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2021

Yolanda Rivera The Lady of Salsa and the Sonera of Ponce

By: Diana Marie

Yolanda Rivera La Sonera of Ponce

Yolanda Rivera was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico on June 30, 1951, she admits to listening to Cuban music since the age of 8.

Her hometown of Ponce saw the Cuban singer Celeste Mendoza’s event that triggered in the young Yolanda her desire to sing.

Naturally, with an exceptional voice, she says she never took singing lessons. In her family everyone sang, without making it a profession.

Yolanda Rivera had the opportunity to meet Quique Lucca-founder of the Ponceña who decided to recruit
in the 90’s she integrated for 3 years the Rubby Haddock Orchestra

She began her singing career in New York in 1969 as a member of Willie Rosario’s choir. Returning to Puerto Rico in 1975, she has joined the group Roberto y su Changó.

His real professional debut with the orchestra can be considered as the Terrífica. With this formation, in 1976 he recorded 33 tours: “sabor a pueblo” (int 908), where he sang the hit “mi corazón es para ti” and “Guaguancó No. 3” boleros “para que sufras” and “esta demás” on the same album “Pichie” Pérez is responsible for other pieces.

Unfortunately the episode was very brief due to disagreements within the group.

Naturally, with an exceptional voice, she says she never took singing lessons. In her family everyone sang, without making it a profession
Yolanda Rivera The Lady of Salsa

After a few months of unemployment, he had the opportunity to meet Quique Lucca-founder of the Ponceña who decided to recruit.

With them he recorded “Borinquen”, his favorite song. He stayed from 1977 to 1984, the time to record some albums and browse the scenes around the world, albums with this prestigious formation are:

“The Giant of the South” (Inca-1977-1054)

“Exploring” (inca-1978-1060);

“The orchestra of my land” (1978-inca-1064);

Compilation “Energized” (1979-1072-Inca)

“New heights (1980-inca-1074)

“Unchained force” (1980-inca-1077)

“Night Raider (1981-inca-1079)

“Determinación” (1982-inca-1080)

“Squeezing” (1983-inca-1089)

Yolanda Rivera was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico on June 30, 1951
Yolanda Rivera La Sonera of Ponce

Parallel to her career, Yolanda had to take care of her family, she will stay in Florida for five years, but not stop completely with the song, indeed it is a record with the noble strength of ensemble led by Gabino Pampini.

The return home was more difficult to revive the trade. only in the 90s she integrated for 3 years the Rubby Haddock orchestra where several records, since then she has worked regularly with Luigi Texidor .

From time to time she attended the anniversaries of the Ponceña:

Sonora Ponceña 30th anniversary golden age (inca 1992);

Sonora Ponceña 45th anniversary live: history and we continue to make, (bmg / ariola 81 167) 2000 (only appears on cd).

But she never returned because Ponceña Papo Lucca the beloved joins Luigi Texidor in his career as a soloist in the interpretation of the orchestra’s old hit.

She also participated in the album “Ray Barretto 50th Anniversary Live” where she sings “Nadie se salva de la Rumba” with Adalberto Santiago for the year 2001, a song included in the production Tremendo Trio with Celia Cruz, Ray Barretto and with Adalberto Santiago, for the year 1983 distributed by Fania Record.

"Nobody is saved from the Rumba" with Adalberto Santiago for the year 2001
“Ray Barretto 50th Anniversary Live”

 

In February 2009, in Puerto Rico, Yolanda received the “Salsa Awards”, in recognition of her musical career.

That same year she participated once again in another event in La Ponceña, this time in the 55th anniversary of the Ponce giants.

The most recent musical production of the Dama de Ponce is a single titled “Yo no tengo marido” recorded in 2012.

The most recent musical production of the Dama de Ponce is a single titled "Yo no tengo esposo" recorded in 2012
Congratulations to the Lady of Salsa Yolanda Rivera

Congratulations to the Lady of Salsa Yolanda Rivera

 

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Anthony Cruz Was one of the most emblematic interpreters of romantic Salsa

North America / United Stated / New Yersey

Was one of the most emblematic interpreters of romantic salsa. Anthony Cruz was born in New Jersey, United States, on January 5, 1965 to Puerto Rican parents and died the night of Friday, May 18, 2018, of a cardiac arrest, after several days in the hospital.

At an early age she demonstrated her talent as a singer by winning a contest for vocalists in New York, at the young age of five. There, she also stood out by singing with various youth salsa groups of the time and by 1992 she launched herself as a solo artist.

Before Anthony Cruz became a soloist for the Musical Productions label, he was trained by musical institutions that made him worthy of this great opportunity. He was part of the Pedro Conga International Orchestra, chorus singer in the productions of Roberto Lugo, Pedro Arroyo, Nino Segarra; and lead singer of the late Mario Ortíz.

Born in New Jersey, United States, January 5, 1965 to Puerto Rican parents
Anthony Cruz was one of the most emblematic interpreters of romantic salsa.

