October

The Art of Listening: A Beginner’s Guide for the Conscious Music Lover

How to Go Beyond the Surface and Discover the True Depth of Music.

Embarking on the journey of dedicated music appreciation requires stripping away passive habits and superficial routines. The first step is breaking free from the pattern of the casual listener who consumes music out of habit or social imitation.

Becoming a true music lover demands transforming accidental listening into an act of conscious, critical, and passionate exploration.

DJ Augusto Felibertt: Embarking on a journey into music appreciation requires shedding inertia and superficial habits.

Context and Era: The Historical Framework of the Work

To fully grasp an album or a single track, it is essential to ground yourself in the historical and social environment in which it was conceived.

Always ask yourself: When was this recorded? What political, social, or cultural events shaped it? Which aesthetic movements defined that moment? Music never emerges in a vacuum; it is the living reflection of a specific time and place.

DJ Augusto Felibertt: The first step is to break the pattern of the passive listener who simply consumes out of inertia or imitation.

The Credits: The Architecture Behind the Artist

A common rookie mistake is focusing entirely on the lead vocalist, bandleader, or prominent name on the album cover.

A record production is a collective effort. Take the time to examine the liner notes in detail: identify the session musicians, producers, arrangers, sound engineers, graphic designers, record labels, and countries of release. Learning to read the credits will reveal the invisible network of talent behind that distinct sound.

Language, Jargon, and Cultural Roots

Study the genre-specific jargon and regional idioms of each era. In genres like Caribbean music or jazz, for example, diving into street slang and local vernacular is vital.

Understanding this linguistic landscape allows you to decipher the narrative context, the cultural mindset behind the compositions, and the true impact of the lyrics with greater fidelity.

How to go beyond the surface and discover the true depth of music

The Creative Trinity: Lyrics, Composition, and Arrangement

Look deeper into the intellectual ownership of every piece. Research who wrote the lyrics, who composed the melody, and who crafted the arrangements. A single song can undergo a radical transformation depending on the arranger’s vision or the original composer’s sensibility. Avoid defining a track strictly by its frontperson; explore everything orbiting around it.

Key Tip: Don’t just listen. Research, contextualize, and listen again. True musical appreciation is born within this continuous exercise.

By interconnecting musicians, recordings, eras, record labels, and geographies, you will begin weaving a mental map of complex musical relationships. With practice, you will sharpen your ear and cultivate your own rigorous, passionate aesthetic judgment.

Essential Decalogue for the Initiated Music Lover

Listen before judging: Take the time to process a work fully before forming quick opinions.
Move beyond genre labels: Categories are often commercial tools; genuine creativity knows no boundaries.
Explore the liner notes: Acknowledge the sonic architects working behind the scenes.
Question what you read: Fact-check information and cross-reference official biographies, reviews, and historical accounts.
Appreciate complete albums: Respect the record as the complete, conceptual journey the artist intended.
Trace the roots: Investigate the primary origins and influences that shaped your favorite styles.
Quality over quantity: Amassing thousands of audio files is not the same as cultivating musical culture or critical judgment.
Compare versions: Analyze different interpretations, arrangements, or covers of the same composition.
Expand your timeline: Seamlessly transition between historical recordings and contemporary releases.
Enjoy the journey: Being a music lover is an intimate passion of constant discovery, not a competition.
The tribute that DJ Augusto Felibertt pays to Eddie Palmieri

Also Read: Louie Ramírez: “The Quincy Jones of Salsa” and His Progressive Talent A Hidden Genius of the Fania All Stars

By: Dj. Augusto Felibertt

Buena Vista Social Club The Musical is making it on Broadway

Buena Vista Social Club The Musical is a new Broadway musical entirely inspired by real facts that form part of the history of the iconic musical group Buena Vista Social Club, which took the world by storm in the 1990s.

