Joe Cuba Sextet
Joe Cuba born "Gilberto Calderon" in 1931 in the city of New York, was a Puerto Rican musician.
Cuba is considered to be the "Father of Latin Boogaloo". His parents emigrated from Puerto Rico in the late 1920s and settled in Spanish Harlem, a Hispanic ghetto located in Manhattan. Cuba was raised in an apartment building where his father had become the owner of a candy store located on the ground floor (street level floor). His father had organized a stickball (ghetto baseball) club called the Devils. Read Full BioJoe Cuba born "Gilberto Calderon" in 1931 in the city of New York, was a Puerto Rican musician.
Cuba is considered to be the "Father of Latin Boogaloo". His parents emigrated from Puerto Rico in the late 1920s and settled in Spanish Harlem, a Hispanic ghetto located in Manhattan. Cuba was raised in an apartment building where his father had become the owner of a candy store located on the ground floor (street level floor). His father had organized a stickball (ghetto baseball) club called the Devils. Stickball was the main sport activity of the neighborhood. After Cuba broke a leg he took up playing the conga and continued to practice with the conga between school and his free time. Eventually he graduated from high school and joined a band.
In 1950, when he was 19 years old, he played for J. Panama and also for a group called La Alfarona X. The group soon disbanded and Cuba enrolled in college to study law. Whilst at college he attended a concert in which Tito Puente performed "Abaniquito". He went up to Tito and introduced himself as a student and fan and soon they developed what was to become a lifetime friendship. This event motivated Cuba to organize his own band. In 1954, his agent recommended that he change the band's name from the Jose Calderon Sextet to the Joe Cuba Sextet and the newly named Joe Cuba Sextet made their debut at the Stardust Ballroom.
In 1962, Cuba recorded "To Be With You" with the vocals of Cheo Feliciano and Jimmy Sabater. The band became popular in the New York Latin community. The lyrics to Cuba's music used a mixture of Spanish and English, becoming an important part of the Nuyorican Movement. In 1967, his band which included timbales, vibraphones, and the piano among its musical instruments, scored a "hit" in the United States National Hit Parade List with the song "Bang Bang" - a song which ushered in the Latin Boogaloo era. He also had a #1 hit, that year in the Billboards with the song "Sock It To Me Baby".
Then came what is considered to be his "greatest" hit, "El Pito (I Never Go Back To Georgia)". It is said that during the 1960s, while Joe Cuba and his sextet were on tour, they had an engagement in Georgia. He personally suffered the racial discrimination which was rampant in the south at that time. This experience inspired him to write the song which includes his trademark whistle.
Charlie Palmieri was his musical director, when in 1988 he died of a heart attack upon his arrival to New York from Puerto Rico. Joe Cuba and his sextet have sold millions of records over the years.
On April 1999, Joe Cuba was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame. In 2004, he was named Grand Marshall of the Puerto Rican Day Parade celebrated in Yonkers, New York. He currently is the director of the Museum of La Salsa, located in East Harlem, Manhattan, New York. He is also in the stickball hall of fame.
Joe Cuba died on February 15, 2009 in New York City after being removed from life support. He had been hospitalized for a persistent bacterial infection. Cuba's remains were cremated at Woodhaven Cemetery. He is survived by his 2 adult children from his first wife (Nina, married in 1960), son Mitchell and daughter Lisa, 3 grandchildren Nicole, Alexis and Rebecca; and his second wife Maria (Married in 1994).
Cuba is considered to be the "Father of Latin Boogaloo". His parents emigrated from Puerto Rico in the late 1920s and settled in Spanish Harlem, a Hispanic ghetto located in Manhattan. Cuba was raised in an apartment building where his father had become the owner of a candy store located on the ground floor (street level floor). His father had organized a stickball (ghetto baseball) club called the Devils. Read Full BioJoe Cuba born "Gilberto Calderon" in 1931 in the city of New York, was a Puerto Rican musician.
Cuba is considered to be the "Father of Latin Boogaloo". His parents emigrated from Puerto Rico in the late 1920s and settled in Spanish Harlem, a Hispanic ghetto located in Manhattan. Cuba was raised in an apartment building where his father had become the owner of a candy store located on the ground floor (street level floor). His father had organized a stickball (ghetto baseball) club called the Devils. Stickball was the main sport activity of the neighborhood. After Cuba broke a leg he took up playing the conga and continued to practice with the conga between school and his free time. Eventually he graduated from high school and joined a band.
In 1950, when he was 19 years old, he played for J. Panama and also for a group called La Alfarona X. The group soon disbanded and Cuba enrolled in college to study law. Whilst at college he attended a concert in which Tito Puente performed "Abaniquito". He went up to Tito and introduced himself as a student and fan and soon they developed what was to become a lifetime friendship. This event motivated Cuba to organize his own band. In 1954, his agent recommended that he change the band's name from the Jose Calderon Sextet to the Joe Cuba Sextet and the newly named Joe Cuba Sextet made their debut at the Stardust Ballroom.
