Bravo Soy Yo

This is a reissue of timbalero/bandleader Willie Rosario's first album, recorded in 1963. The 21-year-old Bobby Valentín was the arranger, and Frankie Figueroa was the vocalist. The early stage of this orchestra relied on the already established stylings of Tito Puente and Tito Rodríguez (where most of the band's repertoire was derived from), but the notoriously compact quality of the rhythm section is noticeable. A first effort by one of salsa's longest-running organizations. ~ José A. Estévez, Jr.