“Pana” is the quintessential Latin rock song, so it’s the perfect opener. “It’s everything that music should be-interconnected, social, joyful and an aural near-escape from earthly reality.” Nick Mitchell Maiato on Malo. Sure enough, it was, and, when I got it home, it didn’t disappoint. The point is, I was zoned-in enough by the cover to know that it was probably on my wants list. I must confess that I’d actually heard the album’s opening track, “Pana”, previously on the fantastic 1998 Soul Jazz compilation, Chicano Power! (Latin Rock in The USA 1968-1976), which had kicked off my love affair with the whole genre, so I was well aware of the band’s existence. I practically forced my ten English pounds down Les at Kingbee Records’ throat when I first laid eyes on the LP in Manchester, UK, in around 2007, virtually unable to criticize anything that might fall under the category of Latin Rock as I am. This quasi-mythological rendering in gouache provides an explosive visual insight into the musical delights contained within, and it’s a safe on-sight purchase if you don’t have time to wait while the store owner throws on a couple of tracks, or even read a review like this. What does stand out about Malo-at least at first glance to the trained eye in just such a record store-is the Jesús Helguera cover painting depicting an Aztec prince cradling a swooning lover. ![]() As a result, you can now find him and his incredible band residing in the “where are they now?” section of your local used record store for under a tenner, most of the time. Unlike his older brother Carlos, guitar player Jorge Santana appeared to slot inconspicuously into his band line-up, stepping up for solos every bit as dexterous, thrilling and transportive as those performed by his showier sibling-but somehow less iconic for their relatively low appearance of egotism. ![]() It’s disconcerting to consider that the eponymous debut by San Franciscan band Malo hit #14 on the Billboard Top LPs chart, and now only a handful of heads even seem to know who the band is, because it seems to speak to the low cultural status of humility-at least in terms of creating a legacy.
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