North America

In the early 70’s, the trumpet player of La Sonora Ponceña, José “Joe” Rodríguez, decided to leave the orchestra led by Papo and Quique Lucca.

Joe had been part of “La Más Sureña” since almost the foundation of the orchestra and was even the lead trumpet player in the successful productions “Hacheros Pa’ Un Palo” (1968), “Fuego En El 23” (1969), “Algo de Locura” (1971), “Desde Puerto Rico a Nueva York” (1972) and “Sonora Ponceña” (1972) with which the orchestra achieved great international recognition; however, this time, the trumpet player had decided to execute an idea that had been in his head for some time.

He was also joined by percussionist Mickey Ortiz and, incredibly, the lead voice of La Sonora Ponceña, Tito Gómez.

Soon, Joe Rodríguez, with the collaboration of the resigning members and his first cousin, bongos player Francisco “Chalina” Alvarado, who curiously had also been part of La Sonora Ponceña in the past, organized his own orchestra which he called “La Terrífica” and began to travel all over Puerto Rico performing at festivals and patron saint festivals.

Sometime later they signed a contract with the powerful Fania Records label to record with its subsidiary, Internacional Records, their first album under the production of Larry Harlow, titled “Terrífica” (1974), which featured Adalberto Santiago on backing vocals, Héctor Lavoe and Yayo ‘El Indio’, which included the song ‘Hachero Mayor’ written by Francisco Alvarado and vocalized by Tito Gómez as a protest to one of the most popular Sonora Ponceña songs on the island: ‘Hacheros Pa’ Un Palo’ authored by Arsenio Rodríguez.

“Yo traigo el hacha mayor, De aquella 72 Arsenio me la dejó la, con doble filo la traigo yo.

I come to chop down a stick, which they call ‘palo mayor’ because I’m the brave one here, I’m the axeman, I bring the axe, from that 72 Arsenio left it to me, I bring it with a double edge.

I come from the mountains and I bring a lot of firewood,

Gentlemen, I come waving, I am the main axeman.

Seventy-two axes for one stick, with my two-edged axe,

Now I cut it.

I bring the biggest axe, with a double edge I bring it.

 Gentlemen, I went to the mountain and I come very tasty, to distribute to the whole world, I’m the biggest axe man.

Double-edged, double-edged gentleman.

With double edge I bring it.

Careful, jump out of the way, gentlemen, so that they will know, I’m coming with “La Terrífica”.

If you don’t get out of the way, I’ll run over you with my truck.

I’ll bring it with a double edge”.

The new orchestra was doing well, they enjoyed the public’s acceptance.

The contracts began to arrive by themselves and they had a good future, however, Tito Gómez would surprise everyone when he announced that he was resigning from “La Terrífica” because he had received an interesting proposal from New York to join the powerful band of conguero Ray Barretto who, after the sudden departure of his singer Tito Allen, was looking for a new vocalist to accompany the young Panamanian Rubén Blades at the front of his orchestra.

The following year, La Sonora Ponceña records in “Tiene Pimienta” (1975), its next production, the song “Hachero Sin Hacha” in the voice of Miguelito Ortiz (who arrives to the orchestra replacing Tito Gómez to accompany Luigui Texidor), written by Papo Lucca himself, in which he responds harshly about the alleged awarding of the axe to “La Terrífica” and even makes fun of the resignation of Tito Gómez with the pregón “una gallina que no pone porque ya no tiene gallo” (a hen that doesn’t lay because she no longer has a rooster).

“Where is that great hatchet man who advertises himself out therethe one who remembered Arsenio for a triumph to get.

You are nothing more than a parrot a head without brains a hen that does not lay because it no longer has a rooster.

That axe that you have looked for cardboard teeth that was that the great Arsenio, a joke played on you.

Search well in your memory the year sixty-nine when in your presence Arsenio with Lucia sent me an axe as a reward the sign of the woodcutter.

Axemen without an axe, they are.

Your axe does not break skulls, your axe is made of cardboard.

Arsenio mistook you, Arsenio misled you, your time is long gone Ay, I’m telling you, where is that great axeman?

