listened to before: no Thoughts: I like this type of music because it always puts you in a good mood and makes you dance Favourite tracks: Complicación, Mambo Gozon & Estoy Siempre Junto a Ti
Такой хороший дансинг
I don't have much to say about this album besides mentioning how fun and brassy it is. This is most likely my first Mambo album I sat down and fully listened to though it is not my introduction to Mambo. Mambo is one of those BIG-DISTINCTIVE genres that's hard to miss. It doesn't resonate with me as much as I would hope but I do like it. It's hard not to. T3: Saca Tu Mujer, El Cayuco, Hong Kong Mambo
You know that the Latin population is always having fun when they play their music. This was fun to listen to , and i would listen to it again, but not necessarily seek out the record. 3 stars
A fun old school jazzy album. Sadly I probably won’t remember much of it.
Very nice to see Puente on here - he brought so much to a changing musical scene in the USA. Think about Bad Bunny today, one of the largest artists ever, and where it might have all begun. I feel that he has stronger albums and the mix is a bit harsh at times, especially with the brass. But it sounds nearly live, and so many of these songs are great and catchy, introducing his ability on the maramba to the mainstream. Not much to say, other than a fun pick. A great place to start with mambo music... Just need a few cumbia and bachata albums to add to the list!
Great upbeat, fun 50s dance album. Wouldn't normally listen to it, but certainly can't knock it. Lovely to have a mix-up from what I would normally listen to. 7/10
Giving this a 3/5 because even though this isn't a sound I ever find myself craving, it wasn't a boring listen at all and I'd still take this over all the 1s and 2s I've given out so far.
I'm a 40 something year old white dude, so my knowledge of Tito Puente extends to his guest role on The Simpsons. But, yeah, I dig this. It's getting me moving this morning.
How critical can you be of a 70 year old album? I'm going with not very critical. It's fine, it's not my jam though. Was it ground breaking? Probably? Does it all sound pretty tired now? Yes.
I like Latin music, but you can’t tell me that it’s not all so similar. That said I still danced in my chair.
fav songs: el cayuco mambo gozon estoy siempre junto a ti latin, playful, crafty 65/100
It did hold up the promise of being great dance music, I just wish every song wasn't really similar
Kuunteli mielellään ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Correcto
Buenardo este. Obviamente un género que no escucho para nada, además es latino pero más bien caribeño. Pero con cosas como esta se entiende que bad bunny haya hecho lo que hice con dtmf y está perfecto. Suena un poco a cumpleaños de una tía, pero no puedo relate más porque suena muy centroamericano. De todas formas, es latino. 7 son los puntos.
Very nice Latin dance album. I understood ‘bailar’ and ‘cerveza’. What more do you need? 3.4/5.0
good tropica album, bosh
Bueno para amenizar la mañana. Tracks con mucho ritmo y llenos de sabor. Igual y el género no es mi hit, pero imposible no pasársela bien con este disco.
I didn’t really care for this one.
legal
Jovisst!
Kul energi men verkligen något som jag så mycket hellre skulle lyssna på live än någon inspelning.
This was great to do dishes to
When in the mood… good groove
*1958. Latin jazz. *This feels like being in Cuba and is a fun listen, but it's also restrained and jazzy. So more like the background music you'd find at an upscale jazz bar in Cuba, as opposed to loud party music. Although the trumpet gets a bit aggressive at times. *I dig it. RATING - 7/10
Not something I’d put on unless it were background. A very fun album and listing of familiar tracks
Just a good time, really. Even when it felt a little like elevator music, it was very pleasant.
El Rey de Los Timbales! Viva Tito! Latin Jazz had a moment and apparently the editors of this book were there for it. This is not as good as either Sinatra/Jobim or Santa covering Oye Como Va. This all sounds like the soundtrack to a Rat Pack movie. It's not unpleasant but it's not really getting to me either. Every song sounds more or less the same, I am clearly not a mambo afficionado.
ziemlich funny zu hören & actually will man tanzen (in lab3). 3.14 sterne
Fun stuff, wouldn't listen often but would absolutely listen again!
Pretty standard fair for the genre. Not unpleasant but not exceptional
Can't say I succumbed to the title mania but I can say it will definitely get your hips moving.
