Search - Orlando Contreras :: En Un Beso la Vida - Los Boleros del Despecho

ORLANDO CONTRERAS- "EN UN BESO LA VIDA"

L. Dequesada | JAMAICA,, NY United States | 10/08/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

""EN UN BESO LA VIDA" is a great compilation of recordings made by the great late cuban singer and bolerista Orlando Contreras (Havana,Cuba 1930-Bogota,Colombia 1994).Contreras style gives the boleros a unique style which won him great popularity not only in his native Cuba but also in latin america and even europe. Contreras started singing in Havana back in 1944 with a rookie group called the "Conjunto Kalamazoo", probably named after an early 40's Glenn Miller big band hit song. Years later around 1956 he joined the famous Neno Gonzalez Orch. as well as the Arty Valdes group and conjunto. In 1958 he started his career as a soloist recording for several cuban labels such as "Gema" and "Maype". He also made several hit recordings with the great Enrique Jorrin Orchestra on the "Gema" label, which were smashing hits. The songs included in this CD are mostly from Cuban sessions with the Severino Ramos recording studio conjunto in Havana's Radio Progreso during the late 50's and early 60's and later in New York City during the late 60's thru early 80's for the Miami based "Teca" label accompanied by a recording studio conjunto mostly under the direction of cuban pianists and maestros Javier Vazquez and Alfredo Valdes,Jr. "En Un Beso La Vida", "Mi Corazonada", "Por Un Pun~ado de Oro", "Por Borracha", "Sin Egoismo", alone are "worth buying the ticket". If you like boleros with that "bar room/jukebox feeling", don't miss this CD. I highly recommend it."