Interviews

Luis Enrique’s “Hoy y Siempre” Tour Lands at the Choliseo

On Saturday, May 2, 2026, Luis Enrique brought his “Hoy y Siempre” concert to the Coliseo de Puerto Rico. Produced by TM Entertainment in a promotional partnership with radio station Z-93, the salsa vocalist returned to Puerto Rico to revisit his rise to stardom in the very place his musical journey began.

During the celebration, Luis Enrique had the brilliant musical direction of maestro Ceferino Cabán

Throughout the celebration, Luis Enrique was backed by the brilliant musical direction of Maestro Ceferino Cabán, whom he introduced as his “comrade of many battles.”

The “Prince of Salsa” spent the night acknowledging that, while Nicaraguan by birth, he came into his own musically on the Isla del Encanto. From the moment he took the stage, Luis Enrique basked in the crowd’s affection as they sang along at the top of their lungs to the hits he has cultivated since the start of his career.

A Journey Through the Hits

The opening set featured an energetic, beaming artist performing tracks like “Lo que fui, soy y seré,” “Mi mundo,” and “Dando y dando.” Shortly after, he moved into “Tú no le amas, le temes,” “Lo que pasó entre tú y yo,” and “Amiga.”

On Saturday, May 2, 2026, Luis Enrique presented his concert “Hoy y siempre” at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico.

Later, the atmosphere shifted to a patriotic tribute honoring both his Nicaraguan roots and his deep “Boricua” sentiment for the land that embraced him at the start of his career. This segment included:

“Autobiografía”
“Añoranza”
“Borikén” (a duet with Hermes Croatto)
“Amanecer borincano” — a moment where Luis Enrique once again adopted Puerto Rico as his second homeland.
“El amor es algo más”

The traditional instruments of Puerto Rican folk music—which continue to evolve across the island’s interior—took center stage during what will be remembered as a historic night for salsa. The cuatro was masterfully played by Christian Nieves, while the güiro de marimbo was handled by Jorge Yadiel Santos, who also provided backing vocals.

New Beginnings and Grand Finales

The soloist then transitioned into his more romantic repertoire with timeless favorites like “¿Quién eres tú?” (a duet with Norberto Vélez), “¿Cómo volver a ser feliz?” and “La mañana.” He also treated the audience to a premiere of an upcoming track titled “Nombre y apellido.” Luis Enrique noted that this new song was arranged and produced by the Puerto Rican producer, composer, and pianist Marcos Sánchez.

The prince of salsa celebrated the night by acknowledging that, although Nicaraguan by birth

The show reached its peak with “Así es la vida” and a medley featuring “Desesperado,” “Solo,” and “Compréndelo.” These were followed by “Sonríe” (a duet with David Rivera) and “Date un chance,” tracks that paved the way for a high-energy finale.

The performance proved that Luis Enrique remains in peak vocal and physical form. The multi-instrumentalist bid farewell to the island that saw him “born” as a salsa star with “San Juan sin ti” and his global smash “Yo no sé mañana.”

“Choco Orta” Celebrates with New Single ‘Ahí na má’

The Puerto Rican sonera, percussionist, and producer “Choco Orta” is riding high with the release of her latest single.

“Choco Orta” de celebración con su nuevo sencillo ‘Ahí na má’

With this rendition of ‘Ahí na má’ penned by Cuban composer Zenón Abdón Suárez and arranged by Venezuelan pianist David Silva—“Choco” reaffirms her artistic identity, her interpretive power, and her enduring place in contemporary salsa.

In Puerto Rico, fans still fondly remember the triumphant concert celebrating the multi-talented artist’s three decades in salsa, held on April 6, 2019, at the Santurce Fine Arts Center (Centro de Bellas Artes). Throughout her impeccable career, the dancer and theater professor has earned numerous prestigious accolades.

In this latest recording, “Choco Orta” delivers a performance deeply rooted in the essence of salsa. The track has a storied history, previously recorded by legends such as Ismael Rivera with Cortijo y Su Combo, Frankie Vázquez with Los Soneros del Barrio, and Rico Walker with La Puertorriqueña, among others. According to the press release accompanying the release: “’Ahí na má’ captures the authentic language of the barrio, where the soneo becomes a narrative and a genuine connection with the audience.”

La sonera, percusionista y productora puertorriqueña, “Choco Orta”

This release was crafted specifically with the dancer in mind. The vocal tracking for the single took place at Willie González’s studio, under the expert engineering of Ceferino Cabán, while mixing and mastering were handled by José Guerrero at JosMastering in Venezuela. The cover art is the work of International Disseny.

