Ray Y Sus Kenyas Perez Ra! Ra!

While it may not be one of Ray Pérez's most well-known albums, "Ra! Rai!" certainly deserves to be. The LP is full of heavy salsa anthems and brave, quirky eclecticism that reflects the Venezuelan pianist's unique genius. - Thankfully, the record has been rescued from obscurity and lovingly restored, remastered from the original tapes, fully licensed, with its original Pyraphon artwork intact, preserving and presenting the legacy of this great music for today's generation of global salsa dura fans everywhere. - "Ra! Rai!", released in 1969, was the fourth and final album of Venezuelan piano player, composer, arranger and vocalist Ray "Rai" Pérez's original configuration of Los Kenya (the band name was revived for an LP in 1981). The oddly titled record is undeservedly obscure except to the most avid collectors and historians of Venezuelan salsa. In fact, it's actually a crucial milestone in Pérez's long and storied career because it marks the end of the second period where the upstart pianist was making his mark on the scene and restlessly searching for a formula that would hopefully lead to both creative satisfaction and commercial success.For some context, it should be noted that the late 1960s was a very busy time when Pérez was juggling several different studio bands: Los Dementes, Los Calvos and Los Kenya. The singer Dimas Pedroza, who had left rival orchestra Federico Y Su Combo Latino to join Ray Pérez in early 1969, did not stay long with Los Kenya, due to some personal differences with the band leader. With a co-lead singer missing to support Carlín Rodríguez in Los Kenya, the band's new conga player, Julián Orta, recommended a young, non-professional friend of his, 22-year-old Edmundo Vega Francia.Pérez treats us to a rather eclectic and slightly odd mix of genres, influences and arrangements, making this one of his more eccentric and interesting efforts. 1960s California "sunshine pop" rock (often referred to as 'surf' on Los Kenya records), calypso, soul and jazz are all adde...