Maña - Por Fin ... Comenzó La Fiesta (2007)

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Maña - Por Fin ... Comenzó La Fiesta (2007)

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The Bronx-based band Maña were co-founded in 2001 by New York salsa stalwarts Ray Rosado and Victor Maldonado. Ray is the longtime composer, arranger, chorus singer and hand percussionist with the Bronx-based pianist and bandleader Wayne Gorbea and Victor has played percussion with the likes of Gene Hernández' Orquesta Novedades, Yomo Toro, Tito Nieves, Miles Peña and Johnny Ray. "Maña's mission is to continue the salsa dura tradition, doing their part to keep it alive, with original material as well as covers," says Ray.
After a break of two days I listened to Por Fin for a third time, and discovered that "Azucaré" and " Comenzó La Fiesta", both written and arranged by Ray, had already insinuated themselves into my system. Then Ray's re-working of the Arsenio Rodríguez classic "Monte Adentro" hit me! Ray is a cunning fox, because the album is real grower, and this is the knack of his arrangements. They imperceptibly get under your skin. Maña's sound can be reminiscent of Wayne Gorbea, but that is no bad thing and not surprising in view of Ray's creative input to Wayne's bands over the years. Deep swing (to borrow Peter Watrous's apt expression) pervades.
There should put an advisory sticker on the CD case saying "Guaranteed to be addictive after just three plays!!" I'm going to put it back on again…