North America

Puerto Rican Trombonist and percussionist Arturo Vazquez Jr. from Projecto 7 Salsa & Latin Jazz Band

Trombonist and percussionist Arturo Vazquez Jr. is joining us today to talk about his career and his current band, Projecto 7. This salsa and jazz band features an interesting mix of Latin genres and is often invited to popular local venues in Illinois, where Arturo and his bandmates live, including Two Brothers Roundhouse, Joe’s on Weed, and MCM Pub.

Here is a summary of how much we talk about his early years, the foundation of the band, and his current professional activities.

Arturo Vazquez singing — Percussionist and trombonist Arturo Vazquez Jr singing live

Arturo’s beginnings in music while he was still a child

As usual, before delving into other issues, we wanted to know a little about Arturo’s beginnings in music to establish a chronology, and he told us that he expressed interest in this world when he was just a 10-year-old boy. His grandfather was a musician, and he and his colleagues often organized parties in the municipality of Patillas, Puerto Rico, where the family lived, and jíbara music was always present in everyday life.

The first instruments he learned to play were the timbales and the bongo, but after his grandfather passed away, he was given the accordion his grandfather had played, although unfortunately it did not really catch his attention. That was why he remained focused on percussion. Furthermore, knowing how important it is to get a proper academic education, he studied at the Free School of Music in Puerto Rico for a time, but due to the financial difficulties that his parents were experiencing at the time, they decided to move with their son to New York.

In the mentioned city, he continued his percussion studies at the School of Liberal Arts, being Willie Colón and Tito Puente his greatest inspirations to become a professional musician.

Years later, specifically in the 1970s, his parents found work in Chicago and moved there. That was where Arturo studied high school and met many aspiring percussionists, so the competition was brutal. Therefore, the orchestra’s conductor offered him the trombone spot and gave him a large bass trombone.

projecto 7 led by Arturo — This is Projecto 7 Salsa & Jazz Band led by Arturo Vazquez

After he graduated, he began studying at the University of Illinois in Chicago, where he learned to read music and improvise with Professor J.J. Johnson during symphony orchestra concerts. Once he had gained a more or less acceptable experience in trombone practice, he remembered why or who inspired him to play in the first place, so he began playing in way Willie Colón would. That was not very common in his time, since most trombonists were classical musicians, but he did not care at all, so he started to entirely focus on salsa.

At the same time, he also specialized as a bomba and plena percussionist, so he trained at the Segundo Ruíz Belvis Cultural Center with maestro Rafael Cepeda, better known as “The Patriarch of Bomba and Plena” in Puerto Rico, who traveled to Chicago to teach percussion alongside AfriCaribe, a nonprofit cultural organization led by bandleader and singer Evaristo “Tito” Rodriguez. That was how Arturo also learned to play the pandereta and the barril, but with a focus on bomba and plena.

Professional opportunities before Projecto 7

Before creating his own group, Arturo gained considerable musical proficiency. In the area where he lived in Chicago, there were many gangs recruiting young people to sell drugs, resulting in the emergence of numerous initiatives that sought to keep kids off the streets such as El Congreso Puertorriqueño, whose main goal was to introduce them to Latin music. It was then that the artist met a record label called Caribe, thanks to which he made his first recording as a trombonist with the Orquesta La Unión. This was essentially one of several orchestras that served as a warm up for major groups and artists such as Hector Lavoe, Willie Colón, Ismael Miranda, Ray Barretto, and many others.

Projecto 7 playing at the Cubby Bear — Projecto 7 Salsa & Jazz Band playing at the Cubby Bear in Chicago

Before becoming a soloist, he put aside his career as a musician for more than 10 years because it was not enough to support his family, which already included two daughters. During those years, he studied psychology at the University of Chicago, studied therapy and rehabilitation at the University of Puerto Rico, and taught psychology and therapy at the Elgin Community College.

He worked in Puerto Rico from 1981 to 1988, when he moved to Miami to test the atmosphere in the city, but competition among Latino, especially Cubans, made it impossible for him to make a name for himself there, so he went to try his luck in Elgin, located about 31 miles from Chicago, where he eventually worked as a professional therapist and psychology professor.

