''Cuban Dance Party'' is a 1959 album by

Bebo Valdés Dionisio Ramón Emilio Valdés Amaro (October 9, 1918 – March 22, 2013), better known as Bebo Valdés, was a Cuban pianist, bandleader, composer and arranger. He was a central figure in the golden age of Cuban music, especially due to his big b ...

and his orchestra. It is an entirely instrumental album, including

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s an ...

renditions of chachachás, mambos,

afro The afro is a hair type created by natural growth of kinky hair, or specifically styled with chemical curling products by individuals with naturally curly or straight hair.Garland, Phyl"Is The Afro On Its Way Out?" ''Ebony'', February 1973. ...

s, etc. It was released in the United States by

Everest Records Everest Records was a record label based in Bayside, Long Island, started by Harry D. Belock and Bert Whyte in May 1958. It was devoted mainly to classical music. History The idea for starting a label was related by electronics inventor Harr ...

stereo Stereophonic sound, or more commonly stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that recreates a multi-directional, 3-dimensional audible perspective. This is usually achieved by using two independent audio channels through a configuration ...

, which makes the sound quality particularly good compared to other Cuban albums of the time. It features Humberto Suárez, long-time pianist of the Orquesta Cosmopolita, on organ on two tracks. Having directed radio and cabaret orchestras for two decades, this was one of the first albums recorded by Bebo with his own '' jazz-band'', known as Orquesta Sabor de Cuba, which featured jazzmen such as saxophonists Edilberto Escrich and Santiago Peñalver. Several of their recordings, including "Ítamo real" and "Sasauma", became hits at the time. However, shortly after the end of the

Cuban Revolution The Cuban Revolution ( es, Revolución Cubana) was carried out after the 1952 Cuban coup d'état which placed Fulgencio Batista as head of state and the failed mass strike in opposition that followed. After failing to contest Batista in cou ...

in 1960, Bebo left Cuba and went into a long hiatus which lasted until 1994. The album cover makes a reference to the revolution by showing

Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (; ; 13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and president from 1976 to 200 ...

patrol cap A patrol hat, also known as a field cap, is a soft kepi constructed similarly to a baseball cap, with a stiff, rounded visor but featuring a flat top, worn by military personnel of some countries in the field when a combat helmet is not required. ...

with a '' 26 de julio'' inscription.

Critical reception

''Cuban Dance Party'' has received generally positive reviews. A contemporary review published in ''

The Billboard The Billboard () is a massive granite monolith in the Sarnoff Mountains of the Ford Ranges of Marie Byrd Land, West Antarctica, standing just west of Mount Rea between Arthur Glacier and Boyd Glacier. It was discovered in November 1934 by a Secon ...

'' praised the sound of the album and its "liveness". Mark Romano of AllMusic called the album "a peek back to a glorious golden era", highlighting the "great arrangements" and the "top form" of the orchestra.

Track listing

References

{{Authority control Cha-cha-cha Bebo Valdés albums 1959 albums Everest Records albums