2025

Charlie Sierra was a prominent Puerto Rican timbalero, recognized for his long musical career and virtuosity on the instrument

Carlos Manuel Sierra Sánchez, better known in the music world as “Charlie Sierra,” was born on October 10, 1956, in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico.

Charlie Sierra fue un destacado timbalero puertorriqueño

An excellent percussion musician from Barrio Sabana, Charlie Sierra recorded with important figures in music such as Don Mario Ortiz, Andy Montañez, Raphy Leavitt, Marc Anthony, Oscar D’León, Julito Alvarado, and many others. He even recorded the album Bravo by the Fania All-Stars in 1997.

To the worldwide community of salsa fans (salsómanos), he was a member, along with Chago Martínez, Tito De Gracia, Edgardo Morales, and Edwin Clemente, of the Gran Cumbre de Timbaleros (Great Summit of Timbaleros) that emerged in Puerto Rico’s rumbero (Afro-Cuban rhythm/rumba) scene during the penultimate decade of the 20th Century.

Charlie Sierra fue un destacado timbalero puertorriqueño reconocido por su larga trayectoria musical y su virtuosismo en el instrumento

Among these five virtuosos, the majority of the recording sessions in the Puerto Rican market were divided. The others were, practically, second choices for producers.

This fortunate circumstance allowed him to develop an impressive discography as a session musician, which includes the most stellar names in salsa. Likewise, he traveled across a large part of the globe as a member of the backing bands for many of those stars.

Our biographical subject was a child when he began, without a teacher, to learn the bongos and drums which he also played on recordings and on stage and the timbales, leading him to be identified as a fundamentally intuitive musician.

At the age of thirteen, he moved with his family to Bayamón, and it was during his time as a student at the Nuestra Señora del Rosario School that he began to show signs of his talent.

At fourteen, he enrolled in the Ernesto Ramos Antonini Free School of Music (Escuela Libre de Música), where he was a disciple of the Argentine master Samuel Lipchik.

During that time, he also advanced his knowledge of the flute, guitar, and piano, instruments he would never cultivate professionally, as percussion was always his great passion.

Papo Lucca, Charlie Sierra y Cheo Feliciano

However, his time at the Free School of Music was relatively brief (1972-1974). He soon began his professional career, gaining his first experiences with the Orquesta Rica and the Orquesta Tabú.

During this period, he received private lessons from the renowned professor Raúl Berríos Sánchez.

Fully immersed in the music scene, his name began to gain relevance in the salsa world following his tenure with the original Orquesta Mulenze, led by bassist Edwin Morales, during the 1976-1978 period.

At that time, this organization focused its work on providing accompaniment to solo singers affiliated with the genre, both national and foreign, who visited the island. He had the opportunity to travel with several of them: Santos Colón, Celia Cruz, Cheo Feliciano, Chivirico Dávila, Pellín Rodríguez, Yayo El Indio, etc.

From the Orquesta Mulenze, he moved to the lineup of Raphy Leavitt & La Selecta (1978-1979), with whom he had the opportunity to record hits like “La cosquillita,” vocalized by Tony Vega. He later worked with the orchestra led by pianist Tito Valentín, which featured Marvin Santiago as the vocalist.

He then joined trumpeter Mario Ortiz’s orchestra (1982-1984); he collaborated in the founding of the backing bands for the great sonero (Cuban son singer) Carlos «Cano» Estremera (1984) and the equally admired Tony Vega (1988).

In the interim, he worked independently and constantly recorded with other groups and a large number of soloists. He maintained this intense work routine until the present.

In 2009, Charlie Sierra organized his own orchestra, Paso Nivel, with which he recorded the album Ganas de bailar (Paso Nivel, CD-10692).

The album prominently features singer Efraín «Pichi» Gaetán, and included special guests such as Cheo Feliciano, Ismael Miranda, Andy Montañez, and Gilberto Santa Rosa, as well as Primi Cruz, Darvel García, and Héctor Luis «Pichie» Pérez.

Charlie Sierra was a distinguished Puerto Rican salsa timbalero, recognized for his long musical career and his virtuosity on the instrument.

