Day 14: Live at the Cheetah, Vol. 1- The Fania All-Stars

Que Viva la Musica

Note: This post is part of a series where I listen to an album each day in December. Past posts can be found on my substack. All hyperlinked songs go to Spotify links, Youtube links can be found at the end of the post.

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Live at The Cheetah Vol.1 is culturally, historically, and personally significant to countless people worldwide. Just this month I have listened to a few albums with spectacular lineups, which are made up of some of the most significant voices in their genres, but Live at the Cheetah feels like more than a meeting of minds. Every member of this iteration of the Fania All-Stars would go on to have a tremendous influence on salsa music. These essential figures joined forces and began the salsa revolution of the 70s. Together they form a supergroup that are my musical heroes.

This album is a snapshot of an important musical moment and a historical audio archive of young Latinos in the 70s. This is the first live album I’ve listened to this month and it’s what a live album should be. The audio quality is good and the audience is present, engaged, and loving every moment. I enjoy hearing their whistles and cheers, they can help to visualize The Cheetah in your head. If you struggle with imagination, we’re incredibly lucky to have this evening recorded for a film called Nuestra Cosa Latina/ Our Latin Thing. By hearing the conversations with the audience you can learn a lot. Through the album, I learned the same Symphony Sid who was a radio pioneer in jazz world, was a champion of what he called “Latin Americana.” You can hear accents that have changed with time, the use of spanglish, and every name in the band.

What I would give to be a fly on the wall in this room. The music and crowd reaction is a testament to live music, its power, and the energy that unites an audience. All of the times that I’ve listened to this record, it only dawned on me today that the session took place on a Thursday night. I know Thursday is pretty widely considered a part of the weekend party rotation, especially for college kids, but consider this; most of the people attending this event weren’t in college (that’s not to say none of them were) many of them would have to wake up the next morning for work, but being out dancing and listening to a band with some of the most cutting edge musicians who created music validating your specific cultural upbringing can’t be missed.

This album is fun. It’s fun for a plethora of reasons. It is danceable, singable, funny, and relatable. It’s fun for the audience, but also the musicians. For example, “Descarga Fania” is an almost 10-minute jam. Bobby Valentine takes one of my favorite bass solos in the world and from the start, you hear his bandmates cheering him on. One voice in particular, Cheo Felicano’s, stands out. He encourages him with, “Dime lo lindo, Dime lo ahora. Que hace rato llegaste y no me haz dicho na′ Bobby// Say it to me pretty, Say it to me now. You’re been here a while and you haven’t said anything to me” and “Me entiendo, Bobby. Me entiendo!// I understand, Bobby. I understand!” “Quítate Tú” is an even longer tune at 16:45 that vamps as members of el coro sing cute stories before musicians solo. You feel how the Fania-All Stars were a family, and maybe this would be their peak meeting before fame and personalities changed. It’s not to say that music didn’t stay fresh, but I like to imagine that this was when everything would change, and a fond moment for all of those involved.

Everything about the album feels communal. From the moment this performance took place, it was an offering to the fans, dancers, and listeners who wanted to have fun on a Thursday night.

I get emotional listening to this album. I don’t know why, maybe it’s what it represents or because I see it as a simple moment of joy that unites me with my culture. A culture that can be misrepresented or written off easily, but it is also a culture that persevered and created spaces for creativity, enjoyment, and rebellion through performance.

Back of the album with listed personnel

There is so much I want to say about this album. It is an album I feel deserves so much praise, and as I fight through my exhaustion to write this, I hope my love for it is clear. In the future, I’d love to come back and write about things like the film “Our Latin Thing,” or the woman staring on the cover art. For now, enjoy the album. My favorite song is “Anacaona.”

Until Tomorrow,

Emily

Listen to Live at The Cheetah, Vol. 1 on Youtube.