"Love Fever" occupies a position in Timba history similar to that of NG La Banda's "En la calle". Both albums broke dramatic new musical ground and announced the arrival of a major creative force on the Timba scene. Both sound as fresh and powerful a decade later as they did when they were released, and both marked the beginning of a long string of brilliant albums. In the case of Charanga Habanera, the flow of creativity has never waned or wavered in spite of controversy, stardom, government censorship and wholesale personnel changes.

NOTE: For more information on this album, see "Clave Changes in the Music of Charanga Habanera" which takes another journey through these 8 tracks from the point of view of analyzing the percussion section.

NOTES ON THE AUDIO EXAMPLES:
(unless otherwise noted, all excerpts are from "Love Fever" on Milan Latino Records)
audio example 3 - equalization added to accentuate bass part
audio example 5 - from the 2nd CH album, "Hey You Loca" on Magic Music Records)
audio example 09d - from "De La Habana" from "Con la Conciencia Tranquila" by Paulito FG on Nueva Fania Records
audio example 11 - from "Todo Fue Mental" on "De Buena Fe" by Manolín on Metro Blue Records
audio example 13 - from "Pa' Que Tu Sufres" from "En la Calle" by NG La Banda on QBDisc Records
audio example 18b - from "Y Ahora Qué" from "Con la Conciencia Tranquila" by Paulito FG on Nueva Fania Records
audio example 19 - from "La Expresiva" from "En la Calle" by NG La Banda on QBDisc Records
audio example 24 - from title track of "Yo No Me Parezco a Nadie" by Bamboleo on Ahi-Nama Records

SPECIAL THANKS: Majela Serrano, Marcos Morales, César Díaz, Joanna Goldberg, Alexey Berlind, Curtis Lanoue, Juan Carlos González, David Calzado, Allan Johnston, & Rebeca Mauleón-Santana.