Artists

Ray Rodríguez and The Colao Band promote Latin music in San Antonio, Texas

Ray Rodríguez is a talented professional musician and ex-serviceman with whom we’ve had the great pleasure of talking to about his career and other interesting details of his life in general. This descendant of Puerto Ricans has shown us a little-known side of himself, and we’re more than happy to share it with our dear readers today, May 1, 2026.

Ray posing — Ray Rodríguez posing for the camera

How Ray got his start in Music and who inspired him

Ray came from a family full of musicians, but his father and grandfather dedicated themselves to the craft of building string instruments such as guitars, requintos, and cuatros. His grandfather, besides being a craftsman, was also a very talented musician, so he was in high demand in his town to liven up events of all kinds. Seeing so many musicians testing the quality of the instruments at home all the time, little Ray tried to be around to learn the tones he heard.

Over time, he had his own guitar and carried it with everywhere he went, something that his family always supported, and he is so grateful for that.

Enlistment into the United States Army

Music was always very present in Rey’s life, but he had not yet mastered it very well, and his interest in it had not developed much at all, so he joined the United States Army. However, once there, some of his fellow soldiers were also musicians, and taught him to play other instruments, but it did not end there. It was at this stage that his interest in singing was sparked and he dedicated to this profession after his retirement. That was 26 years ago.

He came to be there for a total of six years. In the beginning, he joined as an infantryman and later became an artilleryman. He also attended aviation school for about a year, but unfortunately had an accident that fractured his leg in six places, so he was given the option of staying or changing jobs again, and he chose the latter.

It should be noted that he spent much of his service in Germany, and being there, he devoted much of his free time to listening to music that reminded him of his roots and playing it as a hobby.

Ray and The Colao Band — Ray Rodríguez and The Colao Band at the Jazz Festival in Helotes

Why he chose Texas back to the United States

Having been born in Boston, Massachusetts, it struck us that he chose Texas as his new home. On this subject, he told us that his best friend was parked at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio and invited Ray to visit him. The artist enjoyed his walk around the city so much that he decided to stay there, so he applied to work at the City of San Antonio Aviation Department and got the position. After completing his retirement procedure, that was how he went directly to San Antonio, where he continues to live to this day.

As for the musical panorama he found there, what dominated the most at the time was regional Mexican music, so salsa, merengue, and other genres of that type were just beginning to take their place on the local music scene. Fortunately, things have changed since then. During those same years, Ray was invited to a rehearsal with the merengue band Grupo Chocolate to serve as a backup singer, and he spent about six years singing with them, but also became the band’s manager and owner.

Already in the year 2007, the band unfortunately broke up and all the members went their separate ways, which is when Ray finally decided to form his own band, The Ray Colao Band.

The Colao Band

For a time, Ray was the singer of Tito Puente Jr.’s band, and both he and the timbalero were having lunch at a restaurant and talking about the band Ray wanted to start. Ray explained to him that his project was like a mix of everything and that it was all “colado” (in this context, it means everything is mixed together). In addition, he always snuck into someone else’s stage without being part of the group (”colado’’ in Spanish), so Puente gave him the idea to use that name for his band, and it was.

Ray and Tito — Ray Rodríguez and Tito Puente Jr.

As for his accompanying musicians today, we can mention guitarist and singer Jessi García, guitarist, pianist, and bassist Rogelio Romer Hidalgo, singer Gilberto Álvarez, percussionist Georgie Padilla, and the late Jesús Navarrete. These were the members who formed the core of the band, and almost all have been working alongside Ray for about 18 years continuously, except for Gilberto, who spent some time in Puerto Rico but then rejoined them. After them, The Colao Band also welcomed Hainel García and Robert García.

In addition to the band, Ray has also been able to open his own restaurant, Cuba 1918, which he has been running for about four years. He says the project is going very well and that it has become a music and arts venue where he hires various bands to entertain customers during their meal.

The Jeque and his Band present: “Ultimatum”, a musical gem with Hermán Olivera

A masterful fusion that redefines Guaguancó and Cha-Cha, celebrating the group’s tenth anniversary.