Projecto 7 Salsa & Latin Jazz Band

His group, Projecto 7, started at a parranda in which Arturo and Los Hnos Rodriguez in Elgin. The artists invited him to join them and propose new things for the project. When the brothers’ orchestra disbanded, Arturo received a call from a former member of Orquesta La Selecta, Joe González, who moved to Elgin to care for his sick father. González proposed Arturo and other musicians to form a new group called Projecto 7, since there would be seven artists in the group.

Since then, they have made efforts to keep the same lineup of musicians, including musical director, pianist, and bassist Juan Rivera; trombonist Tony Morales; singer Ricky Rodríguez; and bongo player Luis Angel Palermo.

Angie Machado, “El Colorao” The Trumpeter’s Trumpeter and a Living Musical Legend

A legacy carved in brass and talent.

The history of Latin music especially Salsa and Afro-Cuban Jazz could never be written without mentioning the bright, precise, and melodic tone of a trumpet that has shaped the course of countless hit records.

Angie Machado Un legado tallado en bronce y talento

That signature sound belongs to one man: Ángel Vicente Machado Santiago, known universally throughout the artistic community as Angie Machado.

On June 23, 2026, the music world dressed to the nines to celebrate the birthday of this titan. Born in 1954 in the picturesque municipality of Arroyo, Puerto Rico, Angie Machado has not only witnessed the evolution of tropical music over the last five decades; he has been one of its foundational architects.

His career stands as living proof that musical genius, when cultivated with rigorous discipline, transcends passing trends and becomes legendary.

The Forging of a Virtuoso

His path to excellence was no accident. From a very young age, Angie understood that a natural gift for music required a solid vehicle for expression. His formal training began at the prestigious Escuela Libre de Música, a breeding ground for talent in Puerto Rico, where he developed the foundational skills to understand the language of brass and wind instruments.

Later, he made the leap to the Conservatory a space where, beyond musical theory, he absorbed a philosophy of life: discipline as the only route to mastery.

Under the tutelage of rigorous maestros and fueling his growth by analytically listening to history’s greatest trumpet virtuosos, Machado understood that music is not just played; it is studied, reflected upon, and felt deeply.

Those grueling hours of constant practice, where the sound of his trumpet filled every corner, became the bedrock of the “old school” style that distinguishes him today.

That school didn’t just teach notes; it taught phrasing, style, respect for the arrangement, and, above all, the intuition to know when the trumpet should lead and when it should elegantly embrace the melody.

The Trumpet That Defined an Era To speak of Angie Machado is to speak of the history of Salsa itself. His talent was never confined to classrooms or local bands; he rapidly became an indispensable session musician.

If you look at the liner notes of the most iconic albums that defined the “Golden Era” of Salsa, you are almost guaranteed to find his name in the credits.

His ability to adapt to diverse styles from the required grit in Willie Rosario’s orchestra or the explosiveness of Tommy Olivencia, to the subtle elegance demanded by Gilberto Santa Rosa or the unmatched swing of Bobby Valentín positioned him as the most sought-after trumpet player in the industry.

The roster of icons with whom he has shared the stage and the studio is, quite simply, staggering. He has been the musical partner-in-crime to Cheo Feliciano, the soul of Frankie Ruiz’s recordings, the technical and creative backbone for Eddie Palmieri, and a brother-in-arms to Oscar D’León.

His trumpet has traveled the world, backing maestros like Justo Betancourt, Andy Montañez, Lalo Rodríguez, Paquito Guzmán, and Viti Ruiz, as well as a powerhouse of artists ranging from traditional sounds to contemporary fusions, including Luis Enrique and Alex León.

A Living Legend What makes Angie Machado a truly singular figure is not just his résumé, but his enduring relevance. In an industry in constant flux, he has preserved the absolute integrity of his sound.

His “privileged old-school” pedigree doesn’t mean he is stuck in the past; it means he possesses a technical foundation so robust that it allows him to collaborate seamlessly with any generation of musicians.

To those who know him, Angie is not just the trumpet player who can nail a recording session in minutes with breathtaking precision; he is a silent mentor a man who has watched the decades roll by while maintaining the same humility and love for the instrument he had when he first started out in Arroyo.

As we celebrate another year of his life, we are not just celebrating an exceptional musician; we are honoring a living piece of our cultural heritage.

