Artists

Advanced Salsa Dancers With Superpower

North America / USA /

If you identify as an Advanced Salsa Dancer (ASD), remember that with great power comes great responsibility. When you become an ASD, the superpower than you gain is your awesome dance skills. You can use those skills to further your own pleasure and gain by holding them back from the newer dancers below you. Or, you also can give those skills freely to the new dancers waiting to be inspired.

Photo 1: Advanced Salsa Dancers With Superpower

“Waiting” To Be Inspired

The main reason to be inspired is than most new dancers aren’t actually “inspired” by the dance in a deep and meaningful way. They may love it on first sight the same way you like a thing in a store or a person you are attracted to.

Photo 2: Advanced Salsa Dancers With Superpower

But, just like you don’t know that person, they don’t know the dance yet. You don’t know yet if you want to put in the work to have a relationship. You don’t know if there’s enough to get in return until that attractive person shows you their personality. Yes, there are a few new dancers who ‘get the bug’ and dive deep right away.

But, most new dancers need time and inspiration to really fall in love. It can take you a year or maybe more. You can dance some Latin music before or get caught “Salsa” properly. It must be a combination of community, opportunity, and self-confidence that get you to that point. You need be inspired.

Photo 3: Advanced Salsa Dancers With Superpower

An Artist can make someone at their first congress feel amazing, or feel horrible.

The Superpower

The people who have put in the work to become great Salsa dancers are the people in the best position to inspire others. Their superpower is the ability to make people fall in love with the dance. It’s the reason that international artists can inspire so many.

Photo 4: Advanced Salsa Dancers With Superpower

They’ve put in the work that lets us see the best of the Salsa dance. We are attracted to their dancing, which is the first step, the first movement. An Artist can make someone at their first congress feel amazing, or feel horrible.

If the artist has a disengaged pity dance, their partner may not feel the desire to continue learning the dance. If the artist gives their all, their partner may find a renewed appreciation and desire for more.

Photo 5: Advanced Salsa Dancers With Superpower

ASD do the same thing, but on a local level. They’re generally more accessible than the international travelling pros that put them in a position to immediately influence their local community. An advanced salsa dancer who gives of themselves freely will often find many newcomers who are working to be better.

They inspire a growth mindset in their newcomers. There are many examples of this in their own community. One driven earlyintermediate dancer can pinpoint the exact moment that he/she decided to really give all enthusiasm to Salsa dance. It simply took one motivational sentence and dance from a local teacher.

Passion For Community And Dance

Photo 6: Advanced Salsa Dancers With Superpower

Many hardcore dancers feel passionate about the Salsa dancing style. So, many times they forget that newcomers often don’t know enough about the dance to be passionate about it. Mainly, newcomers become passionate about the community, energy, music, and vibe. They may like the dance, but they simply don’t know enough about it to be in love. ASD, remember that how you make beginners feel will determine how they feel about the Salsa dance.

It’s you who will show them the possibilities they have to grow. Use your superpower for all good; share it with those who need you to be inspired. Sure, in a few years you’ll have the benefits when those newcomers turn into your fellow Advanced Salsa Dancers Thanks to their instructor who you are, their best dancer of inspiration.

Photo 7: Advanced Salsa Dancers With Superpower

Somaly Zapata

Latin America / Puerto Rican / Puerto Rican

Somaly Zapata She Shows Us Her Musical History

Somaly Zapata Santana is a Puerto Rican who was born on July 24, 1988 in the town of Bani, Dominican Republic. From a very young age, she showed inclinations for musical art, getting to participate in different social events. Her first song was a Mother’s Day gift to her grandmother when she was 13 years old. As the years passed, its melody and lyrics developed in the genres of Salsa, Merengue, Balada, Bachata or a fusion of them, giving it a characteristic that other songs do not have.

She was influenced by great tropical artists such as Milly Quezada, Olga Tañon, Celia Cruz, La India, among others; However, he did not show his voice to the public at that time because he was a very shy person, but always with a musical spirit deep inside.

She began to perform in different activities, imitating only the movements of Milly Quezada and mimicking her great themes almost perfectly. In her adolescence she began to discover herself as an artist on a vocal level through her lyrics, taking classes on topics related to this art, writing situations with no personal experience, but which were interesting for a composer hungry to express her most intimate feelings.

