This year marks the 60th anniversary of the legendary New York label: Fania Records, which is considered as one of the most culturally and musically significant Latin labels in the world, especially for being the progenitor of salsa music in the 1960s.
Fania is also the definitive home for modern mainstay genres like Latin big band, Afro-Cuban jazz, boogaloo, and Latin soul.
Consequently, its rosters are filled with preeminent luminaries of music like Johnny Pacheco, Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, Cheo Feliciano and Rubén Blades, among many others.
What Craft Latino Prepared for Fania Records' 60th Anniversary
In celebration of the label's undeniable legacy and expansive history, Craft Latino is slated to release over a dozen remastered 180-gram vinyl reissues and over two dozen remastered digital albums, many of which will debut in hi-res digital.
The year-long celebration also includes other offerings like a singles box set and a variety of content throughout the year, including curated playlists, artist spotlights and live events across New York, Los Angeles, Miami and London.
Craft Latino kicks off the festivities with a now-available and newly remastered reissue for "La Gran Fuga (The Big Break)," Fania's 1970 masterpiece from the magnificent salsa duo Willie Colón and Héctor Lavoe.
Gold-certified, this collaboration is the sixth one of the duo and features (AAA) lacquers cut from the original master tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and pressed on 180-gram vinyl, with a classic tip-on jacket.
As an added bonus, fans will also receive an 11" x 22" insert featuring Izzy Sanabria's famous cover art-an FBI wanted poster with the bandleader's mugshot-which took inspiration from Colón's "Malo" alter-ego.
Additionally, "La Gran Fuga" is now finally available in 192/24 hi-res digital audio on all major music platforms. Click here to start streaming.
For more information on other offerings during the latin label's 60th anniversary celebration, visit: https://fania.com/. Giveaways, additional releases, and live summer and fall Fania 60th events will be announced later in the year.
