Soul Station Feature: Miguelito Valdes

Mamita Cambia

Although he came to the US in 1940 and stayed, the great singer Miguelito Valdes continued to return to Cuba to perform and occasionally record, at least until the revolution. This particular recording seems to come from one of his last trips, and probably dates from 1957. He is backed by a very late version of Orquesta Hermanos Castro, a large band that was active and recording as early as 1931. This is a really great record, and by its arrangement, someone was quite influenced by the Perez Prado brass sound and how it makes a mambo or mambo like dance music really work!

DJ Pi/Paul Yamada