Pretty fun to listen to. Yeah, it's good.
The Good: We’re gonna dance! The Bad: We don’t know how to dance salsa… The Ugly: Dancing like a chimp amongst gyrating hips… My ex liked salsa… which means I don’t… Can I appreciate what Tito did on this record? Yes, for a couple of songs. However, an entire album starts to feel too repetitive… and makes me want to dance even less! Still, this music beats having to listen to some of the other assorted crap I’ve had the displeasure of listening to… Oh, and hurrah for Wikipedia, as I always thought Tito Puente was Cuban… but he be a NYC homeboy. 3*
Such an amazing sound throughout the album. Was a little worried about two world music albums so close together but it definitely had an original sound to it. El Cayuco and Cuando Te Vea were my faves.
Can't say I was blown away but I wasn't bored either
Just a nice listen. 3.5/5
Best of the mamba
Generic, but pleasant enough south american samba bossa aiyi yi fodder.
5/10
It's a name I've heard but never knowingly heard any music by. I totally get why this would be here, I imagine it was very influential in Latin Jazz worlds and in bringing that to a bigger audience, much like Buena Vista would do many years later. Musically it still holds up... It's a fun time, with infectious grooves and rhythms that keep the toes tapping and I'd definitely return to it in certain circumstances.
I wanted a little more mania from dance mania but it was nice 3.5
Fun!
J’écoute la version de 38min et non celle de 2h Alors là c’est vraiment pas ma tribu. Jazz latin salsa ?? Je trouve ça répétitif au bout de 1 chanson Bon au moins c’est plutôt gai, il faut se laisser prendre au jeu. 3-D mambo est OK 5/10 ?
I presume this was seminal at the time but it does sound like Cuban stock music now. I do like that every third word is either bailar or cha-cha, really adds to the cruise ship dance floor feeling. Bossa nova still wins the Latino music style for me.
Enjoy this genre - transports me to dirty dancing land - however never reach for it
Did the impossible task of putting me in a good mood before I had my morning coffee ☕️ maybe I'll become a Mambo Guy now?? Was reminded of Who Shot Mr Burns? throughout
It's a good self-development exercise to take the allegedly artificial, hollowed-out genres like marimba-heavy Latin jazz and try to hear them like they were when they were fresh. Tito Puente's orquesta is inventive and committed and makes the task easy, while simultaneously making you move your meat suit.
Príjemné počúvanie, latino v prijateľnej podobe. Veľa naraz by mi asi uškodilo...
In all honesty, I probably would have never listened to this album had it not been a 1001 album selection. What a delight, just a feel good musical experience. Really liked it.
This must have been one of the first four mambos before the form was perfected on the fifth attempt.
Just an infectiously fun record.
Mambo is fun! You won't be reflecting the next day about its lyrics (unlike salsa), but you will have a blast.
Pleasant, but not my beat or pace. ★★★
It's definitely dance mania!
An interesting curveball, but one that didn't end up thrilling me. Not something I see myself coming back to, but not a waste of time to see it in the first place.
Really good sound to work to.
El cayuco - 4 Complicacion - 3 3-d mambo - 3 Llego mijan - 3 Cuando te vea - 4 Hong kong mambo - 3 Mambo gozon - 3 Mi chicita quiere bembe - 3 Varsity drag - 3 Estoy siempre junto a ti - 3 Agua limpia todo - 3 Saca tu mujer - 3
Not my music to go to but bc im latina i love the connection i have with that music
Loved that. Great happy energy.
This was really enjoyable, it almost made me want to learn how to do the mamba, samba or whatever it was. It made me feel happy and that's always a more healthier emotion to be evoked. When's the second LP coming out Tito?
Love that one day you're listening to a punk rock album album, next thing Latina samba album. Enjoyed but also I had had enough of it by the time it finished
Big Salsa Energy. Really fun listen, makes you want to go for a dance.
Mambo Gozón
I guess this is good for people who like this type of music.
Would rate higher if this was in my taste profile, but alas it isn't.
Fun dance music with actual songs. Dreary electric duos from the 90's never learned.