Angie Machado reminds us that behind every great song that has made us dance or cry, there is a human being whose dedication and discipline have turned the brass of a trumpet into pure poetry.

Also Read: The King of Bass Mr. Bobby Valentin

Phil Robinson Blends Sensitivity and Tradition in His New Single “Allí Me Enamoré”

A Romantic Salsa Gem That Transforms the Bond of Friendship Into an Honest Declaration of Love

Romantic salsa adds a new gem to its repertoire with the release of “Allí Me Enamoré” (“There, I Fell in Love”), the latest single by Phil Robinson.

Phil Robinson une sensibilidad y tradición en su nuevo sencillo “Allí Me Enamoré”

It is a track filled with sensitivity, nostalgia, and emotion that aims to reconnect the audience with the genre’s narrative essence.

Composed by Puerto Rican songwriter Andy Roldán renowned for his ability to translate intimate feelings into deeply human lyrics this song unfolds as a love story that blossoms from the complicity of a sincere friendship into an inevitable confession of the heart.

From its opening verses “Hola amiga, ahora que al fin puedo mirarte a los ojos…” (“Hello my friend, now that I can finally look into your eyes…”) the track draws us into an intimate, almost confessional conversation, where the protagonist opens the pages of his soul to reveal a long-held feeling.

The lyrics journey through memories, silences, glances, and restrained emotions, building a narrative that many listeners will easily identify with: that exact moment when friendship is no longer enough because love has already taken root.

Phil Robinson delivers a warm and honest performance, anchoring every phrase with an emotional weight that highlights the depth of the lyrics. His voice successfully balances tenderness and passion, turning the song into an intimate, almost cinematic experience where every word feels lived in real time.

One of the greatest achievements of “Allí Me Enamoré” is its capacity to bridge the present day without abandoning salsa traditions. The contemporary reference to the everyday act of “opening your profile where I can see you” embeds the song into the emotional language of the digital age, bringing modernity to a classic story of unrequited love.

The chorus “En las páginas de tu alma, amiga, allí me enamoré” (“In the pages of your soul, my friend, there I fell in love”) stands as the poetic centerpiece of the composition: a delicate metaphor that transforms the human soul into an open book, an intimate territory where true love is born. This imagery gives the track its own unique identity, making it a memorable piece within today’s romantic repertoire.

La salsa romántica suma una nueva joya a su repertorio con el lanzamiento de “Allí Me Enamoré”, el más reciente sencillo interpretado por Phil Robinson.

Musically, the single is built upon an elegant melodic foundation, remaining faithful to the core DNA of romantic salsa, with arrangements designed to embrace the lyrics without stealing the spotlight.

The instrumentation subtly accompanies the emotional development of the story, allowing both the vocals and the message to breathe naturally.

With this release, Phil Robinson reaffirms his commitment to a style of salsa that not only invites people to dance but also to feel, remember, and confess. “Allí Me Enamoré” is a song for those who have loved in silence, for those who discovered too late that a friendship concealed a deep love, and for those who still believe in the power of a great story sung with absolute truth.

THE MUSICAL CAREER OF PHIL ROBINSON

Phil Robinson is a sonero, songwriter, performer, and director of his own orchestra. His charisma and his entrepreneurial, creative, and positive attitude allow everyone who speaks with him to enter his world, captivated by his love for music and his passion for learning, evolving, and improving every day. Robinson has loved the arts from a very young age.

Orquesta Yaré was the dream of a young man who, like Phil, wanted to make it big in the world of Latin music. It was founded and directed by Leroy Gutiérrez (conguero, timbalero, and bongosero), featuring original tracks alongside his brothers Johnny (bongosero) and Loui (trumpeter).

At the time, Leroy was a percussionist, but he also taught himself to play the piano. Gutiérrez invited Phil to join the group to turn him into a star. Yaré was a 12-piece orchestra, and all of their music was entirely original.

During a performance at Landis Park in Vineland, New Jersey, Orquesta Yaré backed the legendary Néstor Sánchez and Larry Harlow, the “Judío Maravilloso” (The Marvelous Jew) of the Fania All-Stars, who attended as guest artists. For Phil, it was a dream come true to share the stage with icons he so deeply admired. Years after that historic performance, Robinson reunited with Larry Harlow in Los Angeles and was able to share a photograph of that very first experience together.

