North America

Introduction

This will be a very special edition because we are going to talk about one of the most transcendental figures of Latin music of his time. We are talking about bandleader and percussionist Ernie Acevedo, who has been one of the greatest pillars of the Latin music movement in the United States from the very moment he decided to explore this highly competitive area of arts.

Biography

Ernest ”Ernie” Acevedo was born in New York City and his parents were two Puerto Ricans who were making their living in the United States. His family had deep musical roots, which may be why the young man to devote his life to this wonderful world. This artistic side of the family comes especially from his uncles who played Christian music, with the exception of Jason Youvert. The latter played bass for a few groups throughout his career and one of them was Ray Rodriguez & Duro.

While still very young, little Ernie showed signs of getting great skills with percussion, which made his father decide to take him to play with him and even become a kind of manager for his son and many other young boys with dreams of being artists who entertained parties and celebrations of all kinds in the neighborhood where they lived. This group of boys was called Orquesta Combinación Latina, but it was not long before it would be renamed Sonora Amantes and would have an alignment of instruments totally different from the previous one.

Given that Ernie was always sure of following this path, he chose to prepare as best as possible for it, so he studied at Johnny Colon School and the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, which contributed enormously to the learing of the musician and would serve him well for what he did next.

The great beginning of the percussionist’s career was given in the 1970s thanks to his collaboration with the famous bongo player Ralphy Santi, a union that represented a giant leap in the carrer of Ernie. After that, there was an endless list of artists who wanted to work with him such as Héctor Lavoe, Johnny Pacheco, Oscar D’ León, Pete ”El Conde” Rodríguez, Larry Harlow, Daniel Santos, Héctor Casanova and many more.

All of this would be the prelude to the creation of Conjunto Imagen, a group that would be of key importance in the good name of Acevedo as an artist.

Conjunto Imagen

In the year 2021, El Conjunto Imagen was founded on May 21, 1989, starting a legacy impossible to omit in the history of Afro-Caribbean music in the United States, Latin America and the Antilles. The main members of the group were coordinating and agreeing for a while to crystallize this idea that was running through their heads for a long time. Among them were Ernie Acevedo, Jose ”Junior” Rivera, Luis Hernandez, Angelo Gonzalez and many others.

These childhood friends always were clear that they wanted to create a highly successful musical group and go that succeed. In the year 2021, they celebrated their 30th anniversary with their 14th record production entitled ”Los Rumberos”, with which this group proved once more they are one of the most talented Latin groups despite the passage of time. This musical work has great names in the industry such as Juan ”Tiny” Colón in the arrangements, Toby Rivera, Guillermo ”El Pulpo” Colón Jr. and Miguel ”El Zurdo” Rodríguez. Luis Arona Junior Rivera, among others.

Read also: Goodbye to El Canario de Carolina

        By Johnny Cruz, ISM Correspondents, New York, New York City

The initial idea of bringing together the three great orchestras of the Palladium in this innovative “three-in-one” orchestra concept came to Mario Grillo more than two decades ago.

As early as March 3, 2022, the mambo heirs celebrated the coming of age of The Big Three Palladium Orchestra in New York. Twenty-one years after the establishment of this remarkable big band, the concert entitled Palladium in the New Millennium took place in a packed Lehman Center for the Performing Arts.

The first presentation of 2023 of the “three-in-one” big band and coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the birth of “El Inolvidable”, Tito Rodriguez, the South Beach Jazz Festival’s line-up opened its musical offerings on Saturday, January 7, 2023 with the concert entitled Mambo Night in Miami Beach. At around 8:00 p.m. The Big Three Palladium Orchestra took over the Miami Beach Band Shell when Mario Grillo, known in the music scene as Machito, Jr. kicked off the musical feast that awaited us, to the sound of Cuban Fantasy.

As you can see, each of the “big three of the Palladium” and owners of the mambo in its golden age inherited a timbalero son. These three bandleaders have made it their mission to keep the Palladium legacy alive and well.  Although the mambo heirs have transcended the label of being the sons of the mambo owners, they do not forget that the Patriarchs are still a topic of conversation in musical circles around the world.

For the concert at the Miami Beach Band Shell, The Big Three Palladium Orchestra was joined by the veteran musicians: Carmen Laboy on baritone saxophone and musical direction; Jose Heredia on tenor saxophone, Mark Friedman on alto saxophone and flute, Julio Andrade on alto saxophone; Larry Moses, Seneca Black, Dante Vargas and Julio Diaz on trumpets; William Rodriguez on piano, Jerry Madera on bass, Daniel Peña on bongo and Diego Camacho on tumbadoras.  On the vocal front, Sammy González, Jr. was backed by the coros of Starlyn Benítez and Tatan Betancurt.

The upscale repertoire vibrated and rumbled at the Miami Beach Band Shell, an elegant venue steps from the beach, which was filled to capacity.

