Las Caras Lindas
Ismael Rivera · 1978 · from the album Esto Sí Es Lo Mío · written by Tite Curet Alonso
El Sonero Mayor improvises over a tres solo and a coro with Rubén Blades and Héctor Lavoe: soneo at its best.
- coro and soneo
Why it matters
Ismael Rivera was Puerto Rico's “Sonero Mayor”, famous for improvising his lines in the moment. Las Caras Lindas is his biggest solo hit, a Tite Curet Alonso song on his 1978 album Esto Sí Es Lo Mío.
Fania's story of the recording says that for the chorus the producers brought in Rubén Blades, Héctor Lavoe, Néstor Sánchez and Adalberto Santiago, and that they hired the best musicians for the record. It's a good song for learning to hear a soneo: the singer plays with the beat and the tres, and you can feel the room relax into it.
What to listen for
- Rivera's soneo: his improvised lines over the coro. He was called “El Sonero Mayor” for exactly this skill.
- The tres solo, a bright, guitar-like sound. Listen for how Rivera's voice plays off it.
- The coro, with some of salsa's biggest voices behind him: Rubén Blades, Héctor Lavoe, Néstor Sánchez and Adalberto Santiago.
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