Ghetto Records was Joe Bataan’s way to get over on The Man and out of the ’hood, a bold move by an artist looking for independence and creative control in an industry that had exploited his talents and treated him like chattel. Hatched from desperation yet full of hope Ghetto Records came crashing down shortly after its inception. The seven albums in the Ghetto discography languished out of print. “The Power of Love” (1971) by Joe Acosta was one of them.

Puerto Rico born Joe Acosta was committed to pursuing a career in salsa and Latin jazz, with piano as his primary instrument. In 1969, Acosta started his first real band, Joe Acosta And His Empresarios, with whom he recorded a self-titled LP.

By 1970-71, Acosta was getting more gigs, playing dances three or four nights a week at popular venues. It wasn’t long before manager and booking agent Richie Bonilla signed him to his talent agency and secured a contract for Acosta to record “The Power of Love” on Ghetto Records.

“The Power of Love” fue un título muy acertado: el álbum recorre un amplio abanico de emociones amorosas, desde la obsesión hasta la desilusión, del romance naciente a las rupturas, del deseo al afecto. Aunque un título en inglés y baladas románticas cantadas en ese idioma podían parecer una elección algo inusual para un LP de salsa dura salido de El Barrio, grabado en una época en la que los latinos redescubrían sus raíces socioculturales, fueron decisiones creativas conscientes por parte de Acosta que han resistido el paso del tiempo. Hoy el disco es apreciado tanto por los aficionados a la salsa dura, gracias a sus temas rápidos y contundentes, como por la escena lowrider de la Costa Oeste y su público “souldies”, por la dulce y pausada pieza de latin soul ‘I Need Her’.

While “The Power of Love” has several slow tunes, there are a number of funky mid-tempo son montunos, as well as three super hard guaguancos— enough variety to make for a solid dancing-and listening experience. While the bulk of the selections allow dancers to get their groove on to tasty piano and guitar solos, percussion workouts, and tough trombone moña mambo sections, one track stands out for being exceptionally short and fast: ‘Bendita Ilusión’, that remains a favorite of salsa dancers today.

According to Acosta, the success of ‘I Need Her’ encouraged Fania Records’ Jerry Masucci to come knocking but, since the bandleader was already under contract to Ghetto, and Febo didn’t agree to a buyout, nothing happened.

We are now reissuing “The Power of Love” once again thanks to our collaboration with Now-Again Records. Our release includes an insert with liner notes.