In 2011 he decides to go to work in the US (Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts) as a cultural exchange, which allows him to acquire knowledge and in turn save money to be able to professionally record his first song. From that moment on, he began his artistic career at the hands of the prominent Dominican musician/arranger Juan Valdez Ybet, who fusing ideas, supported by the great career of Mr. Valdez and the magic of the singer’s lyrics, launched from gradually the different singles of the artist; Not to mention, he is a member of ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers).

These are the themes and/or songs that they present to us: Author: Somaly Zapata Arrangement: Juan Valdez Ybet Regalame – (Merengue) For someone like you – (Salsa) When the sun goes out – (Salsa) Doesn’t it hurt? – (Salsa) promotional theme.

For more information:

Email: [email protected]
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/somalymusic/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SomalyZapata/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/somaly_zapata
GooglePlus: https://plus.google.com/116832184355913365324

Kaem and Marina. The Dynamic Duo in France

Europe / Francia

Kaem and Marina are most known as choreographers, international instructors & performers. They are the creators of the AsOne style in kizomba, and the founders of the KizAcademy Studios and the KizAcademy TEAMS worldwide.

They owe their international success to the stunning emotional power of their improvisations, the huge diversity, creativity and complexity of their moves and the artistic depth of their performances.

Their workshops became among the most praised in the world thanks to their groundbreaking methods of training inspired by hip-hop, contemporary, martial arts, athletics, acting, but also Tao, zen meditation, mindfulness therapy and spiritual practice.

Their 10 hours programs aim to make the student able to connect to himself, free himself from fears and judgement, dive in his creative world, learn to see his own technical flaws, master the movements in a very deep way, fully connect to his partner emotionally, master the energy flow between the partners, and the most important: learn to train by himself and build his own tools to become independent, and therefore free.

In June 2017, after 21 months of dedicated research and preparation, they created the KizAcademy Instructors School: the world’s finest and most complete program for instructors. Kaem & Marina’s career probably had one of the fastest growths the afro-Latin dance world has ever witnessed.

Only 10 months after they started learning kizomba, they made ” THE PIANO SOLO” a kizomba video that hit 1 million views within 4 days, and got them teaching and performing in festivals and events all over the world. After only one year of international career, they decided to stop working with festivals, to work with their teams and to launch their own schools worldwide.

They created the AsOne style, and reached their goal within 4 months and been able to welcome around 70 students in every class they taught. That allowed them to be totally independant from any other institution and to focus full time and with total freedom on their pedagogy, their technical mastery, and most importantly:

Their creative journey. But why is this path relevant?

Such a fast and rare evolution was only possible thanks to 9 pillars every artist has: o Vulnerability, self-acceptance, self-discovery and self-mastery.

Inspiration and exploration of what touches one’s heart
Developing one’s own style ,with sincerity and overcome the fear
Creating a program of training for oneself
Training on the deepest layer of movement : the natural motion and the biomechanics
Creating a program of workshop
Public speaking ,pedagogy and psychology of learning
Choreography drafting and cinematic video making
Expansion strategy, marketing and management

Anyone with an open and curious mind can learn all those things, The issue is that no one, so far, was teaching them.

Most of the masterclasses only focus on succeeding at making fancy moves. They totally disregard the development of the creative universe of the students, and they ignore all the other skills that make a complete creative dancer and a successful artistic entrepreneur.

During their carrier, Kaem & Marina became more and more aware of this mismatch between the existing concept of masterclass and what is really important to grow as an artist and have an international career. Therefore, they decided to create a full program for instructors that would prepare for the most important journey a dancer could ever experience: Self Discovery, Technical and creative Mastery and full self-expression.

For further information and courses https://www.facebook.com/KaemMarineAsone/

Albert Torres The Ambassador Of Salsa

North America / USA / New York

Albert Torres, a sympathetic boy with blushing cheeks who born in Brooklyn – New York – never suspected what his destiny had prepared him, to be the father of the Congresses of Salsa worldwide. His name would resound from North to South and from East to West, by the continents: American, European and Asian; in the different important scenes of the Latin music movement and would be the inspiration for many dancers of this branch.

His legacy would belong to the astonishment and shelter of the artists and the public that would applaud his talent, vigor and semblance to the rhythm of the phrase “Una Bulla”. This cheerful infant, without a doubt, was going to be a legend of Afro-Caribbean music. I’m talking about Albert Torres, The Ambassador of Salsa!

Albert began to listen to the salsa genre from the age of 5, staring in astonishment at the whole scene, sitting, of his first dance lessons … At the famous Palladium in New York, where his mother danced and liked the music of Mongo Santamaría and Tito Puente.