It was inevitable that the ambition of this important chapter of Latin music would result in a tribute that introduces new generations to what this cultural phenomenon represented to so many around the world at the time. This is how was born the idea to create Buena Vista Social Club The Musical, a show that arrives on the stages to represent the events that led to the creation of one of the most iconic orchestras in Cuba and the rest of the continent.

Buena Vista Social Club The Musical's performances — One of the Buena Vista Social Club The Musical’s performances

How Buena Vista Social Club The Musical Begins

This whole story began in 1996 with a recording made at EGREM studios in Havana, Cuba. Such material would end up becoming a global hit, which also resulted in an Oscar-nominated documentary and the rebirth of prominent names in Cuban music who, because of the lapse of time, had been forgotten.

Now, decades later, all those memories evoked by Buena Vista Social Club have finally found a way to return to life through the Cuban-American writer and playwright Marco Ramírez, who based his work on a dual-timeline structure that connects youth, adulthood and old age in the characters.

This project is the product of a desire to translate the spirit of the album created in 1997 to New York’s theatrical language. After hard work by the entire team involved, the play had its world premiere at the Atlantic Theater Company in 2023. At the time, the sale of tickets was extremely successful, and specialized critics praised the blend of live music, storytelling, and Afro-Cuban dance.

After having achieved numerous nominations and theater awards, the production started to make its way to Broadway, consolidating itself as one of the most ambitious Latin shows in New York.

Mel Semé as Ibrahim Ferrer and Natalie Venetia Belcon as Omara Portuondo — Mel Semé as Ibrahim Ferrer (adult version) and Natalie Venetia Belcon as Omara Portuondo (Adult version)

Narrative Structure of the Musical

‘‘Buena Vista Social Club The Musical’’ is set in Havana in the 1950s and Havana in 1996. In the 1950s, the Cuban capital was enjoying its golden era of orchestras, nightclubs, and radio stations prior to Castro’s rise to power. In this period of time, the show includes topics such as youth, love, racism, and cabaret music.

1996 comes next with several veteran musicians who gather in a recording studio in Havana. There, the musical explores themes of forgiveness, reunion, nostalgia, redemption, and the immortality of art.

The story is largely based on the experiences of key figures such as Omara Portuondo, Compay Segundo, Ibrahim Ferrer, Eliades Ochoa, and Rubén González. These experiences were deeply tied to the political and cultural in Cuba underwent through the 1990s.

Repertoire Used in the Musical

One of the most important elements of the musical is its exquisite soundtrack, which accompanies the characters’ most significant moments. Among them is “Chan Chan,” performed by Compay Segundo. This son cubano song serves as the common thread for most of the story, evoking both the land and a journey simultaneously.

Ashley De La Rosa as Omara Portuondo (youth version)

In the case of “Dos Gardenias” by Isolina Carrillo, it was originally a song to tenderness and hope inspired by a student of the pianist who gave her two gardenias as a thank you. In the show, it serves as background music to portray the melancholy of Ibrahim Ferrer’s brilliant performance.

“Veinte Años” by Omara Portuondo reflects the sadness of heartbreak, the nostalgia of fading affection, and the non-existent possibility to revive a past that is left behind forever. Lyrics more than fitting to reflect on the elapsed time and missed opportunities.

For those who want to dance and enjoy, songs such as “Candela” and “El Carretero” let the energy, dance, and percussion take the spotlight on stage.

Recent Changes

Last month, it was reported that American actress with Cuban roots Gina Torres will give life to Omara Portuondo from October 13 to November 29, 2026. The character’s original actress and Tony Award winner, Natalie Venetia Belcon, will be absent during this period due to her participation in the revival of ‘‘In The Heights’’.

For The artist, who is also widely known for her roles in Firefly and Suits, this project has a lot of meaning due to her parents’ origin. Torres noted that the character of Omara Portuondo and the repertoire she will perform represent a direct connection to her roots, her childhood, and the conception of home he learned as a girl.

It is important to mention that the actress not only gives a tremendous display of talent in television drama, but also possesses classical vocal training. She graduated from the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts and made her debut in the early 1990s.