His first production under Musical Productions, which are the executives of J&N Records, was entitled “Algo Nuevo”, which highlighted the songs “No le temas a él”, with which he reached high levels of popularity that led him to obtain a Gold Record and successful personal presentations throughout the world. It was followed by songs like “Si Sabieras”, “Tu Traición”, “Nunca te Fallé” and “La llave de tu Apartamento”.

In his second production entitled “Para ti”, the songs “Dile a El”, “Atracción Fatal”, “A Que Saben tus Besos” and “Me Gusta”, among others, stood out.

he also stood out singing with various youth salsa groups of the time and by 1992 he launched himself
Their first production under Musical Productions, which are the executives of J&N Records, was entitled “Algo Nuevo” – Anthony Cruz

 

Their productions have included songs by great composers such as Alicia Baroni, Mimi Ibarra, Lolita de la Colina, Gerardo Garcia and arrangers of the stature of Ramón Sánchez and Rafael “Bodo” Torres, among others.

In addition to his success in Puerto Rico, his music has reached international countries such as Venezuela, Panama, Colombia, Peru, Costa Rica, Ecuador, the United States and the Dominican Republic.

  Death of Anthony Cruz

Anthony Cruz died on the night of Friday, May 18, 2018, from a cardiac arrest, after several days in the hospital. His sister Mary Cruz posted a message on social networks announcing the death. The message read: “It is with great sorrow in my heart that I inform you that my beloved brother Anthony Cruz resides in the arms of our Lord. We will be grateful if you keep him in your prayers”.

After his death, the singer Gilberto Santa Rosa wrote in his Facebook account: “Rest the friend and great singer Anthony Cruz! Fly high brother and may your music remain in the hearts of your colleagues, friends and admirers, rest in peace”. While Andy Montañez wrote that with the departure of the interpreter of ‘Morena linda’ “a great one left”.

The singer Mimi Barra, declared on social networks: “My God, I can’t believe it, it can’t be…. unfortunately Anthony Cruz, my friend, with whom I made a duet with a song of my authorship ‘No puede ser’ and the interpreter of several songs I wrote as ‘Morena linda’, ‘Nunca te falleda’, ‘Dile a él’, ‘A qué saben tus besos’, etc… he left. I feel very sad, a friend of mine, one of the greats, left. Rest in peace Anthony Cruz, your voice will stay with us; and today I repeat with much sadness: it cannot be”.

Anthony Cruz
Anthony Cruz and his wife Mayra Gomez
Source: https://www.buenamusica.com/

 

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COVID-19 affects the world of salsa (Music)

COVID-19 in 2020:

 

Through time we have faced different challenges that life has given us but this 2020 was the strongest for many years, where several negative things hit us worldwide but the one that affected us the most was COVID-19 .

Before the end of 2019, Asian countries began to have suspected cases of a new disease related to pneumonia, which to date is very deadly for humans, but the seriousness of the situation was not known until In December, Hubei province in Wuhan, China became the epicenter of an outbreak of pneumonia of unknown causes.

Patient zero so far is unknown where he was located, but a group of patients presented to different hospitals in Wuhan, all with pneumonia of unknown and very aggressive origin, they were hospitalized for presenting acute respiratory distress syndrome, then one of these patients died being the beginning of deaths from this disease in the country, and later increased the number of positive cases of this disease determining the epidemic in the province and other sectors of China.

As of January 7, the Chinese authorities announced that they had identified a new type of coronavirus (New Coronavirus, 2019-nCoV), where simultaneously, other possible pathogens were ruled out, including the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), the Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), influenza virus, avian influenza virus, and adenovirus.

From that moment the authorities worldwide knew that they were facing a new threat that would affect the entire population worldwide, after the epidemic it became a pandemic in a few months, since the virus first spread through Asia and Oceania, then through Europe and finally throughout America, currently being the second pandemic with the highest consumption of human lives in the history of humanity to date, being in the first place the Black Death or Black Death.

COVID-19 :

It is an infectious disease of the coronavirus family (which can make animals and humans sick); Its name is derived from the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), it was announced as a pandemic as of March 2020 by the World Health Organization (WHO).

COVID-19 can be similar to or confused with the common cold, so one must be vigilant and isolate oneself when the following symptoms appear: Cough, Fever and Tiredness being the most common symptoms, they can also present more serious symptoms such as shortness of breath or shortness of breath, muscle pain, chills, sore throat, runny nose, headache, chest pain, loss of smell, and conjunctivitis.

To determine if the person is positive for this disease, the corresponding tests must be carried out in the COVID-19 care centers (hospitals, clinics or COVID-19 screening tents).

Where 2 tests will be performed, the quick so-called Rapid Test “AC” (which consists of a blood sample to see if there are antibodies), however if it is negative, the other test called PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) must be performed, which detects the RNA of the virus and The antigen test which detects certain proteins in the virus, both tests consist of taking a sample of fluid from behind the nose and / or throat; If the person tests positive, they must stay there to see if the disease occurs or is cured in a period of 14 days or more, depending on their next tests, they can go home or not.