El Jeque y su Banda is a salsa ensemble based in Venezuela.

Under the direction of its founder and general manager, Lic. Ángel Martínez “El Jeque,” and with the impeccable musical direction, arrangements, and piano work of the renowned William “Willie” Melo, the band has established itself as a benchmark in the genre.

El Jeque y su Banda presenta “Ultimátum”, una joya musical junto a Hermán Olivera

Approaching ten years of professional trajectory, maintaining their momentum through persistence, passion, and dedication to their craft, the group celebrates this anniversary with the release of their fourth studio production: Evolución…El Jeque y sus Estrellas.

The Launch: “Ultimátum”

The purpose of this release is to announce the launch of their second promotional single, a piece crafted for the true music connoisseur: “Ultimátum.”

This musical gem features a collaboration with a legend of the genre, a world-renowned sonero and vocalist: Hermenegildo Olivera Suárez, globally known as “Hermán Olivera, El Sonero del Siglo XXI.”

Herman Olivera El Sonero del Siglo XII y Dj. Augusto Felibert

History and Evolution

This romantic-style track was originally recorded in 1981 by the great Puerto Rican interpreter Felipe “La Voz” Rodríguez.

The song was written by the legendary Puerto Rican composer Luz Celenia Tirado, who was the first woman recognized in the island’s challenging guild of troubadours and also performed on that original production.

On this occasion, El Jeque y su Banda takes the work in a new direction, transforming it into an aggressive Guaguancó fused with an elegant Cha-Cha.

The concept for this version was a creative endeavor led by Hermán Olivera, who defined the essence and intent of the track.

Ángel Martínez “El Jeque” y Dj. Augusto Felibertt

Subsequently, Luis Alberto and Willie Melo shaped the project, solidifying the final musical structure under the pen and direction of William “Willie” Melo, with the co-production of Luis Alberto “Redlouis” (Manager, Producer & Booking for Hermán Olivera).

Musical Virtuosity

It is remarkable how these music aficionados manage to mesh Guaguancó and Cha-Cha originally fused with a bolero with a versatility that preserves the essence, cadence, and appeal of the piece.

Herman Olivera Soneando Luis Rojas y Augusto Felibertt prueba de Sonido en el marco del evento Salsa Bajo la Cúpula Poliedro de Caracas.

Willie Melo masterfully integrates Hermán Olivera’s characteristic sound, marked by the influences of Manny Oquendo’s Conjunto Libre and the maestro Eddie Palmieri.

The arrangement, loaded with dissonant notes and power, softens its impact with the magic of the Cha-Cha, allowing Hermán to display his artistry in the soneo.

This interplay between the irreverent, the melodic, and the elegant makes “Ultimátum” a mandatory addition to any quality music lover’s playlist.

Production Credits

The excellence of this single is made possible by the participation of these great Venezuelan musicians:

Musicians: Yomar “Caballo” Méndez, Julito Antillano, Luis Ruíz, Joel “Pajarraco” Rivas, Frank Haslam, and Willie Melo.
Backing Vocals (Cha-Cha): Maestro Nino Segarra, accompanied by Rodrigo Mendoza and Wilmer Lozano.
Recording (Lead and Backing Vocals): Nino Segarra Studios (Puerto Rico).
Musical Recording, Mixing, and Mastering: Dale Cerebro Estudio, led by engineer Emmanuel “Cerebro” Romero.

Everything stated above summarizes a work with all the necessary elements to become a radio hit and, above all, an essential piece in your music library.

Sincerely,

Lic. Ángel Martínez “El Jeque”

Collaborations:

Luis Alberto “Redlouis” (Manager, Producer & Booking for Hermán Olivera)

Dj. Augusto Felibertt

Also Read: Hermán Olivera “El Sonero del Siglo XXI”

Rafaelito and his career between Munich and New York

We had a very personable and honest conversation with Rafael Pareja Ibañez, who via WhatsApp has given us a few minutes of his busy schedule to tell us a bit about his fascinating career to date and the group he currently leads, Rafaelito Y Su Tumbao.

