http://www.mjsite.comMusic News Cache

By Leila Cobo Fri Aug 24, 10:30 PM ET

MIAMI (Billboard) - Hector Lavoe, dead for a decade, is today the most popular name on Billboard's Top Latin Albums chart, thanks to "El Cantante," the film based on his life, starring Marc Anthony.

The film's Sony BMG soundtrack, on which Anthony sings the songs that made Lavoe iconic in his short lifetime, has sat at No. 1 on the chart since its release a month ago, having sold 60,000 copies to date, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

At Nos. 9 and No. 18, respectively, on the same chart are Lavoe's "El Cantante: El Original" and "A Man and His Music," both out on the legendary Fania Records.

Later this year, Machete Music will release an album of urban versions of Lavoe tracks.

Beyond the biopic's role in sparking renewed attention for the artist's recordings, the Lavoe boom coincides with a resurgence in interest in salsa music. And Fania, which Emusica Music bought last year, has been reissuing its catalog.

"Interest was growing even before the excitement of the movie started," Emusica director of marketing Michael Rucker said. "We positioned the catalog out in the marketplace similar to how Motown was positioned: as a deep, rich catalog. And you get the benefit of remastered recordings," he added, noting that since March 2006, Emusica has remastered 260 of the approximately 1,300 albums the Fania catalog contains.

The company also has turned to nontraditional marketing and repackaging to sell the music. This summer, for example, the label began releasing Fania compilations overseen by well-known DJs from specific cities in an effort to make the music relevant to targeted communities. DJ Rumor put together "Fania Live '01 From New York." The DJ Le Spam-compiled "Fania Live '02 From Miami" drops September 25. And Sake 1's "Fania Live '03 From San Francisco" will be released November 1.

There is also a Fania compilation sold at Starbucks, plus aggressive Internet marketing of the reissues.

Without a doubt, though, the biggest boon for the label has been "El Cantante."

"From a public relations standpoint, you couldn't talk about the movie without talking about Fania Records and Hector Lavoe," Rucker said.

Fania had already successfully released albums in "The Man and His Music" series for Willie Colon, Ray Barreto and Johnny Pacheco. A 27-track collection with extensive liner notes made sense for Lavoe as well.

In addition, on July 3, Fania released "El Cantante: El Original," featuring Lavoe's original, remastered recordings in a Digipak. It contains a booklet with a copy of Ruben Blades' handwritten lyrics and a remix of the track "El Cantante," done by Little Louie Vega (who, coincidentally, is Lavoe's nephew). Fania also put out a special, lower-priced Wal-Mart edition of "El Original" in a simple jewel case.

"The great thing we've learned is it never is too early or too late to connect with this music," said Rucker, who is already at work on a Celia Cruz "Woman and Her Music" set. Its November release will coincide with the Cruz musical that will begin its New York run in September.

Reuters/Billboard