Héctor Rivera
Keyboardist, arranger, and composer Rivera was one of the more renowned performers of the long-neglected '60s sub-genre of Latin soul. Like the more famed Pucho & the Latin Soul Brothers, Rivera blended Latin dance-pop with contemporary soul-funk and jazz, although the jazzy elements were more muted in Rivera's mix than they were in Pucho's. Rivera's fame was not strictly limited to New York Latin dance audiences; in 1967, his single "At the Party" actually made the Top 40 of the national R&B charts.
By that time, Rivera had already been playing for over a decade, beginning in the early '50s, when he joined the band of Elmo Garcia as a teenager. Hector Rivera made his recorded debut as a bandleader in 1957 under odd circumstances -- when Garcia didn't have enough material prepared for a planned album, Mercury Records asked if Rivera had anything up his sleeve. The keyboardist did, although he intended on saving it for a solo album; Mercury offered to record him as a solo artist, issuing his debut, Let's Cha Cha Cha. Still, over the next few years, Rivera would be known mostly as a sideman to bandleaders Joe Cuba and Pacheco, and vocalist Vincento Valdez.
Rivera made his biggest splash as a bandleader with the 1966 album At the Party, with a large band featuring several trumpet players and percussionists (as well as Cachao on bass). If this was not as deep as Machito or as accomplished as Pucho and the Latin Soul Brothers, it was still damn spirited party music, with equal foots in cha cha and soul. Rivera divided his approach between instrumentals and vocals (he employed several singers, but David Coleman is the one heard most often on the At the Party album). The success of the title cut of At the Party enabled Rivera to cut several more albums; he also continued to write and arrange, and participated in projects for such top Latin performers as Ray Barretto, Machito, and Tito Puente.
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo
Artistas semelhantes
Discografia
10 álbum(ns) • Ordenado por Mais vendidos
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Puchunga
Latin America - Lançado por Mambo Music em 10 de mai. de 2011
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
At The Party
Dance - Lançado por Nervous Records em 1 de jan. de 1966
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beat Maniac
House - Lançado por La Guapa Records em 11 de mai. de 2016
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mi Amada
Miscellaneous - Lançado por 3715311 Records DK em 19 de fev. de 2022
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Venceremos
Miscellaneous - Lançado por 3715311 Records DK em 20 de jun. de 2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
You're Trouble
Electronic - Lançado por Caraveo Artist SMG & CO em 30 de mai. de 2022
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
She Thinks He's Bad
Rock - Lançado por Caraveo Artist SMG & CO em 5 de out. de 2021
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Opsia EP
Techno - Lançado por La Guapa Records em 10 de dez. de 2015
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Solution
House - Lançado por Senssual Records em 24 de abr. de 2017
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Prise the Sun
House - Lançado por Senssual Records em 11 de ago. de 2014
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo