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Posts Tagged ‘Miguel Angel Amadeo’

In between the glitz and the glamour of Broadway, and the fierce calls of punk rock, there are other cultural forces in New York, helping to shape its identity over the decades.  There are many different kinds of music that find their home here, just as many cultures find their home in the city.  It’s probably got the most spoken languages on the streets at any given time than any other city in the world, and if you’re looking for something, anything, you can find it here or it probably doesn’t exist.  Some of the greatest contributions to music in the world have roots in Latin America, and find their perfect expression in the hands of the people who live here.

Generations of skill are sometimes passed down, and sometimes it comes up spontaneously in a new generation, but its evolution is strong, and its roots are very deep, and also enormously complex.  It’s an exciting place to come to look into the history and the present, booking New York hotel suites so that you can stay here in style and luxury, and make your way to the Bronx to visit Casa Amadeo.  This a place where every lover of Latin music needs to go at least once in a lifetime.  The 75-year old proprietor Miguel Angel Amadeo will be there, and would probably enjoy teaching you a little about the history here.

The shop is the longest-running Latin music store in the Bronx.  It opened in East Harlem as Casa Hernández in 1927, and Amadeo took over in 1969.  He’s the son of the famous Borricua composer Titi Amadeo, and his knowledge of the records he sells is extensive.  He’s seen a lot of music history firsthand, and is very well-respected among the musicians who play the music in its current evolutions. He also still sells vinyl, and only takes cash, so this is the kind of mom and pop store that everyone misses, but in our lifetime, we can visit, and learn a little something about the music that shapes us in the process.