Joe Bataan

The "JB" of Fania, Joe Bataan sang soul and Latin with a voice and style like no other. He became as much of a crossover king as Ray Barretto, but in different ways. His Filipino half no doubt gets credit for the unique singing ability, and his upbringing in Spanish Harlem accounted for facility with both Latin and soul. His Latin soul was not the instrumental boogaloo but bringing street-corner, doo-wop group singing into the '60s and salsa.

Like most young stars of Latin soul, Bataan forced the stodgy old men of Fania to grabble with sounds that defied the tried and true. Bataan dispensed early with the need to please all or prove his Latin roots. Instead he drew from his experiences of living in New York, of gang membership, and of prison to create a style truer to El Barrio than most of his peers were making. His songs are tough yet sensitive, soulful but not overly sentimental, and the music is ranges from salsa to ballads to funk. He also covered a few popular tunes such as "It's Your Thing."

Bataan formed his own short-lived record label, Ghetto, and maintained his career through the critical seventies. The wide-selling Afrofilipino remains a classic for DJs and may be responsible for his having so many fans that periodically he comes out of retirement. His classic Fania LPs remain prized, and several are among the least-seen titles on the label. There are even rarities, including a single from a funky 1973 album that never saw release (the tapes of the session reportedly are long gone).

Buying: All of the Fania records should be treated as great finds if not rarities. Even the compilation album is very hard to find. His later records are inexpensive and usually well worth checking out.