The Gran Manzana of the '60s, the era of the boogaloo and Latin soul, was an enormously creative and rackety time. This was the era of East Harlem Black-Latin crossover. It brought forth names still famous -- Barretto, Pacheco, Colon -- and names forgotten -- Pagan, Bataan, Colon. Here is Ray's original "El Watusi," and Joe Cuba's "Bang Bang," M...

The Gran Manzana of the '60s, the era of the boogaloo and Latin soul, was an enormously creative and rackety time. This was the era of East Harlem Black-Latin crossover. It brought forth names still famous -- Barretto, Pacheco, Colon -- and names forgotten -- Pagan, Bataan, Colon. Here is Ray's original "El Watusi," and Joe Cuba's "Bang Bang," Mongo's "Watermelon Man," and a dozen other pearls of musical mayhem in a purely neoyorquino style, the looming típico revolution was about to kill stone dead, to the great loss of the scene. ~ John Storm Roberts, Rovi