The artist, born in Lima, Peru, has a huge love for music and remains intact to date, so he says it is a pleasure to share the story of how he came to pursue it professionally, no matter how many times he tells it.

Rafael’s beginnings in music

Rafael was first inspired by the artists his parents used to listen to at home, including La Sonora Matancera, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, and many others. Family social gatherings always featured iconic songs by these stars, so he could not help but be interested in music at the early age of 10.

It all started when his father caught him beating some paint buckets to make it look like he was playing a drum set on the roof of their house, which led him to enroll his child in a music school to take guitar lessons. While it is true that this was the first instrument he learned to play, he also plays the baby bass in salsa and the piano together with all the percussion instruments.

At that time, what the young man played the most was rock and pop because the radio and other media left little room for Latin music. In fact, Rafael formed his first rock band at 16, as this was the genre with which young people identified the most in the 1980s.

Move to Germany

At 20 years of age, Rafael decided to move to Germany, specifically to Munich, where he lived for more than 27 years. It was there that he came into contact with people of other nationalities and had far more access to Latin music, especially Peruvian music, which surprised him greatly. He also got to listen to international stars such as Eddie Palmieri, Miguelito Cuní, and Arsenio Rodríguez.

Rafaelito and Nicky Marrero — American Latin jazz percussionist Nicky Marrero and Rafaelito at Mamajuana Cafe in the Bronx

It was also in Munich where he began to have his first professional experience together with major musical groups from there such as the Sexteto Melaza, where he played alongside musicians from different parts of the world. At a student barbecue, Rafael was hanging out with many Latinos, and they began to sing and play instruments together, leading them to form a group, which they named Melaza. During that time, he dedicated himself to play salsa, guaracha, son, bolero, and cha-cha-cha in a sextet format.

The group featured a guitarist, a bassist, a conga player, a timbalero, a bongo player, and a singer. This sums up his first musical experience in Germany, which lasted about a year and a half. It also helped him draw the attention of other musicians in the city’s music scene, who convinced him to join other projects that were being created.

Another of those projects included a trio of young musicians called Madera Limpia which was founded in 2005, when rap, reggaeton, reggae, and many other genres mixed with Latin rhythms such as changüí or kiribá were super trendy. It turns out that a Romanian couple traveled to Cuba, produced a film called “Paraíso,” and went on a concert tour through Europe and North Asia. Therefore, they needed to hire many musicians, including the members of Madera Limpia, who contacted Rafael through connections and asked him to be their bassist. The Peruvian accepted the offer and toured all those places with these musicians, an experience he talks about with great affection.

Back in Munich, he met Lou Bega, the creator of the hugely popular swing-pop cover of Pérez Prado’s “Mambo No. 5,” which stayed at number one for 36 consecutive weeks in the United States. When his producer wanted to find a band to accompany him, there were very few Latin musicians in the city and Rafael was one of them. Obviously, they called him and his colleagues to work on some demos featuring Bega’s vocals and trumpet samples. After being selected, he became the director of his live band and accompanied him on many concerts in Europe between 2007 and 2008.

El Canario and Rafaelito — José Alberto ”El Canario” and Rafaelito

Rafaelito Y Su Tumbao

Right there in Munich, Rafael finally made up his mind and formed his own musical group, Rafaelito Y Su Tumbao, which currently has branches in Munich, Lima, and New York, where the artist currently resides. Rafael arrived in this city as early as 2020, which is when he got to perform with stars such as Charlie Aponte, Andy Montañez, Jose Alberto “El Canario,” Hildemaro, and many others. When he saw how good the human material was in his new place of residence, he also founded Rafaelito Y Su Tumbao in New York with musicians from there.

What is striking about his move to New York is that it was motivated by Rafael’s reunion with his childhood sweetheart in Peru, whom he reconnected with in 2019. It turns out that his partner was living in New York, so he jumped on this new opportunity that life offered him and made the romantic decision to cross the Atlantic again and marry her. This radically changed his life both personally and professionally, but he’s glad he did.

