November

Patrice, Jason, and Rony Perry from Steel Vibrations Steel Band promotes the steel pan in Houston

Steel Vibrations Steel Band is one of those bands that make it clear why the Caribbean steel drum has become so internationalized to the point of becoming very popular in the United States in recent years, which is why we are pleased to have had the opportunity to speak with one of its members. We are referring to American manager and musician of Trinidadian and Tobagonian descent, Patrice Perry, who, along with her brothers Jason Perry and Rony Perry, has brought high honor to her family’s homeland.

These are Patrice, Rony, and Jason — These are Jason Perry, Patrice Perry, and Rony Perry

How Patrice Became Involved in Music

In addition to mentioning her brothers as bandmates, she also noted that the group was founded by her mother, who in turn came from the Tobago All Stars (a group originating from Dutchforth, Scarborough, Tobago), led by her brother and Patrice’s uncle, Carl Brown. They all moved to Houston, which is where her mother and uncle taught her and her brothers how to play. They have been together for over 35 years.

Patrice received musical training in elementary, middle, and high school, where she learned to play the flute. However, today, both Patrice and her brothers play the traditional steel drum from their family’s homeland, which is the signature element for which the group is best known.

Steel Vibrations Steel Band’s Professional Journey Over the Years

The professional activities carried out by Steel Vibrations Steel Band have centered around places such as Florida, Maryland, and New Jersey, among other states in the country. At the moment, they have not had the opportunity to tour abroad, but they do not rule out the possibility of doing so in the future.

It is precisely in these locations where Patrice and the rest of the group have delighted their audience with the metallic drum native to their roots, receiving an extraordinary reception from those attending their shows. Many people love the Caribbean and perceive this music as cheerful or relaxing depending on the mood of the moment, so they always achieve an excellent connection with those who come to see them.

While they usually play certain Trinidadian genres such as soca and calypso, they do not limit themselves to those alone and also play other Latin genres such as salsa and bossa nova.

The Hardest Moment for Patrice and the Group

One of the toughest moments Patrice and her brothers had to face was during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since everything was closed due to the quarantine, as we all know, there were no venues to perform at.

It was a very difficult time for all artists, and Steel Vibrations Steel Band was certainly no exception, but that does not mean they didn’t do everything possible to stay afloat despite the circumstances. At first, they couldn’t do much, but as time went on, they began performing at much smaller parties and events than usual, adhering to the social distancing requirements of that time.

The steel pan Patrice played — The steel pan Patrice and her brothers played at the Junior High International Festival

Additionally, just as many other artists did, they relied on social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook to stay afloat and maintain contact with their fans and followers.

International Steel Pan Festival

When we wanted to know what they had planned for the remainder of this year and 2027, it turns out that Steel Vibrations Steel Band performed in September at the International Steel Pan Festival. Most of the artists performing there hail from the Caribbean, which is why their presence is always requested at these types of events. Patrice and her brothers are happy to attend whenever they are invited and have the opportunity.

Panamanian bandleader, composer, and jazz percussionist Ed East puts Iowa to enjoy Latin music

Ed East is a Panamanian bandleader, composer, and jazz percussionist whom we had the opportunity to interview exclusively for the October 2026 edition of International Salsa Magazine. The artist, who currently lives in Iowa, United States, gave us a summary of his entire professional activity from the beginning up to the present day.

After thanking him for accepting our invitation and asking him about his beginnings in music and what led him to dedicate himself to this world, he responded with the following:

“Musical curiosity is a very interesting matter. Since I was very young, I had musical influences; my main influence was my father. My dad was not a musician, but he was the main influence I had because what he did was to consume music of all kinds. He was an omnivore when it came to music; he played both classical music at home and traditional Panamanian music.”

This is Ed East — This is bandleader, composer, and percussionist Ed East

It was as a result of his father’s love for music that Ed began to become increasingly familiar with music from all over the planet. Returning to the fact that Ed is from Panama, this country is well known for the interoceanic canal through which many people pass from all over the world, several of whom choose to stay there for a while or even for the rest of their lives. In that process, they bring their cultures with them and contribute to the cultural tapestry of Panama.

