Bataan Nitollano, also known as Joe Bataan (born 5 November, 1942)[1][2] is a Filipino and American Latin soul singer, songwriter and musician best known world-wide and in the Hispanic and Latino music scene as the "King of Latin Soul".[4]
Bataan Nitollano was born in New York City, United States in 1942, and grew up in the 103rd Street and Lexington Avenue part of East Harlem in New York.[5] He was the son of a Filipino father and African-American mother and he was raised in a Hispanic American family.
Career
In 1966, he formed his first band, the "Joe Bataan and the Latin Swingers". Bataan's music was influenced by two musical styles: the Latin boogaloo and African American doo-wop. Though Bataan was neither the first nor only artist to combine doo-wop-style singing with Latin rhythms, his talent for it drew the attention of Fania Records. After signing a record contract with them in 1966, Bataan released Gypsy Woman in 1967. (The title track is a Latin dance cover of "Gypsy Woman" by The Impressions). He would, in full, release eight original titles for Fania which included the gold-selling Riot!. These albums often mixed energetic Latin dance songs, sung in Spanish, with slower, English-language soul ballads sung by Bataan himself. As a vocalist, Bataan's fame in the Latin music scene at the time was only rivaled by Ralfi Pagan.[6]
Disagreements over money with Fania Records head Jerry Masucci led Bataan to eventually leave the label. While still signed to Fania however, Bataan secretly started Ghetto Records, a Latin music label which got its initial funding from a local gangster, George Febo. Bataan produced several albums for other artists, including Papo Felix, Paul Ortiz and Orquesta Son and Eddie Lebron.
In 1973, he helped coin the phrase "salsoul", lending its name to his first post-Fania album. He recorded three albums for the Salsoul of Cayre brothers, (Kenneth, Stanley, and Joseph)[7] and several singles, including "Rap-O Clap-O" from 1979 which became an early hip hop hit. After his 1981 album, Bataan II, he retired from music-making to spend more time with his family and ended up working as a youth counselor in one of the reformatories he himself had spent time in as a teenager.
In 2005, Bataan teamed up with producer Daniel Collás to break his long hiatus with the release of Call My Name, a well-received album recorded in New York for Spain's Vampisoul label.
In early 2009, Bataan was featured in the Kenzo Digital-produced "beat cinematic" City of God's Son. Bataan was featured as the narrator of the story, playing the part of an older Nas reflecting upon his youth in the street with cohorts Jay-Z, Ghostface Killah, Biggie and Raekwon.
In 2014, he met Osman Jr, from French group Setenta which, in collaboration with promoter Benjamin Levy, leads him to play for the first time in Paris in June 2015 at Le théatre des Etoiles, followed by a historic live at the Jazz Mix de Vienne in France. In September 2015, Bataan sang "My Rainbow", a soulful bolero composed by the French band. This title was released in 2016 on the album Paris to Nueva York released by Latin Big Note. With Setenta as this backing band, Bataan travels and plays on famous scenes as Selma in Stockholm (Sweden), Ronnie Scott's (London), the FGO (Paris), the Summer Stage in New York and the Théatre de la Mer of Fiest'a Sète (France).
In 2016, Bataan (along with the Barrio Boys) performed at the FANHS National Conference in New York- where 500 conference attendees danced to his music while cruising the Hudson River on the Hornblower 'Infinity'.[9]
In 2017, Bataan appeared in the Puerto Rican-American film "Shine", and he collaborated with Spanglish Fly,[10] the boogaloo revival group based in New York City, to record New York Rules, written by Manuel Garcia-Orozco and Jonathan Goldman, released on the band's Ay Que Boogaloo! by record label Chaco World Music.[11] Singing lead vocals, Bataan includes references to his famous songs "Subway Joe" and "Rap-o Clap-o." The Huffington Post calls this recording "charming, spellbinding and irresistible."[12] A remix of the song is included on the soundtrack to She's Gotta Have It (2019), written and directed by Spike Lee.
In 2024, Bataan, along with other artists as Ozomatli and Puro Bandido[13] headlined for the festival Latin Rock on the Dock in Vallejo, California.[14]
Personal life
Bataan is married to Yvonne Bataan; their daughter is singer Asia Nitollano.
Fania Records is a New York–based record label founded by Dominican-born composer and bandleader Johnny Pacheco and his American lawyer Jerry Masucci in 1964. The label took its name from a popular luncheonette frequented by musicians in Havana, Cuba that Masucci frequented when he worked for a public relations firm there during the pre-Castro era. Fania is known for its promotion of salsa music.
Boogaloo or bugalú is a genre of Latin music and dance which was popular in the United States in the 1960s. Boogaloo originated in New York City mainly by stateside Puerto Ricans with African American music influences. The style was a fusion of popular African American rhythm and blues (R&B) and soul music with mambo and son montuno, with songs in both English and Spanish. The American Bandstand television program introduced the dance and the music to the mainstream American audience. Pete Rodríguez's "I Like It like That" was a famous boogaloo song.