As his musical journey evolved, he became the lead vocalist for Henry Mora and the All Star Salsa Orchestra of Los Angeles, while also collaborating with various local bands.

From there, he went on to become the lead voice for Eric Matos and Orquesta La Caliente, as well as Papo Rodríguez y La Sorpresa.

With the latter group, he recorded two original songs composed by Puerto Rican pianist Nelson Montalvo: “Fantasía” and “Mi Regalo,” which were included in the 2005 album titled Oye Salsa Sabor y Clave.

During Phil’s tenure with Papo Rodríguez, the renowned Panamanian singer Camilo Azuquita arrived in the city, and the band transformed into Azuquita y su Melao.

Phil served as his lead vocalist and primary background singer for several years, performing at prestigious venues such as the Hollywood Palladium and sharing the stage with iconic industry figures. Thanks to these valuable collaborations, Robinson fully polished his signature style.

Phil Robinson es sonero, compositor, ejecutante y director de su propia orquesta

Throughout his career, Phil has shared the stage with legends of the stature of Adalberto Santiago, Tony Vega, Herman Olivera, Yolanda Rivera, Meñique, Luigi Texidor, Wichy Camacho, Cuban singer Franco, Willie Chirino, and Celia Cruz, among many others.

After seven years of dedicated work, Phil completed and released his latest musical project titled Entre Dos Mundos (Between Two Worlds), produced by Arturo Solar.

This production features classic compositions from renowned authors such as Armando Manzanero, Ted Koehler, Harold Arlen, Virgilio and Homero Expósito, Enrique Benítez, Vicente Garrido Calderón, and Jesús Alejandro, alongside original tracks penned by Phil himself.

Robinson notes that, starting in 2023, he became a TV spokesperson and the MC (master of ceremonies) for the San Juan Puerto Rican Festival.

KCAL Channel 9 LA KCAL Channel LA Promoviendo el Festival Boricua en KCAL 9 Los Angeles

Here at Malanga Radio, we celebrate this premiere as proof that romantic salsa remains alive, evolving with new voices, new pens, and new emotions.

Allí Me Enamoré” is now available on all digital platforms.

Chechy Rosado

Public Relations

+57 301 685 2655

Barranquilla – Colombia

Also Read: Phil Robinson Sonero, composer and performer bandleader

Cuban-American dancer and actress Jessica Pacheco presents us her own dance company Flamenco Tropical

The talented and beautiful Jessica Pacheco graces us with her pleasant presence in our July edition, which makes us very happy and delighted. The Cuban-American actress and dancer has given us the great honor of talking for a while about her extensive and varied artistic career and how she has built it over the years.

With the Cuban flavor of her heritage, she shared the most important moments of her story and how she went from one facet to another to become the complete artist she is today

Dancer and actress Jessica Pacheco posing for the camera

Jessica’s beginnings in the world of entertainment and her inspirations

Jessica tells us that she was initiated into the world of entertainment while she was “still in her mom’s womb.” Her mother was a dancer in Cuba and had always been closely linked to art, so not much time passed before she enrolled her little daughter in ballet, drama, and piano classes. Being a very young girl, her parents constantly led her to travel to Spain, where she became so fascinated by flamenco tablaos that she stayed up late just to watch these kinds of shows on TV.

When returning home in Miami, the city she was born and raised in, she was enrolled in her first Spanish classical dance classes and was introduced to genres such as flamenco and rumba. Being just a 15-year-old teenager, she was hired by her first professional dance company, Ballet Español Rosita Segovia. From there, she is grateful that her professional career has not stopped even since. She has also worked for the dance companies “Ole Ole” and “Flamenco Express.”

As all of this was taking place, she studied psychology at Florida International University in Miami and thought she would work with elderly individuals; in fact, she had her internship at a nursing home. However, she started receiving dance contracts and soap opera projects continuously, so she had to leave her university profession to the point that she never practiced it.

Mario,Jessica, Marcela, and Jose — Musician Mario Oretea, dancer Jessica Pacheco, dancer Marcela Rodriguez, and musician Jose Oretea

When the work was scarce as in the time of the pandemic, Jessica decided to create for herself, which is when the 13-episode series “Cuban Tales” came about. Her mother has always told her not to leave for until tomorrow what can be done today, so when she realizes that there is not much work in dancing or acting, she seeks to create for herself without waiting for opportunities to fall into her lap.

