Here is “Para Ti Mi Amor” by Los Fabulosos Festival (Los Festivals or The Festivals) featuring vocalist Kabir, then known as Ernie King:
Really, what a performance, and what a song. The Festivals were led by Ronald George, who was the drummer and director. Vocalists were a rotating group of talents including Olivia Thousand, Edgar King and Kabir (Ernie King). Guitarists were Alfred Peters (left Panama in the early ’70s to study medicine in Mexico), Ricardo Yearwood and Raymond King. Melvin Wright, tumba player, sang the salsa songs, and Edgar King played tumba when Melvin sang salsa. Bassist was Carlos Danvers.
Of this time in his career, Kabir told me:
“After the Invaders I went to the Exciters, and from the Exciters to the Festivals. With the Festivals, my career was sky high. That’s when I started to get along with the Festivals, the used to do their thing in the canal zone with the Exciters. The Festivals put me on with them for one month as a test.
After a while we dropped the “Fabulous” and became The Festivals. I stayed with them for about 7-8 years, we didn’t have any problems. We went through changes, but kept our harmonious nature, the most harmonious of the combos. Cause Edgar King is a crack at harmony. Him and Melvin.
Wilfredo Reyes joined us after Alfred Peters left, he is a very good singer. We had three kings, Ernie King, Edgar King and Wilfredo Reyes. We could sing anything, the Manhattans, the Chilites, we used to do a lot of Chilites. Main Ingredient, Lou Rawls, Marvin Gaye – groups had to play the big hits of the time, or they were nada.”
Singer Olivia Thousand – Kabir called her “The Queen” – recorded the remarkable song “Que Voy a Hacer”, an Alfredo Peters original:
The Duncan Brothers, another fantastic long-lived group from Colón, re-recorded the song as “Sin Embargo” with a male vocal a few years later and had a big hit in Panama. In fact, more people seem to know the Duncans version than the original version in Panama.
Finally, here is “Algo Muy Profundo” a stunning original by Ralph Weeks with Panama’s supergroup, Los Exciters:
It’s very gratifying to me to see how many of these songs are part of the Lowrider Oldies Canon. When I was first listening to them in Central America, I kept thinking how the guys at the San Jose Swap Meet would love to hear all these tunes… little did I know those deep Soul DJs and diggers already knew these songs, since long before I did!
What’s remarkable about this song is that not only are there two amazing English versions – the original “Something Deep Inside” by Ralph with his group “The Telecasters”, and another by The Beachers with Lloyd Gallimore on organ (thanks to Cameron of Suavecito Souldies for the tip) – but Ralph recently re-recorded fantastic new rocksteady versions in both languages, backed by Combo Lulo, for my panas at the NYC Trust label:
The 45 release’s liner notes by label head Eric Banta are absolutely worth a read, as they explore Ralph’s 50+ years in music between Panama and the US.