Raymundo "Ray" Barretto Pagán was an American percussionist and bandleader of Puerto Rican descent. Throughout his career as a percussionist, he played a wide variety of Latin music styles, as well as Latin jazz. His first hit, "El Watusi", was recorded by his Charanga Moderna in 1962, becoming the most successful pachanga song in the United States. In the late 1960s, Barretto became one of the leading exponents of boogaloo and what would later be known as salsa. Nonetheless, many of Barretto's recordings would remain rooted in more traditional genres such as son cubano. A master of the descarga, Barretto was a long-time member of the Fania All-Stars. His success continued into the 1970s with songs such as "Cocinando" and "Indestructible". His last album for Fania Records, Soy dichoso, was released in 1990. He then formed the New World Spirit jazz ensemble and continued to tour and record until his death in 2006. He is the father of American vocalist and saxophonist Chris Barretto, best known for his work with Periphery and Monuments.
Gilberto Miguel Calderón, known professionally as Joe Cuba, was an American conga drummer of Puerto Rican descent widely regarded as the "Father of Latin Boogaloo".
The Fania All-Stars is a musical group formed in 1968 as a showcase for the musicians on Fania Records, the leading salsa music record label of the time.
Salsoul Records is an American New York City based record label, founded by three brothers, Joseph Cayre, Kenneth Cayre, and Stanley Cayre. Salsoul issued about 300 singles, including many disco/post-disco 12-inch releases, and a string of albums in the 1970s and early 1980s.
Larry Harlow was an American salsa music pianist, performer, composer, band leader and producer. He was born into a musical American family of Jewish descent.
Juan Pablo Knipping Pacheco, known as Johnny Pacheco, was a Dominican musician, arranger, composer, bandleader, and record producer. Born in the Dominican Republic, Pacheco became a leading figure in the New York salsa scene in the 1960s and 1970s as the founder and musical director of Fania Records.
Barron W. "Barry" Rogers was an American jazz and salsa trombonist.
Seguida is a Latin Rock Group from New York., who were winners of the 1976 Latin NY Magazine "Best Latin Rock Album" award.
Ralfi Pagán was a Bronx, New York-based Latin soul and salsa singer of Puerto Rican decent who was active from the mid-1960s until his death in 1978. He specialized in soul ballads, sung both in Spanish and English and released five albums during the 1970s. He is well known for the duet with Sylvia Robinson entitled Soul Je T'aime and for his solo reworking of Make It With You previously recorded by David Gates and Bread. Ralfi toured with music producer and promoter Eddie Torres for several years throughout the Southwest United States. Prior to leaving on tour Ralfi visited Eddie’s home to share he was leaving to Colombia. Eddie told Ralfi he had a bad feeling about the trip. Eddie advised Ralfi not to go. Ralfi went to Colombia against Torres’ advise. In 1978, he was murdered while on a promotional tour in Colombia, South America. His murder remains unsolved.
The Lebrón Brothers are a musical family born in Puerto Rico and raised in Brooklyn, New York. The brothers are Pablo, Jose angel, Carlos Frank They provide the vocals and rhythm section of the band. Members of the original band were Gabe Gil - alto sax, Tito Ocasio - timbales, Héctor Lebrón - congas, Eddie DeCupe - trumpet, Elliot Rivera - vocals, Félix Rivera - trumpet. Frankie Lebrón later replaced Frankie Rodríguez who replaced his cousin Héctor Lebrón on congas.
Johnny Colon is an American salsa musician, leader of the Johnny Colon Orchestra and founder of the East Harlem Music School, also known as a major contributor to the boogaloo sound of the 1960s.
Ed Byrne is an American trombonist, composer, arranger, author, and educator known for his jazz improvisations, original compositions, and the Linear Jazz Improvisation methodology books. His discography includes more than 60 recordings, including the "Carnegie Hall Concert " and Eddie Palmieri’s Grammy Award-winning Latin jazz album Unfinished Masterpiece.
Joseph Jack Cayre is an American billionaire businessman and real estate developer. Together with his brothers he co-founded the record label Salsoul Records, video tape distributor and producer GoodTimes Entertainment, and video game publisher GT Interactive. He is also the founder and principal of the New York-based real estate development firm Midtown Equities.
Doug Munro is an American musician, arranger, producer, composer, author, and educator specializing in jazz, bebop, Brazilian jazz, jazz fusion, and gypsy swing. Since 1986 he has released over fifteen albums as a band leader and has appeared on over 75 recordings as a guitarist, sideman, producer, and arranger. He has been nominated for two Grammy Awards and was the recipient of two NAIRD Awards by the American Association of Independent Music.
"El Pito (I'll Never Go Back to Georgia)" is a 1965 Latin and soul fusion or Latin boogaloo song, co-written by Jimmy Sabater and Joe Cuba. It was popularized by the Joe Cuba Sextet, featuring Cheo Feliciano on vocals. In many instances, the song is referred to as being exclusively Joe Cuba's.
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Harvey Averne has been described as "one of several prominent Jewish Americans in New York's bustling Latin music scene."
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↑ Flores, Juan (2016). Salsa rising: New York Latin music of the sixties generation. Tempo: a Rowman & Littlefield music series on rock, pop, and culture. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN978-0-19-976489-1.
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