Re: Cuban record sales? and the Oru Seco

Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2003 12:49:06 +0200
Newsgroups: rec.music.afro-latin
Size: 2,220 bytes

"Kevin Moore" <email-address-deleted> wrote in part:
> It's possible that something since then has done better, and
> come to think of it, it seems like the BVSC soundtrack should have sold
> more than that.
I think it has. There is a plaque in NYC J&R Musicworld latin music
department (or at least there was) commemorating the fact that the store had
sold over 500,000 units. If that's the case, BVSC could be the biggest
selling latin music album of all time.
BTW, I think the album is a studio recording. I haven't seen a sountrack of
the movie yet, the tracks on the movie are live ones, no?
> 5) The BVSC explosion is pretty much over. The market is saturated and
> new retro-Cuban CD's are not selling well.
The album's still in print and selling, BVSC that is.
> - the inability of no-Cuban Latinos to dance to timba, with it's many
> gear changes and folkloric influences
Which is why I love it.
> - the completely Cuba-centric nature of the lyrics, such that other
> Latin ethnic groups can't relate, can't understand the slang, and
> sometimes can't even understand the words
>
This is probably the weakest of reasons not to like a particular music. Here
in Spain kids listen to Eminem and other rap artists records and mouth the
lyrics, not knowing what they mean. Granted, Eminem is a megastar in a
world-wide popular genre and kids, people, pay attention to what he sings.
American slang doesn't seem to bother them a bit.
> - the general aversion, as typified by many rmal contributors, to Latin
> music which uses harmonic progressions influenced by classical music and
> non-Latin modern popular music.
There's nothing that can be done about that. I'm just glad that I was around
to experience it.
César.
"¿Pero pa' qué? Suave pa'que se te dé"
(Danny Lozada y su Timba Cubana)
> - the difficulty in obtaining visas and financing for tours.
>
> BUT WHO AMONG US CARES? How many copies has the Oru Seco sold -- all of
> its recordings combined? Hopefully more than 1,000, but maybe not. But
> that doesn't stop me from asking people to list all the recordings
> they're aware! I have one by Abbilona, one by Ilu Aña, and one by John
> Amira. What else is there and which do you guys prefer?