Maybe he died, maybe he died, you have to put your head in it, you have to put inspiration in it”.

Incredibly, when a strong response was expected from “La Terrífica”, its director Joe Rodríguez decided to concentrate his energy on finding a replacement for Tito Gómez and to reinforce his orchestra. Thus, Yolandita Rivera from New York and a 16-year-old teenager named Héctor “Pichie” Pérez joined the group and recorded “Sabor A Pueblo” (1976), their next LP under the production of pianist Jorge Millet.

The differences between both orchestras seemed to vanish as if by magic after a supposed private meeting between the founders of both groups, a situation that allowed them to have a peaceful party.

This fact would be verified later with the recording of two songs by La Terrífica: “Humo En La Cabeza” and ‘”Vida Se Llama Mujer” both authored by Luigui Texidor, the vocalist of La Sonora Ponceña; and the linking to Quique Lucca’s orchestra of vocalist Yolanda Rivera (the main voice of La Terrífica), who, besides other hits, recorded the merengue “Si No Me Meto” composed by Francisco Alvarado, co-founder and bongos player of La Terrífica in the album “El Gigante Del Sur” (1977).

The result of this determination gave great and good results for all, to the extent that Tito Gómez returned to La Sonora Ponceña to record several songs written by Francisco Alvarado, among them “Moreno Soy” included in the album “Explorando” (1978) and eventually Joe Rodríguez participated with Quique Lucca’s orchestra as a guest trumpet player for some trips.

From this moment on, “La Terrífica” would act as a kind of quarry of vocalists and musicians that would provide La Sonora Ponceña with salsa talents, this is the case of Manuel ‘Mannix’ Martínez, Héctor ‘Pichie’ Pérez, Yolanda Rivera, Luisito Carrión, Wito Colón, Luis ‘Cuchy’ Castro (trumpet), Efraín ‘Frao’ Hernández (bass), Freddie Del Valle (trumpet), Japhet Rodríguez (timbal), Jorge Miranda (bongo), among many others.

La Terrífica, from its creation until 1992, recorded ten incredible productions, saying goodbye to the Salsa market with the hit “Corazón Fracturado”.

For his part, Joe Rodriguez, the founder of La Terrifica, has been retired from music for quite some time and devoted to his religion; while Francisco “Chalina” Alvarado founded El Conjunto La Perla and is still immersed in the world of salsa.

Facebook: Orquesta “La Terrífica”

Source: Frank Manuel Orellana 

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Luis Guillermo Texidor Ortiz, more commonly known as Luigi Texidor, was born on January 20 1935 in the Puerto Rican town of Santa Isabel, more precisely in Colonia Florida.

The town of Santa Isabel in Puerto Rico is located south of the island of enchantment and borders Cuamo to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the south, Juana Díaz to the west, and Salinas to the east.

He was orphaned as an early age, so upon reaching the legal age, he joined the Army of the United States of America.

On returning to Puerto Rico in 1956, he studied to be a professor at the Catholic University of Ponce.

In parallel, he began participating in various groups as a percussionist (he played the bongo).

It was in the Orquesta Hispana de Juana Díaz where he had the opportunity to sing for the first time.

Then, he joined Antonetti y su Combo, until he finally joined the group Papo Lucca y su Sonora Ponceña in 1963.

After the departure of Papo León, Luigi Texidor became the lead singer of the group.

Between 1969 and 1977, he became the best-known voice of “La Ponceña” with the release of the LP Hacheros pa’ un palo and the albums Conquista Musical and El Gigante del Sur.

With this group, he made immortal songs such as “Fuego en el 23”, “Boranda”, “El Pío Pío”, “Bomba Carambomba”, “La Clave”, “Noche Como Boca’e Lobo”, among others.

It is noteworthy that in 1977, he participated in two albums by the Puertorican All-Stars, which is a group that brought the best Puerto Rican musicians and a sort of rival to the Fania All-Stars.

There he shared stages with Mario Ortiz, Andy Montañez, Paquito Guzmán, Lalo Rodríguez, Tito Allen and Gilberto Santa Rosa.

