Today in Mambo, the first episode of a 2-part series about the music group Conjunto Libre.
The group was founded by Manny Oquendo. Together with bassist Andy Gonzalez, he had played in the orchestra of Eddie Palmieri. Together they started Conjunto Libre in 1974. They weren’t interested in imitating Cuban dance rhythms, but rather in the loud city sounds and the addition of jazz.
Libre, as the group was abbreviated, did not only play Cuban rhythms in their extensive repertoire, but also paid a lot of attention to their own Puerto Rican roots.
When Libre started as a spin-off from the orchestra of Eddie Palmieri they took over the so-called ‘trombanga’, which was a combination of the trombone and the flute.
Playlist
1 No Critiques
Conjunto Libre
2 Donna Lee/A Gozar Bailar
Conjunto Libre
3 Bamboleate
Conjunto Libre
4 El Jibarito
Conjunto Libre
5 Risque
Conjunto Libre
6 La Salsa
Conjunto Libre
7 Imagines Latina
Conjunto Libre
8 Tu no me Quires
Conjunto Libre
9 Decidete
Manny Oquendo y su Conjunto Libre
10 Libre’s Theme
Conjunto Libre
