Latin Jazz

Let’s talk about Una noche en Old Town “en vivo,” while staying true to the musical journey of “El Calvito” Reyes

“Yes, Una noche en Old Town was an event held for about 100 people at a restaurant in the area known as Old Town in Kissimmee, Florida. Old Town is a park that feels like a year-round festival, 365 days a year,” the artist explains. This marks the third musical production from the Puerto Rican singer-songwriter known in the salsa world as “El Calvito,” one of the most fervent champions of the Salsa Nueva movement.

With this release, Edwin puts his salsa and his talent at the service of his followers. His repertoire spans classic salsa, romantic salsa, and what he calls “conscious salsa.”

Edwin “El Calvito” Reyes acknowledges that while everything has already been invented, the key is to stay focused and execute the ideas swirling in his mind. The press release for the new live album, titled Una noche en Old Town, notes: “Remember in the ’90s when many artists (…) recorded live productions? That was a trend that (…) went down in salsa history.”

The Production

The final product is a “live” recording of his orchestra. The production turned what was originally planned as a birthday party at Old Town Park in Kissimmee into a full album. Sound engineer Joseph Díaz captured the session, which was later mixed and mastered by pianist and engineer Víctor Romero. The content was further polished at Harmony Recording Studios in Orlando, Florida.

The album features the collective performance of the musicians who have accompanied the singer for years, including their appearance at the 2025 Día Nacional de la Zalsa in Orlando. The lineup includes:

John López: Congas
Daniel Ortiz: Timbales
Manny Urbina: Bongo
Víctor Romero: Piano and Musical Direction
Yasmani Roque & Marcos Rivera: Trumpets
Bert Laboy: Trombone
José Castro Marchán: Baritone Sax
Una Noche en Old Town Edwin El Calvito Reyes
The night at Old Town also featured guest appearances by heavyweights such as Kriptony Texeira, Harold Montañez, and José Novoa. Additionally, Richie Nieves, the well-known voice of KQ FM Radio in Orlando, handled the album’s intro.

The Origin

The stage was set specifically at El Cilantrillo restaurant within Old Town. The event celebrated the birthday of Javier Colón, owner of La Feria Salsera and Edwin’s partner for the veteran-focused dance events that Edwin has successfully led in recent years. Javier hired “El Calvito’s” orchestra, the performance was recorded, and from that session, this authentic album was born.

By chance, the date of the party coincided with one of the most important days on the Puerto Rican salsa calendar: the traditional Holy Saturday Dance (Sábado de Gloria). “Many Latinos don’t understand and ask, ‘Are you guys seriously holding a dance on Holy Saturday?’ So, unintentionally, we tapped into that tradition—and it is a tradition in every sense of the word. By trying to keep it alive, we (Puerto Ricans) have shared it with the rest of the Hispanic public.”

According to Edwin, the performance was originally recorded for promotional purposes. However, the artist felt it was such a great capture of the evening’s energy that he consulted his musical director, Víctor Romero, to see what he thought of the idea.

The Release

Coincidence dictated that the album be published and available on digital platforms exactly one year after the recording. The producer admits it was a high-risk project because it was recorded live during an organic event outside of a controlled studio environment. The classic covers Edwin included as tributes to “those who have passed” (arranged as medleys) were his biggest concern, yet they ultimately earned widespread approval.

“El Calvito” Reyes says he doesn’t fear the critics. Driven by passion, he decided to release this 10-track production—eight of which he wrote himself, plus two salsa hit medleys—aiming to win over dancers, listeners, and collectors alike.

Tracklist:

‘Medley salsa nueva’
‘Así llamaban al Conde’
‘Homenaje a los que se nos fueron I y II’
‘Dime mi Buen Señor’
‘Tú del sur, yo del norte’
‘El karma’
‘Tócame la moña’
‘Baila cha cha chá’
‘Solo tiempo pa’ rumba’
‘Orgulloso de ser latino’

Stream & Connect: The album is available digitally on YouTube Music, Spotify, and Apple Music. Each track has a corresponding video at: https://www.youtube.com/@ElCalvitoReyesOficial/. The orchestra is available for bookings. You can reach the office via phone or WhatsApp at +1-912-980-8476 or by email at [email protected].

