Happy Time Cha Chas commits all the known sins against Latin music, but perhaps because it is so blatantly cheesy, it manages to impress. First,
Ricardo Juarez sounds like a made-up name. Second, it is an
Enoch Light production following on the heels of his two
I Want to Be Happy Cha Cha Cha albums. Third, these are all North American "society" dance classics madeover as cha cha chas. But of course that is what an album like this is all about: rinky-dink,
Prado-esque organ riffs, suspended-in-midair channel separation gimmicks, and tight, unambiguous arrangements, right down to the "for dancing" percussion. With disbelief suspended and all hopes for a true Latin listening experience forgotten, it is possible to enjoy
Happy Time Cha Chas, one of the more winsome Command/Grand Award percussion albums.