Cheo Feliciano came to prominence as the lead singer of the Joe Cuba Sextet from 1957 to 1967, recording albums with the group for the Mardi Gras, Seeco and Tico labels. However, he fell prey to drug addiction and went into personal decline. His only recorded output during this period were sessions with the Cesta All-Stars, Eddie Palmieri and Monguito Santamaría. In 1969 he admitted himself to the Hogar Crea drug rehabilitation centre in Puerto Rico for about three years treatment. While in rehab, Cheo signed with Fania’s subsidiary Vaya label, and much to his surprise, his 1971 solo debut Cheo was a runaway success. Witness to the contract was Catalino "Tite" Curet Alonso (1926-2003), who co-produced and wrote most of the project, including the hits "Anacaona" (the single sold over 140,000 copies), "Mi Triste Problema" (the single was no. 1 in New York and a top 5 hit in Puerto Rico) and "Por Que Afinquen". "Por Que Afinquen" allowed Cheo to reintroduce himself to his eagerly awaiting public and criticize rivals who sought to grab the spotlight during his absence, depicting them as insincere and unable to sing in clave or dance! Cheo made a further nine solo albums for Vaya between 1972 and 1982. It’s documented that he had differences with Fania over remuneration in the mid-’70s and moved to Puerto Rico to distance himself from the company. After his Vaya stint, he made five albums for his own Coche Records label (1984 to 1988), then hooked-up with Ralph Mercado’s RMM label in 1990. – John Child
Cheo Feliciano discography

After leaving his native Panama in 1966, singer and composer Azuquita recorded with Roberto Roena, Kako, the Salsa All-Stars and Cortijo between 1966 and 1969 before recording two solo albums on small labels in the early 1970s. He joined the Fania stable in 1975 and in addition to releasing two solo albums on Vaya, recorded with Kako on Alegre, Louie Ramírez on Cotique and made two albums with Típica 73 on Inca. Believing he had completed his commitment to Fania, Azuquita relocated to Paris in 1979. However, the label contacted him in 1980 to inform him that he owed them an album. He said he would only comply if he could record with the big band of Tito Puente, who, being aware of Azuquita’s popularity in Paris, jumped at the chance. The upshot was that he provided lead vocals and penned half of Puente’s 1981 album Ce’ Magnifique for Tico Records. The album made little commercial impact at the time due to lack of promotion from Tico. Azuquita continued to be active on the salsa recording scene into the 2000s, making at least 11 albums for various labels. – John Child
Azuquita discography

Singer Luisa María Hernández (1920-2006) had just turned 60 when the phenomenal success of the SAR label briefly revived her career in the 1980s. Born in El Cobre, in the province of Cuba formerly known as Oriente, she became "La India de Oriente" at the beginning of the 1940s. She worked in radio and TV and performed with names like Trío La Rosa, Barbarito Díez, Celia Cruz and Julio Gutiérrez before relocating to the USA in 1960. Recordings she made with Trío La Rosa in Havana between 1949 and 1954 are compiled on Yo Fui La Callejera: Con Trío La Rosa (Tumbao, 2001). She made two albums for the Gema label, Guajiras y Décimas and another with Julio Gutiérrez y sus Guajiros. Between 1980 and 1982 Luisa María recorded three wonderful albums for the SAR sister label Guajiro, ¡Desde El Cobre Con Amor!, La India de Oriente and Buenos Dias Africa, and sang lead vocals on one track in SAR All Stars Interpretan A Rafael Hernández ‘81 on SAR. Her final outing was La Reina de la Guajira ‘85 on the SAR descendant Caimán. The anthology La India De Oriente collects four tracks each from ¡Desde El Cobre Con Amor! and Buenos Dias Africa. Most of the SAR house band were on the sessions, including trumpeters Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros and Leonel Sánchez, bassist Marino Solano, bongosero Juan Méndez, tres player Charlie Rodríguez and conguero Alberto Valdés. Alfredo Valdés Jr. played piano and cast all the arrangements in the characteristic rootsy SAR mould of extended tracks with plentiful soloing opportunities. – John Child
La India de Oriente discography

The hoo-ha caused by the deserved international success of the trademarked Buena Vista Social Club over the last decade has eclipsed the significance of a number of major US-based Cuban artists. One example is trumpeter Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros, a prominent name during the era of Cuban music Buena Vista nostalgia harks back to, and who actually performed with legends such as Septeto Habanero, Arsenio Rodríguez and Beny Moré, among others. He took up residence in New York in 1960, and after working as a sideman with numerous luminaries, including Machito, Larry Harlow, Eddie and Charlie Palmieri, he became a bandleader in 1974. His debut album, Chocolate Aqui (Carib Musicana, 1974), was followed by three productions for Mericana / Salsoul between 1974 and 1976: Juntos, in collaboration with Cuban vocalist Roberto Torres, Chocolate Caliente and Chocolate En El Rincon. In 1979 he became a house musician with SAR and the related Guajiro and Toboga labels, recording with Torres, Papaíto, Henry Fiol, and many others including the SAR All Stars. In addition, he fronted a conjunto with a trumpet / trombone frontline for three beautiful típico Cuban LPs, Prefiero El Son (1980), Y Sigo Con Mi Son (1980) and Chocolate Dice (1982), all produced by Torres and predominantly arranged by Alfredo Valdés Jr. The three albums are compiled on Lo Mejor De Chocolate Vols. 1 & 2, but without personnel details. All the material conformed with the SAR policy of stretched-out numbers with plenty of spaces for improvisation. He then went to the new Caimán label for the Latin jazz sets Chocolate en Sexteto (1983), Rompiendo Hielo! (1984) and Chocolate y Amigos (1995), and the big band project Chocolate & His Cuban Soul (1997). Though far from Buena Vista Social Club proportions, Chocolate received recognition in the DVD The Cuban Swing: Tribute To The Legend Chocolate Armenteros, Live In Puerto Rico (Mundo Libre, 2006), the first release he had headlined since 1997. discography
- John Child