He passed away on October 23, 2024, at the age of 67. Throughout his career, he collaborated with artists of the stature of Andy Montañez, Celia Cruz, Cheo Feliciano, and Bobby Cruz.

Musical Career: He began his career with the Orquesta Mulenze in 1970 and later joined Raphy Leavitt & La Selecta’s band.

Notable Collaborations:

He worked with Andy Montañez for over 25 years, being a key piece in his orchestra. He also collaborated with artists like Celia Cruz, Cheo Feliciano, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Bobby Cruz (on the hit “Sonido Bestial”), Tito Valentín, among others.

Own Orchestra: In 2009, he founded his own orchestra called Paso Nivel, with which he recorded the album “Ganas de bailar” (Desire to Dance).

Collaborators:

L’Òstia Latin Jazz

Also Read: Orestes Vilato. Cuban multi-percussionist.

Anthony Carrillo The Legendary and Virtuoso Bongocero for Batacumbele and

Anthony Carrillo was born in New York City on 117th Street and Lexington Avenue, a neighborhood marked by significant complexities in terms of violence and drugs. This is why his father decided to move the family back to Puerto Rico in 1972.

“I remember that when I opened my eyes the second day, I heard the music of Willie Colón and Héctor Lavoe”.

Me opening my eyes, and the smell of the earth. It’s a scene I’ll never forget in my life.”

Once in Puerto Rico, his father continued to play music and was connected with musicians such as David “La Mole” Ortiz, who would later become a great mentor and collaborator for Anthony.

In the mid-1970s, Anthony and his brother began collaborating with the Areito Folkloric Ballet.

Anthony Carrillo: Master Percussionist

Master percussionist Anthony Carrillo comes from a proud Puerto Rican musical heritage. Although perhaps best known for his performances alongside his childhood friend and famous LP artist, Giovanni Hidalgo, Carrillo has performed with numerous renowned musicians throughout his career, including Eddie Palmieri, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Paul Simon, and Harry Belafonte.

He was also an integral member of the outstanding percussion ensemble, Batacumbele, and, in contrast, the Puerto Rican metal band, PUYA. Piano legend Eddie Palmieri has referred to Carrillo as “the best bongocero in the universe.”

Under his own name, Anthony Carrillo has released three CDs, which include the historic first rumba recordings from Puerto Rico. His most recent performances include the off-Broadway musical “I Like it Like That” in 2017, and recording bongos with Puerto Rican artist Residente on his recent track “Hijos del Cañaveral.”

In April 2018, his Latin jazz group, AA team, released two original singles featuring Carrillo on bongos, drums, and vocals.

In August 2018, his dance orchestra, YÁMBAWA, released a four-track EP with originals and English-language pop standards infused with Spanish rap. He has stated that these two productions form his most prolific and inspired body of work in his career so far.

Musical Origins

Anthony Carrillo was born in New York City of Puerto Rican ancestry. From childhood, he expressed a special interest in music. His father, Mr. Roman “Don Nan” Carrillo, was his first teacher.

Through his father, Anthony Carrillo was exposed to the music of “Ramito” (one of the greatest exponents of folkloric music in Puerto Rico) and Rafael Cortijo.

Anthony’s earliest influences were “Papi Andino” (Ramito’s bongocero) and Roberto Roena (Cortijo’s bongocero).

When he was only nine years old, Anthony Carrillo’s family returned to Puerto Rico.

It was then that his father asked David Ortiz “La Mole” who was considered one of the best Rumberos in Puerto Rico to teach his son the techniques and patterns of Rumba. By age 13, Anthony was already part of the touring National folkloric group Areito, directed by Mrs. Irene Mcleane.

In the early 1980s, Anthony Carrillo became a member of the famous folkloric group, La Familia Cepeda, the foremost exponents and keepers of the traditional “Bomba” and “Plena” styles.