Currently, people are tired of being in isolation, so many leave their homes with their provisions (masks, gloves, alcohol or disinfectants, glasses or masks) and others without much concern about taking care of themselves using only their masks without covering their nose or taking them off on the street, whether they do not mind getting sick or do not believe in it, which is a mistake since, everyone has the right but they have a duty not to contaminate their peers since it can infect others or be infected since the virus They are transmitted through the respiratory droplets that one produces when speaking, breathing, sneezing or coughing and the virus can stay for a time in each place depending on the material where the virus is, however in the air it does not last almost at all since the virus is It is very heavy and remains on the ground, however you have to prevent removing the mask at all times and less if you are in a very crowded place.

 

COVID-19 prevention techniques
Steps to avoid COVID-19

In the world of music, many of us have been affected by quarantine, since social isolation to prevent the spread of the disease affecting our jobs, shows and / or events but despite everything it is something we have to do and look for the way to work without putting yourself at risk since, just as prevention has been done to everyone, this has not prevented many neglects on the part of other people who do not believe in the disease or simply do not care about their health and the safety of the rest , causing the displacement of the disease to other places and / or people.

 

We must be conscientious, set an example if we want to get out of this pandemic and return to the life we ​​had before, or rather have more freedom starting a new lifestyle since life will not be the same as before since the changes already made They contributed new ideas towards progress, the only thing that is needed is the freedom to go out and not be afraid of getting sick.

We take the opportunity to remember and commemorate the deceased artists who lost their fight against COVID-19 or another disease this 2020, Armando Manzanero known as the king of romanticism, Victor Cuica the great teacher of teachers in the music of Jazz Latin-Jazz with his most notable talent of the saxophone, Óscar Chávez singer, actor, composer, music researcher, theater director and poet, Gustavo Nakatani Ávila, known as Yoshio, Mexican singer of the 70’s and 80’s, Overt Elena singer of the Chaney orchestra of Puerto Rico and the Gallero Salero Tito Rojas, which we and his followers will always have in our hearts.

 

deceased artists 2020
Colash of deceased artists

The world of music, many of us have been affected by quarantine, as social isolation to prevent the spread of the disease. Take care, there are many talents killed by the COVID-19 , we do not want one more talent like you.

 

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Tito Rojas passes away at 65 years of age

Tito Rojas, The Puerto Rican artist passed away this December 26

The bad news in 2020 does not stop coming, after a hard year full of unfortunate events, a few days before the year ends, Julio César Rojas López, better known as Tito Rojas, died this Saturday, December 26. His death was confirmed by both the authorities of Puerto Rico and the statements of his daughter Jessica Rojas.

According to the testimonies given, the relatives of the salsa singer found his lifeless body on the balcony of his residence in Tejas de Humacao, a municipality of Puerto Rico, subsequently, they called 911 to report his unfortunate death. Although everything seems to indicate that the cause of death was a heart attack, it has not yet been confirmed by the doctors in charge of carrying out the autopsy, however, it is expected that such confirmation will come in the next few days.

The news came as a surprise to everyone, especially because a few days before this horrible news, he offered a virtual show for all his fans, and he seemed to be in good health, so the unfortunate news has caused a great impact.

“El gallo de la salsa”, as he (Tito Rojas) was known internationally, lived 65 years, and his music has inspired many artists of the salsa genre, who have had him as a reference. As expected, great Latin American artists have spoken about it through social media.

Tito Rojas dies
Tito Rojas passes away on december 26.

Artists share their thoughts about the singer’s death

The salsa singer Tony Vega shared a photo of Tito Rojas and accompanied it with the following words: “A colleague, a friend, today we mourn his departure, but we will always carry him in our hearts.” On the other hand, Gilberto Santa Rosa also offered a message full of emotions through his Facebook and Twitter accounts: “I still can’t believe it… my dear Gallo. We will miss you and remember you in each song, in each saying and in each gesture of affection and companionship that you left. Rest in peace, my friend Tito”. Tito Rojas had participated in the new production of his compatriot Gilberto Santa Rosa, specifically in the song “Por la calle del medio”.

Other artists who have also expressed their condolences have been: Don Omar, Bad Bunny, Tito Nieves, Victor Manuelle, among many others; On the other hand, Tito’s have been such an important figure than even other well-known faces outside of the music industry also publicly lamented his death. Pedro Pierluisi and Wanda Vázquez, both governors of Puerto Rico, also share their sadness through their social media accounts.

Social networks continue to be filled with moving messages, as well as memories and anecdotes related to “El gallo de la salsa”, and due to the importance that Tito has had in the industry, this is certainly expected. After a long career full of successes, the interpreter of songs such as “Siempre seré”, “Señora de madrugada”, ” “Ella se hizo deseo” and many others, will be remembered as one of the greatest exponents of the salsa genre, his music to this day continues to inspire both veterans and emerging talents.

 

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International Salsa Magazine (ISM) is a monthly publication about Salsa activities around the world, that has been publishing since 2007. It is a world network of volunteers coordinated by ISM Magazine. We are working to strengthen all the events by working together.