Frohes Weihnachtsfest!

Last month Berlin Beatet Bestes got to be five years old. Since I´ve started a lot of things have changed in the digital world, that seem to have made music blogs less relevant. Facebook and Spotify have made it much easier and faster to communicate about music and records, and at the same time, streaming has made MP3s somehow less valued, while the rights to distribute them are still being fought over fiercely. Following this changeover, a lot of great blogs have disappeared or gone on hiatus this year. Nevertheless I think  singular autonomous spaces like this one are still valid. While the means to communicate about music have multiplied, the musical focus and quality of the writing seems to have narrowed. The chit chat on Facebook and Youtube does not compare to a well thought-out piece about music. So I intend to keep going, maybe not at the fastest pace and without journalistic aspirations, but I don´t see why I should stop, when I still enjoy doing it.  I´m still collecting records, I still have hundreds of 45s worth posting, and I don´t see any other space where I would have the same kind of freedom to create. Where else would I be able show this little oddity?

This nicely designed record was made to advertize hot Cuban artists like Lourdes Gil, Elena Burke and Pacho Alonso from 1969/1970 of the Areito label, a sub label of the state owned Egrem label. So not only is this a commercial, it is also a holiday record. Keep in mind that communist regimes always tried to neglect the Christian origin of Christmas, albeit not very successfully.  So here´s my little Christmas greeting to all of you who keep coming back here. A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Berlin via Cuba.

Felicidades, Amigo! Greetings, friend! Meilleurs voeux, ami! Frohes Weihnachtsfest!  поздровляем  вac  дoрoroй друr!   Auguri amici!

Felicidades Amigo

Saludo musical con nuestros artistas 1969/1970