Search - Arsenio Rodriguez :: La Pachanga

Its Pachanga Time!

J. Axtell | Los Angeles | 04/28/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This album was produced to capitalize on the short-lived Pachanga craze in New York City during the early 60's. The songwriting basically sounds like the standard latin chord progressions and melodic call and response patterns that Arsenio typically worked with. This album is mostly straight ahead minor key/dominant 7th arrangements. Not much on extended or altered 9ths, 11ths or 13ths, or chord substitution. Really its just the old time Conjunto format played with a Pachanga rhythm. Its not inspiring stuff and its easy to see why it went nowhere commercially (or historically). That being said, if you are an Arsenio Rodriguez fan, there's much to like, including as always Arsenio's tres lines and his songwriting approach. His songwriting style may be way out of date by this time, but I'm still a big fan of the man and his musicianship."