Charanga

Charanga on vinyl: flute and violins from Cuba

In short: Charanga is a Cuban type of orchestra with flute, violins, piano, bass, timbales and güiro. Charangas first played danzón, later cha-cha-chá and pachanga – and set off a wave of their own in New York in the early sixties. The Vinyl Room currently has 11 charanga records.

What is charanga?

A bright, elegant sound: the flute leads, the violins add riffs. Alberto Corrales shows the classic role of the flute on “La Flauta En El Danzón”.

In New York Olguita sang “Pachanga Malanga” with Modesto's Charanga Kings, plus violinist Eddie Drennon with Charanga Soul, Wayne Gorbea and Tito Rodríguez.

What to look for

Many charanga records came out in the US in the sixties and seventies; label and country of release help you tell which edition you have – it’s noted with each copy.

From our stock

First pressings

New in

→ Pachanga · Danzón · Cha-cha · Latin on vinyl · How to spot a first pressing · Grading explained

FAQ

What is a charanga? A Cuban orchestra with flute, violins, piano, bass, timbales and güiro.

What music do charangas play? Danzón, cha-cha-chá, pachanga and later salsa too.

What is the difference from a conjunto? A conjunto relies on trumpets and tres, a charanga on flute and violins.

Was there charanga in New York too? Yes – it had a wave of its own there in the early sixties.