El Preso
Fruko y sus Tesos · 1975 · from the album El Grande · written by Álvaro Velásquez
Medellín's own salsa: a Colombian band, a Cali-born singer and a song that Fruko called a world anthem of salsa.
- coro and soneo
Why it matters
Colombian salsa grew up around Discos Fuentes in Medellín, and Julio Ernesto “Fruko” Estrada was the label's bassist, arranger and bandleader. He formed Fruko y sus Tesos in 1969 after a trip to New York showed him the city's salsa scene, then helped build Colombia's own.
El Preso came out in 1975, sung by Wilson “Saoko” Manyoma, a singer from Cali, and written by Álvaro Velásquez. Estrada said it became a world anthem of salsa. It's a good sign of how far the Colombian scene had come: a home-grown band, a home-grown song and a hit.
What to listen for
- Wilson Saoko's voice. He's a sonero with a rough, urgent edge, and he sings the story of the prisoner as if he were the prisoner.
- The coro answering him in the chorus. It's easy to join in, and Colombian crowds do.
- A heavy, steady groove under it all. The song is sad, but the band keeps it danceable: it's a good one for feeling the beat rather than showing off.
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