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Sammy Figueroa is an exceptional percussionist known for his versatility and for playing in a multitude of musical styles

Sammy Figueroa, a percussionist with an excellent career.

Sammy Figueroa was born in the Bronx, New York, in 1948. He is the son of bolero singer Charlie Figueroa, whom he never knew, as his father passed away at the age of 32.

Sammy moved to Puerto Rico as a child to live with his grandparents and escape the Bronx’s gang violence.

Sammy Figueroa is an excellent percussionist who has stood out for his versatility, playing in a multitude of musical styles

At 18, he started his professional career with bassist Bobby Valentín’s band. Throughout his career, he has stood out for his versatility, playing in a multitude of musical styles and contributing to nearly 400 albums, ten of which are platinum.

He has collaborated with major pop artists like David Bowie, Chaka Khan, and Mariah Carey, as well as with distinguished jazz musicians such as Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Quincy Jones, and George Benson. In 1977, he became a founding member of the Latin rock fusion group Raíces.

In 2001, Sammy Figueroa moved to South Florida and formed his own group, Sammy Figueroa and His Latin Jazz Explosion. His albums And Sammy Walked In and The Magician were nominated for a Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Album.

Sammy Figueroa, a percussionist with an excellent career

His 2023 album, Searching for a Memory / Busco Tu Recuerdo, is a tribute to his father. The project, produced by his wife, Rachel Faro, with whom he has also co-produced other albums, allowed Sammy to reconcile with his father’s legacy. On this album,

Sammy sings on a record for the first time and transforms his father’s classic boleros into modern Latin jazz arrangements. The album was nominated for a Latin Grammy in the “Best Jazz/Latin Jazz Album” category.

Sammy Figueroa has received numerous awards, including two Percussionist of the Year awards from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), two Drummie Awards for Best Hand Percussion, and a Best Percussionist award from the Jazz Journalists Association.

Discovered by jazz flutist Herbie Mann, Figueroa became a well-known session and studio musician, touring and recording with The Brecker Brothers, Average White Band, Morrissey – Mullen, The Mahavishnu Orchestra John McLaughlin, and Miles Davis.

He has also appeared with Blondie, Sonny Rollins, David Sanborn, Quincy Jones, Dave Grusin, George Benson, Chet Baker, Stanley Clarke, Grover Washington Jr., Al Jarreau, Lena Horne, Joe Williams, Mark Murphy, Mike Mainieri, Néstor Torres, Chico O’Farrill, Mike Stern, Chuck Loeb, Bobby Watson, Dave Valentin, Arturo Sandoval, Paquito D’Rivera, Rubén Blades, Eddie Palmieri, Bobby Valentín, Tania Maria, Mariah Carey, James Taylor, Dr. John, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Celine Dion, Blues Traveler, Natalie Merchant, David Lee Roth, Hall & Oates, Joe Cocker, Rickie Lee Jones, Annie Lennox, Whitney Houston, Anita Baker, Grace Jones, James Ingram, Diana Ross, Roberta Flack, Aretha Franklin, and many others.

Some of the R&B hits he is featured on include Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family,” Luther Vandross’s “The Night I Fell In Love,” and Ashford & Simpson’s “Solid (as a rock),” as well as most of Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards’ hits on the Chic and Sister Sledge record labels.

Michel Camilo wrote the song “And Sammy Walked In” in his honor, and it was also recorded by Giovanni Hidalgo. Two of his CDs, And Sammy Walked In and The Magician, have been nominated for Grammy Awards in the “Best Latin Jazz Album” category. Figueroa hosts a Latin jazz show on WDNA-FM in Miami, Florida.

Sammy Figueroa was born in the Bronx, New York, in 1948

If you’re not very familiar with Sammy Figueroa’s work, you can try an experiment with this album: listen closely to see if you can guess what his instrument is. In a medium-sized combo, what instrument seems to take center stage? The answer: it’s impossible to guess, which says something about Figueroa’s maturity as a leader.

It’s also surprising to see how pared down his forces really are this sextet sounds like a big band. (Spoiler alert: he’s a percussionist.) It also says something about him that the term “Explosion” is a misnomer for his band. There are no pyrotechnics, no crazy tempos, and no wildly layered rhythms here.

