On the East Coast, conventional wisdom has it that there's no Afro-Cuban music scene in California (where it's much easier to find the type of banda and tejano bands favored by Mexican audiences than salsa or Latin jazz). But while New York and Miami may have a lot more salsa bands than L.A., it's erroneous to say they're nonexistent in Southern California. This compilation sends out a message that in fact, L.A. does have some high-quality salseros. Orchesta Siva's "Latino Latino," Bobby Matos & Heritage's "Tradicion,"
Francisco Aguabella's "Pronto Salsa" and
Bongo Logic's instrumental "Steamy" prove that some L.A. residents have indeed mastered Afro-Cuban music. In fact, some New Yorkers and Philadelphians may be surprised just how well they've mastered it. This obscure collection is indeed worth searching for. ~ Alex Henderson