Monday, September 28, 2009

Pedrito Altieri y su Banda de Acero

Artist: Pedrito Altieri y su Banda de Acero
LP: Pedro Altieri and His Steel Band
Song: "Irene and Judy"
[ listen ]
Song: "Colonel Boogey"
[ listen ]

I always find it sexy and excitingly international when a record features an airplane on the cover—especially when there's a cluster of handsome Caribbean men standing on the tarmac in the foreground. And after listening, I have to agree that this is one of the best steel bands in the Virgin Islands. The LP has liner notes in both Spanish and English, so I've included both sets here:

Pedrito Altieri se identifica como compositor, artista y director
de Banda de Acero, siendo a la vez el primer puertorriqueño en
tener y dirigir su propia banda de esta clase
.

Es increíble como Pedrito y los miembros de su banda obtienen
notas y ritmos de esos drones de acero que ellos mismos preparan
.

Este disco contiene música variada oriunda de las Islas Vírgenes,
Trinidad, Puerto Rico, Santos Domingo, etc., tales como Calypsos,
Merengues, Boleros y Guarachas, de los cuales Pedrito y sus
muchachos hacen verdaderos éxitos
.

Esta banda y ha recorrido las Islas que rodeo el Mar Carribe, Estados
Unidos y Canadá habiendo sido muy aplaudida en todas partes
.

Con esta grabación tanto Pedrito como los componentes de su
banda se consagran como los máximos ejecutantes de esta clase
de instrumentos y los más fieles intérpretes de la música de
las Antillas Menores
.

* * * * * * *

Pedrito Altieri's Steelband of St. Croix, Virgin Islands is an
outstanding favorite of listeners and dancers throughout the
Caribbean and the United States. This band has toured the
islands that surround the Caribbean Sea, the United States
and Canada and have won many acclaim at all appearances.


Pedrito is composer, artist and director of this great band.
He is also the first Puerto Rican to own and direct
a band of this class
.

All the other members of the band are natives of St. Croix, V.I.

This record consist of a variety of music from the Virgin
Islands, Trinidad, Puerto Rico and Santa Domingo
.

Such numbers as Calypso, Merengues, Boleros and Guaracha,
which Pedrito and his boys play with perfection and
rhythm as never heard before
.

On this recording the band is giving its best performance so
that you will agree after listening, that it is one of the
best Steelband in the Virgin Islands
.