Credits:

Ralfi Pagan

Description:

Owning a falsetto far sweeter than Smokey Robinson or Eugene Record, but with far less strength, Ralfi Pagan was a Latin lover for the salsa set of the ’70s. This self-titled record opens with two of the most unrepentant crossover ballads of the era (“Don’t Stop Now” and “Who Is the Girl for Me”). Their quaint period charm can’t save them from Pagan’s odd diction and delivery — though strangely, he does a better job pronouncing his English than most of the other Fania/Tico/Cotique acts than attempting Latin pop like this. Like Michael Jackson later in the ’70s, though, he does much better with party songs such as the groovy “Latin Soul” and “Ain’t No Big Thing,” though his frequent attempts to let out a soul shout are misguided at best. [Originally released in 1970, Fania reissued a ‘Limited Edition’ CD in 2006.] ~ John Bush