But there are some very impressive horn arrangements (check out “Cha Cha Pa’ Ti” and the lovely “Cuco y Olga”), along with some of the sweetest, most tender ballads to appear on a jazz album of any genre in recent years (“Queen from the South” and “Zuliana” are the best examples).

For a percussionist acting as a bandleader, giving this kind of sustained, loving attention to compositions that only make a tenuous use of his talent is further proof of Figueroa’s taste and maturity. Let’s hope Figueroa keeps going in this vein. Rick Anderson.

Sammy Figueroa & His Latin Jazz Explosion – Urban Nature (2011).

Tracks:

Gufillo (Silvano Monasterios)
Urban Nature (Gabriel Vivas)
Latin What? (Michael Orta)
Zuliana (Silvano Monasterios)
7th Door From The Left (Silvano Monasterios)
Cuco y Olga (Nicholas Martines)
Cha Cha Pa’ Ti (Gabriel Vivas)
Queen From The South (Silvano Monasterios)
Funny Talk (Gabriel Vivas)

Musicians:

Sammy Figueroa (Percussion)
Silvano Monasterios (Piano)
Gabriel Vivas (Acoustic bass)
John Michalak (Sax)
Alexander Pope Norris (Trumpet)
Nomar Negroni (Drums)

Guest Musicians:

Ed Calle (Sax)
Mike Orta (Piano)
José Gregorio Hernández (Percussion)

Website: Sammy Figueroa

By:

Dj. Augusto Felibertt

L’Òstia Latin Jazz

Also Read: Carlos “Nene” Quintero comes from a family of musical prodigie

Cuban singer-songwriter Osmay Calvo shows his versatility in the New Jersey music scene

Osmay Calvo is just one of many examples of why Cubans have triumphed so many times in the United States, which is why his story and that of many of his compatriots always serve as inspiration for those seeking a career in the music industry but who do not dare to do it because of the misfortune of being born in a place that did not offer them the necessary opportunities for this.

Calvo was kind enough to take a few minutes of his time to talk about all that had happened to his career to date, so it is an honor for us to describe what was discussed in the following lines.

Osmay performing — Singer Osmay Calvo performing during a birthday

How Osmay became interested in music

Osmay tells us that, from an early age, he loved popular music, so he began to participate in school music events when he was just six years old in Tarará, east of the city of Havana. At the same time, his mother enrolled him in singing lessons and he spent much time with his family musicians, including his uncle, singer Pedrito Calvo, who was a member of Los Van Van.

A few years later, he began to attend various types of contests and joined the Mariana de Gonitch Singing Academy, directed at the time by maestro Hugo Oslé, thanks to which he met Pacho Alonso, Ela Calvo, Mundito González, and many other important figures of Cuban popular music.

Official beginning of his professional life

Osmay’s professional start was in Cuba when he joined the Adolfo Guzmán company in 1995, which is when he had his first paid job in music. Although it is true that the Cuban government got a huge percentage of the money earned by the artists, Osmay appreciates the experience and the chance to know other countries through his activities with the company.

Some time later, he had the opportunity to travel to Spain and then to Mexico, where he participated in a music competition and won first prize with the song “La Bamba.” He then spent another month in Spain for an event until returning to Havana and winning the Mariana de Gonitch Singing Contest, obtaining the prize for the great popular generation of national music award, which led him to travel through the 14 provinces of Cuba to offer his services and make himself better known.

Osmay, Ela, and Beatriz — Singer Ela Calvo, Osmay Calvo, and ”La Musicalísima” Beatriz Marquez

Moving to the United States

It was in 2002 that Osmay finally decided it was time to look for other roads and leave Cuba to no longer return. He was going to sign a contract with Mambo Records in Miami, but things did not go according to plan, so he started recording his own music and went to New Jersey, where he began to organise his own orchestra with which he has 16 original songs written by himself, but also numerous covers of hits by other artists.

He has not been back to his native country for about 24 or 25 years. In fact, most of his family also lives in the United States and Canada, except for his uncle Pedro Calvo, some cousins, friends, and his music teachers.

