Biography Wikipedia
Group Members: Ray Barretto, Ray Barretto And New World Spirit, Willie Colón, Willie Colón, Willie Colon, Willie Colon/Ruben Blades, Willie Colon/Hector Lavoe, Willie Colón & Héctor Lavoe, Willie Colón & Ruben Blades, Mon Rivera, Willie Colon, Willie Colon Canta: Hector Lavoe, Willie Colon/Tito Puente, Willie Colon Presents Ruben Blades, Colon/Miranda, Willie Colón & Tito Puente, Larry Harlow's Latin Jazz Encounter, Larry Harlow, Orquesta Harlow, Orchestra Harlow, Larry Harlow & Alfredo De La Fe, Orquestra Harlow, Johnny Pacheco, Johnny Pacheco/Pete "Conde" Rodriguez, Johnny Pacheco & Hector Casanova, Hector Casanova, Johnny Pacheco, Pacheco Y Melon, Johnny Pacheco & Pete "El Conde" Rodriguez, Bobby Valentin, Yomo Toro, Cheo Feliciano Y Ismael Quintana, Cheo Feliciano, Celia Cruz, Celia Cruz/Sonora Matancera, Celia Cruz/Bienvenido Granda, Celia Cruz & Tito Puente, Celia Cruz And Tito Puente , Celia Cruz/Johnny Pacheco, Celia Cruz/Tito Puente, Celia Cruz & Ray Barretto, Celia Cruz, Johnny Pacheco, Justo Betancourt & Papo Lucca, Celia Cruz & Willie Colón, Celia Cruz & Johnny Pacheco, Celia Cruz/Ray Barretto, Celia & Johnny, Celia Cruz/Willie Colon, Celia Cruz/Johnny Pacheco/Justo Betancourt/Papo Lucca, Cruz & Colon, Ray Barretto Y Su Orquesta, The Tito Puente Big Band, Ismael Miranda, Willie Colón & Ismael Miranda, Ismael Miranda Con Orchestra Harlow, Ismael Miranda con Orquesta Harlow, Hector Lavoe, Hector Perez a/k/a [Hector Lavoe], Héctor Lavoe, Hector, Yomo Y Daniel, Willie Colón con Héctor Lavoe y Yomo Toro, Santos Colón, Santos Colon a/k/a [Santitos Colon], Bobby Cruz, Bobby Cruz & Tony Vega, Ismael Quintana, Papo Lucca, Luis "Perico" Ortiz, Pete El Conde Rodriguez, Roberto Roena, Roberto Roena Y Su Apollo Sound, Roberto Roena Y Su Apollo Sound X, Roberto Roena Y Adalberto Santiago, Roberto Roena & Adalberto Santiago, Mongo Santamaria, Mongo Santamaria Orchestra, Mongo Santamaria & His Orchestra, Adalberto Santiago, Orestes Vilató
from Wikipedia:
The Fania All-Stars was a musical ensemble established in 1968 by the composer, Johnny Pacheco, as a showcase for the musicians on the record label Fania Records, the leading salsa record company of the time.
History
Beginnings
In 1964, Fania Records was founded in New York City by Jerry Masucci, an Italian-American lawyer with a love for Latin melodies, and Johnny Pacheco, a composer and bandleader, born in the Dominican Republic. Masucci later bought out his partner Pacheco from Fania Entertainment Group Ltd., and was the sole owner for many years until his death in December 1997.
Throughout the early years, Fania used to distribute its records around New York. Eventually success from Pacheco's Cañonaso recording would lead the label to develop its roster. Masucci and Pacheco, now executive negotiator and musical director, respectively, began acquiring musicians such as Bobby Valentín, Larry Harlow and Ray Barreto.
Success
In 1968, Fania Records created a continuously revolving line-up of entertainers known as the Fania All-Stars. In 1971 they recorded Fania All-Stars: Live At The Cheetah, Volumes 1 and 2. It exhibited the entire All-Star family performing before a capacity audience in New York's Cheetah Lounge.
Following sell-out concerts in Puerto Rico, Chicago and Panama, the All-Stars embarked on their first appearance at New York's Yankee Stadium on August 24, 1973. The Stars performed before 63,000 spectators in a concert that performed by Ray Barretto, Willie Colón, Ruben Blades, Larry Harlow, Johnny Pacheco, Roberto Roena, Bobby Valentín, and Jorge Santana (younger brother of Carlos Santana), amongst others. When the All-Stars returned to Yankee Stadium in 1975, they included Celia Cruz, Héctor Lavoe, Cheo Feliciano, Ismael Miranda, Justo Betancourt, Ismael Quintana, Pete "El Conde" Rodríguez, Bobby Cruz and Santos Colón. That year, Live at Yankee Stadium was included in the second set of 50 recordings in the List of recordings preserved in the United States National Recording Registry, solidifying the All-Stars as "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant."
Just a few months before, in 1974, the All Stars had performed in Zaire, Africa, at the 80,000-seat Stadu du Hai in Kinshasa. This was captured on film and released as Live In Africa (Salsa Madness in the UK). This Zairean appearance occurred along with James Brown and others, at a music festival held in conjunction with the Muhammed Ali/George Foreman heavyweight title fight. Footage of the performance was also included in the 2008 documentary film Soul Power.
In an attempt to attain a wider market for salsa, Fania made a deal with Columbia Records in the US for a series of crossover albums by the All-Stars. The first project was Delicate & Jumpy (1976), in which Steve Winwood united with the All-Stars' Pacheco, Valentin, Barreto and Roena. The same year the Fania All-Stars made their sole UK appearance, at London's Lyceum Ballroom, with Winwood guesting.
In 1978 the All-Stars released Live, recorded in concert at New York's Madison Square Garden in September of that year.
In 1979, Fania All-Stars travelled to Havana, Cuba, to participate in the Havana Jam festival that took place between 2–4 March, alongside Rita Coolidge, Kris Kristofferson, Stephen Stills, the CBS Jazz All-Stars, Trio of Doom, Billy Swan, Bonnie Bramlett, Weather Report, and Billy Joel, plus Cuban artists such as Irakere, Pacho Alonso, Tata Güines and Orquesta Aragón. Their performance is captured on Ernesto Juan Castellanos's documentary Havana Jam '79. That same year saw the release of Crossover, the All-Stars' last Columbia Records album, as well as Havana Jam on Fania, which came from a concert recorded in Havana on March 2.
Legacy
Although the Fania-All Stars reached a low during the late 1980s, many of the members continued to have solo careers. Most notable was Lavoe, and in 2007, two films about Lavoe were released, including one produced by Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony. Cruz continued making hits until her death in 2003. Colon continued producing hits with Rubén Blades and as a solo artist. His latest album was released in 2007, and he currently works for Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City.
In 2008, Cheo Feliciano celebrated his 50 years in the music industry by hosting a concert at Madison Square Garden, where Bloomberg declared July 20 "Cheo Feliciano Day" in New York.
In 2009, an historical documentary, Latin Music USA, shown on PBS TV, featured an episode on the Fania All-Stars, their evolution, career, and later demise.