This child, future congressman of Salsa, grew up when the history of Latin popular music (salsa) was being written in the South Bronx, where Puerto Rican communities were having a great explosion of creativity and musical activity.

At the age of 12 years old his family decides to move to Puerto Rico, “By that time I did not want to speak Spanish, I did not want to be Puerto Rican. I did not want to be part of that environment”, said Torres. He only danced disco and Hustle. However, at the age of 15 his life took a dizzying turn when he heard:

“Oye que lio que lio se va a formar

cuando mi gatito sepa

y es tan simple la razón

El que a su gata le cuenta que el que a

su gata le cuenta

no es nada más que un ratón

un ratón…

…Échale semilla a la maraca pa que

suenen

chacucha cuchu cucha cucha

échale semilla a las maracas pa que

suenen

échale semilla a esas maracas oye

chacucha cucha cucha cucha

y hace rato está sonando sonando

chacucha cucha cucha cucha…”

Albert Torres simply fell in love with the Salsa thanks to this theme: “El Ratón” of Cheo Feliciano together to Fania All Stars. “The legends of salsa changed my life. When I heard these legends, that August 26th of 1971, in the Cheetah, something happened inside me. The music entered by the feet and came to my heart”. Thus, declared his beginnings in the Salsa, Albert Torres.

In 1991 his passion for Salsa took him to impress the girls of the neighborhood by his incredible steps to a Hollywood celebrity when he, first time, participated in the movie Mambo Kings in which he was chosen as one of the main dancers.

Hollywood - Albert Torres — Hollywood – Albert Torres

There he not only helped Antonio Banderas with the dance steps, but also with the English by that time for Banderas was very hard. In addition, during the filming of the movie Albert had the opportunity to share with big of Salsa like Celia Cruz, José Alberto “El Canario” and his great idol Tito Puente.

That film was the hit that catapulted Torres to world fame being chosen by Debbie Allen as one of the 4 dancers (of more than 400 couples) to participate in the Academy Awards (1993) and to dance “My beautiful Maria” whose Singer was Plácido Domingo and where he stood out as the first Puerto Rican to dance in the history of the ceremony.

Then, he returns to the cinema being the choreographer and dancer of Salsa scenes in the romantic film “Dance with Me” with Vanessa Williams and Chayanne during 5 months.

Later he worked on the movie “Out to See” (1998) with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matteau and in the same year he also made a guest starring appearance on the Keenan Wayan’s Show where he performed with Jennifer Lopez. Everywhere there was Salsa, Torres seemed to be there. At the time and with all this like trajectory Albert Torres in 1991 also began his stage as a producer.

He started promoting Salsa clubs in Los Angeles, “I lost a lot of money. Nobody wanted to know about Salsa”, said Albert. Nonetheless, he began to handle Johnny Polanco y Su Conjunto Amistad, which were the best-known salsa group in the Western United States.

In 1992 he founded his own company, Albert Torres Productions Inc. (ATP) and began to organize salsa parties in several places in Los Angeles. The most important were the Boathouse in Santa Monica, St. Marks in Venice and Sportsmen’s Lodge in Studio City.

At that moment the genre of salsa was losing popularity. However, Albert Torres with his wit, insight and a lot of intelligence pulled him forward on his own. He revived it in such a way that he became the most influential salsa promoter in the United States. He was who brought to Los Angeles some of the most important names in the Latin music such as: Fania All-Stars, El Gran Combo, Oscar D ‘León, José Alberto “El Canario” and the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, among many others.

In the late 1990s, after the I administration of President Clinton relaxed the laws restricting presentations by Cuban artists in the USA, Albert Torres was the first promoter, who brought to the famous and the notorious Van Van group to Los Angeles in January, 1997.

The show, which took place in a night club in downtown LA, was a success. Since then, Los Van Van has received major media awareness with prestigious publications such as Los Angeles Times, New York Times, among others and including the most coveted music honor, a Grammy and Latin Grammy nomination. Torres’s passion and promotional skills have played a key role in the U.S.A Latin Entertainment explosion. Ricardo Lemvo, musician and singer living in Los Angeles, founder and leader of the salsa band Makina Loka said:

“Personally, I have a great deal of gratitude to Albert. In 1996 when I released my first album, Tata Masamba, he was the one who presented my music to the Latin audience in Los Angeles. He also placed my band at Sportsmen’s Lodge, Grand Park and many other venues. Albert was also who recommended me to film director Randa Haines and as a result, my band, Makina Loca came out in the movie “Dance with Me” with Chayanne and Vanessa Williams. I will be eternally grateful to Albert Torres for giving me a hand at the beginning of my career”.