In 1962, Cuba recorded "To Be With You" with the vocals of Cheo Feliciano and Jimmy Sabater. The band became popular in the New York Latin community. The lyrics to Cuba's music used a mixture of Spanish and English, becoming an important part of the Nuyorican Movement. In 1967, his band which included timbales, vibraphones, and the piano among its musical instruments, scored a "hit" in the United States National Hit Parade List with the song "Bang Bang" - a song which ushered in the Latin Boogaloo era. He also had a #1 hit, that year in the Billboards with the song "Sock It To Me Baby".
Then came what is considered to be his "greatest" hit, "El Pito (I Never Go Back To Georgia)". It is said that during the 1960s, while Joe Cuba and his sextet were on tour, they had an engagement in Georgia. He personally suffered the racial discrimination which was rampant in the south at that time. This experience inspired him to write the song which includes his trademark whistle.
Charlie Palmieri was his musical director, when in 1988 he died of a heart attack upon his arrival to New York from Puerto Rico. Joe Cuba and his sextet have sold millions of records over the years.
On April 1999, Joe Cuba was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame. In 2004, he was named Grand Marshall of the Puerto Rican Day Parade celebrated in Yonkers, New York. He currently is the director of the Museum of La Salsa, located in East Harlem, Manhattan, New York. He is also in the stickball hall of fame.
Joe Cuba died on February 15, 2009 in New York City after being removed from life support. He had been hospitalized for a persistent bacterial infection. Cuba's remains were cremated at Woodhaven Cemetery. He is survived by his 2 adult children from his first wife (Nina, married in 1960), son Mitchell and daughter Lisa, 3 grandchildren Nicole, Alexis and Rebecca; and his second wife Maria (Married in 1994).
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Do You Feel It
Joe Cuba Sextet Lyrics
do u feel it?
yes i feel it
i feel my beloved barrio, my ghetto.
do u feel it?
this is the story of where i was born.
no man's land
it's in the 115th street and the 125th
everyones . talking about the barrios, about the ghettos,
about the hard times they had,
we had hard times, we had good times too.
i can remember the summer,
summertime was beautiful, days were long
we didnt need any ocean breeze
to the left we had hustle land
to the right the east river
when we wanted to refresh ourselves.
who needed the ocean,
we had the pub
remember the johhny pub
all we needed was it a good good screwdriver and a can
and we were refreshed.
and night the breeze was beautiful.
top beach, that was our beauty place
and we had, we had fun a lot.
when i were home
my mother was beautiful
our food was really together
rice and beans, thats also our food
with a little cuchifritos in the side
and for a little dessert we had mavi,
the grooviest taste and trigger want to try
everything was beautiful to me
margeritto, my beautiful barrio, my ghetto.
do u feel it?
yes i feel it but i feel it in another way.
i feel the pressure that keeps us down.
do u feel it?
yes i feel it, i feel it baby but i feel it in another way.
do u feel it?
el barrio is the place thats up town
do u feel it?
i feel, i feel, i feel and the wait
do u feel it?
thats were feel and hate is common place
do u feel it?
i said it, tell you about being hungry
do u feel it?
up town, thats the place,
thats margeritto bounds
do u feel it?
i used to love it there
the place where i was born
do u feel it?
but somewhere theres a better place
when i finally, i'll be gone, gone, gone, gone.
do u feel it?
i feel it
i feel it in my bones
do u feel it?
go and search for another, another home.
do u feel it?
said i feel it
feel it in my bones
do u feel it?
do u feel it?
some days i'll be gone, gone, gone
do u feel it?
i feel it yes
i feel it
do u feel it?
the ...bounds
do u feel it?
i feel it
i feel it
got to get away
do u feel it?
got to get away
got to get away
got to get away
do u feel it?
do u feel it?
Contributed by Caden A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on specific lyrics, highlight them
reggie44
Written by Joe Cuba and Tony May (my dad). Latin soul at its' finest.
Piri Hern
Are they still around? Music brings mucho memories paz y salud
Stacie Milmeister
the best!
reggie44
This was the original Tico master, the way my dad cut it in the studio (Allegro Sound, NYC). I heard this as a kid. The subway sound effects were added much later. Fania got the Tico label from Roulette Records in 1974. My dad was born in Harlem, and there's some shared experiences if you grow up in the 'hood, no matter if you speak Spanish or not.
Piri Hern
Thanks for the history.
Sean Edwards
there are subwat sound effects?
Il fumatore del mare
people need to learn this.. everyone share!
Brother Bobby 714
This is LOWRIDER OLDIES! This is MUSIC. PERIOD.
PJDooWop
@lailisima - It's not a mix.. It's the way this song was released on the Fania label. The singer is Ray Pollard, who is one of the greatest singers that ever lived. What's beautiful about this track is this is true NY... the melting pot.. Black, white, Spanish, whatever.. People got along a lot better than "The West Side Story" makes people think. Yes, there was some tension but nder it all, Ny'ers are Ny'ers, regardless "what" they are.
Jimmysdaughterry Sabater
I AGREE AND I LOVE THIS TRACK,,,RIP JOE