This is how many Panamanians grew up listening to all those influences, which included music from countries like Haiti and Brazil. They do not speak Patois, but they love the rhythm of the music. These genres also sparked his interest in drums from a very young age, leading him to join his school’s drum band, which could be considered the young man’s first experience with percussion.

Around that time, his sister’s boyfriend came home with a guitar and started playing and singing, which fascinated Ed and made him fall in love with the instrument. His curiosity about the guitar was so strong that he entered the National Conservatory in Panama to study it for a couple of years. Unfortunately, he was too young to appreciate what he was learning, so he did not put in the necessary effort at the time. However, that curiosity remains so active today that the guitar continues to be one of his main instruments.

Instruments Ed has learned to play

Regarding the other instruments he plays, Ed spoke to us about a friend he met during his time in the drum band. This friend was related to people in the government, and their band director was a very astute person who knew how to make connections. The director proposed to his friend that he join the band, a proposal he accepted, and in turn, invited Ed to join as well.

Sephia IA — Ed East playing the trumpet during his youth

Although the director was not very interested in Ed—focusing instead on his friend—they gave him the opportunity to join playing any instrument. He then remembered that he had a trumpet at home that belonged to his uncle, and he began to study it.

He even earned a scholarship to study in the United States at the University of Northern Iowa, which hosted the oldest jazz festival in the country. Fortunately for him, the training he brought from his home country helped him greatly in adapting to this new and much more demanding environment.

Decision to stay permanently in the United States

When those responsible for deciding whether or not to award Ed the scholarship asked him: “Listen, if you are doing very well over there at the university and doing well with music, will you return to Panama or stay there?” His hesitation was very brief, as he was very clear about what he wanted to do. So, he chose to be honest and replied: “No, if things are going well, I’m staying.”

Ultimately, Ed received his scholarship, graduated with honors, and joined honor societies whose members were selected by the professors, which was extremely favorable when it came to finding employment. That was how he quickly managed to land a job as a music teacher and band director.

Along the way, his greatest influences were professor and band director Ricaurte Hayes and professor Fernando “Tito” Rodríguez, both of whom were fundamental in his development as an artist.

Ed playing — Ed East playing percussion live

First professional experiences

His professional network naturally began at the university, where, thanks to his talent and dedication, he managed to rise from the last band to the top band in a short time, leading him to go on tour with his very own professors. This collaboration gave birth to the Alto Maiz Jazz and Salsa Orchestra. The name Alto Maíz is a derivation of what exists in Iowa known as Tallcorn; thus, the direct translation was Alto Maíz, which became the band’s name.

Ed initially started as one of the three percussionists until he was encouraged by his bandmates to write his first vocal arrangement for the song “Cuando Te Veo” by Bobby Valentín. For this track, he took on the lead vocals alongside the backing chorus.

Many years later, Bob Washut decided to step away from the orchestra to focus on other projects, leading Ed to take on the role of director, producer, and principal arranger of the orchestra.

Ed East Latin Jazz Quorum

Alongside the Alto Maíz Orchestra, Ed also formed other groups, eventually shaping what is known today as the Ed East Latin Jazz Quorum. This is an independent project with a smaller format in which the artist explores other repertoires. The band has adapted to the point where it can perform as a duo, quartet, or quintet, depending on what the client requests.

Today, he plays alongside musicians of the caliber of bassist Danny Olin, percussionist Maurice Arteaga, and saxophonist Tejo Shorter.

Gilberto Santa Rosa at the Spanish Harlem Salsa Museum

From the Spanish Harlem Salsa Museum, we are proud to share the visit we received from “El Caballero de La Salsa,” Gilberto Santa Rosa, who granted us the honor of visiting our facilities and spending time with both your host, Johnny Cruz, and the rest of his team.

Below, we take a brief look back at the prolific career of this legendary Puerto Rican salsa and bolero singer, whom we can now proudly say we have hosted here.

Johnny and Gilberto — Gilberto Santa Rosa next to Johnny Cruz at the Spaha Harlem Salsa Museum

A Summary of the Highlights of Gilberto Santa Rosa’s Career

Gilberto Santa Rosa Cortés began his career in his youth as part of some of the most important musical groups in his native country, including those of Tommy Olivencia and Willie Rosario.