Since her early days in Santurce, the seasoned soloist has carved out her own space in a historically male-dominated industry by focusing on her craft and growth. In an interview with Tele Once, “Choco” highlighted how her environment—steeped in a powerful salsa tradition—was instrumental in shaping her musical identity.

“Choco” dice reafirmar su identidad artística

“Choco Orta” stands as an exceptional example of the importance of soneo and improvisation as vital tools for communication and maintaining high-octane energy on stage.

Read Also: Choco Orta, The Queen of Flavor

Tony Vega Celebrates Half a Century of Romantic Salsa in Puerto Rico

On Saturday, April 25, 2026, the Coca-Cola Music Hall was swept up in the sounds of salsa as Tony Vega took the stage for his concert “49+1: Half a Century of Romantic Salsa.” Thanks to the production of Alexandra Fuentes and a promotional partnership with the radio station Salsoul, the legendary vocalist returned to Puerto Rico for a night filled with music, nostalgia, and profound emotion.

Tony Vega con su director musical, Jota Ruiz Imagenes Jorge Mas

Throughout the celebration, Vega was backed by the musical direction of the virtuous instrumentalist, composer, singer, and independent producer known in the salsa world as Jota Ruiz, of the prestigious Ruiz de Ponce musical dynasty. Jota led an elite ensemble featuring:

Savier Díaz (congas), Edwin Clemente (timbales), Jorge Mercado (bongo), Juan Rivera (piano), and Alexis Pérez (bass).
José “Pucho” Ruiz (the Ruiz family patriarch) and Víctor Ambert on trumpets.
César Ayala and Julio Hernández on trombones.
Fernando Muscolo on keyboards.
Hugo Maysonet and Alejandro Villegas on backing vocals.
A string section composed of Jonelys Ruiz, Sairilis Meléndez, Sinaí González, Sofía Acosta, Orlando Rivera, and César Jacomino, with Luis Rodríguez providing general assistance.
Tony Vega recordando su etapa con Eddie Palmieri Tony Vega con su director musical, Jota Ruiz Imagenes Jorge Mas

Tony Vega’s performance made it clear that his storied career has been a cornerstone of salsa history, particularly within the salsa romántica movement. The audience made the Coca-Cola Music Hall in San Juan vibrate, singing at the top of their lungs to the many hits Vega has placed at the top of the charts over the decades.

Tony Vega y la orquesta acompañante Tony Vega con su director musical, Jota Ruiz Imagenes Jorge Mas

The artist of Puerto Rican descent structured his set to detail the various stages of his brilliant career. He opened the night with “Cosquillita,” representing his professional debut alongside Raphy Leavitt. He then playfully performed “Feo pero sabroso,” a nod to his time in the recording studio with Louie Ramírez, followed by “El cuarto” and “Vámonos pa’l monte” as a tribute to his artistic growth under the mentorship of Eddie Palmieri.

Tony Vega y su sección de percusión Tony Vega con su director musical, Jota Ruiz Imagenes Jorge Mas

A deeply significant and nostalgic moment arrived with a medley chronicling his years with Willie Rosario, prompting the crowd to sing even louder to “Busca el ritmo” and “Mi amigo el payaso.”

From there, the vocalist reminisced about the transition to his ongoing solo career. He shared the story of his historic contract with Ralphie Mercado of RMM, which, as Tony recalls, was famously signed on a napkin “without any formalities.” From this era, he highlighted staples such as “Yo me quedo,” “Tu prenda tendida,” “Lo mío es amor,” “Dile,” “Tengo curiosidad,” “Uno mismo,” and “Mi iglesia,” which he performed as a duet with the stellar guest Alex D’ Castro. He continued the marathon of hits with “¿Dónde estás?,” “Deja,” “Esposa,” “Si me miras a los ojos,” “Si yo vuelvo a encontrarla,” “Fui la carnada,” “Ella es,” “Olvídalo ya,” “Carita de sol,” “Haremos el amor,” “Esa mujer,” and “Aparentemente.”

Tony Vega, concierto CCMH Tony Vega con su director musical, Jota Ruiz Imagenes Jorge Mas

The closing theme, “Déjame soñar,” stirred the singer’s patriotic pride and featured a powerful timbal solo by Edwin Clemente, followed by guest appearances from Gerardo Rivas and his son, Gerardo Gabriel Rivas.