With this incorporation, the team involved in Buena Vista Social Club The Musical aims to bring interpretive strength, elegance, stage presence, and dramatic depth to her role as Omara Portuondo.

Gina Torres will play Omara Portuondo in October — Gina Torres will play Omara Portuondo (adult version) in October

Horacio Hinojosa and Bulbo Houston are here in International Salsa Magazine

Mexican guitarist and vocalist Horacio Hinojosa joins this 190th edition to talk about the most important details of his career and the group he currently leads, Bulbo Houston.

The artista originating from Tampico, Tamaulipas, gave us nearly half an hour of his time to talk about his musical beginnings as a teenager up to this day. It is a very interesting overview of his personal and professional life, which we are thankful to know here exclusively for International Salsa Magazine.

Horacio from Bulbo posing — Vocalist and guitarist Horacio Hinojosa posing for the camera. Photo taken by Monica Navarro

How Horacio got into music

At the age of 14 or 15 Horacio began to have a curiosity about music, and his greatest inspiration was his own father, who worked as a professional musician. Therefore, he always saw musicians at home rehearsing and playing, which constantly caught his attention. Instead of going to hardware stores like many other fathers, his went to guitar and piano shops and, of course, took him with him.

Additionally, school festivals, where volunteers were always needed to play instruments, provided an opportune time to start exploring his passion. The first instrument to interest him was the guitar, which he loved right from the start, leading him to ask his dad to teach him the basics.

Years later, he began to sing, but he could not become a vocalist until he turned 20. That was when he finally got the opportunity to be the lead singer in a band.

Academic training

He studied at the Music School of the Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, and while he did not complete his degree, the formal training he received was immensely helpful later on.

Besides music, he has no other profession, as he has dedicated his entire life to it and remains so to this day.

Horacio Hinojosa and Bulbo — Horacio Hinojosa and the rest of Bulbo

Professional Beginnings

It was precisely there, in his hometown that he began his professional career, performing at weddings, restaurants, bars, and other venues since he was a minor. He played with many orchestras in Tampico, being the most important the group D´TNT, later called Bulbo. In this orchestra, he performed on major stages throughout Mexico, met people and visited places he had never imagined.

Move to the United States

In 2003 or 2004, Horacio was invited to serve as an acoustic consultant by a group of entrepreneurs who launched live music and entertainment businesses in the United States.

He had conquered many scanarios in his home country and was doing pretty well in work volume, but there came a point when the situation of violence generated by organized crime groups in his native Tampico and Monterrey severely complicated his job, since most of his concerts were at night.

With so many limitations to work and two young children, Horacio made the painful decision to accept the offer to move permanently to the United States, and never came back. Fortunately, the career he built with Bulbo in Mexico and all the original music he created with the group was very useful to get his work permit at the time.

Bulbo in Houston

From the original trio, only Horacio is left. Upon arrival, the artist had no choice but to play covers in local bars. Eventually, many of these establishments were closed due to the bad economy between 2010 and 2012. However, good comes out of all bad, and Horacio proved was an example of that.

Several guests that patronized the venues where he played began to hire him for their own weddings and family events under the Brand name of Bulbo. This forced him to leave his comfort zone and learn what audiences of all nationalities wanted, as he was well accustomed to the Mexican audience.

By having a diverse audience, he felt compelled to learn to play and sing different styles of music. Thus, today he covers the city’s most popular hits, but also has recorded original music to be released at the right time.

El Museo Del Barrio makes us feel proud of our Latinidad

Just as we have dedicated a large portion of our work to approaching producers, composers, musical directors, singers, and musicians, we consider it important to speak with those who lead institutions that boost our culture around the world. That is why we have been looking for the opportunity to speak with Patrick Charpenel, last but not least, executive director of El Museo Del Barrio.

El Museo Del Barrio is an institution whose main purpose is to present the art and culture of Puerto Rico and Latin America in general within the United States. The museum offers a large number of collections, exhibitions, publications, programs, educational activities, and festivals with which it seeks to educate audiences of all nationalities about the artistic and cultural wealth of the Caribbean and all of Latin America.