However, after all the time he has been gone, things have not been entirely easy for Osmay, especially in the beginning. The hardest thing for him was language learning and how little he knew about his new place of residence, but the artist quickly learned and was gradually integrated into this new music scene, thanks to which he was able to play with many orchestras and meet great figures such as Oscar D’León at the Coco Bongo Club in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and Fernandito Villalona, for whom he opened one of his shows.

In New York, he played with many bands and learned a lot of music that was played locally. Osmay brought an academic background in lyrical and symphonic singing from Cuba, but New York has mostly restaurants, nightclubs, and fairs, so he had to adapt to a completely new format and audience.

Osmay, and Oscar — ”El Sonero del Mundo” Oscar D’ León and Osmay Calvo

Fortunately, he got it and was recommended by other musicians to play in many places until one night he was asked to play at Don Coqui and was told that Tito Nieves would be there. Then, when it was time for Osmay and nine other musicians to perform on stage, Jimmy Rodríguez, the owner of Don Coqui, approached them to say that Nieves might come and play with them later. A little while later, the Puerto Rican actually did approach with a microphone in his hand, and both he and Osmay began to improvise, and the show lasted until two o’clock in the morning. For the Cuban, it was an exceptional experience and an unforgettable moment in his career.

Haberte Conocido

After all the progress made, in 2021, Osmay felt ready to release his first independent album, which he titled “Haberte Conocido”. This was a goal to fulfill since Hugo Oslé, who was also his singing teacher, told him and the rest of his students that it was very important to be an independent artist who wrote and recorded his own songs.

In addition to that, he remembers that everyone in the class was a bolero singer, so he wanted to do something that would set him apart from the rest, and that is how he began to turn to salsa and other genres. This made him a much more versatile artist who could sing almost any genre coming his way. From then on, he stopped learning the original soneos of the songs and started to improvise on many occasions, which eventually led him to compose. Finally, in 2021, he wrote “Haberte Conocido,” which he put together from ideas that came to his mind and that he saved on his mobile phone during rehearsals. Then, stanza by stanza, he created the first song of his own.

Osmay and Tito — Osmay Calvo singing with Tito Nieves at Don Coqui

Trumpeter Davián Raúl Launches Solo Career with “Despierta Salsero” Album

Davián Raúl has released his debut production, Despierta Salsero, available now in digital format and on CD. The young Puerto Rican salsa artist is currently on a promotional tour for the album.

Davián Raúl is no stranger to the salsa scene. He’s been playing the trumpet since he was ten years old, starting with the Banda Sinfónica de Toa Baja. He eventually became a trumpeter for Sonora Ponceña, thanks to the support of Papo Lucca, director of “Los Gigantes del Sur.” To reach his current position, Davián Raúl pursued an education in Music Education and Performance, with the trumpet as his primary instrument. He is a graduate of the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico and is currently a music teacher at a school in Comerío, Puerto Rico, where he mentors students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade.

Trumpeter Davián Raúl launches his solo career with the album Despierta Salsero.

Before joining one of the most important and iconic salsa orchestras—one that heavily emphasizes the trumpet’s sound—Davián was a trumpeter for the orchestras of Nino Segarra, Primi Cruz, Osvaldo Román, and Anthony Cruz, to name a few. He was also part of Conjunto Chaney shortly before auditioning for La Ponceña. During his time as a backing musician, he traveled the world, playing his instrument in major venues and gaining the experience necessary to make his leap. Davián Raúl makes his debut as a solo singer with Despierta Salsero, bringing a solid hard salsa proposal aimed at satisfying the taste of true salsa aficionados.

Album Details

The album features 10 tracks encompassing hard salsa, romantic salsa, rumba, bolero, and son. The recording includes: ‘Al que nace pa’ salsero,’ ‘Tengo que marcharme,’ ‘La campana’ (a song dedicated to Cali, Colombia, known as “the salsa capital of the world”), ‘Ahora me extrañas,’ ‘Coño, despierta salsero,’ ‘Mientras me sigas necesitando,’ ‘Mi salsa no muere,’ ‘La pachanga,’ ‘Te traigo el son,’ and ‘Ten compasión.’ The orchestration was arranged by Raúl Berríos Raymundí, with arrangements by talented musicians such as Ramón Sánchez, Ernesto “Tito” Rivera, Ángel “Pajay” Torres, and Andy Guzmán. Nine of the ten compositions are original works by Raúl Berríos Raymundí and Irvin Raúl Berríos López. The tenth track, ‘Mientras me sigas necesitando,’ is a renowned song by the celebrated Camilo Sesto.

