Periódico de Ayer
Héctor Lavoe · 1976 · from the album De Ti Depende · written by Tite Curet Alonso
Héctor Lavoe and a Willie Colón arrangement: a dramatic song that opens into a coro-and-soneo montuno.
- coro and soneo
- montuno
Why it matters
De Ti Depende (1976, Fania) was Héctor Lavoe's second solo album. Willie Colón produced it, and he arranged Periódico de Ayer, which Tite Curet Alonso wrote. Lavoe worked with members of Colón's own band, so the record keeps that New York sound.
It's still one of Lavoe's biggest hits, and a favorite on dance floors because it has everything a social dancer waits for: a clear verse, a montuno that builds, and a singer who improvises over the coro.
What to listen for
- The montuno after the verse, where the song opens up and the coro keeps asking its question.
- Lavoe's soneos over the coro: he improvises new lines, and the horns answer between them.
- A mid-tempo groove that's comfortable to dance for the whole song.
Was this page helpful?