I love the energy in this album. It was so much fun listening to the percussion and how it was presented front and centre in the mix. Tito Puente is a legend! Liked Songs Added: Varsity Drag
Found myself dancing by myself, doing some salsa moves that I didn’t know I had.
sunny day
omatsuri mambo
Awesome but it'd be nice to have more Spanish-language music that's actually from Latin America
Percussive and fun! But the fun gets overwhelming about half way in.
interesting songs really. I preferred tracks number 6, 10, and 11. all other songs are fine though it felt repetitive, at least to me. I liked it regardless.
Fun but samey
Fun album, feels like i am sat in a restaurant on holiday. It's all a bit the same but at least its all fun.
3
Enjoyable and energetic album, excited for more tracks that I recognize
Fun
fun
A fun Latin album I enjoyed most of these songs but I can't see myself listening to this again it's just not something I would usually listen to. 6/10 Favourite: El Cayuco Least Favourite: Mambo Gozón
Nice, but like a great beer, any more than enough is enough. 1 album from Bosa heyday is enough.
Love the feel of it. Not a normal listen, but still a good one
good rithm, maybe not my thing, but I like a few songs
Confusing looking at this album on Apple Music as it shows that the artist is a classical artist, but then you play the album and it's Mambo.
Fun album that I wouldn’t have heard before this.
Fun music. Just not my vibe.
Makes me want to throw on the old banana hammock mix up a daquiri and start a Congo line in the sand! This album screams summer to me. Great horns, bass and drums to go along with some cool Latin singing. I can dig it
MAMBO I’m kinda just glad I rolled something that wasn’t another old rock record. Don’t really have much to say about this, it was refreshing, I enjoyed. Probably won’t ever come back to it.
I have no problem with music as pure, good-time entertainment, particularly when it is executed as beautifully as this is, is as joyous as this is, and can infect your limbs with a need to move as successfully as this does. I may be making assumptions about the lyrics since I don’t speak Spanish and I haven’t taken the time to investigate translations, but they don’t seem likely to be too deep. Apologies if I am mistaken. To reiterate, I have no trouble enjoying music that is all surface and no meaning. The trouble for my rating here is that when the art is presented with aesthetics as the fundamental objective, then I need to judge on aesthetics alone. I have already used words like beautiful and joyous, and this music delivers so well in all that it tries to do, but while those aesthetics would be easy for me to revel in given the right context (maybe a carnival, a big wedding or a hotel lounge) I wouldn’t, by choice, make the decision to enjoy them. I have lots of records and I often add something unusual to my tastes if I enjoy it and think it will positively broaden my collection. This would fit that category, but I am confident I wouldn’t listen to it so that won’t happen this time. Sorry Tito and any mambo fans reading this; I respect the hell out of Dance Mania, but I can’t embrace it.
Chévere para bailar, me gustaría aprender
Repetitive, but really fun. I wish I could dance.
Alkaa tehä mieli pelata Simssiä ku tätä kuuntelee :D Absurdia kuunnella tätä kun on tosi vaikee ja raskas päivä. Ehkä siks just hyvä!
High energy, fun album Standout song Hong kong mambo Saca tu Mujer
Party time. 3.5
6.0/10
Not my sort of thing but I liked it enough. Sounds like an audio shortcut that would be used in a film/tv show to quickly convey to the audience where/when the scene was set.
liked this a lot more than I expected! My own personal issue with foreign-language music is that I care too much about lyrics to really enjoy it or seek it out. Exceptions are when I have some other point of reference or context, like the soundtrack to Wim Wenders’ BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB. So, while I will probably never revisit this Tito Puente record, I appreciate the influence it’s had on some of my favorite artists like Joe Jackson and Kirsty MacColl (especially her TROPICAL BRAINSTORM record).
Very, Very upbeat. Fun to listen too. Didn't understand a word of the lyrics. Not a genre I would explore but ok to listen too.
easy to listen to! extra star for being in Spanish
Little old fashioned but not bad
Nice background music
Not my style but it's hard to be in a bad mood while listening to this!