Collaborators:

Yova Rodriguez

Planet Drum

Also Read: Papo Vázquez the Pirate & Troubadour of Our Latin Music

“Promesa de Reyes” from the pen of Yova Rodríguez “The Jibarito of Mayagüez in New York”

International Salsa Magazine, through salsagoogle.com, has the privilege and immense honor of presenting the most recent musical work titled “Promesa de Reyes” from the pen of the Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Yova Rodríguez “El Jibarito de Mayagüez.”

Promesa de Reyes de la pluma del Yova Rodríguez “El Jibarito de Mayagüez en New York”

The most recent track, titled “Promesa de Reyes,” is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I have to tell you that producing a Christmas production is a bit difficult because the season is so short, and it’s hard to develop the theme as it should be. But I was determined to do it because it’s a gift or tribute to the memory of my mother, Doña Delia Ruiz.

The inspiration for “Promesa de Reyes,” in reality, when you listen to the song, what you’ll realize is that it’s a narration. That is, in this track, I’m going to describe, from when I was a child, how I used to watch my mom carry out the process of her “Promesa de Reyes,” from the time they sent someone to cut the palm leaves to make the altar, until that altar with the Three Wise Men was completed, and the next day, well, we knew we had the party.

I’ve been incredibly lucky because the track was arranged by Leo Morales, originally from Colombia. It turns out that Leo is influenced—he learned to play the trombone and became a musician because of Willy Colón’s Asalto Navideño records. So, he told me that since then, he started studying the authentic, folk music of Puerto Rico to find out where Willy got those kinds of ideas. This is a very special track because we managed to include Puerto Rican danza (dance), Puerto Rican bomba (drumming and dance), and salsa.

It’s a track that gathers a lot of little things, and obviously, we added the music of the Puerto Rican countryside (música del campo). It starts with different rhythm changes, and you’ll hear one part that has Puerto Rican danza, another that has Puerto Rican bomba, and another that has salsa.

I sing and I wrote the song. On piano is Vicente Báez, the current pianist for Sonora Ponceña. On bass is Puri Matos, a master based in New York. He was recommended by Anthony Carrillo and has been doing all my projects with me for two years. Anthony Carrillo did all the percussion. On trumpet is Agustín Someillan from the Cuban National Sextet. The chorus singers are Nino Segerra, Danny Dávila, and Caneca Rosa. Manny Trinidad, recommended by Nino Segarra, played the Puerto Rican cuatro.

The recording studio was Nino Segarra’s. This is about the fourth or fifth track we’ve done there in his studio with Nino.

Nino, besides being a singer, is a professional teacher. He’s an expert who knows how to guide you, how to explain things the way they should be; he doesn’t pressure you; he lets you develop. In other words, I feel extremely comfortable working with Nino; the experience of working with Nino is very satisfying.

People tell me, “Yova, you’re crazy. You get on a plane just to go record a voice track,” and I tell them yes, for two reasons:

First, because I feel secure. And second, because I know I won’t fail with Nino, so the sacrifice is worth it. Recording with Nino was thanks to Herman Olivera, my compadre, who told me, “Look, Yova, I’ve been recording with Nino for two years, and I’m not recording with anyone else.” And look, I got on the plane, I did it, and now I have five productions with Nino Segarra.

Nino Segarra y Yova Rodriguez en Puerto Rico

Yova, the time in the studio to make the track is very important. Talk a little about that.

Look, Augusto, remember that depends on the type of musician you have there, right? There are musicians who are sight-readers of the first caliber.

These musicians tell you, “Send me the charts two days before,” they skim them. When they get to the studio, they’re done with their part in half an hour, 20 minutes, 15. But there are others who you have to take at a slower pace. For example, in Anthony’s case, Anthony told me, “Send me the demo, and I’ll listen to it.”

But Carrillo is from another planet. I send him his demo; he listens for two days beforehand. And he tells me, “Let’s go to the studio.”

And Anthony recorded flawlessly. Anthony didn’t take three hours to do four instruments; he did it in about two hours, and everything was excellent.

The track’s release? The video will be released on Friday, October 31st. The track will also be launched on radio stations that same Friday, confirmed in Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Florida, and Puerto Rico.

