Choco Orta’s “Choco Swing” Salsa CD Review

Puerto Rican “sonera” Choco Orta came out this year with a Salsa recording that will delight anyone that likes Salsa music.

“Choco Swing” is Virgen Milagros Orta Rodriguez’s 4th solo recording and the 1st one she produces under her newly created music label “Chocolocochon Bolsillo Productions. The end result of her 1st production demonstrates she has learned well from the masters she has worked with through her career.

“Choco Swing” Facts

The 4th production of Choco Orta as a solo artist was launched to market on February 2011. It casts a great set of musicians which includes Cachiro Thompson on congas, veteran Pedro Perez on bass, El Gran Combo’s Willie Sotelo on piano, Moises Nogueras on trombone, and Jerry Rivas on coro, and also has Guillermo Calderon on trumpets, Sammy Velez on baritone sax, and Tito de Gracia on bongo and timbal.

What I Like About “Choco Swing”

“Choco Swing” is an album of pure Salsa; and this is “de la mata”. Choco Orta outdid herself in all aspects of this production. This album has 9 solid tracks, and all of them are solid Salsa tracks. This is a pure Salsa album. Instead of trying to showcase her versatility (which she undoubtly has) by singing Boleros or other genres, Choco Orta sticks to thick, danceable Salsa music in all tracks of “Choco Swing”.

The music arrangements for this album are very well made. Choco Orta brings to the set a good wind section which includes trumpets, trombone, and a baritone to give the mambos a deep, heavy sound. Willie Sotelo and Pedro Perez execute the arrangements masterfully, providing great “swing” to the music.

Additionally, another thing that I like about the songs in this album is that they normally have 2 or more “coros”, which I’ve always argued is something that give more variety to the music and makes the songs more interesting to listen. One “coro” songs, especially those of romantic themes, tend to become repetitive and stale.

Choco Orta does a wonderful job singing. She brings a tremendous voice, street smarts, “sabor de calle”, and at the same time, elegance. I enjoyed listening her effortlessly go on high notes and immediately come down to low ones. She is a true “sonera” as she keeps the songs moving (what its call “agitando”) with great improvisations within the theme of the song, and without repeating herself.

Many Salsa singers today, including some of the “rich and famous” ones, can’t make this claim. Choco Orta also brings her trademarks cries of “Chcolocochon”, “Redondo y Cuadra’o”, and “..y que a mi” to almost every song, along with some roars of pure joy.

So putting it all together, “Choco Swing” is about great musicians playing an all Salsa-tracks album, with great arrangements, and a masterful performance by Choco Orta singing “con sabor” and masterfully. And b the way, my favorite song is “Rata de Dos Patas”, a song that dispises a love gone wrong, in which I feel so sorry for whomever this song is dedicated to. But this song speaks to what “Choco Swing” is about…”salsa de la mata”, with lots of swing, good music, and good “soneos”.

What I Did Not Like About “Choco Swing”

I have listened to this album numerous times, sometimes trying to remind myself to look for any flaw in this album, because I try to force myself to look for anything that perhaps a very picky listener may consider negative.

The only thing that I could come with is to mention the song I liked the least, “Cuidate de la Lengua”. This song’s lyrics are quite simple and I don’t get into it message. Yet, Choco Orta makes a mediocre song a good one by providing great “soneos”, adding a 2nd “coro”, and of course..great Choco swing.

My Recommendation

I highly recommend “Choco Swing”. If you like Salsa music, I can’t see how you would not enjoy this well produced and well performed Salsa album. From all the Salsa releases that have come out in 2011, “Choco Swing” is one of the top ones in my list. Choco Orta truly delivered a Salsa album which is fun to listen to and is great to dance to as well. “Homenaje a las Soneras” is a homage to past and present female Salsa singers. I agree with Gilberto Santa Rosa, in that Choco Orta is the heir to Celia Cruz’s throne as the Queen of Salsa.