Orlando Marin 45s on Fiesta: "Lucky Cha Cha Cha" & "Carmelo"

For some reason, the cha cha cha musical form seems to lend itself to corniness (unlike, say, mambo), and when it comes to 50s cha cha cha, the songs are usually either brilliant or boring (and there are lots more boring ones), so it is easy to develop an aversion to the style before actually hearing the good stuff.

The two Orlando Marin songs below are both late 50s cha cha cha tracks that stand out by employing a percussion sound that is markedly louder than what one might hear on an average cha-cha track. This heavier sound is achieved largely with the cowbell, which is right up front and getting worked for everything it's worth on these two songs. The plodding style in which the songs are played also adds to their uniqueness. I would compare the sound to a busy construction site, where the clang of metal on metal, metal on wood, and metal on concrete are central to the daily soundtrack. In other words, these dudes are putting in work.


Listen

Listen