Danny Dávila, Yova Rodriguez y Caneca Rosa

Yova, you brought in a Venezuelan graphic designer for this, your most recent track. How was it working with that graphic designer? The good thing about Victoria is that she listens, right? Sometimes you work with not only the graphic designer—it often happens even with the arrangers; I compare them. They do something, and you tell them, “No, wait, wait, that’s not what I want, this is.” “Oh, but no, I think that’s what should be.”

Victoria listens to you and works with what you ask for. The experience with her was excellent, and I hope it continues to happen many more times.

“Promesa de Reyes”

Piano: Vicente Báez

Bass: Puri Matos

Puerto Rican cuatro: Manny Trinidad

Conga: Anthony Carrillo

Bongó: Anthony Carrillo

Snare Drum (Redoble): Anthony Carrillo

Puerto Rican güiro: Anthony Carrilllo

Cuban güiro: Edwin Caneca Rosas

Trumpets: Agustín Someillan

Chorus: Nino Segarra, Edwin Caneca Rosas, Danny Dávila

Singer: Yova Rodríguez

Studios: Sonority in New Jersey (Recording of all Percussion). Engineers: Nino Segarra

Mix: Héctor Mora, HM

Producción Medellín Colombia

Arrangement: Leo Morales

Video Production: Jhonatan Chávez

Composition: Yova Rodríguez.

Graphic Designer: Victoria Rivas Rojas.

Also Read: Yova Rodríguez. The jibarito of Mayagüez

Carlos “Cano” Estremera was a legendary Puerto Rican salsa singer, widely known as “El Dueño del Soneo” (The Owner of Soneo)

Why “El Dueño del Soneo”?

He earned this nickname due to his extraordinary and almost unbeatable ability for soneo, which is the part of a salsa song where the vocalist has the freedom to improvise lyrics, phrases, and rhymes over the musical base, elevating the track’s energy and the connection with the audience.

Cano Estremera was famous for his quick wit, rapid rhyming, and extensive vocabulary, qualities that established him as one of the greatest soneros in history, often compared to figures like Ismael Rivera and Héctor Lavoe.

He started in Latin percussion and also with the group Barrio Latino, then he was with Los Pleneros del Quinto Olivo, and later, at the young age of 18, he joined La Orquesta Mulenze, with whom he recorded the track “Mala Lengua” in 1976. The voice that replaced Cano Estremera in Orquesta Mulenze was the great Pedro Brull, who recounts that he had to thoroughly study Cano Estremera’s style to join Edwin Mulenze’s orchestra.

Undoubtedly, one of the greatest successes in Cano Estremera’s career was accepting, in 1978, the invitation to be the lead singer of maestro Bobby Valentín’s orchestra, “El Rey del Bajo” (The King of the Bass).

His first song recorded with Bobby Valentín’s orchestra was the iconic track “La Boda de Ella” (Her Wedding), by the Puerto Rican composer Roberto Angleró, with no suspicion that it would soon become one of the essential elements of Puerto Rican popular culture.

Cano Estremera was famous for his mental agility

Cano Estremera was a unique sonero. He was an artist with an identity and immense talent that was very distinct from the normal or commercial. He established his style from the very first day he became known. There was no style in the genre like “El Cano’s.”

Bobby Valentín was always looking for sound and voices, and Luigi Texidor was leaving the group, and that’s when “Cano” joined with a very different talent.

‘Bobby Valentín Presenta al Cano Estremera’ turns 40.

Cano Estremera’s first solo album, accompanied by Valentín’s orchestra. Produced by ‘El Rey del Bajo’ (The King of the Bass) and released by the Bronco Records label (BR-124) on Thursday, October 7, 1982. It includes the hits: Por qué Me Citas, Buen Corazón, El Caimán, Awilda, Casa En El Campo, etc.

'Bobby Valentín Presents Cano Estremera 1984 — ‘Bobby Valentín Presents Cano Estremera 1984

When he decided to go his own way as a solo singer, Cano Estremera did not have the support of the salsa industry’s machinery at the time. Despite this, with hard work and talent, Cano Estremera decided to fight alone with his music, personally producing everything from his album covers, musical arrangements, tours, and even the distribution of his musical works.