In 1978 he had to leave La Sonora Ponceña because of differences with singer Yolandita Rivera.

This motivated him to have outstanding participation in the orchestras of Tito Puente and Bobby Valentín (with whom he produced the song “Moreno soy”).

He also had a fleeting involvement in the record label Fania. It should be noted that he has always being one of the first salseros to qualify his verses with jocular and catchphrases.

In 1979 he launched solo and his best-known songs include “¿Quién trabajará?”, “Adiós don Gabino”, “Reina Negra”, “El llanto de las Flores” and “Tema de una Flor”, from the albums El Negrito del Sabor, El Caballero, Betún Negro and Sabroso.

Over the years, he made fleeting comebacks with La Sonora Ponceña, as part of the celebrations for its 40th and 45th anniversaries.

Luigi developed a very particular style for his soneos, highlighted by his fun style. With almost six decades of musical life, Texidor has forged a special place in the hearts of salseros. In the city of Medellín, lovers of good salsa have enjoyed the visit of the singer from the town of Santa Isabel on several occasions, the great Luis Guillermo Texidor Ortíz, “thank you, maestro, for all his music. This is a well-deserved tribute to one of the great Puerto Rican singers in our music”.

Today, very close to reaching the age of 80, he maintains good health. By his own admission, it is known that he does not smoke or try other substances harmful to his health.

Photo by Facebook: Luigi Texidor

Source: Frank Manuel Orellana Rosas

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He was the last surviving member of the glory days of mambo preceding what we know today as salsa.

Ray Santos was a Latin musician, was born to Puerto Rican parents on December 28, 1928, in New York City, attended the Juilliard School of Music where he studied saxophone.

He was a Professor at the City University of New York (City College), where he teaches a Band or ¨performance¨ course.

Ray Santos ¨The last of the Mambo Kings¨

He was a musician in the orchestras of Machito, Tito Puente and Tito Rodriguez. He was also was an arranger and musical director for recordings of Tommy Olivencia, Junior Toledo, Willie Rosario, Lalo Rodriguez, and Rudy Victorino and an Oscar winner in 1992, for the music of the film “The Mambo Kings” starring Armand.

Maestro Santos is a Puerto Rican man who has made significant contributions to Latin music as an arranger, bandleader, and musician.

However, beyond the circles of mambo lovers and Latin music big bands of yesteryear, not much is known about his distinguished professional career in Puerto Rico.

Part of it, happens because of the nature of Ray Santos himself. This is a literate person but with an amiable and accessible character, totally devoid of vanity, presumption, or ostentation exhibited by other music personalities with attainments less than him.

For instance, unless he is asked directly, Ray Santos is not going to say that he participated with three arrangements on the compact disc “Palo Pa’ Rumba” CD of Eddie Palmieri, which received a Grammy Award from the Recording Academy in 1985.

Nor will he say that he also arranged for Eddie Palmieri and Tito Puente on the CD “Obra Maestra” which received a Grammy Award in 2001.

For Linda Rondstat he wrote all the arrangements and was the conductor for her CD “Frenesí”, which received a Grammy Award in 1993.

In the movie “Mambo Kings” he was a mambo director and arranger, including the arrangement of “Beautiful Maria of my Soul”, a song that was nominated for an “Oscar®” as “Best Song from a Motion Picture” at the 65th Academy Awards® of the Academy of Picture Arts and Sciences.

In other words, this is a person who has reached a seat of honor in the world of Latin music, is Puerto Rican, and is practically unknown by his countrymen.

On the one hand, the album “Mi Luz Mayor” celebrates the legacy of Machito, Puente, and Rodriguez. And on the other, The great contribution of Ray Santos to Afro-Caribbean dance music.

We would like to present the outstanding professional career of Maestro Ray Santos after he suffered a recent health problem.

Ray Santos passed away at his home died on October 17, 2019, at the age of 90.

Facebook: Ray Santos

Sources:

By Ewin Martinez Torre

[email protected]

Latin Heritage Contributor

San Juan – Puerto Rico

Jaime Torres Torres

National Foundation for Popular Culture

El eterno ‘swing’ de Ray Santos

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