North America

Pandemic

We all know that 2020 was a tough year for everyone, the reason is quite obvious, the pandemic. Although more than a whole year has passed since the disease began to reach the whole world, the repercussions of covid-19 continue to affect many people today, that is exactly what the new Ray’s song is about, it is called “pandemia” (pandemic) after all.

There are many artists who have taken the unfortunate health situation to create art out of it, in this particular case, a song, after all, inspiration can come from anywhere, something that great artists clearly know, and this is the case of Johnny Ray and this song.

In charge of the direction and the percussion of the song is Johnny Ray himself, while the person in charge of the composition of the song was Johnny Zamot. Sammy González Junior was chosen to sing the song, and after listening to his interpretation, we realize it was a good choice.

The song is relatively short if we compare it with the average genre’s songs, but it is enough to comprehend the message, plus, but with just over two minutes in length, we can enjoy the authenticity of the salsa’s sound at its best.

On the other hand, as everyone could imagine just by reading the song title, the lyrics focus on the changes that have arisen as a result of the crucial pandemic and the desire for it to finally end. If we translate the lyrics, these say “you can no longer hear the drum that makes you so happy, all this ended when the pandemic arrived”, these are the first lyrics we listen to after the song’s introduction. “I would give a to be able to cheer people up, beating my drums, watching people enjoy,” sings Sammy Gonzáles, making the message of the song clear in that phrase.

Johnny ray

Johnny Ray is not just another salsa artist, he is a veteran musician with almost forty years of experience, which makes him someone very recognized within the salsa industry. Together with his group called Salsa Con Clase (Class salsa), Ray has participated in countless events of different nature, from schools and universities to different fairs and many private events; Furthermore, they have been indifferent shows in more than a dozen countries, so his international journey has allowed him to gain a lot of experience.

From a very young age, Ray was a talented percussionist, and his interest in music would lead him down the road to success. As he grew and developed himself more as a musician, he would go from playing congas in different places in New York where salsa was constantly present, to sharing the stage with some of the most internationally recognized salsa (and other music genres) artists, such as: Marc Anthony, Rubén Blades, Celia Cruz, Oscar de León, Tito Nieves, Eddie Palmieri, Jerry Rivera and many more.

Despite such a memorable career, Johnny Ray continues to produce songs to this day, and will surely continue to do so for many years to come, as we see that even the pandemic is far from discouraging him, in fact, does the exact opposite, inspire him.

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The Spanish Enrique Ramil brings “Mentira” as part of his new stage

Enrique Ramil presents his new single “Mentira” as part of what he wants to show us in this new facet, which begins with AGTE Live. The single is not only exciting because it is Enrique’s latest, but is produced by the acclaimed Venezuelan duo SanLuis, made up of brothers Santiago and Luigi Castillo.

“The song talks about the moment when you discover that everything you have lived is a lie, because of someone who has been cheating on you. Feelings are mixed because it hurts that they have lied to you, but also having been slow to realize it. It’s something which is, in a way, liberating. On an emotional level it is a long but satisfying journey, “explained Ramil.

This single is composed by Luigi and Santiago Castillo, Juan Mari Monte, Enrique Ramil and Frederick Meléndez. Recorded recently in the United States under the attentive and dedicated production of Santiago and Luigi who wanted to give more light to Enrique’s talent, while launching their own label “La Castillera Music”.

“We introduce you to Enrique Ramil, one of the most incredible performers we have ever met, and with whom we have the honor of presenting our label La Castillera Music. Thank you @enriqueramil @agtelive and @ada_latin for trusting in our pen and our artistic vision to develop such beautiful work. This is just the beginning… ” the duo posted on their Instagram account.

At the same time Enrique took advantage of this step to work with Erika Ender, Yasmil Marrufo, Ángel Pututi, Johan Morales, Juan Mari Montes, Julio César Rodríguez, Linda Briceño and Mario Cáceres, all Latin Grammy winners, in various songwriting sessions.

“Many people are going to feel identified. I like having worked with SanLuis, Frederick and Juan Mari, people that I admired from before,” added Ramil.

Learn more about Enrique Ramil

Enrique was born in Ares, A Coruña in Spain. Since he was little he had a penchant for music, singing, dancing and acting. His career obtained a new level and achievement when he won the 2020 edition of “Tierra de Talento” a program on Canal Sur, but Ramil is not new in the field, he already has more than 15 years of career with hard work.

In fact, being part of a program is not something new for him and he is phenomenal, he has already participated in more programs in different facets as a contestant, coach, chorus or guest artist. He is a very versatile and chameleon artist, but what he has always stood out for has been his very unique voice and his brilliant personality. He has tried various genres like jazz, gospel, and even bossa nova.

“Music heals me, excites me and makes me a better person. That is what I want to provoke in whoever listens to me”, he maintains.

After his triumph in “Tierra de Talento” he secured a contract with AGTE Live Entertainment, a company based in the United States that marks the beginning of Enrique’s internationalization. “Mentira” is the first step in this new stage, a single that can be found on all digital platforms and whose official video already has almost 540 thousand views on Enrique’s official channel.

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Eddie Palmieri

There are not many musicians who try to step outside the industry’s pre-established mold and experiment, but those talented artists who dare to do so are often remembered. Some define him as a genius, others as a revolutionary, the truth is that it is evident that Eddie Palmieri’s style has always been ahead of his time. He is among those artists who preferred to do something different rather than simply adapt to the commercial trends that existed in the music industry in the 1960s, which is why he has always been considered an experimental and brilliant artist.

Born in New York, although with Puerto Rican parents, Eddie showed interest in music since he was just a kid. At the young age of 14, his talent did already lead him to create his first orchestra. Tropical music and jazz were special genres for Palmieri, so Palmieri showed a special interest in both. Despite starting out as a percussionist, he eventually showed more interest in the piano, and his natural talent was evident, so he decided to become a pianist. That was the beginning of a career that would be full of success.

His career began when he participated in the orchestras of Vicentico Valdés and Tito Rodríguez, where he gained experience that would later lead him to create his own band, one that would mark a crucial change in Palmieri’s personal and professional life, the name of the legendary band was “La perfecta” (The perfect one).

In 1962, la perfecta made their debut, adding trombones and trumpets to the sound of the flute and violins of the era, thus creating a fresh, and peculiar sound that people were starting to love. It is normal that his love for jazz led him to continually experiment with different sounds, but what Eddie did not know at the time, was that those “experiments” would eventually make him a person worthy of being considered one of the greatest exponents of Latin jazz and salsa.

Awards

It is true that the quality of a great artist is not only defined by the awards he owns, but it is a prove of how relevant his music has been in different eras; in Eddie Palmieri’s case, his showcase is quite full of awards, here are a few of the most important ones: In 1976 the American achieved a memorable feat at the Grammy Awards by winning the coveted statuette, all thanks to The Sun of Latin Music, a production recorded by him. This would be the first Latin American production to win this award.

On the other hand, Eddie also won the award for Musical Excellence, an award given by the Academia Latina de la Grabación (Latin Recording Academy); Another important achievement was being recognized by the NEA Jazz Masters Award thanks to his passage through jazz.

His musical career is very extensive, as is his discography, so his biggest hits have been compiled in the following compilations: The History of Eddie Palmieri (1975), Gold: 1973-1976 (1976), The Music Man (1977), Salsa Caliente de Nu York! (2001), Sugar Daddy (2007), El Virtuoso (2010) y Salsa Brothers (2011).

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