East Harlem. Latin America across the counter, since 1990.

Shop: El Barrio Center
Address: 1870 Lexington Avenue
Town: New York, United States
Established: 1990
Formats: Vinyl, CDs, Cassette
Crates: Latin, World, Soul, Funk, Jazz

El Barrio Music Center has anchored Lexington Avenue in East Harlem since 1990, back when the neighbourhood was the centre of New York salsa. The racks cover Latin America whole - Puerto Rican bomba y plena, Cuban son, Dominican bachata, Mexican ranchera, and on through the latest salsa and reggaeton - on CD, LP and cassette, alongside instruments, shirts and stickers. It is the kind of collection of music and Puerto Rican culture that does not exist anywhere else in the city