Goede salsa Cubana van Javier Rodriguez "Chocolate" op "Camina A La Cima" 2008 CD op Envidia.

"Chocolate," a/k/a Javier Rodriguez, a singer from Santiago de Cuba, a disciple of Candido Fabre, has performed with Conexion Latina, Chepin Choven and Havana`s Danny Lozada y su Timba. Backed by an Envidia all-star band, including Pedro Pablo on bass, the man puts on a festival of shouting, dance music. The music`s trombone heavy, and could have been recorded in Colombia or Venezuela just as easily as Cuba, salsa with a touch of timba, but mostly it`s straight up salsa, loaded up with good time sensibility, his rough voice egging everyone on, the band, the audience, and probably himself. This is well played, hard, tough dance music the man tells funny stories sometimes, and the street`s all over this one, in a good way. Like the music from the East of Cuba, it has a touch of country to it, more mainstream salsa, also, less influenced by the modern styles of Havana. It`s got great quaint moments, where he lets loose as a singer, like on La Moda, where he goes into a break asking those in love in the audience to put up their hands the coro changes, the harmony changes, and he starts stretching out, singing percussion figures, some just sound, some words then the shout outs, Puerto Rico first, then Spain, then New York and Miami and Santiago. Innocent, but not so innocent. Highly Recommended. (review by Descarga) 2008 release.

1. Camino A La Cima

2. Meneito Rico

3. La Moda

4. Cuchi­n

5. Vengo Acelerao

6. Viernes Prohibido

7. El Chocolate

8. Yo Siente Un Bombo

9. Tu Tienes Comentario

10. Pica Pica O Jiribilla