Ruben Rada – La Yapla Mata [LP]

Blending Afro-Uruguayan rhythms with rock, soul, jazz, and funk, Ruben Rada has left an indelible mark on the musical landscapes of Uruguay and Argentina from the 1960s to the present. In the ’60s, alongside Eduardo Mateo, he helped pioneer candombe beat with the legendary band El Kinto. In the early 1970s, Rada broke new ground again with Totem, fusing Afrobeat and rock into a sound well ahead of its time. He later joined the Fattoruso brothers and Airto Moreira in Opa, contributing to the band’s now-iconic jazz fusion sound during his time in the United States. In the 1980s, Rada relocated to Buenos Aires, where he formed a powerhouse ensemble featuring top musicians from both sides of the Ro de la Plata. Together, they created a string of acclaimed albums blending candombe with jazz and rock — marking one of the most celebrated periods of his career. La Yapla Mata (1985) stands out as one of the finest records Rada produced during that era — a vibrant fusion of candombe rhythms with rock, jazz fusion, and soul, all anchored by his extraordinary voice. The album includes some of his most iconic songs, such as “Candombe para Gardel.” Once a well-kept secret in Uruguay and Argentina, La Yapla Mata is now being released internationally for the first time — forty years later.A1. Flecha VerdeA2. El LevanteA3. Te pareceA4. Las ManzanasB1. Tengo un Candombe para GardelB2. La Yapla MataB3. Madre SalsaB4. El Negro Chino