Once he felt ready to take the big step, he debuted as a solo artist with his own orchestra under the Combo Records label in 1986. From that point on, everything that followed for the artist was a series of major triumphs and massive hits, including tracks like “Perdóname,” “Vivir Sin Ella,” and “Que Alguien Me Diga.”

In the early 1990s, he signed with Sony Music, through which he continued to achieve major career milestones with albums like A Dos Tiempos de Un Tiempo, Punto de Vista, and Nace Aquí.

Shortly thereafter, specifically in 1995, he achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first tropical salsa singer to perform a concert at New York City’s Carnegie Hall. The concert was recorded completely live for the enjoyment of those who were not fortunate enough to attend that special night for the Puerto Rican artist and his loyal audience.

Gilberto visited us — Gilberto Santa Rosa visited us and offered some words for his fans

He was also a pioneer in fusing the genre with chamber music in his 1998 project Salsa Sinfónica, where he blended his characteristic tropical salsa with the classical sound of a symphonic orchestra—a highly innovative concept at the time.

Major Achievements

Santa Rosa is one of the Latino artists with the highest number of albums reaching the top spots on the Billboard Tropical charts. He has also broken a Guinness World Record for maintaining the most albums on those charts, which is truly impressive.

We must also mention that he has been honored with a significant number of Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards, including categories such as Best Salsa Album and Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. Just about five years ago, in 2021, he received the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his spectacular trajectory over the last several decades.

Gilberto and Alexandra — Gilberto Santa Rosa, his wife Alexandra Malagón, and Johnny Cruz

Visit to the Spanish Harlem Salsa Museum

We have welcomed a vast number of visits from artists as well as their families and friends over the past few years, but we never imagined that “El Caballero de La Salsa” would honor us this year with his gracious presence at our facilities, along with his beautiful wife, Alexandra Malagón.

Through our social media channels, Santa Rosa shared a few words with our audience, which we share below:

“I am very happy to be here. People living in New York, whenever you get the chance, you have to come to the Salsa Museum. It has an incredible amount of wonders, and every single piece has its own history, which is the most interesting part. Thank you for what you are doing to preserve the history of a genre that has brought so much joy to the world and continues to do its work.”

Russian composer, artistic director, and saxophonist Yaacov Mayman conquers New York

We are truly happy to spend time with Grammy-nominated composer, artistic director, and saxophonist Yaacov Mayman, whom we had the opportunity to interview by email about the most significant aspects of his career and the legendary figures with whom he collaborated with on stage and in the studio.

Next, we will talk about some of the pivotal moments of his brilliant career to date.

Yaacov Mayman playing the saxophone live. Photo taken by Al Gor

How Yaacov first became interested in music

Yaacov, who is originally from Russia and lived in Israel for many years, decided he wanted to play the saxophone by hearing Charlie Parker for the first time. His sound, freedom, and imagination opened a whole world in front of him he just had to explore fully.

However, his musical foundation did not begin there, but in his native Moscow, where he used to attend classical music concerts from a very young age. He originally wanted to be a singer, but was not admitted to the Central Music School. Instead, he was accepted into the cello class at his local music school. That was the beginning of his formal musical education, and later jazz led him to the saxophone.

In addition, his mother is an artist and his father is an engineer. Most of his family worked in technical fields. He grew up with both creativity and discipline around him, and music became his own way of expressing those qualities.

First professional experience

His first professional concert experience as a saxophonist was playing with a big band. Before that, he had performed on cello with his music school orchestra, so he already knew the feeling of being onstage with other musicians. But playing jazz in a big band was a new experience: the energy, the rhythm, and the chance to express his own voice through improvisation.

It taught him that he has to listen to the whole band, understand his role, and be ready when his moment comes. Those early experiences gave him a foundation that he still carries with him today.

Yaacov Mayman playing with Valery Ponomarev — Yaacov Mayman playing with legendary jazz trumpeter Valery Ponomarev

Collaborations with other great artists

Throughout his 30-year career in the industry, Yaacov has collaborated with renowned figures such as Benny Golson, Joe Lovano, Bill Evans, Randy Brecker, and the Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Afro Latin Big Band. He notes that working with musicians of that caliber is an education in itself.