Patrick, whom we thank for the minutes he invested in answering our questions, will talk in more detail about everything related to the institution he currently leads and what it has to offer.

Patrick at El Museo — Patrick Charpenel at El Museo Del Barrio’s 2026 gala

How Museo del Barrio was founded

Patrick began by explaining how El Museo del Barrio was founded in 1969 by artist Rafael Montañez Ortiz and a coalition of families with Puerto Rican roots who understood the need to create a platform that shed light on the cultural production of Puerto Ricans and Latinos in general within the United States. These families noticed that there was a poor representation of Latin America’s production on major cultural platforms in the United States, especially in museums. There have been Puerto Rican communities in the United States prior to the arrival of the British, so it was urgent and important to vindicate these characteristics.

Then all these years later, the museum has managed to go ahead thanks to the contributions of thousands of Latinos who refuse to let these initiatives die, no matter how much time passes. It has also taken into account the demographic shift that New York (the city where the museum is located) has undergone in recent years has also been taken into account. For example, New York used to be fully Puerto Rican, but now the largest Latino community is Dominican.

One of the greatest values that govern El Museo Del Barrio since its founding has been inclusion. Although the project was initiated by a group of Puerto Ricans, they also understood that they must welcome other Latino communities that have suffered some kind of marginalisation and give them a voice and a space they did not previously have.

El Museo during Three Kings Day — El Museo del Barrio during Three Kings Day. Photo taken by Michael Palma

Privileged Location

El Museo Del Barrio is located at 1230 Fifth Avenue in East Harlem, Manhattan. This location has been ideal for the institution because it was the area of Manhattan with the greatest amount of Puerto Rican people. The museum has been there since 1977, and its move to this location was the best possible decisión.

The change of venue occurred when the museum staff was invited by Taller Boricua to an event held in that same building in order to increase cultural activities related to the Island of Enchantment in that área, prompting the directors at the time to relocate there, where they have remained to this day.

Exhibitions and messages to the public

One of the major focuses of the museum is to give visibility to queer communities and Chicanos on the West Coast. However, Patrick strongly emphasizes that he and his team are not only interested in gazing at their own navel, but also in turning to see other important areas and communities that are also in need of support.

One of the many who has been benefited by the museum exhibit is Teddy Sandoval, a multimedia artist who was a leading figure in the West Coast Chicano movement and a queer icon of his time. Such is his importance that the museum has presented “Teddy Sandoval and the Butch Gardens School of Arts” to examine his life and work through aspects such as sexuality, identity, and sense of belonging.

El Museo During Day of The Dead — El Museo Del Barrio during Day of The Dead. Photo taken by Michael Palma

For educational purposes, the institution offers a pedagogical component designed to empower Latin American-rooted communities, especially children. All educational programs offered by the museum aim to make Latinos feel proud of their culture and to reach places that other institutions of this kind could not.

And to all this must be added celebrations of traditional festivals such as Three Kings Day and Day of the Dead, but focused on how Latinos experience them in their own countries to build community.

El Museo Del Barrio and music

As well as all artistic expressions—such as painting, film, and fine arts, music also plays a prominent role. On this subject, Patrick wondered what would become of the U.S. music industry without the contributions made by African American and Latino communities. A very high percentage of musical expressions come from both Latino and Caribbean communities.

Music can be felt even on the streets and has permeated every area of society very deeply, which is why El Museo Del Barrio has simply been receptive of this phenomenon. Fortunately, the institution has a theater built in 1922 with murals by William Pogany that has become a favorite place for all kinds of Latin musical events.

Even in the lobby and the café, you can hear salsa and other traditional Latin genres playing.

Here is how the 2nd Edition of the “Ponce, Cuna de la Salsa Fest” Unfolded

The 2026 Ponce Cuna de la Salsa Fest honored the work of Don Tite Curet all weekend long.

