New LVJ Mix: 100% Descarga!

My main concern when I first started putting this mix together was that a 100% descarga mix might not offer enough variety to the listener, and might overwhelm them with too much of a good thing. Descarga tracks are usually frenetic and tension-filled, and also tend to not resolve all that nicely, so the risk of being over-stimulated by 19 of them strung together is real, yet one well worth taking. Those musical features of descarga are also why one rarely sees a 100% descarga album. Nearly all of the tracks on this mix came from albums that contained only a single descarga track, since most artists who dabbled in the style tended to use it sparingly on their albums, often as a kind of musical exclamation point put at the end (or beginning) of a side. Still, in spite of all these potential issues and pitfalls, the descarga mix that I am presenting here manages to work very well track to track and as a whole. The selections, due to their general similarity, have a way of meshing together and fully enveloping the listener in a way that a more varied mix could not. Give it a listen and judge for yourself.


LVJ Descarga Mix (113 MB), September 8, 2009
01. Fajardo Y Sus Estrellas "Descarga de Kiki"
02. Chuito Velez "Descarga"
03. Ricardo Ray & Bobby Cruz "Descarga"
04. Cachao "Descarga Guajira"
05. Willie Rodriguez "Descarga '72"
06. El Combo de Pepe "Descarga En Menor"
07. Eddie Palmieri "Descarga Palmieri"
08. Johnny Rodriguez & Angel Rene & Orq. "Descarga A and J"
09. Joe Pappy and His Combo "Descarga Caliente"
10. Johnny Colon "Descarga"
11. Lebron Brothers "Descarga Lebron"
12. Ray Perez Y Los Kenyas "Descargan Los Timbales"
13. Tito Rodriguez "Descarga Cachao"
14. TnT Band "Descarga TNT"
15. Hommy Sanz "Descarga"
16. Chorolo y su Combo "Descarga Atómica Chorolo"
17. Alfredo Linares "Descarga"
18. Bebo Valdés & His Havana All Stars "Descarga Caliente"
19. Quique Y La Sabrosa Orchestra "Descarga"