Theater

Our of all the facets Jessica has worked in, she admits that theater is what he finds most fulfilling as an artist because of the applause from the audience and the importance of getting everything right the first time, not like in soap operas or TV series where she had the opportunity to repeat a scene that did not go well. Among the works in which she appeared are ‘‘La Traviata’’, ‘‘Turandot’’, ‘‘Carmen’’, and ‘‘El Gato Montés’’. She also had the opportunity to work with the opera companies Florida Grand Opera and Los Angeles Opera, which was directed at the time by Plácido Domingo.

Regarding soap operas, she appeared in “Los Teens,” “Lotería,” “Decisiones,” and “Dame Chocolate.” The dynamics in this type of production were radically different from those in theater, since “hurry up and wait” applies here, so she had to remain in her dressing room waiting to shoot her scenes. The wait was so long that, during an eight-hour day, Jessica would only shoot about half an hour or an hour.

Jose Junco and Jessica Pacheco — Dancer and dance teacher Jose Junco, and Jessica Pacheco

All that wasted time was what bothered her a little about working on soap operas, although there are still nice experiences she will remember, such as the opportunity to work on shared projects with great figures like Carlos Ponce, Genesis Rodríguez, and Riczabeth Sobalvarro, among many others.

Flamenco Tropical

By creating her own dance company, “Flamenco Tropical,” Jessica felt she had connected to her roots and found the circle of musicians and dancers with whom she truly identifies. Even the name is a representation of what the artist wanted to portray through her project, as she does not believe in musical puritanism and enjoys experimenting with all kinds of genres. For example, she and the team of musicians and dancers who accompany her love the Gipsy Kings’ rumba, but also Cuban and Caribbean rhythms like the bolero and iconic Cuban songs from other times.

When the artist started the company, she was living in Los Angeles, but she knew musicians she had worked with in Miami for years, and they agreed to collaborate on this project. Some of them were the brothers Mario and José Oretea from the duo Duende Camarón, whom she describes as fantastic musicians, singers, guitarists, and guitar craftsmen. In fact, their guitars are made of such high quality that they have even been played by the Gipsy Kings.

At first, the group just included the two guitarists and Jessica dancing, but as the company grew, she was able to hire a percussionist who plays the cajón, bongos, and congas. Over time, she also hired a violinist, who adds a spectacular touch to what was in the band. In addition to the Oretea brothers, the group features Grammy-nominated composer and singer Fito Espinola, arranger and guitarist Andrés Vadin, percussionist and vocalist Joel Matos, and dancer José Junco.

Jessica and Fito — Jessica Pacheco and composer and singer Fito Espinola

Edgardo Cambon will celebrate his 40-year career at Yerba Buena Gardens

A few years ago, we had the great honor of interviewing Uruguayan bandleader, director, composer, percussionist, and singer Edgardo Cambón, with whom we talked again about his career anniversary as a musician next month.

Obviously, we wanted to recount the most important and interesting details of his wonderful career, but we could not fail to ask him how he has been the last few years, and that is how we wanted to begin our conversation today.

One of the things he revealed is that he recently released his new album, “For Export,” under the record label Latinbaum Records during a show at a venue known as The Fright, an event in which he enjoy the opportunity to celebrate his 65 years of life in April 2025. There were about 450 people present, with whom an excellent music video was filmed and the previously mentioned CD was released.

At the end of last year, he made about eight radio appearances, one on TV, and another one live in Bogotá, Colombia, which is one of the locations where the producer of Latinbaum Records, arranger, producer, composer, and pianist Israel Tannenbaum, is based. We have also had the opportunity to interview him on other occasions.

He says he is very happy with the five albums he has recorded so far and how active he has been over the past year due to his many promotional trips to places like Puerto Rico.

Edgardo playing — Edgardo Cambon playing live at the Cigar Bar & Grill

How has Edgardo Cambón managed to remain relevant after so many decades?

After being performed for nearly 40 years continuously, it is important to know how Edgardo has managed to remain relevant for such a long time, which in his own words, has been possible thanks to the originality of his sound and lyrics. He has never stopped writing original material, but that does not mean he has not dared to experiment with other people’s compositions, as was the case with “Imagine” by John Lennon. The artist created his own salsa version of this classic, which is an extremely risky thing due to how different salsa is from the soft rock we all remember from the original song.

