Joe Bataan’s “Latin Strut” is about to make it Funky so clear the floor for the Latin Soul master:
One of the top Latin Soul jams on Earth from one of the top figures in the genre, “Latin Strut” epitomizes the massive influence of Latin music on the Bboy sound at large.
Joe Bataan (@joe_bataan) talks about his youth in mid-century New York City in an interview with BluesandSoul.com:
“Well yeah, back then East Harlem was a troubled neighbourhood, and people put a lot of emphasis on their environment and their turf”, he recalls: “Which meant you didn’t want anyone – other than the people that LIVED there – coming into your part of town, talking to your girlfriends, using the neighbourhood resources… You know, this was something that had been started by the early immigrants – the Irish, the Italians – WAY before my days! And so I ended up actually becoming the leader of The Dragons! And as a result – because of my reputation – I developed a certain amount of respect through the neighbourhoods. You know, I was like this 13/14-year-old associating with 17/18/19-year-olds. So I guess I grew up very quickly!”
From Joe Bataan’s official website:
Joe Bataan – King of Latin Soul Biography Boogaloo, Latin Soul, Rhythm and Blues, Salsa, Disco, Latin Funk, Latin R&B Latin Jazz, Rap …. What didn’t Joe Bataan sing? Joe Bataan was born and raised in Spanish Harlem (East Side of Manhattan New York) in 1942 to an African-American mother and Filipino father. His given name was Bataan Nitollano.
