Sonido Bestial
Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz · 1971 · from the album El Bestial Sonido · written by Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz
A Juilliard-trained pianist turns a Chopin étude into salsa: the piano as the star of the band.
- piano
- montuno
Why it matters
Pianist Richie Ray studied at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music and at Juilliard, and teamed up with singer Bobby Cruz. Sonido Bestial, which they wrote together, came out in 1971 on El Bestial Sonido, their first album for Vaya Records.
It's built on a Latin arrangement of Chopin's Étude Op. 10 No. 12, and it's considered one of salsa's classics. Ray is remembered as one of salsa's finest pianists, and the duo was popular all over Latin America.
What to listen for
- The piano: fast, classical-sounding runs that come from Chopin, mixed with Latin montunos, the repeated piano patterns salsa is built on.
- The contrast between the showpiece passages and the dance groove. When the montuno comes back, that's your cue to dance full out again.