Videoclave #1 Hay fuego en el 23

Here’s the first!
There is a fire at 110^th street number 23, “Hay fuego en el 23″, is a tune that Arsenio Rodríguez recorded in New York in 1957 for the album Caliente y sabroso
(http://www.muzikifan.com/arsenio.html). 110^th street is located in El Barrio or Spanish Harlem on the northeast side of Manhattan. Composer of the tune is L Martínez which stands for Lil Martínez, Arsenios pianist and arranger since the 1940s.

In the first video you can listen to Arsenios original recording. This one, which was the case with many of Arsenios songs, was also recorded by other groups. In the second video you can listen to La Sonora Ponceñas (from Ponce in Puerto Rico) from their second album in 1969 in the beginning of the NY salsa craze.

Also La Sonora Ponceñas’ first LP had a recording of one of Arsenio’s tunes, “72 hacheros pa’ un palo”, that was recently re-recorded by Manolito y su Trabuco on the “Hablando en serio” album. Although we couldn’t find that one, we found Orquesta Habana Casino’s re-recording of “Hay fuego…” from 2000, which also proves that Arsenios tunes are classics.

Arsenio Rodríguez is one of the most influential in the development of afro-cuban music and you will find more information about him in upcoming entries.