Cheo Feliciano’s Classic ‘Cheo’ Returns to Vinyl
·Al Mega
WEPA! This is not just a vinyl reissue, familia this is salsa history coming back with the needle ready to drop fire. Craft Latino is celebrating the 55th anniversary of Cheo Feliciano’s record-breaking solo debut, Cheo, with its first U.S. vinyl reissue in more than half a century. That means the classic that helped bring one of Puerto Rico’s greatest voices roaring back into the spotlight is finally spinning again for collectors, salseros, and music lovers who know the difference between a record and a legacy.
Co-produced and co-written by the legendary Tite Curet Alonso, Cheo gave the world the immortal “Anacaona,” along with salsa treasures like “Pa’ que afinquen” and “Mi triste problema.” And the lineup? Straight-up Fania royalty: Johnny Pacheco, Larry Harlow, Bobby Valentín, Louie Ramirez, Orestes Vilató, and more. That’s not a band — that’s an Avengers-level salsa session with congas instead of capes.
Set for release on July 17, the reissue comes pressed on 180-gram vinyl, cut all-analog from the original master tapes, and packaged in a gatefold jacket honoring the original Vaya Records artwork. There’s also a limited Medianoche Morada pressing — only 300 copies — so don’t blink, because collectors are about to move like somebody yelled “last pastelillo!”
From his Puerto Rican roots to New York’s salsa explosion, Cheo Feliciano turned struggle, soul, and survival into music that still hits the heart today. Cheo wasn’t just a comeback album — it was a declaration. The legend returned, the culture listened, and salsa was never the same.
Click here to pre-order Cheo.
Click here to find the exclusive bundle including the Medianoche Morada (Midnight Purple) limited-edition color vinyl with a collectible Vaya Records T-shirt.
Tracklist:
Side A
1. Anacaona
2. Pienso en tí
3. Pa’ que afinquen
4. Mi triste problema
5. Esto es el Guaguancó
Side B
1. Si por mí llueve
2. Franqueza cruel
3. Mano caliente
4. Medianoche y sol
5. Poema de otoño
About Fania:
Highly influential, both musically and culturally, Fania Records spread the sound of salsa music from the clubs of New York City to the rest of the world and became a revered global brand in the process. Fania’s master recording catalog is the definitive home for genres such as Latin big band, Afro-Cuban jazz, boogaloo, salsa and Latin Soul, and includes artistic giants such as Celia Cruz, Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe and Rubén Blades. With the creation of the international supergroup known as the Fania All-Stars, the label’s signature musical style became known as the “Fania Sound.” Fania’s rich master catalog also includes the Pete Rodriguez’s boogaloo classic “I Like It Like That” which was sampled by Cardi B in her #1 hit “I Like It.” Additionally, three Fania Recordings, Celia & Johnny by Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco, Azucar Pa’ Ti by Eddie Palmieri and Live at Yankee Stadium by the Fania All-Stars, appear in the National Recording Registry, a list of sound recordings that “are culturally, historically or aesthetically important, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States.” For more info, visit Fania.com and follow on YouTube, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok.
About Craft Latino:
Craft Latino is home to one of the largest and most prestigious collections of Latin music master recordings and compositions in the world. Its rich and storied repertoire includes legendary artists such as Antonio Aguilar, Joan Sebastian, Pepe Aguilar, Celia Cruz, Héctor Lavoe, Willie Colón, Ray Barretto, La Lupe, Ruben Blades, the Fania All Stars and Daddy Yankee to name just a few. Renowned imprints with catalogs issued under the Craft banner include Musart, Fania, TH,
Craft Latino is the Latin repertoire arm of Craft Recordings, the catalog label team for Concord. For more info, visit CraftRecordings.com.
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