More importantly, he has never been afraid of changes, and that can be seen in all the genres with which he has experimented, except for reggaeton, since he cannot support many aspects of culture that accompanies this type of music and its leading artists.

He made romantic salsa songs when that genre was very fashionable, but he always tried not to be swayed by the thing of the moment, but to seek himself in each style. Something to acknowledge Israel Tannenbaum is to be the first producer to mold him as an artist and give him so much valuable advice such as reducing the duration of a song or how to keep the message with a shorter length of time.

Another big change to which he had to adapt over the years was the fact that his understanding of the local scene could no longer be the same. One of the many things that changed was the appearance of salsa congresses where DJs, who usually played the hottest tracks of the moment, took center stage. This led Edgardo and many other artists to adapt their repertoire and include covers of much better-known songs, as that was what a whole segment of the public demanded most.

Edgardo and his parents — Edgardo Cambon with his parents Blanca Fraga and Jose Maria Cambon in 1981

Performance at the San Francisco Salsa Festival

One of the festivals he has attended was the 2026 edition of the San Francisco Salsa Festival, organized by John Narvaez and Elizabeth Rojas, who had previously hired him to offer percussion classes. Edgardo & Candela had an extremely successful performance on Thursday, March 26, which was the day of the opening.

The artist took the opportunity to remind us that he has also been performing for years at the San Jose Jazz Festival and the Monterrey Jazz Festival, the first time the organizers hired a Uruguayan bandleader, and he was one of the few to perform salsa that day. In addition, he had the honor of introducing candombe (a traditional Uruguayan rhythm) mixed with salsa and traditional drums.

Top moments of his career

After such a long career, he has logically experienced moments that marked a watershed that forced him to adapt to the new trends. One of those changes was the replacement of the vibraphone (a very delicate instrument) by the trombone, which represented a significant sonic leap, as the musicians had to switch from a percussion instrument played with drumsticks to a brass instrument that runs on air and lip pressure.

With the arrival of Karl Perazzo, he proposed to Edgardo that they start using trombones, and he agreed to when seeing the potential of the instrument. So, that was when the group became a septet, having previously been a small ensemble in which the three percussionists played and sang simultaneously, making the band sound bigger than it really was.

Edgardo and Israel — Edgardo Cambon and Israel Tannenbaum

Some time later, Edgardo made a series of trips to Cuba that completely transformed his mind and his way of seeing and playing music, since anyone could not go on stage in that country. It was then that he felt inspired to release his album “Madre Rumba, Padre Son,” in which he gives all credit to what he learned from Cuban music and its greatest exponents. He also took the opportunity to mention some of his other biggest influences, such as the politicized lyrics of Ruben Blades in the 1970s, Los Van Van, Isaac Delgado, and many others.

Another aspect that changed over the course of his career was the way the media, radio specifically, was transforming as the years went by. However, there were always communicators willing to promote his work, such as Chuy Varela, Louis Medina, and Chata Gutiérrez, who supported him at the time despite being a local artist from Uruguay playing salsa in such a competitive environment.

Thanks to all those moments and the support he received, Edgardo managed to meet his biggest dreams such as making great music, continuing to live from music, and achieving international popularity. Although he hopes to continue reaping the fruits, he feels he has already achieved what he set out to do early in his career.

Edgardo traveled to Bogota — Edgardo Cambon during his last trip to Bogota

40 Anniversary of Edgardo Cambon’s career

Before telling us of his plans for his 40-year career, he reminded us how he celebrated his 20-year career at Yerba Buena Gardens, where he released his album “20 Años de Sabor.” The event was so successful that he will use the same venue to celebrate his 40th anniversary on August 6 this year. The concert will be completely free, suitable for all ages, and outdoor from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

That day, he will perform the best of his repertoire together with special guests who will make it a very special night, especially for Edgardo and his team.

And Edgardo also wanted to thank International Salsa Magazine, its editor Eduardo Guilarte and me for such a very positive interview on the occasion of celebrating the anniversary of his amazing career. The honor is all us and it is what a first-class artist deserves for leaving our heritage high.