La Fantastica

From the streets of Brooklyn comes La Fantástica, a brash, big‑band Latin orchestra whose debut on Joe Bataan’s Ghetto Records produced an underground salsa gem laced with unexpected psychedelic soul. Originally released in 1971, From Ear To Ear pairs hard‑driving Latin rhythms with the beguiling, English‑language slow‑burn of “Latin Blues,” a track that blurs salsa, soul, and psych textures.

Ghetto Records was Joe Bataan’s bold bid for independence — a label born from frustration with an industry that had exploited him and a determination to forge his own path. As Bataan reflects, “Ghetto Records was part of my journey, a stepping stone to everything else that I’ve done. I learned enough that it enabled me to get out of the box with my thinking, it showed me how to deal with adversity.” The label’s ambition was audacious and short‑lived; its seven releases quickly fell out of print, and many of the records vanished into collector lore. From Ear To Ear is among those overlooked classics.

The album is nothing but heavy hitters: the soulful, hypnotic “Latin Blues”; the incendiary salsa cut “Con Quién Andas,” driven by roaring saxophone and trumpet exchanges worthy of the greats; and other tracks that showcase La Fantástica’s tight arrangements, bold horn work, and raw streetwise energy. Vampisoul, in collaboration with Now‑Again Records, proudly reissue From Ear To Ear with a newly produced package that includes an insert featuring fresh liner notes — bringing this lost chapter of Latin soul and salsa back into the light for a new generation of listeners.