Here is the song that gave the record label it’s name – “Fania” by Estrellas de Chocolate. Estrellas de Chocolate are one of the three great Son Montuno Conjuntos that spun off the master Arsenio Rodriguez’s Conjunto when he left Cuba in 1952, which list in my mind also includes Conjunto Modelo and Chappottín’s Conjunto.
The song speaks for itself. I must have heard it a thousand times now and it’s still fascinating every time. I have never been able to find a translation of what the lyrics mean or what language they represent (Palo language (Kongo/Angolan), Yoruba, Dahomeyan, or possibly Abakua?). It may be that, as Alexander Abreu says, “El que sabe esta callao.” Love if anyone can share insight here.
Not only did Johnny Pacheco name his label “Fania”, but he also covered the song on the label’s debut LP Cañonazo (1964). I won’t embed that here, because I find that version pretty boring, even with the great (young) Pete “El Conde” Rodriguez singing – it’s like 3rd graders playing compared to the maestria of Estrellas de Chocolate. Just my opinion.
Fania (the label) did however release an interesting version in 1979 on Chamaco Ramirez’s only solo LP “Alive and Kicking”
The notes for the LP on the Fania site are excellent (but could use punctuation?) and summarize Chamaco’s place well: ” If Ramírez had never done anything else, his recordings in the 1960s and 70s with Tommy Olivencia alone should have been enough to cause him to be held in the highest esteem. They are some of the best salsa tunes ever put to wax. Yet his tragically short solo career, occasional stints in jail, penchant for crime to support his drug habit, and momentary disappearances from the scene (ending in his untimely death in 1983), have contributed to his remaining largely unrecognized in the pantheon of salsa greats. “
A documentary about Chamaco appears to be stuck in post production due to the new owners of the Fania catalog having unrealistic financial goals from the doc (google aguzate chamaco and find their fb to learn more & see how you can help if interested). Shame because what a fascinating artist, and story. He was definitely one of the most interesting soneros of the period, as the Fania site has it “Like Ismael Rivera, Chamaco had a way with improvising lyrics, word play, and rhythmic delivery.” This version is arranged by the great Javier Vasquez (son of La Sonora Matancera’s original bassist Bubu Vasquez) in between assignments for Ismael Rivera’s Cachimbos:
If you like Chamaco, check him out live with Tommy Olivencia’s band doing “San Agustín Puerta de Tierra” in 1981. It’s the first song on this awesome footage that the investigators from Aguzate apparently found while researching the project: