Vilató y Los Kimbos

Aguacero no me moja (1979)
Master timbalero and percussionist Orestes Vilató is another of Latin music’s unsung heroes whose name turns up all over the genre.

Here is a pure salsa dura release from the late 70's where you'll hear pure montunos, coros/pregones and groovy arrangements. That was the time when Adalberto Santiago, Orestes Vilató, Joe Manozzi and Nelson González left la Típica 73 to form their own band, Los Kimbos. Los Kimbos were reputed to be a tough working band and had a sound reminiscent of both the pre-split Barretto band and Típica 73.

Sound from the good old time, enjoy!



About Orestes Vilató:
Orestes Vilató is acknowledged as one of the greatest Latin percussionists in the world today. Born in Camagüey, Cuba, Vilató moved to New York City with his family at age twelve, having already established himself as an amazing young talent. Although Orestes is a multi-instrumentalist, his prominence is due mainly to his exciting interpretation on the Cuban timbales. He is one of the few modern percussionists who truly knows his tradition and applies it in the contemporary context.

While living in New York for twenty-five years, Orestes was intimately involved with many musical artists and organizations that played seminal roles in the development of Latin music throughout the world, among them the Belisario López Orchestra, José Fajardo, the FANIa All-Stars (as founding member), Ray Barretto, Típica 73, Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Rubén Blades, Johnny Pacheco, Cheo Feliciano, Ismael Rivera, Joe Cuba and many others. While in New York, he founded his own group - Los Kimbos - and after moving to California for a nine-year stint with Carlos Santana, re-formed the group during the early 90s. An upcoming release of recordings by Los Kimbos 90s is in final production for Fall of '98 under the Rumbeca Music label. His workd has been lauded in the 1994 Grammy Award Winning album, Master Sessions, Vol. 1 with Israel "Cachao" López, and in 1995 he received a Grammy Nomination for Ritmo y Candela.

In demand outside the Latin music field as well, Orestes has also toured, performed and recorded with Aretha Franklin, Willie Nelson, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Herbie Hancock, Linda Ronstadt and Jackson Browne, among others. He also continues to lend his amazing percussive talents to numerous premiere Latin Jazz artists such as McCoy Tyner, Dave Valentin, Giovanni Hidalgo, Paquito D'Rivera, the Machete Ensemble and many others.
Vilató was featured in Puerto Rico's "Battle of the Sticks" timbales extravaganza in 1996, and has headlined several jazz festivals there as well as in the United States and abroad. He has recorded hundreds of albums with a virtual who's who of Latin music world. Orestes is regarded by many as the "timbalero's timbalero".

Musicians include:
Orestes Vilató Timbales ,Coro and Vocals on "Por Borracha"
Eddie Montes Conga
Edgar Reyes Bongos y guiro
Enrique Suarez Trumpet
Ruben Lebron Trombone
Tony Borrero Trumpet
Tony Velez Tres-Guitar
Sergio Rivera Piano
Sal Cuevas Bass
Bert Diaz Bass
Pedro Velez Acoustic guitar and 2nd voice on "Reviviendo El Son"
Miguel Angel Lead singer and coro
Adalberto Santiago Coro
Tito Allen Coro
Radames Rojas Coro

Track listings:
1-Aguacero No Me Moja
2-La Cosa
3-Lo Que Tu Digas
4-La Rumba Del Presidente
5-Por Borracha
6-La Llave
7-Reviviendo El Son
8-Fundete