#892. Look, it's not bad per se, I just find it kind of annoying. I'm just going to skip most of it before it gets annoying enough to give it a worse rating than it maybe deserves. 3/5: whatever
Not my kind of music, i appreciate lyrics and i can't speak Spanish, i prefer slower music. Not saying it's bad just not my thing
I've not heard of Tito Piente I've not heard Dance Mania I've not heard any singles It's a fun album. I can see why this is in the list. It's not likely something I'd listen to again.
Pretty fun, but felt very long and a bit samey.
Nice dance music
This is a fun listen - many famous songs from so many movies over the years. If I'm ever in the mood to connect with Cuba, this is a go-to. In this regard, not sure I would ever listen to this album in regular life. 3/5
I only knew Tito Puente from his time on The Simpsons. It was a great latin/mambo record. Not something that's likely to call for my attention often, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
this was so beautiful and fun!
This was fun! I probably won’t ever listen again but it was good motivational music while I was working.
Solid music hut the vocals aren’t my cup of tea
Favorite track(s): El cayuco, Llego mijan, Mi chiquita quiere bembe
shevgondi
Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5
God variasjon. Men lett ironisk at vi skal til USA for å få Samba...
Really fun listen. It fits as background music when I'm working.
First Listen; 3.5; Very fun album. I thought that the novelty of this (for me) might wear off, or that it might become repetitive, but it was fun throughout. One thing that stood out to me was how punchy and dynamic the production was. I suppose that's in part because of the instruments used. Favorite Track: El Cayuco
it's pretty good for the listen but feels samey after the whole time Will I listen to again: 1%
It was fine, but also I didn't realise it had finished and similar songs were being played on Spotify for 5 songs.
Nothing wrong with this. An interesting listen. Not really my style, but I can't rate it too low.
Was für den richtigen Anlass
Fairly simple but quite fun. Was a perfectly fine listen but I can't see myself returning.
Great Latin bandleader, and band. Great Latin sound.
Tito Puente is a legend in Latin dance music and this album is full of classic mambo songs. It definitely is a good representation of this style of music. Even though I'm not super familiar with the style, it always gets me tapping my toe and makes me feel like getting up and dancing!
I listen to this on the radio so often.
Getting an album by a Puerto Rican artist a day after Bad Bunny's Halftime show is either a cosmic coincidence or it was on purpose. Music that makes you want to get up and dance, such a contrast to the snow outside rn 3/5
There is a line between musical style and repetitive. I think this strays a bit over the line into repetitive, so I can't fault other reviewers commenting about it. While I tend to agree with them, it doesn't bother me on this album. A buddy of mine is a salsa band leader, and serendipitously, has pre-primed me to hear what's great about salsa and mambo (specifically Tito Puente) music. Without him, I'm not sure if I ever would have appreciated this or looked forward to listening after seeing it on the 1001 list. ⭐⭐⭐.75
viel lebensfreude und rhythmus.
I don't need to listen to this again to know I probably won't ever give it more than 3, but nor will I ever consider giving it less. It's nice, but not quite my rhythm. I think live it would be a lot more fun. But easy to listen to while doing something else. Happily listen to more, mind you, without complaint.
Стильний латино-джаз, класика жанру. Танцювально, позитивно. Але не можу сказати що це мої улюблені гармонії. 3.5 загалом.
3/5
Good vibes, made me wanna salsa down the sidewalk
Introduction to seminal albums in genres i have no history with are always welcome and i have a soft spot for Latin music that sounds like sunshine. This ticked along nicely and i enjoyed the salsa rhythms but its not something ground breaking.
An absolute groovy start to a Thursday morning in the office
It's alright
I fear i didnt set dance mania up for success listening to it on the train to work but still pretty fun! The trumpets at the start i wasnt a huge fan of and i wasnt differentiating heaps between the songs but i reckon i mostly came round by the end.
It feels like we’be been on a real round the world trip this week. This album unfortunately reminded me a lot of this Christmas cocktail lounge album my parents always put on when I was growing up, which I hated, but this had a few fun moments. Particularly enjoying the beginning of Hong Kong Mambo, which I found quite thrilling (the rest of the song not so much)
Fun tracks that make you want to dance but little variety
I have heard of Tito Puente but never listened to his music. This was good. This is one of those albums and musical types you may have never known or thought of without following this list.