Members of Rafaelito Y Su Tumbao in New York
Line Up :
Rafael Pareja – Baby Bass
Ray Cabrera – Piano
Andres Garces – Vocal
Karla Olivo Moreno – Vocal
Dennis Hernandez – Trumpet
Christian Gomez – Trumpet
Jimmy Bosch – Trombone
Andre Carpio – Timbal
Hector “ Jereto “ Ferreyra – Congas
Chuito Quintero – Bongo

John and Liz reveal details of the 16th annual SF Salsa Festival

As is tradition every year, we went back in touch with the organizers of the San Francisco Salsa Festival, John Narváez and Elizabeth Rojas, who treated us with the kindness and affection of always. The dancers and dance instructors once again spoke about the details of the festival’s organization and one or another incident that did not become public, so fans of salsa and such events cannot miss it.

They also talked about how they have done since the 2025 edition and what they will do from now until next year’s edition.

John and Liz dancing at the San Francisco Salsa Festival

What John and Liz have done since the 2025 San Francisco Salsa Festival

After the 2025 edition, John described the rest of the year as sensational because his dance studio has maintained the expected success and his company enjoys the work of of new members who have contributed with their talent to help it grow. In addition to that, their classes are full of people eager to learn to dance, take care of their bodies, keep their minds healthy, and have a more active social life.

He also recognizes that the Bad Bunny phenomenon helped them a lot, as they’ve welcomed many people who want to learn to dance salsa after the the boom caused by a Super Bowl full of latinidad everywhere. This has also made the celebrated ones at weddings and other family events to celebrate with salsa, so guests do not want to be left behind and seek to dance it as well as possible.

When an event has been organized for 16 years in a row, those involved already have a system by which they are ruled, so there are few surprises that John and Liz could find thanks to so much experience under their belt. However, there may be things that catch them off guard and ,in this case, it was the economy. This time, they found that everything was much more expensive.

After reviewing expenses, they noticed that the flights of the artists and hotel costs were much higher than in previous years, so they were forced to take certain actions, such as hiring fewer dance artists. They were careful to bring only the best they could find to do a tremendous show, which fortunately occurred.

John and Aura dancing — John Narvaez and dancer Aura Moreno dancing at the San Francisco Salsa Festival

They also noticed that many people could not attend the festival, so they offered numerous discounts, press passes, and the opportunity to volunteer for the organization.

Visa problems

The main disadvantage faced by John and Liz last year was the delay in the approval of visas for the members of La Máxima 79, so we wanted to know how it had gone this year. Well, as it turns out, it did happen again and two couples of dancers were unable to attend because their visas were denied, so they had no choice but to invite residents of the United States to prevent that headache.

Of course, it must be added that bringing people from other places implies additional costs that do not do any good to them right now. For the same reasons, other festival organizers are doing the same thing.

Principal guest artists

The main attractions at this festival were Charlie Aponte, Edgardo Cambón, and Cabanijazz, who of course, did a magnificent job. The big surprise of the festival was definitely Charlie Aponte, with whom they managed to have contact through a well-known Mexican promoter who acted as a link between the dancers and the artist.

The agreement was made as recently only in January, that is, a couple of months before the event. That is when John contacted Jeannette Santiago, Charlie’s manager and wife, told her who he was, and mentioned the mutual friend they had in common. He then managed to close the deal with her and have the Puerto Rican singer at the event, which came as a very pleasant surprise to those who had been planning to attend for months.

Edgardo Cambón playing at the San Francisco Salsa Festival

Preparations for next year

As every year, after an edition is completed, John and Liz are already thinking about what they will do for the next one. In fact, just the day before this interview, they had a work meeting to start planning everything and thinking about who they will invite for 2027.

They are thinking about inviting La Máxima 79 again. In fact, they have already talked to their lawyer responsible these matters and agreed to carry out the relevant procedures to finally have them at the festival, as they have wanted for a long time. In case the invitation is not given effect, they also have their eyes on Jimmy Bosch and Hermán Olivera. Both have performed in previous editions prior to the pandemic and were sensational, so they are held in good esteem by the organization.

They also mentioned that the venue for the next two editions will continue to be the Marriott Hotel Waterfront, as the location is beautiful and very suitable for an event of this magnitude.

