Soul interview with Joe Bataan

[Ady Of Newark]

Joe Bataan was born Bataan Nitollano in 1942 to African-American/Filipino parents in Spanish Harlem where he briefly led the Dragons, a local Puerto Rican street gang, before being sent to the Coxsackie Correctional Facility to serve time for a stolen car charge and that's when he turned his life around.

Joe learned piano and music theory during his 5 years inside and emerged onto the New York boogaloo scene like a butterfly, becoming the flagship act for Fania records before starting SalSoul records.  During the 80/90s/00s he became a social worker working with kids from his own humble and vulnerable beginnings, serving as a role model to inspire them away from the darker side of life.  Joe returned to recording in 2005 and continues to perform

You can hear his chat with Ady here:

https://shinyl.co.uk/2019/05/10/joe-bataan/