Musical Production and Guest Artists

The musical execution was handled by a carefully selected group of great Puerto Rican and international musicians. The congas feature “Pequeño” Johnny Rivero, Kachiro Thompson, Gadwin Vargas, Charlie Padilla, and Sammy García. Japhet Rodríguez, Pete Perignon, Edwin Clemente, Pablo Padín, and Diego Camacho play the timbal. Alexandra Albán, Luisier Rivera, Javier Oquendo, and Richard Carrasco perform on the bongos. Richard Bravo is on drums, while Raúl Berríos Raymundí, Sergio Múnera, Ricardo Lugo, Ramón Vázquez, and Pedro Pérez provide the rhythm on bass. Andy Guzmán, Ramón Sánchez, and Carlos García play the piano. The trumpet section showcases David “Piro” Rodríguez, Angie Machado, Jesús Alonso, Marito Ortiz, Dante Vargas, Pedro Marcano, Yoandy Vera, and Davián Raúl himself. José Berríos Raymundí and Irvin Raúl Berríos López contribute on trombones. For the choruses, the voices of Carlos García and Jorge Yadiel Santos alternate with those of Raúl, Irvin, and Davián himself. The sound engineering team responsible for mixing and mastering included Papo Sánchez, Andy Guzmán, and Rolando Alejandro. With this impressive lineup, Davián Raúl, one of the youngest members of the Berríos dynasty, makes his debut, confidently declaring that “salsa is still in control.”

Davián Raúl released his first production available in digital format and on compact disc, Despierta Salsero.

Endorsements

Recently, “El Caballero de la Salsa,” Gilberto Santa Rosa, endorsed Davián Raúl’s debut production via a video clip shared on social media. Santa Rosa stated, “Davián Raúl is a tremendous young talent whom you must listen to… so that true salseros know there’s plenty of salsa for a long time to come. Davián Raúl: Go for it!” In response, Davián Raúl commented on his Facebook page, “Infinite thanks (…) for making this dream possible. You didn’t just give me space, you gave me an opportunity worth gold! This is just the beginning… and may the salsero awaken throughout the world!”

Miguel Zenón is widely regarded as one of the most innovative and influential saxophonists and composers of his generation

“Miguel Zenón, this young musician and composer, is simultaneously re-establishing the artistic, cultural, and social tradition of jazz while creating an entirely new jazz language for the 21st century.”

Miguel Zenón is widely considered one of the most innovative and influential saxophonists and composers of his generation.

Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Zenón has released seventeen recordings as a leader, including his most recent, the Grammy-nominated Golden City (2024), and the Grammy-winning album El Arte Del Bolero Vol. 2 (2023).

He has collaborated with luminaries such as The SFJAZZ Collective, Charlie Haden, Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner, David Sánchez, Danilo Pérez, The Village Vanguard Orchestra, Kurt Elling, Joey Calderazzo, Steve Coleman, Ray Barreto, Andy Montañez, Jerry Gonzalez & The Fort Apache Band, The Mingus Big Band, and Bobby Hutcherson.

Zenón is a Grammy Award winner, a Guggenheim Fellow, a MacArthur Fellow, and a recipient of the Doris Duke Artist Award.

He also holds an honorary Doctorate of Arts from the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón.

Widely considered one of the most innovative and influential saxophonists and composers of his generation, he has also developed a unique voice as a conceptualist, focusing his efforts on perfecting an excellent blend of jazz and its many musical influences.

enón ha lanzado diecisiete grabaciones como líder

Zenón has released numerous albums as a bandleader and has appeared on over 100 recordings as a sideman.

Música de las Américas: A Masterpiece

With Música de las Américas, Puerto Rican saxophonist Miguel Zenón has created his finest album to date since his professional debut twenty-two years ago.

