I don't expect anyone reading this to actually own this album. It's not my usual demographic. I've included it for a totally different reason - the family connection.
Tracy's uncle, Frank Gimpaya, is a photographer of some renown. Walking around the East Village in Manhattan recently he noticed an exhibition of Latino music albums. After a few minutes of wandering around the gallery, a glimmer of recognition crossed his face. Moving in for a closer look he realised that he had taken the photos of Henry Fiol that appeared on the front and back of this album sleeve.
After making it known to the staff that he was the photographer he was given celebrity status, the album was taken off the wall and Frank was allowed to reunite with his artwork 30 years after the event. As for Henry himself, here's a bit of info.
"Henry Fiol (born January 16, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader and painter. He is known for his traditional approach to son cubano and other Cuban music styles, and he is considered a "cult favorite" among Latin music fans. He studied fine arts at Hunter College and became a teacher before starting his career as a musician in 1969. During the LP era he painted all his record covers himself, developing a distinctive red-and-black visual style, both in clothing and in covers."
As noted, because of his own artistic background Henry created many of his own album covers, so that makes Franks contribution even more memorable.
This album is available in it's entirety on YouTube along with other examples of Henry's work.
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