1997 was crucial for Albert and the world of Salsa in Los Angeles because began the dream of Mr. Eli Irizarri of Puerto Rico, the concept of the Salsa Congresses in San Juan. “I was not the first year, but I heard a lot of nice things even though it was a financial failure. I attended the event in 1998 and was the master of ceremonies. Then, I started the same concept in Los Angeles beginning in 1999 and in the next 8 years following the Los Angeles Congress stood out as the largest in the world. There attend more than 6000 people daily arriving from more than 42 countries”, said Albert for an Argentine media.

In 1998, at the head of ATP, organized the first edition of Los Angeles Salsa Congress and in May 1999 was carried out, with the presentation of Tito Puente in the opening. In this first congress Albert transformed the event into an exciting music and dance venue that attracted 20,000 Latin Music enthusiasts from all over the world and USA and with such great success that he immediately became co-producer Salsa Congresses in over 32 countries.

“My most important desire to be a promoter of the Congresses would be that this can be used for dancers, can realize their dream of dancing on a stage and also find a way to respect the dancers as they deserve it. This is extremely important”. Albert Torres.

In LA Salsa Congress the stars are born, many of the world renowned dancers have their start at this event. The mission of LA Salsa Fest is to pass on to the next generation through educational seminars, dance workshops and being able to perform on stage.

Since then, Albert Torres Productions has created and produced the World’s Largest Salsa Music event. In addition to this, ATP is the co-producer of the World Salsa, broadcast from Las Vegas every year by the ESPN TV network being watched by more than 20 million homes worldwide, where more than 1000 competing dancers will be known on the planet. “On ESPN told me that if I wanted to see it on TV I had to do competitions.

I do not like it, but for the dancers to get to know each other worldwide, I decided to make the World Salsa Championship, the biggest and most important salsa tournament in the world. Now, since April (2012) I decided to do it alone, without partners, and now it’s called World Latin Dance Cup. I added other categories like cumbia, bachata, casino, children and people over 45 years. We have about 20 categories”. Torres Said in an interview with a Peruvian media.

In the World Latin Dance Cup No requirements. You have to take stock and follow the world rules. These are of time, originality of the dressing rooms, of musicality. If you drop the wig, the earring (while dancing), points are removed; if you do not wear stockings, too. A wig will not give points, but if it falls it will take the points. In this championship there is not a world champion, so there is a champion in each category.

According to his friends, Albert was a “workaholic”. He was always on the road promoting salsa music through all the congresses he organized around the world. Always in transit, he spent one night in Istanbul, the next in Paris and the following week in Tokyo. For example, at the beginning of 2007 he had 48 weeks of travel and in one year he could travel to 48 exotic countries such as Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Japan, Hong Kong, Brazil, Bulgaria, Romania, China, Colombia, Venezuela, Spain, Mexico, Peru, Holland, Hamburg, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, France, Ecuador, New Zealand, Australia and Puerto Rico.

Therefore, it is not surprising to see on your Facebook wall, the immense and felt messages of thanks from dancers from all corners of the earth. His latest project called “The Legacy Project” is an initiative to combine our music culture with the latest technology tendencies in order to reach and unite more people so future generations can appreciate, preserve and be part of the history of Latin dance and music around the world.

In 2011 Albert Torres was honored to be accepted as a Member of the Council for Dance of UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) and Elected Grand Marshall at the National New York Puerto Rican Day Parade in front of 2 million spectators lined up on 5th Ave that past June 12 of the same year. This past May, 25th the world of Salsa and entertainment received a huge impact, the news of the death of Albert Torres, victim of a Stroke.

Family, friends, national and international press as well as web portals lamented and reviewed this regrettable fact. Rudy Mangual, creator of the famous magazine Latin Beat Magazine commented to an international media that before this terrible fatal outcome, Albert was very delicate of health in the last months; he had diabetes and had an infection in the pancreas. He also said that he regretted his gone because he and his wife Yvette Mangual had a very special affection to Albert.

