New releases: Chiquito Socarras & Blanca Iris Villafañe

"Recordando El Ayer" by Cuban singer Chiquito Socarras is a collection of Cuban classics from the 1920s-1940s. Chiquito sang with Don Azpiazú's orchestra in the 1930s. Azpiazú led the group that introduced Cuban music to the mainstream with the first US Latin hit "El Manisero" (The Peanut Vendor). With this 1974 Ansonia release, Chiquito takes us back to that era with a collection of his faves.

"Vol. 3" by Blanca Iris Villafañe from 1963 presents provocative, moody boleros with bold guitar accompaniments from José Alberto Jiménez, Jorge Renán, Nieves Quintero and the legendary Yomo Toro.