Lucky 7 (Remastered 2026) Roberto Roena Y Su Apollo Sound

• 1 Que Me Castigue Dios (Remastered 2026) 05:56
• 2 A Bailar Mi Bomba (Remastered 2026) 04:57
• 3 Te Voy a Tratar (Remastered 2026) 03:39
• 4 Estás Equivocada (Remastered 2026) 05:58
• 5 Fea (Remastered 2026) 05:51
• 6 Mi Desengaño (Remastered 2026) 05:35
• 7 La Hija de la Vecina (Remastered 2026) 04:20
• 8 Hoy Mi Día Triste (Remastered 2026) 03:46
• 9 La Mala Maña (Remastered 2026) 04:54
• 10 Me Le Fugué a la Candela (Remastered 2026) 05:19
• Total Runtime 50:15

Info for Lucky 7 (Remastered 2026)

Craft Latino marks the 50th anniversary of Lucky 7 with a special reissue of the landmark salsa album from pioneering bandleader Roberto Roena y Su Apollo Sound. Featuring the mega-hit “Mi desengaño,” plus such cross-generational favorites as “Fea,” “Mala maña,” and “Que me castigue Dios,” the long-out-of-print album returns for the first time since its 1976 release - now in a 24bit remaster version.

This special anniversary edition of Lucky 7 features all-analog (AAA) mastering cut from the original tapes by Dave Polster and Clint Holley at Well Made Music.

One of the most important names in salsa music, Roberto Roena (1940–2021) was a multi-talented artist, whose work as a bandleader, percussionist, and dancer helped to pioneer the genre. A native of Puerto Rico, Roena was just a teenager when he caught the attention of legendary bandleader Rafael Cortijo, who not only taught Roena to play the bongos and cowbell but also made him a member of his world-renowned orchestra, Cortijo y su Combo. When the group dissolved in the early 1960s, Roena reunited with former bandmates to assemble El Gran Combo. The salsa orchestra would soon become one of Puerto Rico’s most famous acts.

By 1969, Roena was eager to strike out on his own and assembled a 12-piece band, Apollo Sound—a name which reportedly came about after their first rehearsal coincided with the historic launch of the Apollo 11 mission. Taking a stylistic cue from the fusion bands of the day, the group created a distinct, funky sound that was defined by a heavy brass section, featuring two or three trumpets, a trombone player, and a saxophonist. Their live shows were equally electrifying, as Roena—a consummate performer—was known to emerge from behind the bongos, keeping crowds on their toes with an awe-inspiring spectacle of aerial tricks, psychedelic lighting, and an arsenal of dance moves.

Within a year, Roberto Roena y Su Apollo Sound caught the attention of New York City’s Fania Records. Over the next five years, the prolific group released a series of self-titled albums under Fania’s International Records imprint (Apollo Sound 1-6). Their seventh studio album, 1976’s Lucky 7, found the innovative band reaching new levels with their sophisticated arrangements, soulful grooves, and dancefloor-ready rhythms. At the forefront is Papo Sanchez—who had recently joined the group as co-lead vocalist—alongside Sammy Gonzalez. The pair deliver emotive performances throughout, including “Mi desengaño,” an up-tempo track whose buoyant energy contradicts its melancholic themes of disillusionment in love. The song, along with many selections from the album, became an instant salsa classic.

Other popular highlights include the Ruben Blades-penned “Que me castigue Dios,” the merengue “Mala maña,” as well as favorites like “Fea,” “La hija de la vecina,” and “Me le fugué a la candela.” Joining the Apollo Sound were a number of powerhouse artists, including Justo Betancourt, Paquito Guzmán, and Mario Álvarez on backing vocals, plus pianist Carlos Rodriguez, while various celebrated arrangers—including Papo Lucca, Elias Lopes, Jorge Millet, and Luis “Perico” Ortiz—helped bring Roena’s vision to life.

Upon its release, Lucky 7 quickly became one of the bestselling salsa albums of all time and has long since been considered a salsa dura masterpiece, thanks in large part to the breakout success of “Mi desengaño,” a major hit for Roena that Latin Music Café writes, “took Salsa music mainstream. The poetic lyrics, the smooth and slow ‘son,’ mixed with a bossa nova-based mambo made this an easy song to listen for those that didn’t listen to Salsa music before.”

While Apollo Sound were well on their way to becoming one of the greatest salsa bands of all time, Roena also enjoyed significant success as a solo artist—particularly through his involvement in the legendary Latin supergroup Fania All Stars, as well as his high-profile work with Cameroonian star Manu Dibango. A consummate showman with a career that spanned over six decades, the International Latin Music Hall of Fame inductee continued to command the stage well into his 70s.

Papo Sánchez, vocals
Sammy Gonzalez, vocals
Carlos Rodríguez, piano
Miguel Rodriguez, tenor saxophone, flute
Pucho Soufront, bass
Cuqui Santos, timbales
Julio Merced, trombone
Dario Moralez, trumpet
Mario Alvarez, trumpet
Fernando Marcano, trumpet, flugelhorn
Roberto Roena, bongos
Papo Clemente, congas
Justo Betancourt, harmony vocals
Mario Alvarez, harmony vocals
Paquito Guzman, harmony vocals

Digitally remastered

We do not offer the 192kHz version because the frequency range of our measurement was insufficient. Therefore, we are offering the 96kHz version here.

Roberto Roena
was a true showman when he performed with his band, Apollo Sound. He displayed a variety of colorful hair styles and was even known to have played bongos in his underwear. He was so dynamic during his performances, that he would do things like fly around Madison Square Garden wearing a harness and being the first to include go-go dancers in his act. More importantly, he was an accomplished bongocero and dancer who was featured in Fania All Stars concerts and movies, dancing with an elegance that excited audiences around the world. When Roberto was nine years old, his family moved from his native, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico and settled into a section of Santurce, Puerto Rico. While in Santurce, Roberto and his brother Cuqui would put on shows where they focused on dancing and refining their routines. It eventually led to weekly performances on the television program La Taberna India. During one of the broadcasts, percussionist/bandleader Rafael Cortijo saw Roena in action and took him under his wing. Rafael showed him how to play bongos and noticed how naturally Roberto adapted to the instrument so vital to any orchestra. He later became the leader of his own band, Roberto Roena y Su Apollo Sound, one of the most popular bands from Puerto Rico, where Latin bands are ubiquitous. Roena has also been a long-time member of the famed Fania All Stars orchestra where he enjoyed worldwide success during the ’70s. Roberto suffered a massive heart attack in Puerto Rico and was flown to New York City for surgery to repair a heart valve, but complications developed, and he died on September 23, 2021. Among his many achievements Roberto Roena was posthumously awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003. — Bobby Marin

This album contains no booklet.