1978: Volume V
Areíto LD-3766

click here for our timba.com review with audio samples

We haven't gotten to this album in Roots of Timba, but it's almost unbearably good, especially Con el chenche, Nena, así no se vale, Maritza, and La Ritmo te está llamando -- just to get started. Of these, you can find Con el chenche on Cuban Gold Vol. I, and the others on La Ritmo Oriental te está llamando. Two more important tracks, Tiene nivel and Juan Primito, are a provided by Historia de la Ritmo, Vol. II.

1978-1981 - Not on LP

Cuidao con la percussion is one of Ritmo Oriental's greatest and most famous songs and can thankfully found on Cuban Gold 2. We've never heard the B-side, Ay mujer. We found the numbers "LD45 762" in Cristóbal's list. It might have been released during a period where 45s were made to be sold at some special festival that occurred in near the end of the decade, possibly Festival de los estudiantes y la juventud where Irakere recorded the live concert that became La colección, Vol. 4.

Amor a mi tierra cubana can be found on two different vinyl compilations.

Personnel Changes: Ritmo Oriental's peak lasted about 18 years, and during that time they had less personnel changes than any other major Cuban band. The most notable change was the addition of Tony Calá as their most prolifici singer and writer, but Tony had already been in the band playing violin for several years. It was only when Juan Crespo Maza was sidelined with a throat operation that Tony was drafted as a vocalist. The rest, as they say, is history.