Here are a trio of very heavy tunes you may not be familiar with from the early ’70s on the Isthmus. First is “Baila Muchacha” by Almafuerte/Woodstock in Panama. Check the cover art of the LP! Tille remembered the band as part of a brief hippie/Latin Rock wave in Panama that included the Ortega brothers (Dirk and Cancer) who appear on the much sought after Sally Ruth label Bolita y Su Tentacion Latina LP.
The brothers were both accomplished musicians (Dirk on Piano, Cancer on Guitar/Vocals) who later released the protest LP Sale de Su Cantina America Latina which included the song “Tropicomunista.” Tille told me their mother was a well known Professor, and the boys spent time in Paris in the late ’60s, returning to shock their peers by spraypainting walls in Panama City.
I found the following biographical info on Woodstock on Henry Gorgona’s “Pro Museo de la Musica Panameña” FB page:
WOODSTOCK…Banda de Rock icónica de los años 60´s conformada por Enrique Malek, Bey Mario Robles, Joaquín Vallarino, Junior Contreras, Agustín Leiro, Roberto Bocanegra y el legionario Esteban “Chicho” Arenas a quien se le considera como el padre del Rock Nacional , igualmente conformaron la Banda posteriormente Georgie Thomas y Franz Gutiérrez.
Fue la época del Golden Key o la Llave Dorada, que al igual que las bases militares de Clayton, Howard, Kobee, Albrook, tenían Pub Bars para la diversión de las tropas norteamericanas acantonadas aquí y, nosotros eramos las estrellas del momento.
Es importante recordar y situarse en el momento histórico para visualizar que lo que hoy se conoce como el área revertida eran pedazos de Estados Unidos dentro de Panamá. Para los músicos de esa generación fue todo un privilegio poder tocar en todos esas locaciones que conformaban la antigua Zona del Canal de Panamá y sus bases militares, que eran íconos de la potencia más grande del mundo y en donde el talento nacional rock fue reconocido por primera vez en todo su esplendor.
The second song was supposed to make it’s way onto a followup comp of Panamanian songs from this era but licensing headaches have made it nearly impossible to do so at this point. Please enjoy the Latin Monsters Soul Boogaloo “Walk On” on Loyola (1971?):
Again, I have no biographical data on the group but they did release at least one other very interesting 45 on Loyola where they cover “Mrs. Robinson and “I feel free.”
Finally, here is “Cahuita” by Bocaraca on RCA (1974), a group from the gorgeous Limón coast of Costa Rica that shares a common culture with Panama’s Bocas del Toro archipelago just across the border. Biographical information (and song lyrics in patois!) is available on the other youtube post of the song by the band themselves. I chose this video because the sound is better (Qvo Miles?). Turn it up!