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FANIA RECORDS & EL CAOBO
El Caobo’s relationship with Fania Records represents one of the most important chapters in his work as a salsa DJ, radio host, and music curator.
Fania Records, the legendary New York–based label founded by Dominican-born composer, bandleader, and producer Johnny Pacheco and attorney Jerry Masucci in 1964, helped define and promote the sound that came to be known around the world as salsa. What began as a small independent label in New York eventually became one of the most important institutions in Latin music history.
The Fania catalog includes many of the most influential artists in salsa and Afro-Caribbean music, including Willie Colón, Celia Cruz, Larry Harlow, Ray Barretto, Rubén Blades, Héctor Lavoe, Cheo Feliciano, Bobby Valentín, Ismael Miranda, Pete “El Conde” Rodríguez, Adalberto Santiago, Joe Bataan, Roberto Roena, Papo Lucca, and many others.
The Fania All-Stars, created in 1968, brought together many of the label’s most important musicians and singers for performances and recordings that helped carry salsa from New York City to international audiences. Their legendary 1971 performance at the Cheetah in Midtown Manhattan, later connected to the documentary Our Latin Thing, remains one of the most celebrated moments in salsa history.
In 2005, Fania’s assets were sold to Miami-based Emusica, and the new owners began reissuing material from the Fania back catalog with remastered sound, new liner notes, and renewed attention to the label’s historic importance. During this period, Emusica began sending reissued and remastered albums to radio hosts known for their continued support of salsa music.
Latin Lady DJ Margarita, who had already been receiving the reissued albums, contacted El Caobo and other radio hosts who were friends of hers and helped put them in touch with Emusica. As a result, in 2007, Emusica began sending reissued and remastered Fania albums to El Caobo as well.
In 2009, Fania’s assets were acquired from Emusica by Signal Equity Partners, operating under the name Código Group. One of the owners of Código Group, who had previously worked with Emusica and was familiar with El Caobo’s support of the Fania catalog, contacted him.
Around that time, El Caobo traveled to New York for a week of DJ appearances at venues including The Taj, SOB’s, Iguana Café, and The Imperial. While in New York, he met with one of the owners of Código Group. That meeting began a conversation that eventually led to El Caobo becoming Fania Records’ official salsa DJ representative.
During that period, El Caobo continued promoting the Fania catalog through his radio programming, live events, and salsa mixes. In a post on Fania Records’ official website, El Caobo was described as “one of the best salsa DJs in the world.”
El Caobo maintained this important relationship with the Fania Records catalog through the Código era. After Concord acquired Fania Records and Publishing from Código Entertainment in 2018, that formal relationship eventually came to an end, but the connection remains an important part of El Caobo’s professional history.
Having access to the Fania catalog, along with longstanding relationships with contemporary salsa labels and independent artists, helped El Caobo develop a deep, historically grounded approach to music curation. His work has always centered on honoring the roots of the music while also staying connected to the living, evolving world of salsa, mambo, bachata, merengue, cumbia, reggaetón, and other Latin dance genres.
Click the top red button below to hear one of El Caobo’s salsa mixes on Fania Records’ official SoundCloud page.
Click the bottom red button below to join the group for El Caobo’s radio show.
Fania Records, the legendary New York–based label founded by Dominican-born composer, bandleader, and producer Johnny Pacheco and attorney Jerry Masucci in 1964, helped define and promote the sound that came to be known around the world as salsa. What began as a small independent label in New York eventually became one of the most important institutions in Latin music history.
The Fania catalog includes many of the most influential artists in salsa and Afro-Caribbean music, including Willie Colón, Celia Cruz, Larry Harlow, Ray Barretto, Rubén Blades, Héctor Lavoe, Cheo Feliciano, Bobby Valentín, Ismael Miranda, Pete “El Conde” Rodríguez, Adalberto Santiago, Joe Bataan, Roberto Roena, Papo Lucca, and many others.
The Fania All-Stars, created in 1968, brought together many of the label’s most important musicians and singers for performances and recordings that helped carry salsa from New York City to international audiences. Their legendary 1971 performance at the Cheetah in Midtown Manhattan, later connected to the documentary Our Latin Thing, remains one of the most celebrated moments in salsa history.
In 2005, Fania’s assets were sold to Miami-based Emusica, and the new owners began reissuing material from the Fania back catalog with remastered sound, new liner notes, and renewed attention to the label’s historic importance. During this period, Emusica began sending reissued and remastered albums to radio hosts known for their continued support of salsa music.
Latin Lady DJ Margarita, who had already been receiving the reissued albums, contacted El Caobo and other radio hosts who were friends of hers and helped put them in touch with Emusica. As a result, in 2007, Emusica began sending reissued and remastered Fania albums to El Caobo as well.
In 2009, Fania’s assets were acquired from Emusica by Signal Equity Partners, operating under the name Código Group. One of the owners of Código Group, who had previously worked with Emusica and was familiar with El Caobo’s support of the Fania catalog, contacted him.
Around that time, El Caobo traveled to New York for a week of DJ appearances at venues including The Taj, SOB’s, Iguana Café, and The Imperial. While in New York, he met with one of the owners of Código Group. That meeting began a conversation that eventually led to El Caobo becoming Fania Records’ official salsa DJ representative.
During that period, El Caobo continued promoting the Fania catalog through his radio programming, live events, and salsa mixes. In a post on Fania Records’ official website, El Caobo was described as “one of the best salsa DJs in the world.”
El Caobo maintained this important relationship with the Fania Records catalog through the Código era. After Concord acquired Fania Records and Publishing from Código Entertainment in 2018, that formal relationship eventually came to an end, but the connection remains an important part of El Caobo’s professional history.
Having access to the Fania catalog, along with longstanding relationships with contemporary salsa labels and independent artists, helped El Caobo develop a deep, historically grounded approach to music curation. His work has always centered on honoring the roots of the music while also staying connected to the living, evolving world of salsa, mambo, bachata, merengue, cumbia, reggaetón, and other Latin dance genres.
Click the top red button below to hear one of El Caobo’s salsa mixes on Fania Records’ official SoundCloud page.
Click the bottom red button below to join the group for El Caobo’s radio show.