Mi Gente
Héctor Lavoe · 1975 · from the album La Voz · written by Johnny Pacheco
A short, bright coro and a singer who answers it: the call-and-response that every salsa dancer waits for.
- coro and soneo
Why it matters
Johnny Pacheco wrote Mi Gente, and Willie Colón produced Héctor Lavoe's recording, which came out in 1975 on his first solo album, La Voz. It was released as a single, with El Todopoderoso on the other side.
The best-known version is the one Lavoe sang live with the Fania All-Stars in Africa in 1974. Salsa dancers know it as a model of how a song is built for a crowd: the singer calls, the room answers, and the dance floor does the rest.
What to listen for
- The coro: a short chorus that answers Lavoe, over and over. It's easy to sing along to even if you don't know Spanish.
- Lavoe's soneo: between the coro lines, he sings new phrases each round. Notice how he leaves room for the answer.
- How the band pushes each round a little harder as the song goes on. It's a good time for your bigger patterns.
Was this page helpful?