The Conga Kings - The Conga Kings (Hybrid SACD) * * *

The Conga Kings The Conga Kings on Hybrid SACD from Chesky Records

Chesky Records celebrates it's 40th anniversary with The Conga Kings, the landmark self-titled debut from three monumental masters of Afro-Cuban percussion: Havana natives Cándido Camero and Carlos "Patato" Valdés, alongside San Juan virtuoso Giovanni Hidalgo. Recorded in an intimate small-group setting and co-produced by David Chesky alongside legendary arranger Ray Santos, the album captures an extraordinary generational dialogue. From the opening surge of "Tumbando Caña" to time-honored roots grooves like "Elube Chango" and the freewheeling "Descarga de los Reyes," the ensemble delivers a masterclass in traditional Afro-Cuban music, guaguancó rhythms, and fiery improvisational descargas.

The session serves as a historic changing of the guard, pairing the mid-century Cuban architects Camero and Valdés near the culmination of their distinguished careers with a younger Hidalgo at the peak of his groundbreaking velocity. Throughout the recording, the trio seamlessly blends deep melodic tuning with blistering modern technique. As David Chesky notes, listening to these legendary congueros record together around Chesky's signature audiophile setup captures "a flawless dialogue across time" between the roots of Havana and the future of Latin jazz percussion.

The Conga Kings will be reissued on Hybrid Stereo SACD with new liner notes as part of the Chesky Original Masters series.