Tony Vega, Trombonista César Ayala al fondo Tony Vega con su director musical, Jota Ruiz Imagenes Jorge Mas

Throughout the evening, Tony Vega expressed his gratitude to those instrumental in his success. He showed profound respect for Humberto Ramírez, who is widely credited with laying the foundation for Tony Vega’s signature sound and establishing the musical concept for his orchestra at its inception. Another noteworthy moment occurred during an improvisation in “Déjame soñar,” where he affectionately declared José Alberto “El Canario” an honorary “Boricua.”

As he had anticipated, Tony Vega experienced the concert as a true celebration of all he has achieved in his 50-year career. He emphasized how much it meant to be surrounded by his people, “sharing music with those who have been with me from the start, right where it all began.”

Photography: Jorge Más

Read Also: Bella Martinez, the irreverent Salsa writer

David Frankel pursued music and created Avenida B Band to reconnect with the memory of his father

After coupling on our schedules, we were able to speak with bandleader and pianist David Frankel, whose story of how he became interested in music and eventually dedicated himself to it is truly fascinating. It also shows that not only Latinos and their descendants can fall in love with these rhythms, but also people outside our culture. This is because David has Russian and Polish heritage, which did not prevent him from falling in love with Latin music so intensely.

David and Ricky playing — David Frankel and Ricky Rosa playing live some years ago

What inspired David to pursue music

David was born in Lower Manhattan, New York, where there were many Latin families at the time. The neighborhood housed many Puerto Ricans and Dominicans. To this we must add that his father, Daniel “El Mago del Órgano” Franklin, was a musician and moved to that very place where Papote Jiménez, Ismael Miranda, Markolino, Freddy Lugo, Henry Fiol, Luis Ayala, and many others lived. Besides being a neighborhood full of artists, it was much cheaper living there, so he thought it was the ideal place for him.

It is worth noting that Daniel knew how to write music and read scores, but he had never played Latin music before in his life. He began to know it when several musicians he worked with asked for his help to read their scores, which led him to fall in love with Afro-Cuban music and develop an interest in salsa and merengue.

When David was born in 1979, Daniel had already been making music for about 15 years and had earned the nickname “The Organ Wizard” thanks to some band competitions held at a club in the Bronx. From a very young age, the boy watched bands rehearsing on the first floor of his house, so this salsa scene was natural for him. However, David had nothing to do with music until the death of his father in 2003.

David never had any interest in entering the art world, but the void left by Daniel’s death in his life drove him to study music, looking to connect with his father in some way. From there, he began taking piano and percussion classes, but he did not stop there. He also started to go out social dancing in the New York nightclubs and to know a bit more the nightlife of the city. On one occasion, a woman left him alone on the dance floor, and he was so ashamed in that moment that he decided to take classes and learn to dance.

David and the rest of Avenida B — The Avenida B Crew:
Juan Bowers – piano
Alvin Céspedes – bass
Ricky Rosa – congas/coro
Brian Pozo – bongos/coro/stage direction
Jhohan Hernandez – timbales
Demetrios Kehagias – trombone
Dan Lehner – trombone
David Frankel – lead vocals

That was when he realized that all the local bands played almost the same genres and songs, but there was no need for that because there was a world of possibilities in the Latin music he had discovered during his classes. There is a world beyond La Fania, and he learned that thanks to dance schools. All this thinking led him to create his own band with different music, to the old-school style he had always loved.

His father had always told him salsa is for dancing, and if you are not playing dance music, you are doing it wrong.

Which teachers taught David?

After thanking us for the question, David then proceeded to explain that there was a school in New York called the Harbor Conservatory for the Performing Arts, located at 104th Street and Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. The heads of the education programmes there were Ramón Rodríguez and Louis Bauzó, who were excellent musicians and great people whom he met thanks to his father, who was a piano teacher at that institution. David used to accompany Daniel to the school and met both teachers through him.

Following his father’s death, David returned to that same conservatory to study singing with Ramón, while also studying percussion with Georgie Delgado and piano with Louis. In short, this institution was of vital importance for his career, and the many things he learned there were momentous both personally and professionally.

As for the dance, he enrolled at the Baila Society school in New York through some friends, but later studied at others such as Santo Rico Dance and Dance On 2.

