Willie Colón
Lo Mato
Album · Salsa and Tropical · 1973
Salsa outlaw Willie Colón jokingly threatens murder on this album's cover and title, but the real killers here are his grooves. Colón's tough stance informs his aggressive music and streetwise lyrics: "Calle Luna Calle Sol" warns strangers to stay away from his neighbourhood, with the lyric bolstered by simmering percussion and sudden shots of spy-movie horns. But his trombone and Héctor Lavoe's vocals make it a hard trip to resist. On "El Día de Suerte", an all-male chorus and flamenco guitar underline the vocal swagger.