Johnny Pacheco and Jerry Masucci could never have imagined the success and cultural importance of Fania Records when they founded their label in New York in 1964. With a legacy of launching household names, prioritising a fusion of different styles, and being praised for promoting salsa music to the world, it seems that most musicians within the Latin genre, and beyond, will be able to tell a story of how the imprint changed their lives. For Fania’s 60th anniversary, we’ve asked a few of these figures to regale us with tales of their favourite albums and express what the label, providing a soundtrack for so many Latino and Latina households, means to them.

Ray Barretto

Acid (1968)

Chosen by Alex Figueira and Harvey Averne

Alex Figueira: With a trippy cover that has likely deceived many psychedelic rock collectors, Acid is a landmark of true Latin funkiness that gave Barretto a much-deserved taste of commercial success without sacrificing his jazz sensibilities.

A faithful testament to the transitional Latin sound of its time, the album strikes a unique balance of playfulness and precision. Throughout the entire recording, the musicians can be heard calling out parts and encouraging each other to hit their instruments with extra fervour, making it nearly impossible to distinguish between what’s arranged and what’s improvised. These factors, combined with the impeccable production of Harvey Averne and his aggressive, gritty sound, have made this one of the few Fania albums equally praised by salseros, jazz aficionados, drum break sample hunters, mods and soul music fans.

I first heard it during my daily bus commute to school in Caracas, where passengers were commonly force-fed the entire Fania catalogue through the bus speakers. When I heard it in its entirety for the first time, I found myself subconsciously singing along to the chorus of ‘Sola Te Dejare’.

The album is not only a great listen but has also been of significant educational value to me from a musician, composer and producer standpoint. When I was learning how to record and mix, I referred to it recurrently for sound colour and separation. When I was learning to play bass, timbales and congas, I found great inspiration in the lines of Bobby Rodriguez, the fills of Orestes Vilató, and, of course, the power of Barretto himself, who wasn’t nicknamed ‘Mr Hard Hands’ for no reason.

Harvey Averne: This album is jazzy, it’s boogaloo, and it completely changed my life. Ray came into Studio A at RCA, the most expensive studio in New York at the time, to record it with me. He was the most prepared artist I had ever worked with. Everything had to be done his way, he was the king. The arrangements were rough around the edges, but this was exciting. These were young guys, some weren’t even schooled in their instruments, but they had heart and lyrics that spoke to important social issues.

Up to that point, music was a weekend thing. When I started working with Fania, I was immediately writing and recording. My fondest memories, believe it or not, are from that period, and I’ve had a good life. It gave me a chance to travel and play. It’s extraordinary what we were able to accomplish.

I like to say that I produced Acid and Acid produced me.

Celia Cruz & Johnny Pacheco

Celia & Johnny (1974)

Chosen by Ana Carla Maza

Ana Carla Maza: This album captures the pure essence of salsa, and Celia Cruz shines with an energy that is simply contagious. Every song, but particularly ‘Quimbara’ and ‘Toro Mata’, has incredible strength and reflects the richness of Latin musical culture. It always brings back good memories and fills me with energy, especially when I need inspiration or an emotional boost.

Fania Records is a symbol of Latin music at its finest. It is a fundamental part of our musical and cultural history, and it has brought some of the most influential artists of all time to the world. To me, it represents the perseverance, creativity and passion of Latin music.

Fania All Stars

Live at Yankee Stadium (1975)

Chosen by Silvana Estrada

Silvana Estrada: I love listening to the people going crazy after each song on this album. For me, this is one of the most beautiful live concerts ever.

I listened to this album a lot when I was a kid, but the moment I really fell in love with it was during lockdown. I was missing touring so much, and this album reminded me of the magic which happens at a concert. I held on to that for many, many months.

This album is also a source of answers. It’s one of those recordings that will give you information every time you…listen to it. It’s full of beautiful truths about performing, togetherness and partying.

Fania is one of the most interesting movements in music history. It’s music that can tell sad, real stories about our communities, and somehow still shines a joyful light on all this pain. It’s a healing force to me.

Ray Barretto

Indestructible (1973)

Chosen by iLe

iLe: I’ve never gotten tired of this album because it’s so full of attitude. It contrasts aggressive arrangements with the articulate and jazzy voice of Tito Allen, making everything sound so well-balanced.

I would always listen to albums like this while driving in the car with my dad. He would ask me who each song was by and it became a sort of game, but also a musical appreciation class. It made me delve deeper into the distinct style of each salsa artist and it’s still something I do today when salsa comes on the radio.

I think that what makes record labels have true value and meaning is their artists. Fania Records should be eternally grateful for having such talented musicians who brought authenticity and respect to salsa music.

Celia Cruz

Queen of Salsa (1996)

Chosen by Juanita Euka

Juanita Euka: I was drowned by the sounds on this album. Celia’s voice impacted my soul in so many ways and I was obsessed with how the arrangements came together.

Last year I was given the role of Celia Cruz for an immersive theatre show [see the photo above] which reimagined Festival Zaire ’74 in Kinshasa. This was attended by Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco, but also by artists like James Brown and Sister Sledge. To get to play the Queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz, and sing ‘Quimbara’ was a dream come true.

Celia Cruz embodies so much for me, particularly as a female Afro-Latin artist. Celia gave me permission to sing in that style and continuously pursue music.

Willie Colón & Rubén Blades

Siembra (1978)

Chosen by María José Llergo and Combo Chimbita’s Dilemastronauta

María José Llergo: I first heard ‘Pedro Navaja’ in my little village at a festival. I was so excited; I ran around asking everyone what the wonderful song I had just heard was and soon discovered the whole album.

