José Padilla (1955 – 2020)

Picture Credit : BBC

We have lost some titans in the world of electronic and dance music in 2020. As if it wasn’t bad enough already with the pesky little human malware. Not that they were laid prone to it, thankfully, but first Andy Weatherall of Sabres of Paradise fame in February, then Florian Schneider of Kraftwerk in April. But think less of the sadness, more a celebration. Particularly apt for digital loving Audiophiles as how long do music files last to keep celebrating music – well, forever in theory! Anyone into the Ibiza based Cafe del Mar album series, the chill out genre, or who has visited the bar/club itself, would know of José Padilla (1955 – 2020).

Born in Barcelona, Spain, Padilla moved to Ibiza in 1975, taking up the DJ residency at Café del Mar in 1991. In 1994, he compiled the first Cafe del Mar album under the React label. Trance or Techno fiends of the 90s would be aware of the Reactivate series of albums, albeit different to that which José Padilla was known. Familiar artists on those albums like Elevator, Blu Peter & GTO, coinciding with the brit-pop era, for those Blighty based.

The Cafe del Mar series has many volumes and has spun off several related compilations, as well as leading to the creation of the bar’s own label. Padilla selected tracks for the first six, as well as the 20th-anniversary commemorative release.

While several tracks of Padilla’s appeared in his various compilations, it was not until 1998 that he released his first album, Souvenir, on Mercury Records label. The CD featured collaborations with several chill-out musicians, including Lenny Ibizarre and Paco Fernández. His second album, Navigator, was released in 2001. The album received a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Album.

So with a slightly melancholic heart, all this prompts a music playlist and some recommendations to listen too from this artist. HiFi is all about music after all. Sometimes music gets lost in the time it takes to put out reviews on this site – and it is more than just a hobby as the work to review HiFi is considerable; video….weeks, SEO…hours, articles….days, listening…..days, and so on. It does make you think that Manufacturers and promoters of HiFi should associate music with HiFi a lot more!

Cafe Del Mar – Ibiza

I’m going to make more of a concerted effort to always be mentioning music I’m listening too in reviews as well as in articles. Reporting the misfortune of artists passing might be click bait in some circles, but it certainly doesn’t motivate me here – only the cognizance of what the artist gave in the music itself, does. And if I can tag it onto this thinking, to peak musical interest, then why the hell not!…It’s what it’s all about!

Playlist on Tidal here and below. Qobuz to follow.

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Album Discovery:

• 1993 – Café del Mar, Vol 1
• 1994 – Café del Mar, Vol 2
• 1995 – Café del Mar, Vol 3
• 1996 – Café del Mar, Vol 4
• 1997 – Café del Mar, Vol 5
• 1998 – Souvenir
• 1999 – Café del Mar, Vol 6
• 2001 – Navigator
• 2002 – Navigator (Special Ed.)
• 2002 – El Sueno de Ibiza
• 2005 – Man Ray, Vol 4
• 2006 – Café Solo
• 2007 – Café Solo, Vol 2
• 2009 – Café Mambo Ibiza 09
• 2010 – Ibiza Classic Sunset
• 2010 – Here comes the sunset vol.4- Singita, miracle beach
• 2012 – Blue Note Beach Classics – presented by José Padilla
• 2015 – So Many Colours
• 2017 – Jose Padilla’s House Party

Want More Playlists? – search the music playlist tag here