For more on the music of Edwin “El Calvito” Reyes, visit: https://solo.to/elcalvitoreyes

The Piano That Schooled the World the Eternal Legacy of “Professor” Joe Torres

The history of salsa is not only written by the voices of its idols or the thunder of its brass; it is written, fundamentally, on the black and white keys of those who knew how to sustain the pulse of an era.

On April 13, 2020, in the quiet of a Bronx hospital, the “backbone” of Salsa Dura passed away at the age of 76: José Manuel Torres, known universally as “Professor Joe.”

Jose Manuel Torres Professor Joe Torres passed away on this day, April 13, 2020, in the Bronx, New York City, at the age of 76

Born in Manhattan on November 29, 1943, a son of the Puerto Rican diaspora from Guayama and Ponce, Torres embodied the pure essence of the Nuyorican.

Raised on Fox Street, his destiny was sealed in the hallways of P.S. 52 an elementary school that would eventually become the academic sanctuary of Latin music in the South Bronx.

Excellence as the Standard: From Neighborhood Sound to Musical Glory

His nickname, “The Professor,” was no mere poetic license. In a musical ecosystem where many relied on intuition, Joe possessed an almost mathematical skill: sight-reading.

Un pianista maravilloso, que no se parece a nadie

His technical precision allowed him to navigate elegantly between formal discipline and “street” flavor (sabor).

After debuting in the 1960s with the “King of the Bass,” Bobby Valentín, on seminal albums like Bad Breath, his career took a definitive turn when he joined the orchestra of a young, rebellious Willie Colón.

Replacing the virtuoso Mark Dimond, Torres didn’t just fill a void; he defined an aesthetic. For a quarter-century, he was the harmonic architect behind the two greatest giants of the genre: Willie Colón and Héctor Lavoe.

“As the pianist for the band, Professor Joe Torres was excellent,” Colón would recall years later.

It is his piano that resonates in the urban chronicles of Cosa Nuestra; the piano that provides the festive nostalgia in both volumes of Asalto Navideño a cornerstone of Puerto Rican identity and the piano that sustains the rhythmic tension in classics like The Big Break (La Gran Fuga) and Lo Mato.

There was no Fania milestone where Joe did not leave his mark, from the social lyricism of Siembra and Maestra Vida with Rubén Blades, to the raw power of Lavoe’s solo career.

Joe acompañó a Willie Colón y Héctor Lavoe en gran parte de sus grabaciones

Humility in the Shadows: The Man and the Legend

Despite participating in more than thirty productions that are now considered world cultural heritage, Joe Torres never felt the urge to claim the spotlight of a frontman.

As his colleague José Mangual Jr. noted, his humility was as vast as his talent. He preferred the rigor of the studio and the camaraderie of the stage, balancing his musical genius with his work as a computer technician a duality that spoke to his sharp intelligence and adaptability.

El Piano que Dictó Cátedra el Legado Eterno del “Profesor Joe” Torres

His legacy was celebrated in the year 2000 during the historic reunion concert of the “P.S. 52 Alums,” immortalized in the documentary From Mambo to Hip Hop. There, surrounded by titans like Ray Barretto and Manny Oquendo, Joe remained the same: a man with a kind smile and a sharp mind who, according to Blades, represented the true “gentlemanliness” of salsa.

Today, years after his passing, the void at the piano bench remains felt. The “Professor” didn’t just teach people how to read music; he taught that true greatness does not require noise.

His music lives on in every descarga, reminding us that as long as there is a piano playing in the Bronx, the echo of José Manuel Torres will never stop schooling the world.

Also Read: International Salsa Magazine presents essential trivia and facts about Héctor Lavoe.