Cabanijazz playing — Cabanijazz Project playing at the San Francisco Salsa Festival

‘‘El Griego Rumbero’’ visited the Salsa Museum and donated some objects

The artist we will talk about today is a very particular case, since he comes from a country which is not usually related to salsa or Latin music in general. However, the passion for these rhythms has captivated people from all over the world, so it is not surprising that our guest has experienced the same thing.

We’re talking about the Greek-born trombonist and composer Demetrios Kastaris, whom El Rubio Boris and I were fortunate to welcome at the Salsa Museum. Here’s a little of his fascinating story.

Demetrios’ early years

Demetrios was born in Thessaloniki, Greece, but moved with his family to the United States when he was just two years old. After living in Ohio for a few years, the family moved again, but this time to St. Louis, Missouri, a place that would be critical to the training of the Young man in the times to come.

The first contact of the boy with music was in elementary school during a live performance by a classical music quintet, but what really captivated him was a demonstration of a slide trombone by a member of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. It was at that instant the aforementioned instrument inspired Demetrios to take trombone lessons and join the school concert band.

More importantly, as Demetrios grew older, he spent countless hours practicing the trombone, especially in summer when he was free from school work. Finally, On reaching the age of 17, his perseverance began to bear fruit, and he got the opportunity to rehearse with the Stan Keaton Jazz Orchestra, which was the first great experience for the teenager. Just one year later, he sang as a soloist at the Classical Rimsky-Korsakov Concerto.

Other than that, Demetrios received the John Philip Sousa Band Award just before graduating from high school. He then studied music education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, when he played in the jazz band and won several awards with the group.

Cover of the album ''El Griego Rumbero'' — Cover of the album ”El Griego Rumbero” by demetrios Kastaris

Moving to New York

Two years after having studied in Missouri, Demetrios moved to New York, where he received a scholarship that allowed him to attend New York University and take more steps in his musical career. While completing his studies, he met a bandleader on the subway and was invited to a rehearsal where he was given the opportunity to arrange Afro-Cuban jazz pieces for the first time in his life.

Latin music and its rhythmic features made such an impression on Demetrios that he began attending concerts by many of its great exponents, such as Willie Colón, Eddie Palmieri, Ray Barretto, Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaría, and many others. This led him to transcribe and conscientiously analyze these artists’ songs to satisfy his curiosity and learn more about these rhythms.

After graduating with honors, he earned a masters degree in jazz from the Manhattan School of Music. Soon after, he was already teaching in public schools while performing with one of the bands of the Concord Resort Hotel.

Other important details of his career

For over 50 years of artistic career, Demetrios has had the opportunity to perform with big Latin stars such as Tito Puente, Luisito Quintero, Alfredo De La Fé, Ray Barretto, Charlie Palmieri, Herencia Latina, Oscar Hernández from The Spanish Harlem Orchestra, and many others.

Already in the decade of 1980, the artist founded the Latin-Jazz Coalition and recorded several of his original compositions in genres such as Brazilian and Afro-Cuban jazz. In certain Circles, his work has earned him the nickname of “El Griego Rumbero”, a moniker by which he is still known today.

Johnny Cruz, Demetrios Kastaris and El Rubio Boris

Much more recently, Demetrios was invited to play with Los Leales de Cuba at the Buena Vista Curry Club and also to rehearse with Los Muñequitos de Matanza, which was a very learning afternoon and a memorable experience for him. Thereafter, he traveled to Cuba on several occasions to learn much more about this music.

Visit to the Salsa Museum

Just two years ago, Demetrios visited the Spanish Harlem Salsa Museum directed by yours truly and spent an enjoyable time with our entire team but he did not come alone. He brought us his photograph and a poster of the Latin Jazz Coalition, which were mounted on a wall alongside many other photographs of stars such as The Fania All Stars, Hector Lavoe, Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Larry Harlow, and many others.

His childhood trombone was also added to our extensive display of objects donated by artists and their families. This took place on March 20, 2024, and the instrument remains at our institution to this day as a reminder of a Greek man’s love for our music and a thank you to his dedication over the years.