Monday, March 24, 2008

Israel "Cachao" Lopez, 1918-2008

















Farewell.

Israel "Cachao" Lopez died in Florida on Saturday. He was 89. He was to mambo what Bill Monroe was to bluegrass. Even if Cachao wasn't the inventor of the sound, he was an integral participant in its creation. Master Sessions, Volume 1 was released to great acclaim in 1994. Three years later a similar project, Buena Vista Social Club, surpassed the commercial success of Cachao's comeback album. As heard here, the Master Sessions are unspeakably joyous. Now's a great chance to rediscover Cachao. Here's a video of one of his '90s recording sessions. Yes, that's actor Andy Garcia, who served as Cachao's sponsor in his final years.

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Kansas City Click: I've long contended that Armor For Sleep are one of the rare Warped Tour-style bands that stands a strong shot at enjoying a prolonged mainstream career. They play an early show for the kids tonight at the Record Bar. A Cursive Memory open.

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