Alfredo “Chocolate” Armenteros: The Golden Legacy of the Cuban Trumpet

The history of Latin music cannot be written without mentioning the metallic brilliance and elegant phrasing of Alfredo “Chocolate” Armenteros.

Regarded by musicologists and peers as the “Latin Louis Armstrong,” Armenteros was more than just a trumpet virtuoso; he was a sonic architect who bridged the gap between traditional Cuban son, New York jazz, and the high-energy explosion of salsa.

Chocolate Armenteros🇨🇺fue una leyenda excelsa de la música cubana

Born on April 4, 1928, in Las Villas, Cuba, Armenteros carried the soul of his homeland to the world’s most prestigious stages.

His nickname, which became a hallmark of artistic quality, originated from a curious anecdote the musician shared in 2013: a young woman had mistaken him for the famous boxer “Kid Chocolate.”

What began as a case of mistaken identity ultimately became the name of a legend who would deliver his “knockouts” not with fists, but with perfect notes.

The Forging of a Master: From Arsenio Rodríguez to the “Bárbaro del Ritmo”

The career of Chocolate Armenteros serves as a detailed roadmap of the Golden Age of Cuban music. In 1950, he joined the ensemble of the “Blind Marvel,” Arsenio Rodríguez.

Alfredo Chocolate Armenteros el Legado de Oro de la Trompeta Cubana

Under Rodríguez’s tutelage, he recorded essential pieces of the Caribbean songbook such as “Deuda,” “Tengo que olvidarte,” and the iconic “La vida es un sueño.”

This period was vital in defining his style: a fusion of technical discipline and a gift for organic improvisation.

His rise was meteoric. By 1953, he was already a member of Sonora Matancera, the island’s most influential musical institution. That same year, he participated in a historic milestone: the founding of the band led by his cousin, the great Benny Moré.

Alfredo Chocolate Armenteros, Lino Frias, Carlos Patato Valdez y el Negro Vivar 1973

The sound of Chocolate’s trumpet was a key gear in the machinery of Moré’s “Tribu,” cementing his status as the most sought-after instrumentalist of his generation.

Conquering New York and the Global Stage

In November 1958, Armenteros’ destiny changed forever. He traveled to New York with the Fajardo y sus Estrellas orchestra for a private performance at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

The event carried high-level political weight: it was a gala for the presidential campaign of then-candidate John F. Kennedy. Following this encounter with the Big Apple, the trumpeter decided to settle permanently in the city, becoming an ambassador for Caribbean rhythms at the epicenter of jazz.

In New York, his talent flowed through the most influential groups of the era:

The Machito Orchestra (1963): Where he fused Cubop with Afro-Cuban jazz.
Eddie Palmieri (70s): Contributing his power to the experimental sound of salsa brava.
Tico-Alegre All Stars (1975): Sharing the stage with giants like Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Ismael Rivera, and Cachao.

An Endless and Eternal Style

In the late 70s and early 80s, Armenteros not only returned to collaborate with Sonora Matancera but also took the definitive step as a bandleader.

Under his own direction, he left behind memorable productions such as Chocolate Dice (1982) and Estrellas de Chocolate (1987), proving that his creative well never ran dry.The most admirable aspect of Armenteros was his artistic longevity. He remained active in festivals and concerts well into his 80s, preserving a privileged embouchure and a sense of timing that seemed to defy the laws of physics.

Alfredo Chocolate Armenteros y Eddie Moltalvo

Today, nearly a century after his birth, Alfredo “Chocolate” Armenteros remains the gold standard for trumpeters. His life was a testament to elegance, his music a bridge between nations, and his trumpet an eternal echo of Cuban identity that continues to resonate in every jazz descarga and every salsa step around the world.

Also Read: Larry Harlow and Ismael Miranda: The birth of “Arsenian Salsa,” a tribute to the music of Arsenio Rodríguez the creator of Son Montuno and the “King of Guaguancó.”

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”

‘‘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.