The Twist Goes Latin!

In 1962 the twist went Latin and all but killed off pachanga. Latin-twist records are rare in the U.S., but several of the major-label maestros made them. Perez Prado's Twist Goes Latin is a classic, as is his fantastic Our Man in Latin America, with its bongosons (Cuban twists). Prado also came up with "rockambo" (mambo rock), mod Latin-rock, and Latin funk in the 1970s.

Tito Rodriguez's Latin Twist earns distinction at least because of the vocals in cheesy, Desi Arnaz style. In addition to the "twisted" Latin standards, he covers Henry Mancini's cool "Something for Cat."

Roger King Mozian and his Latin Twisteros' El Twist!!!!!! is the best, most hopped-up album of the breed, including rock, jazz, and even Oriental twist. (His "Asia Minor" was a huge success for Machito.) A followup to his hit with "Changa Rock," El Twist!!!!!! even was reissued in the Columbia Special Archives Series.

We had expected more from Xavier Cugat's Twist with Cugat. Cugat's gorgeous wife Abbe Lane had introduced the Latin-twist dance --or something like it-- long before 1962. (She had to do something between her numbers.) Cugie experiments with Latin rock in "Rock Moruno" and the later Dance Party LP.