Albert Torres’s family wishes to thank all of our Salsa Family for your thoughts, prayers and well wishes during this difficult time. Albert passed away today May 25th, 2017, peacefully, surrounded by family and loved ones. We all find comfort knowing that he is now promoting and dancing alongside his Idols, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Cheo Feliciano, Tito Rodriguez and Ray Barreto. As well as his close friends Johnny Polanco, Rudy Regalado, Alicia Gomez and many others. We would love nothing more than for you to help us continue keeping his legacy and DREAM OF UNITY alive by supporting the great event that he started 19 years ago:

The LA SALSA FEST.

Thank you again and may you all be blessed. UNA BULLAAAA!

Rest In Peace ALBERT TORRES

6/14/1956 – 5/25/2017

On the other hand, different personalities of the artistic world expressed their deep pain:

“Salsa and I lost a good friend. Like everyone else in the music world, I was in shock: Albert was an exuberant, vibrant person. It seems unfair that he left the planet in the prime of his life at only 60 years old.

I remember in one of our many conversations, he expressed his great desire to bring the famous African salsa group Africando to the United States. Africando had a song, “Yay Boy,” that was all the rage not only in New York but also in Latin America, but not many people had seen the group live. It was a huge undertaking to organize a concert with Africando since the lead vocalists lived in Senegal, Togo, and other parts of Africa. When Albert finally managed to bring Africando to Los Angeles in 2004, he was over the moon. That was one of his greatest triumphs.

Albert, your passing is a huge blow to all of us in the salsa world. We will miss you terribly. Thank you for everything you’ve done to promote our music. Salsa. We will never forget you.

Rest in peace, brother.” Ricardo Lemvo

“Creating Unity through Salsa”, words from my brother Albert Torres. That’s exactly what we are trying to do, will keep this in my heart forever… Your legacy lives. Thank you Albert! Thank you Edwin and the #LASalsaFest team for this”. Tony Succa

Famed Salsa legend, dancer and Hollywood choreographer turned mega event planner Albert Torres is already part of our history. His continuous efforts to globalize Salsa have made a major impact on the preservation and accessibility of both Salsa Music and Salsa Dance around the world. To achieve this, he was constantly traveling around the world, encouraging conferences and festivals, discovering talents for dancing.

No doubt, Albert Torres brought the music it in the blood. He had his own vibration and constantly he was being a role model. He played that key role in the confluence of people and places that created an environment for the growth of Latin music in America and the world.

For that reason, on the Facebook wall of Albert thousands of emotions multiply. And the messages coincide in the gratefulness and the claim of “una bulla”, una bulla salsera para Albert. Today on some side of the Salsa´s Big, sure, you’re dancing and singing!

Albert Torres in solidarity with charitable causes

“Before I was an event producer, I handled 50 beds in a hospital helping people with drug, alcohol, and mental problems… I have been sober since December 14, 1985. For that, I can live and help others to live their Dreams”. Albert Torres

Great dancer and Champion fell ill last year after the WLDC. With the support of dancers worldwide he was able to beat leukimia and will be back this year. What an inspiration and great story. Let’s all appreciate each day that we are blessed with. Welcome back Jeremy.

ATP continues with the Albert’s legacy and offering top-notch quality events with world-class performers. His bands are legendary and his events feature some of the finest musicians and dancers the world has ever known.

“Para mí la salsa no es latina sino mundial. No tiene barreras de colores ni de país. Es increíble ver niños chiquitos bailar como los de los 80 que bailan… Para mí la salsa es como si fuera una paella, una comida increíble: tiene tantos condimentos y tantas cositas.

La salsa es así: con un poquito de rumba, jazz, tango, y si le pones swing, ballet y se mezclan todos con una bella canción de Óscar de León, algo sucede que nos afecta desde los tobillos hasta el corazón… Los problemas siempre van a estar esperándonos en casa, pero qué cosa bonita llegar a un lugar donde todo el mundo se lleva. Cuando empieza esa música todos tenemos algo en común. Ojalá el mundo aprendiera de eso”. Albert Torres (June 14, 1956 – May 25, 2017)

To learn more about Albert Torres and his events, please visit: www.worldlatindancecup.com, www.mysalsacongress.com and www.alberttorresproductions.com

To read more about Albert Torres’ work with Baile de Los Niños, providing cultural outreach programs to at-risk youth and low-income families, visit: www.alberttorresevents.com/bailedelo sninos/mission.asp

Caesar Vera Y Su Sexteto NuevoSon, traditional Cuban music with a touch of modernity

It is very important for us to show and provide coverage to the most important Latin music artists of today in the United States and now it is the turn of Chicagoan musician Caesar Vera, who very kindly accompanied us in this edition of International Salsa Magazine.