On this album, Zenón is accompanied by the same combo he has worked with on his recent projects, notably Venezuelan pianist Luis Perdomo, with the addition of some high-caliber percussion reinforcements from his native Puerto Rico.

He has worked with luminaries such as The SFJAZZ Collective, Charlie Haden, Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner, David Sánchez, Danilo Pérez, The Village Vanguard Orchestra, Kurt Elling, Joey Calderazz

Música de las Américas presents a very appealing balance across its eight tracks, weaving classic Latin jazz with more modern jazz forms, venturing into the turbulent waters of free jazz when necessary (as heard in ‘Venas Abiertas’), and incorporating traditional music from his homeland.

Zenón’s compositions aim to reflect the dynamism and complexity of indigenous American cultures (‘Taínos y Caribes,’ which opens the album), as well as their encounters with Europeans and the resulting historical implications, exemplified by tracks like ‘Imperios.’

As Miguel Zenón himself has stated, “the music on the new album is inspired by the history of the American continent, not only before European colonization but also by what has happened since.”

Música de las Américas serves as a kind of manifesto for Zenón’s concept of America as a continent.

This new musical offering from the alto saxophonist, born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1976, was conceived during the pandemic (does anyone remember that there was a pandemic in 2020 and 2021 originating in the People’s Republic of China that caused thousands of deaths?). The book ‘Venas Abiertas’ by Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano, who passed away in 2015 and was a prominent figure of the Latin American left, played a significant role in its development.

Zenon Nacido y criado en San Juan, Puerto Rico

Zenón has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, and The Chicago Tribune. He also topped the Jazz Artist of the Year and Alto Saxophonist of the Year categories in the 2014 JazzTimes Critics’ Poll and was selected as Alto Saxophonist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association in 2015, 2018, 2019, and 2020 (when he was also recognized as Arranger of the Year). In 2023, he was recognized by the same organization as Composer of the Year.

As a composer, he has received commissions from SFJAZZ, NYO Jazz, The New York State Council on the Arts, Chamber Music America, Logan Center for The Arts, The Hyde Park Jazz Festival, The John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, MIT, Spektral Quartet, Miller Theater, The Hewlett Foundation, Peak Performances, PRISM Quartet, and many of his colleagues. Zenón has given hundreds of lectures and masterclasses at institutions worldwide and is a faculty member of MIT’s Music and Theater Arts Department, as well as the current Visiting Scholar for the Jazz Harmony and Composition Department at Berklee College of Music.

Ultimately, Música de Las Américas is the product of Zenón’s intellectual curiosity to learn more about the history of America (the continent) and translate that history into music (distritojazz).

Miguel Zenón – Música De Las Américas (2022)

Tracks:

Tainos y Caribes
Navegando (Las Estrellas Nos Guían)
Opresión y Revolución
Imperios
Venas Abiertas
Bámbula
América, El Continente
Antillano

Musicians:

Miguel Zenón (Alto Saxophone)
Luis Perdomo (Piano)
Hans Glawischnig (Bass)
Henry Cole (Drums)

Guest Musicians:

Los Pleneros de La Cresta (Emil Martinez, Edwin “Wechin” Aviles, Joshuan Ocasio, Joseph Ocasio, and Jeyluix Ocasio) (Panderos, percussion, and vocals on #2)
Paoli Mejías (Percussion #3)
Víctor Emmanuelli (Barril de bomba #6)
Daniel Díaz (Congas #8)

Recorded at Big Orange Sheep, Brooklyn, New York, March 21-22, 2022.

Miguel Zenón - Música De Las Américas (2022) — Miguel Zenón – Música De Las Américas (2022)

Zenón lives in New York City with his wife, Elga, and their daughter.

By:

Miguel Zenón

Dj. Augusto Felibertt

L’Òstia Latin Jazz

Also Read: Luis Perdomo, one of the most diligent jazz pianists in New York

Alain Pérez Triumphs in Puerto Rico with a Confident Stride

The exclusive Tropicoro Club at the Fairmont El San Juan Hotel in Isla Verde was overflowing to welcome the multifaceted Cuban musician Alain Pérez, who performed in Puerto Rico for the first time as a solo artist. Before the dance concert, held on Puerto Rican soil, which closed Alain’s first solo tour of the United States, he had performed in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and Tampa.

