finetune artist: Joe Arroyo

b. Alvaro Jos Arroyo Gonz lez, 1 November 1955, Cartagena, Colombia. Colombian superstar singer, bandleader, composer, arranger and producer Arroyo has managed to cross over within the fiercely nationalistic Latin market as well as to the non-Latin market. He started his musical career as a vocalist in small groups in Cartagena and Sincelejo. He later moved to Barranquilla and joined the band Orquesta La Protesta, which was founded in 1970. In 1971 he relocated to Medellin to join Fruko and his band Tesos, with whom he sang many hits and toured Colombia's major cities, the USA, Ecuador and Peru. In the mid-70s Arroyo became a lead singer with Fruko's other band, the Latin Brothers, and performed on some of the best albums recorded by this violin/trombones-led band. He also recorded with the band Los Lideres. In 1981, Arroyo formed his own band, La Verdad (The Truth), and its debut album was called Arroyando. This was followed by a series of 10 albums between 1981 and 1991. In 1983 he almost died from alleged drug abuse. In 1985 he sang one cut on Llegaron by Alberto Barros' band Los Titanes. Barros has played trombone and contributed arrangements to a number of Arroyo and La Verdad's albums. Charlie Pla, brother of London-based Latin bandleader and timbales player Roberto Pla, played percussion with La Verdad on some albums. As well as performing a variety of traditional Latin rhythms, including salsa, son, montuno, his native cumbia and others, Arroyo has been keen to experiment. He developed his own Joes¢n style and in the mid-80s began to pioneer a pan-Caribbean fusion form called son caribe¤o. Arroyo made his UK debut at London's Empire Ballroom in July 1989. His albums, Fuego En Mi Mente (1988), En Acci¢n (1990) and La Guerra De Los Callados (1991), were released in the UK by the Island Records subsidiary Mango. All of Arroyo's compositions on the 1990 album were credited to his mother, Angela Gonz lez, so that she would benefit from the royalties. In 1990, because Arroyo had won the coveted Congo de Oro prize at Barranquilla Carnival so many times, they created the Super Congo de Oro award for him in order to give other bands a chance.

Listen to Joe Arroyo at Finetune.

(2008) 10 De ColecciÃ³n

Falta la Plata
Tal Para Cual
La Mini Mini
Sabre Olvidar
Blanco Y Negro