Caesar is the current director of Caesar Vera Y Su Sexteto NuevoSon, which we will talk about later along with other equally important issues for the musician’s career.

Caesar with a bongo — Caesar Vera with his bongos some years ago

How Caesar began his journey in music

Although Caesar has developed his professional life in Miami and currently lives there, he was actually born in Chicago and spent the early years of his life there. His parents arrived from Cuba in 1966 in the freedom flights and, once in the United States, the Catholic Church helped them and placed them in Chicago, where he was born and lived until 1978. Later, the couple divorced and his father went to live in Miami, so Caesar spent long holiday periods together with him in that city.

The path with music for Caesar began in high school, when he became very interested in rock music, to the point of creating a band with some of his classmates. He played the drums and was a huge fan of Led Zeppelin, Kiss, Van Halen, and other groups of that style.

The only connection the young man had with Latin music was his grandfather, who loved to dance danzón and always played Orquesta Aragón records so that they could both move to the beat music in the living room of his house. Although these moments with his grandfather were very pleasant, he did not yet like this kind of music, but that would change over the years.

In Miami, there was a time when there were many Latin bands playing, and every corner had a nightclub with orchestras playing. Caesar and his friends used to attend these places a lot, which led the young man to finally become interested in these genres. This coincided with the arrival from Cuba of his uncle who was a musician and had a band there, which they talked about constantly, and he even taught his nephew to play instruments such as the tumbadora, bongos, timbales, and all minor percussion.

In 1987, what happened was a turning point for Caesar musically speaking, as he finally decided to take Cuban music more seriously and study its history to understand it better.

Caesar Vera and Luis Bofill — Singer and bandleader Luis Bofill and Caesar Vera

Groups prior to Caesar Vera Y Su Sexteto Nuevo Son

Before creating his own group, the wife of a friend who had a group invited him to play percussion with them, a proposal Caesar accepted, and he started playing the tumbadora with the orchestra. Something new in this case was that he had never played with an established band in formal performances, so it was something new for him.

By 1992, he had met the famous Cuban bongo player Juan Méndez, who had played with the Roberto Faz Orchestra, Roberto Torres, and Luis Santi Y Su Conjunto. Méndez told him that he needed a bongo player in an orchestra he was forming at the time and asked Caesar to fill the vacancy, to which he answered yes and remained in the group until 2003, that is, for around 11 years.

In addition to that, he was a replacement in various orchestras in Miami for a while, one of which was Gilberto Díaz Y Su Conjunto Los Profesionales. He was with them for two years, but by then traditional Cuban music, more specifically Cuban son, had captured his full attention. It just so happens that one of his orchestra fellows told him that Norberto from the group Norberto Y Marcela Y El Septeto Caribe called him because they needed a bongo player and asked if he was interested in the vacancy. Caesar did not think twice and went to play with the orchestra even though he did not have much experience with the bongos, but he took the risk anyway. It was with this group that he started playing traditional Cuban music and prepared to do the same once he became independent.

Caesar and his bandmates — These are the band members from left to right: bongo player Caesar Vera, singer Billy Velazquez, tres player Roberto Acosta, bassist Arturo Senti, conga player Hebert Garcia, and trumpet player Orlando Fraga

Foundation of Caesar Vera Y Su Sexteto NuevoSon

Still playing with Norberto and Marcela, Caesar started having his own creative ideas on how to lead an orchestra, but he could not carry them out because he was only a musician who collaborated with the orchestra, which started to bother him and cause him enormous dissatisfaction. One day, his wife saw him stressed and frustrated by the situation, leading her to ask him why he did not become independent and create his own project.

That is when he started thinking about it seriously until, in early 2007, he finally founded the group Fusión 4 with Carlos Alberto “El Flaco”, who had previously sung with Fajardo Y Sus Estrellas, Larry Harlow, and La Fania. They managed to play every Saturday at the Deauville Jazz Club for a year.

However, the sextet as we know it today was created just two years ago because it was costing to Caesar much to find work for such a large orchestra, especially after the pandemic when much of the live music scene fell off a cliff.

Today, some of its members are tres player Roberto Acosta, bassist Arturo Santi, conga player Hebert García, trumpeter Orlando Fraga, and singer Billy Velázquez.