To open the concert, the Cubanísimo concept, led by Puerto Rican bassist and cuatrista Jesús Algarín, set the mood for the audience. The young musician made a confident entrance, accompanying himself with powerful interpretations on his instruments, skillfully directing his own orchestra. Prior to Alain Pérez’s show, the musicians of Cubanísimo—cuatrista, singer, and director Jesús Algarín, trumpeter Miguel Ortiz, vocalists Carmen Jiménez and Gilberto Félix, bassist Félix Juan Algarín, bongos player Freddy Camacho, conga player Jeren Guzmán, and flutist Juan Ortiz—brought to life songs like ‘El yerbero moderno,’ ‘Esa niña,’ ‘El bodeguero,’ ‘La rosa oriental,’ ‘El paralítico,’ ‘Así fue,’ ‘Parampampam,’ ‘Lo que fue no será,’ ‘Que te pedí,’ and ‘El cuarto de Tula.’ Once the musicians, directed by Algarín, finished their set, Alain Pérez made his triumphant entrance.

The singer, bassist, guitarist, percussionist, pianist, orchestra director, arranger, and music producer had been in Puerto Rico on a handful of occasions as a backing musician for artists of the stature of Issac Delgado and Chucho Valdés, to name a few. This time, of course, he arrived as a solo artist and with force, to the rhythm of ‘El cuento de la buena pipa.’ Once on stage, the “guajiro,” who confessed in an interview to having “converted to flamenco,” showed that he felt at home while singing, dancing, guaraching, playing the bass, soneando, and rumbando. Once Alain and his orchestra warmed up the luxurious venue, which was overflowing with people, the virtuous multi-instrumentalist performed songs such as ‘ADN,’ ‘El sabor de mi rumba,’ ‘Amor fugaz,’ ‘Son con moña,’ ‘Hablando con Juana,’ ‘Shorcito,’ ‘Modo avión,’ ‘Batilongo,’ ‘La lámpara,’ ‘Pa’ to’ la vida,’ ‘La moneda,’ the title track from his most recent production: ‘Bingo,’ ‘Andaba solo’—a duet with the “Caballero de la Salsa,” Gilberto Santa Rosa—and ‘Pistolero,’ the latter loudly requested by the elegant audience.

Alain Pérez acompañado de su bajista Mauro Cabrejas

Gilberto joined Alain to sing ‘Andaba solo’ as a duet, but not before giving a “welcome to this beast of music, with whom I had the opportunity to record and whom I had the opportunity to meet in person recently,” clarifying that he already knew him musically, adding that they would sing “without rehearsal, but with affection.”

During the show, the musician who defines himself as a guajiro, sonero, guarachero, and rumbero, delivered fusions characteristic of Alain’s great contribution to Latin music, within Afro-Cuban traditions influenced by his exposure to Hispanic folklore. Pérez built the show using a varied repertoire that included salsa, timba, son, and bolero in interesting fusions. Accompanied by his band—composed of Mauro Cabrejas, Josué Puig, Roberto Medina, Víctor Oliva, Alejandro Sosa, Robelis Arévalo, Julio Puig, Yunnier Stoker, Cristhian Díaz, Darío Andrés, Alejandro Fernández, and Isaac Cambar—Alain Pérez delivered on his promise: “a night full of Caribbean flavor, rhythm, and

energy.”

From the moment Alain started the dance, the energy did not wane. The audience connected with the artist and the person, who visibly emotional, repeatedly expressed gratitude “for the affection received and the nobility perceived,” adding that since setting foot on Puerto Rican soil he has “felt a lot of peace” and that he’s going to have to buy “a little ranch here.”

With the Puerto Rico performance, Alain successfully concluded his first solo tour of the United States with resounding success. That was the idea. Here in beautiful Borinquen, the audience while demanding makes sure the artist feels the love and respect with which they are received and celebrated. Congratulations!

Also Read: Bella Martinez, the irreverent Salsa writer