Not something I would typically listen to, but was pretty good
A bit repetitive but fun for a Latin party maybe
I mean pretty good. Not the kind of music I'm immediately reaching for but you can tell it is incredibly well made and thought out. I'd say the major knock against it to me is there isn't a star in the bunch that really elevates it, a lot of the track somewhat all blend together. Which is fine if that's the purpose but at some point it approaches entertaining background music, though I'll likely eat my words when I learn this did lead to a Dance Mania at times
perfect for a salsa party.
5.5/10 Highlight: Hong Kong Mambo
Not my kind of stuff, but fine to listen to in the background.
This is a tough one to rate. Did I like it? Yes, quite a bit! Did I like listening to such a specific genre far outside my usual listening for a sustained period of time? Not so much. In short, each individual song - great. An entire album - less great. 3.5 stars.
Relentless, high-energy grooves built from blazing horns, rapid-fire percussion, rolling piano figures, and driving bass move this mambo album like being swept onto a crowded dance floor where the only instruction is to keep moving—pure, functional, sweat-soaked music made to dance to rather than stop and think.
3/5. A fun slice of danceable mambo music. Not bad but not particularly noteworthy and even with its short runtime it’s quite samey.
I liked this, fun, upbeat, made me want to dance. It feels formulaic and cliche, but maybe because it created the cliches? I really don’t know. I’m disappointed by the lack of information on this album’s impact. I found, essentially, a character study from the Library of Congress, but it says little about this album itself. I read the AllMusic review, but it essentially synthesizes some facts about the album, without saying much about its greatness or importance. I generally try to work impact into my ratings, especially for genres I’m less familiar with (like Latin jazz). Given this lack of context, I’ll base it off of my listening experience: it’s good, sounds pretty high fidelity for its time, it was enjoyable, but not mind blowing. I wish I felt stronger opinions, but I just don’t.
3.5
I think this is cool. I feel like I'm vacationing in Cuba in some old movie. 3.5 stars.
3.5
Mambolicious. High 3.5 for the music. Strong 4 for the lady on the cover even if she does seem to have a weird massive scorpion leg for a right arm.
60/100. For a record that’s nearly 70 years old, this still sounds great. It’s one of the few times I’ve really sat down with mambo as a genre. The energy is lively without being overwhelming and the arrangements feel bright and full of movement. It sounds like the kind of music you’d want playing at the beach.
Great for background or getting a groove on. But this album is very same - all of the tracks blend into each other and sound alike. Upbeat and fun, but nothing extraordinary. 3
Presumably the only artist on the list who was suspected of shooting Mr Burns. Good fun, not sure I'll ever listen to it again though.
Latin dance album from '57 that' swings with mambo, salsa, cha-cha and guaguanco rhythms. Nice.
It's fine. The music is fun and everything. I am lyrics based person, and since I sadly only speak English it's just not clicking with me. That's not an issue with the album, it's a me problem
Not bad. Love the horns
I'm currently in a bit of a bit of Samba/Calypso stage of my music listening life right now, so this fit in pretty nicely... 3.5 Stars
That was good fun, but like being in a hotel in Spain in the 1970s Better than I expected not being overly fond of Latin music !
So thats laten jazz, it's okay I guess.
This brings a really specific, happy energy to the room. It’s fun and functional; a perfectly solid backdrop for a sunny afternoon. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - El Cayuco - Agua Limpia Todo - Sacu Tu Mujer
Mind if a white boy speaks a little spanish
I enjoyed this and it put me in the mood to move, but I don’t think I’ll end up listening to it again.
great album to get ready to
Great album but not really my thing
Wow, this is tight!! I am sure many a baby has been conceived to this music. This would be amazing to see in a club.
Стильно и бодро, но как-то в сердце не проникло.
6/10 - I love salsa and Tito is known for oye cómo va (which isn't on this), it's ok but more of an innovation of it's time rather than something you'd hear when you go dancing
CHA CHA CHA!
Easy listener!
2.5. listenable but I don't need to hear it again
Took a while to like but I like the female vocals and the saxophone 🎷 Not what I'd usually listen to though Fav: Estoy Siempre Junto a Ti
Parece un poco aburrido.