There has always been a Fania song that has accompanied me throughout different stages of my life. It’s a blessing when this happens with music. Quality music is what lasts and makes us better people and musicians. Thank you, Fania.

Dilemastronauta: My dad used to own this album and I remember looking at the cover with the naked babies from different races. The song ‘Siembra’ has a very philosophical connotation and the music is superb. Fania is sort of a time capsule that brings me back to my childhood and has become a major source of inspiration for me because of the creativity and the groove that is always present in all Fania artists and recordings. Some of my favourite drummers play on Fania albums, like Billy Cobham, Alphonse Mouzon, Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, Poncho Sanchez, Giovanni Hidalgo and Carlos ‘Patato’ Valdez. The list goes on and on. But, Rubén Blades is a storyteller and I go back to this album when I want to hear amazing horn arrangements.

Orchestra Dicupé

Orchestra Dicupé (1972)

Chosen by Meridian Brothers’ Eblis Álvarez and New Regency Orchestra’s Lex Blondin

Eblis Álvarez: I was buying records at a famous salsa shop in Bogotá’s downtown. At this point, I was living in Denmark, so getting my hands on salsa records hadn’t been easy.

Excited, I asked the seller to recommend some music and he handed me this album. I was listening on the bus with my Discman (yeah, a Discman!) and ‘Inferibious’ came on and I thought, “Oh my, this is something different.” In one of the cuts, a feedback delay is introduced in the trumpets. This was typical of Willie Colón, who I was obsessed with, but with a touch of something I could call ‘an alien variant,’ I was hooked.

Years later, I learned that the genius making the arrangements was Luis Esquilin! He helped create the perfect song order, the balance of the studio sound of the compositions, plus the touches of the ‘Jamaican’ [dub] delays are amazing. The really impressive thing about this album is that it’s not avant-garde or left-field – it’s so innovative while remaining ‘salsa dura.’

Inspired by these brilliant Luis Esquilin twists on the salsa standard, 20 years later I made Meridian Brothers & El Grupo Renacimiento. I’m not as bright, of course, but I confess that I copied some mambos and voicings of Luis Esquilin…

Lex Blondin: I came across this album during lockdown when I was looking for more salsa gems on Discogs to brighten my days. I had quite a few solo dance sessions in my room to this one. It’s a rare record with solid songwriting and arrangements throughout. I love the coros [call-and-response vocals] from Ismael Quintana, they bring a real depth to the tunes. It’s all bangers, no fillers.

La Lupe

La Lupe es La Reina (The Queen) (1969)

Chosen by Daymé Arocena

DAYMÉ AROCENA: My favourite album is La Lupe es La Reina, but I’ve never bought it. I do now have a bootleg version of it, but I don’t remember exactly how I came by it.

My grandma forced me to learn the song ‘Si Vuelves Tú’ by heart by the time I was five years old so I could be her personal radio. When I started listening to La Lupe, I was truly astonished to discover that she was the same woman whose songs I used to sing for my grandma. It was a before-and-after moment in my life. In that album, she gives a masterclass in interpretation. She is the embodiment of interpretation.

Fania All Stars

Live at The Cheetah Vol I (1971)

Chosen by Roberto Fonseca

Roberto Fonseca: The energy and majestic interpretations on Live at the Cheetah are mind-blowing. The first time I listened to it was at home with my father. A friend of his gave him a cassette and we could not stop listening over and over. Fania All Stars is a band that has inspired musicians from all generations.

Willie Colón

The Hustler (1968)

Chosen by Orquesta Akokán’s Jacob Plasse

Jacob Plasse: I honestly can’t remember the first time I heard Willie Colón’s ‘Eso se Baila Así’, but I have a distinct memory of being at Bembe in Williamsburg late at night around 2015 and DJ Mickey Perez spinning it and the place just going nuts. That album, The Hustler, has a bunch of great tunes on it, but ‘Eso se Baila Así’, with its wall of distorted trombones, percussion breaks and builds, the claps and coros straight from boogaloo, that’s a party in a recording studio. One can only imagine what was going on in the control room!

This is the sound of the Bronx in 1968, the sound of Fania – a powerful, new expression of the Afro-Cuban, Afro-Latin and African-American diaspora merging in sound.

Ray Barretto

Irresistible (1989)

Chosen by Nathy Peluso

Nathy Peluso: When I was very young, before La Sandunguera [Peluso’s debut release in 2018], I was getting into salsa and listening a lot to Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe, and Ray Barretto in particular. Me voló la cabeza (It blew my mind). This album is very special to me because I discovered it on vinyl during my early days of exploring salsa. I played it every morning, so I know it by heart. [The song] ‘Llámame’ takes me directly to a very special and sweet moment in my life. I’ve always felt a fascination with this album. It has a power, which taught me a lot about the vibrant energy in salsa. It’s an album which has been with me through the most difficult moments in my life and always brought me balance, strength and courage.

Fania All Stars

Rhythm Machine (1977)

Chosen by Ana Tijoux

Ana Tijoux: I choose Rhythm Machine because of ‘Juan Pachanga (Daylight)’. I remember when I was very young, in France in the 80s, that song was always at home. I’m crazy about trombones and this is one of the most elegant arrangements that I’ve ever heard in my life. I remember all the Latin [people] going crazy over it in France. I was dancing salsa in Paris, and I remember all the kids dancing in the back trying to learn the steps [of the adults]. It was a lot of fun.

I think Fania is the perfect mixture of jazz and salsa and perhaps the perfect mixture of migration of Latin Americans to North America, and how migration changes culture and brings something new, like in the music. It shows how important it is to be aware and to mix and to know about other cultures.

This article originally appeared in the November 2024 issue of Songlines. Never miss an issue – subscribe today