The second edition of the Ponce Cuna de la Salsa Fest drew and welcomed more than 30,000 attendees to the Ciudad Señorial (The Majestic City), according to reports from the mayor’s office. The festival, which paid tribute to Don Tite Curet Alonso on the occasion of his centennial, took place at the Héctor Lavoe Stage inside the La Guancha Recreational and Cultural Complex, keeping salsa fans captivated throughout the entire weekend.

On Friday, July 31, 2026, the opening day kicked off right on schedule, delivering an organized, top-tier lineup.

El Junte Ponceño, under the direction of Julito Alvarado accompanying Dakota Flores, Kriptony Texeira, and Wito Colón opened the show, making it clear why Ponce retained its title as the “Cradle of Salsa” (Cuna de la Salsa) for the second consecutive year. To achieve this, the Ponce-born trumpeter, who is the director of the Juan Morel Campos Music Institute and the musical leader of El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, assembled a roster of master musicians, including: José “Murcy” Reyes on congas, Richie Carrasco on bongo and cowbell, Pablo Padín on timbales, Reynaldo Burgos on piano, Efraín “Frao” Hernández on bass, Víctor “Yuka” Maldonado on baritone sax, Víctor Vázquez on trombone, Carlos Atiles on trumpet, Francisco Javier Quiñones and Juan Bautista on backing vocals, as well as emerging trombonist Carlos Malavé a recent graduate of the Juan Morel Campos Institute who stepped onto a major international stage within the salsa movement for the very first time.

El Junte Ponceño was followed by Charlie Aponte and his orchestra, who, as always, kept the stage ablaze. This set the tone for the grand finale led by Luisito Figueroa’s Orquesta Abran Paso, backing Luigi Texidor, Anthony Colón, and the First Lady of Salsa, Yolanda Rivera.

The second day, Saturday, August 1, featured a stellar lineup: Los Guardiola, Don Perignon y La Puertorriqueña proving themselves to be a world-class orchestra in front of an audience represented by delegations from Italy, Venezuela, Mexico, Spain, Colombia, Peru, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Argentina, Panama, Ecuador, Japan, and Thailand, along with many Puerto Ricans from across the island and the diaspora. Willie Rosario and his crowd-pleasing band showcased the ever-treasured playing of “Míster Afinque” behind his timbales, handing off the drumsticks to his grandson, Yoaquím Cintrón Rosario, between songs. The grand finale of the second night was delivered by Moncho Rivera, who faithfully upheld the legacy of El Sonero Mayor, blending in his now extensive repertoire as always. The municipal administration ensured smooth traffic flow by establishing designated transportation shuttles into the recreational complex.

The third and final day of the 2026 edition of this salsa landmark event kept the genre and its Puerto Rican exponents flying high right from its birthplace, Ponce. This was made possible by the Honorable Mayor of Ponce, Marlese Sifre, the Salsoul team under the programming of Ricardo Padilla-Núñez, and the production of Madera Events. Adding to the musical lineup was a cultural exchange with the city of Cali, featured through the voice of Willy García. The artists who kept the Sunday crowd fully locked into Ponce Cuna de la Salsa Fest mode until the very last minute were Papote y su Grupo Esencia, Bobby Valentín and his orchestra, José Alberto “El Canario”, Luis Enrique, and Andy Montañez and his orchestra. The event closed with a tribute to the late, legendary composer from Guayama, Catalino “Tite” Curet Alonso, featuring the Orquesta del Centenario performing his musical repertoire under the direction of Pete Perignon. They backed an extraordinary lineup of vocalists: Tito Allen, Herman Olivera, Papo Sánchez, Jeremy Bosch, and Caleño singer Willy García.

Carmencita DJ kept the music flowing, staying true to the central theme of the Ponce event and keeping Don Tite Curet’s music playing all weekend long.

Photo of Julito Alvarado: (c) Bella Martínez

All other images: (c) Ciudad de Ponce & (c) Visit Ponce

Also Read: Bella Martínez, Salsa’s Irreverent Writer