Jimmy and David — Jimmy Bosch and David Frankel

Avenida B Band

David began his career as a musician by playing boogaloo with a group called Spanglish Fly and a few other small bands. After everything he had studied and learned, already for the year 2011, the idea of creating his own group started percolating in his mind, so he posted an ad online looking for musicians and called some former classmates who might be interested in the proposal. That was how he managed to gather a decent number of people with whom he could finally put the Avenida B project together.

He chose salsa dura as his main genre because it is the kind of music that makes him want to dance, and given his background, this was very important to him.

He is also about to release an album in tribute to his father, which he has named “El Mago,” and it will feature some of his own songs; it is scheduled to be released in July 2026.

David's father — Daniel ”El Mago del Órgano” Franklin, David’s father

Ray Pérez The Genius and Vanguard of Venezuelan Salsa

The Journey of a Pioneer Between Piano, Vinyl, and Musical “Madness”

Ray Pérez is, indisputably, one of the primary architects of Salsa in Venezuela. Born in Barcelona, Anzoátegui, on April 7, 1937, Ray stands as one of the most disruptive and essential figures in the genre’s history.

Ray Pérez: The Genius and the Vanguard of Venezuelan Salsa

His nickname, “El Genio” (The Genius), isn’t just hyperbole; he earned it through his multifaceted mastery as a pianist, arranger, and composer. Above all, he was a visionary who possessed the rare ability to capture the raw “sound of the streets.”

Historical Note: While his official records cite 1937, a fire that destroyed original birth registries has led to speculation that his true birth date may be December 25, 1938.

Music was in his DNA. Ray inherited a deep artistic vein from his father a singer, trumpeter, pianist, and musical director. Ray’s journey began at age twelve playing the tuba in the San Juan Bosco youth band under his father’s tutelage.

By seventeen, he had mastered the guitar, the cuatro, and the piano. Following his father’s passing, he balanced work and academics before ultimately deciding to commit his life entirely to his musical passion.

Formative Years and First Steps

Between 1962 and 1965, Ray studied at the Maracaibo Conservatory. His recording debut came via RCA Víctor under the artistic direction of Aldemaro Romero, recording the track “Marcianita” with the Trío Cristal.

After stints with the Trio Hambay and the group Los Bobos del Twist, he officially dove into Caribbean rhythms in 1965 with the creation of Ray Pérez y Su Charanga in the Zulian capital.

The Golden Era: Los Dementes, Los Kenya, and Los Calvos

Throughout his vast career, Ray launched three pivotal projects that secured his place in the Hall of Fame:

Los Dementes (1965): Their debut, Alerta Mundo, Llegaron Los Locos / The Crazy Men (1966), signaled the start of a new era. Under this moniker, he recorded nearly 25 albums for labels like Velvet, Fania, and his own imprint, Pyraphon Records, founded in 1967.
Los Kenya: Alongside the legendary voices of Carlos Yanes “Calavén” and Carlín Rodríguez, Ray innovated the sound by replacing traditional timbales with a full drum set. This project produced iconic albums like Ronda del Guaguancó, Rai Rai, and Nuevo Día.
Los Calvos: A bold experiment, again featuring “Calavén,” which resulted in two essential productions for RCA Víctor: Estos son los Calvos and Los Calvos… y qué Calvos.
La periodista y crítica musical venezolana Lili Rodríguez, el músico Ray Pérez y Roberto Ernesto Gyemant

The New York Chapters and The Return

In 1969, Ray moved to New York City. There, he played piano for Francisco Ángel Bastar “Kako,” collaborated with Rafael Cortijo and Pedro “Rudy” Calzado’s Charanga, and arranged for the “King of Boogaloo,” Pete Rodríguez, composing hits like “Bossa Triste” and “Dame Felicidad.”

Upon returning to Venezuela in 1971, he founded Ray Pérez y su Orquesta, releasing a string of hits such as Aquí estoy de nuevo, Perucho y el loco Ray, and Yo soy el Rey de la Salsa. In 1974, he struck gold again with Grupo Casabe, recording three albums under the CBS label.

Ray Pérez Y Sus Dementes El Dictador 1981

An Everlasting Legacy

Ray’s prolific career includes collaborations with immortal voices like Perucho Torcat, Nano Grant, Teo Hernández, and Nelson Navas. He has shared the stage with titans such as “El Pavo” Frank Hernández, Alfredo Padilla, Alberto Naranjo, and César Monge.

From his massive repertoire, we remember the anthems of the barrios:

“No salgas de tu barrio”
“Emae Mae”
“Pa’ l 23”
“Así mueren los valientes”
“Guaguancó en New York”
“La montaña”