This chapter profiles the work of another key figure in Cuban dance music in New York, Puerto Rican conga player, bandleader, and arranger, Ray Barretto. Like Eddie Palmieri, Barretto embraced charanga and conjunto aesthetics, combining Cuban forms with jazz, soul, and blues inflection. Flute player José/Joe Canoura’s soloing style with Barretto’s Charanga Moderna is evaluated here.
An evaluation of the US-based charangas and their respective flute soloists is then undertaken looking at the various current manifestations of the típico charanga sound in New York. The voices of female musicians are more in evidence here although the professional field remains male-dominated. Charanga flute players active on the New York scene today such as Karen Joseph, Joe de Jesus, and Connie Grossman contribute their perspectives on charanga performance past and present in the city.