Their phrasing, discipline, and command of the stage taught him to listen more closely and respond naturally. Each has a personal musical voice, and being around them encouraged him to keep developing his own.

He also learned that a powerful sound requires not only warmth and sensitivity, but also strength. It is all about how a phrase is shaped, how space is used, and how honest communication is. Trust between musicians grows from preparation of those sharing the stage at that moment.

Iconic venues

Yaacov has performed at iconic venues like Carnegie Hall, Birdland Jazz Club, and Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, though he sees his career as a series of important moments rather than one single turning point. Playing at Carnegie Hall carries a special sense of history and responsibility. At Birdland and Dizzy’s, he feels close to the living tradition of jazz, while a festival such as the Red Sea Jazz Festival brings that music to an international audience.

For Yaacov, building a musical life in New York has been the larger turning point. It brought him into contact with extraordinary musicians and audiences who know and love this music. Those experiences helped him grow in confidence and made him want to keep reaching higher.

Yaacov and bobby Sanabria — Yaacov Mayman, Bobby Sanabria, Rufus Reed and George A Johnson Jr. rehearsing for MADEinNY Jazz Gala Concert

Yaacov as artistic director of the Made in NY Jazz Competition and and the Made in New York Jazz Festival

Yaacov explains that what attracted him to the digital format was the possibility of hearing talented musicians wherever they lived. There are wonderful artists around the world who cannot easily travel to New York or reach the people who could help their careers. An online competition gives them a way to be Heard and creates connections that can lead to live musical collaborations.

As Artistic Director, he is interested in more than technical skill. I listen for an individual voice, musicality, creativity, and feeling. Technique matters, but I want to hear the person behind the notes.

In the case of the festival, artists share the stage, exchange ideas, and learn from one another.

Community Concert Network Inc.

Another important role for which Yaacov stands out is serving as president of the non-profit organization Community Concert Network Inc., which is dedicated to bringing jazz cultural programs and events to underserved communities in New York. This has become a profoundly meaningful initiative for him, as he believes live music should be available to people regardless of their income.

Often, the price of a ticket or the difficulty of traveling to certain venues hinder access to great live music, which directly inspired the creation of this project. On this matter, he states the following:

“New York has an extraordinary musical culture, and I want more of its communities to share in it. Bringing concerts into local centers lets us meet people where they are and make the experience welcoming and personal.”

Yaacov is the president of the non-profit organization Community Concert Network Inc.

Rumbon de Caracas

Latin America / Venezuela / Caracas

“El Rumbon de Caracas” is a party that brings together a variety of genres to kick off the holiday season, starting November 12th at the Ciudad Tamanaco Shopping Center (CCCT) in Caracas, Venezuela. The lineup includes Salserin, Francisco Pacheco y su Pueblo, Jonathan Moly, Guaco, and special guest El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico. The event begins at 4:00 pm (16:00). Tickets are available through TicketMundo, with prices ranging from 15,000.01 Bs to 45,000 Bs.

El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico is a Puerto Rican salsa band that is as successful in its home country as it is one of the most well-known throughout Latin America. Unlike other salsa orchestras, particularly those that emerged in New York from the 1960s onward, this group, known as “Mulatos del Sabor,” has always protected its musical timbre from complex innovations and experiments, safeguarding the unique, simple, and rhythmic sound that has characterized it since its founding on May 26, 1962.

We also have “Guaco,” the Venezuelan orchestra born in the city of Maracaibo, Venezuela, which evolved to become recognized as a Super Band of Venezuela. Influenced by rhythms such as salsa, pop, funk, jazz, and gaita zuliana, its rhythm remains unique and constitutes a style in itself.

Similarly, we have “Salserin,” known as the children’s and youth salsa orchestra formed in Venezuela in 1993, where the musical genres are pop, ballad, Latin, and primarily salsa. This orchestra boasts over 7 million copies of its albums sold worldwide, as well as 11 productions, 6 novels, 1 feature film, 1 radio drama, and more than 50 gold and platinum records.

For more information about tickets, please contact: