Viva Watusi!

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Viva Watusi! album cover
Album Information

Total Tracks: 12   Total Length: 37:26

eMusic Features

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Teenage Graceland

By Wayne Robins, eMusic Contributor

After Elvis went into the Army and before the British Invasion, the years 1958-63 were rock's forgotten years. But they were the years that shaped the musical tastes of baby boomers and of acts from the Beatles and Rolling Stones to Bruce Springsteen and the Ramones. Hear the dance sensations, the one-hit-wonders, the girl groups and doo-wop singers, surfers and rockabilly twangers, the birth of Motown, the evolution of R&B into soul and so much… more »

They Say All Music Guide

Viva Watusi! packs a great deal of variety and good ideas. “Greensleeves” actually becomes something entirely different as a hip mambo-rock tune. Unfortunately, the use of strings is a detriment, though not as bad as in The Big Hits Latin Style on Tico. “Exodus” gets into some transcendental drumming between statements and restatements of the melody. “Watusi ’65″ moves Barretto’s old pachanga hit toward the brave new boogaloo future. The less commercial songs in between, such as the descarga and guaguanco, ultimately reveal the greatest talent, however. Vocalist Manny Roman does a great job; he sounds very much like Tito Rodriguez on “Eras,” one of six Barretto originals. Viva Barretto. – Tony Wilds

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