He was always a defender and fiercely protective of the genre. His style and demeanor were always controversial, and that was the magic that captivated his audience throughout his long career—always entertaining, creative, melodious, and above all, prodigious when he stepped onto a stage.

Solo Career: He separated from Bobby Valentín at the end of 1984 to form his own orchestra, further consolidating his career and his title with albums like “Dueño del Soneo”.

Death: He died on October 28, 2020, at the age of 62, after years of health problems related to pulmonary fibrosis, for which he received a double lung transplant in 2018.

Also Read: The owner of the Soneo’s solo career Cano Estremera

Haitian bandleader and musician Mac Gregore Brunis fulfills his dream in Montreal

We do not often write a lot about Latin music artists in Canada, so we want to remedy that situation and provide coverage to a very talented Haitian based in Montreal. We are talking about bandleader, composer, and musician Mac Gregore Brunis, an artist with whom we have been able to talk about his interesting story and career with the musical group he currently directs, Sabor 19.

Mac posing for the camera — Mac Gregore Brunis posing for the camera at an event

Young Mac’s beginnings in music

In perfect Spanish, Mac thanked International Salsa Magazine for the invitation and started by telling that music had always been more than a simple hobby for him. His first contact with this world was in his native Haiti when he was on his way to school by public transport and there were always musicians playing, so music was always part of his life.

He also played instruments with some of his classmates who formed musical groups in the classroom.

However, his professional career would not begin until his move to Canada, where he decided to go at age 21 to study electrical engineering and where he remains to this day. Some staff members of the University of Moncton, New Brunswick, where Mac would end up studying, visited some Haitian schools to promote their educational program among young students. The fact that French was spoken in Haiti, as in Canada, also helped Mac make the decision to try his luck in North America, since Haiti did not offer him the opportunities he was looking for.

It was in this country, more specifically in the city of Montreal, that he met other music lovers who introduced him to salsa and other Latin genres. Although he had already heard salsa and bachata in Haiti because of its proximity to the Dominican Republic, some Colombian friends he made in his new place of residence introduced him much more to all this culture, especially the music.

Sabor 19

When Mac graduated and left the province of New Brunswick to move to Montreal, he began attending salsa and bachata socials to dance on Monday nights, and it was there that he met Eduardo Ramírez. They became friends and played together some of the instruments Eduardo carried, such as maracas, güira, and bongo. When Mac told his new friend that he wanted to learn to play the piano and other instruments, he and Eduardo began meeting to practice and develop the idea of creating a musical group, which they called Sabor 19 in homage to the year it was created, 2019.

Once they had finally decided to do something more formal in music, they invited other musician friends with whom they met weekly to rehearse. They ended up being a group of about 10 people, including Diego, who would be the band’s lead vocalist. For better or worse, the original members are no longer there, but the current ones from countries such as Haiti, Colombia, Mexico, Canada, Morocco, and Turkey, have kept the ship afloat for the past seven years.

Despite coming from such diverse countries and backgrounds, this has not hindered communication between the musicians in the least. In fact, all of them speak or understand Spanish very well, so they have managed to understand each other almost perfectly.

Mac playing at the festival — Mac Gregore Brunis and Sabor 19 playing at the Nuits d’Afrique Festival

Original music and genres

Since the foundation of the group, they have focused on covering the most popular hits such as “El Preso,” “Canoa Rancha,” “Un Verano en Nueva York,” and many others. Their repertoire consists of a total of about 70 covers, which are divided depending on the requirements of the concert or show.

However, over the past three years, Mac and the rest of the team have felt the urge to offer something of their own to the public, so they set to work to create their own music in regards to lyrics, arrangements, melodies, and everything else.

Silly D’Or Festival

Sabor 19 is well known for having reached the semifinals at the Silly d’Or Festival as part of the Nuits d’Afrique Festival, which is one of Montreal’s most popular music competitions. Although they did not win first place, Mac describes their participation as a very good experience, as this gave them the opportunity to make themselves known to a much wider audience. In addition, being evaluated gave them a good sense of which aspects to improve for the future.