Less than a mania. More of a fad.
dance minia
Technically excellent. Strong energy and emotion. What's the Latin term for funky? Anyway, some of the rhythms and melodies are so heavily played and copied, it's almost a caricature. OK, but not hugely enjoyable on this occasion
I like it a lot, it remind me of the parties back in Latin America. A bit repetitive, in the long run.
Very nice but not really interesting. Machulski movies soundtrack ahh album.
Tito Puente’s biography runs a fascinating course; a Spanish Harlem son of immigrants musical prodigy who, through the unlikely means of military service, studied widely across musical traditions at home and across Asia. I wish I had the knowledge to better read that bio back in the music – I’ll just have to keep trying – but for now I’m grateful for having a mambo/salsa album I can call on whenever the mood strikes. Tito Puente, true globalista.
This was a pretty nice album, enjoyed having it in the background while I was doing stuff. It makes you shake a little bit.
Not something I’m going to reach for a whole lot, but very good for what it is. 3.5/5
I've heard some Tito Puente before and I remember liking it a bit better than this record. This record is certainly fun and enjoyable to listen to but it just didn't really do it for me today. I can't say I like another album better because I don't really know any other albums he did, but I seem to remember liking what I'd heard prior to this one better. A good album, not a great one. I think I would revisit this again sometime just to see if I was too harsh on it today. 3/5
Good jazz album. Would give it 4 stars but I couldn’t rate it the same or higher then the Duke Ellington album.
cha cha good, but doesn't particularly interest me in any way
mamboooo. fun. sehr fun. ersti zwei songs sehr upbeat und sie singed suuper tight. sehr geil. aso s wird so bliibe nimi aah haha. three d mambo seehr geils blöser arrangement. bi llego mijan singt e frau und sehr cool. wart bi cuando te vea ischs glaub die gluch stimm und es isch glaub er?? öh geil. trompete seeeehr geil mann. haha mambo gozon fuuun. mi chiquita quiere bembé was isch bembé? ich check nöd was mambo isch. glaub zerdt das denn salsa? es isch recht cool alles aber scho iiiimmer s glich. d ballade hends nöd würkli ufgmischt. git e 3.
I had absolutely no prior exposure to this — neither the artist nor the album. So: Cuban music, salsa. Nice. It’s lovely to listen to. I’ve been into salsa ever since my trip to Cuba in 2016, though I mostly know the more modern recordings that blew up after the success of Buena Vista Social Club in the late ’90s. That’s why it’s great to hear a truly classic recording for once — this album is from 1958, just a year before the Cuban Revolution. The whole thing is super cheerful and full of energy. It puts you in a good mood instantly. Not great for working in the background, though — it’s a bit too lively for that.
If only Señor Burns was on this album. Alas, still enjoyable.
Mambo music not my thing but not a bad album.
I like Cuban jazz but I'm way too out of my depth to comment on it meaningfully. That I'll write a whole review of hip-hop and not this should tell you just how little I know. Worth a listen!
Good for this style, not something I’d seek out unless I was having a party
Tito is nice, good dinner making music
Easy listening like Stan Gaetz 3
Not for me sure it’s fun but not my style
Mambo! Ok. I mean- it’s really well done, and it’s fun to listen to. But It isn’t touching my soul or anything. It’s fine. THREE STARS
Listened to this watching the sunrise over Mexico City. Gives it a bonus star.
Quite enjoyable. Would need to be in the mood to play it again. But if I was in the mood I might just put Santana on...
Oh cool another album to play on white people taco nights.
V/rv
A bit of Latin joy here, and great to listen to while you're pottering around doing the housework or preparing your evening meal, as it's impossible to listen to without swinging your hips and imagining that you're out there on the Strictly dance floor. If your only exposure to mambo, salsa and cha cha cha was stuff like Lou Bega's Mambo Number 5, this album shows you how it was done properly. A solid 3 stars.
I like it as period music for mafia movies set in Miami in the 50's. 3 stars or C.
Fun, upbeat album. Pretty enjoyable for an occasional listen.
This was a joy. It was fun and exciting!