Mario Grillo’s highlights were: Cuban Fantasy, Oye la rumba (La rumba), Ahora sí, Piñero tenía razón (Piñero was right), Babarabatiri (Babarabatiri) and Rumbantela (Rumbantela). On the other hand, Tito Rodríguez, Jr. performed the following songs: El que se fue, Cheveré, Yambú, Avísale a mi contrario, Agua de Belén and Fagot’s world. In the performance of Avísale a mi contrario, the conga of Diego Camacho and the bongo of Daniel Peña, who “quinteando a lo bravo” and adjusting to the tuning of the timbal in charge of Rodríguez, Jr. opened the way for the winds. And the winds entered through the wide door to increase the tempo of the night, which was already heating up to the sound of mambo.

When it was Tito Puente, Jr.’s turn to play the timbal, he affirmed that Tito Puente was the pioneer in having a woman in the vocal front of an orchestra.

Then, preparing to close the first segment of the concert, he introduced Puerto Rican businesswoman and singer Melina Almodóvar, whom he backed for the performance of Mi socio.

The grand finale of the event placed the three timbaleros heirs of mambo in front of the orchestra to delight us with a masterful performance in sync with the rhythmic base that Diego Camacho and Daniel Peña did not hesitate to maintain.

Last year such a show was promised in which the heirs of mambo honor the legacy of their fathers on Puerto Rican soil.  The show was to be entitled “Palladium in the new millennium” and was to be presented on Father’s Day at the Symphonic Hall of the Fine Arts Center in Santurce. However, it was cancelled.

I often say that the past is the past and the future is uncertain, so let’s hurry and wait for The Big Three Palladium Orchestra to perform in Puerto Rico.

I for one continue to live in salsa, which is still magic, fantasy and illusion.

Bella Martínez Writer, researcher of Afro-Caribbean music

You can read: Mike Arroyo the guitarist Using Jazz to praise God

Bella Martínez Writer, researcher of Afro-Caribbean music and author of Un conguero para la historia, Las memorias de Jimmie Morales.

787-424-8868

How were his beginnings?

On January 10, 2023, the death of Eddie Lopez has been made known, who has been one of the greatest pillars of the radio station KXLU since 1976 when he started his career as a DJ. His arrival came during the third anniversary of the famous program ”Alma Del Barrio”, being a fundamental piece in the huge success the show had during several decades and making it remain part of the programming of the already mentioned radio station.

A little bit of his life

Eddie Lopez was originally from Los Angeles and spent much of his childhood in his father’s photography studio, which may have been one of his greatest inspirations to dedicate his life to the arts in adulthood. After graduating from Cathedra High School, he was admitted to Pepperdine University, but switched to Loyola Marymount University, from where he finally graduated in 1978.

Although much of his professional career was spent at KVEA Channel 52 Telemundo, he spent 46 years working at ”Alma Del Barrio” and streaming the best Afro-Cuban music through the waves of KXLU from 2pm to 6pm. During all these years, Eddie always said that he wanted ”Alma Del Barrio” to be as professional as possible and encouraged all his colleagues to always be better every day to give their best to the audience. He also said that this show was not only a work team with common interests, but a family in which everyone supported each other to achieve their goals.

All those involved in his life who came to know him say that he was a man completely dedicated to his family who deeply loved his wife Vanessa and his daughter Nina, who were always his greatest motivation to get ahead day by day. He was loved by all his family and friends, who are very sorry for this sad loss in the Latino cultural world of Los Angeles and the United States in general.

Reactions to his passing

In the social networks of ”Alma Del Barrio”, the sorrow of the team over the physical disappearance of the host can be clearly seen. On the Facebook account of the show, there are several messages referring to all that Eddie achieved during his professional life and all that he contributed to the show ”Alma Del Barrio” and to the radio station KXLU. These comments are accompanied by photographs in which Lopez can be seen carrying out his work with the enthusiasm that characterized him in those periods when he practiced the profession he so loved, which was communication.

One of those who mourned the loss of the broadcaster was the host of the program ADB, Alan Geik, who had been his personal friend for decades thanks to the passion for the media they both shared. It all started when Eddie hired Alan to host a evening show called ”Latin Dimensions” at a station that works in a small classroom.

Geik did not have any plans to become a broadcaster at the time, but Lopez convinced him by telling him it could be a great adventure and a learning experience for himself. When he accepted, he never thought that the programme presented by him would multiply the number of audience several times over thanks to the popularity he was gradually acquiring. Not to mention that the station where the program was aired moved to better facilities and became a radio power.

The host ends his note of mourning by expressing that he is proud to have been such a good friend of Eddie and all that they achieved together thanks to the professional team they formed during such a long time.

Read also: ”Salsa Con Sabor’’ and its contribution to salsa music