In 2023 Sergio George, the famous “magician” who produced the artistic career of famous salseros and artists, said that salsa was “dead” and called on new artists to resurrect it and support each other as urban singers do.

This caused commotion and controversy among salseros and made them doubt without a doubt what is the reality that salsa lives and more with the progressive physical departure of emblematic legends who made history in the world, coupled with the proliferation of the so-called “DJ” who multiply many times the nostalgia of the public for living the times of said legends and who became a trend due to this fact. In 2024 we saw how important salsa concerts were held in our country Venezuela where foreigners who had not visited us for a long time did so and so we enjoyed what some call “the last of the Mohicans”, as well as Venezuelans who took to various stages making it clear that, if they continue creating, either by adjusting the sound of the old and modernizing with quality staging or simply delighting with their career and style what they have already established.

We think that there is a lot missing since there is plenty of musical talent and a new generation in every sense, but not who listens to them and supports them, this being a truth bigger than the size of the sun.

After this necessary reflection we want to talk about Marcial Isturiz who was born in the sandunguera town of Capaya, Barlovento in the Miranda State of VENEZUELA, and we put it in capital letters because this “extraordinary sonero who wandered through the streets of Petareña hitting any pot he found in his path, finding out where and at what time the “arayé” was lit, always on the “hunt” for a good opportunity”, a quote was written by Ángel Méndez in his book “Entren que Caben Cien” describing how clear this man has been since childhood in pursuing and having the firm certainty of where he had to go to achieve his dream. He understood, from my point of view, that he who perseveres succeeds and we have seen his professional growth during all these years, thirty years recently completed, being a musician performing several instruments, going on to be also a composer and arranger, accompanying with his voice in duos of consecrated stars and groups, renowned orchestras as well as others not so well known, his voice being a characteristic seal that draws the attention of his followers, a sonero that we can say “gets lost from sight”.

A man who has earned the respect and affection of the public wherever he goes and to name one of the presentations in which he has demonstrated his “people skills”, we had the opportunity to travel and share with him closely accompanying him Sonero Clásico del Caribe in that free event that the Barquisimetanos salseros put on at the end of January 2024 to Ramón Méndez, where by the way Marcial took advantage of the invitation to perform the National Anthem the day before at the Cardenales – La Guaira Game, impeccably. Undoubtedly, that presentation was an omen of good fortune for what would be a year full of success.

Marcial Isturiz began hitting a home run this 2025 by performing on January 5 in Puerto Rico on the “Island of Enchantment”, at the traditional Three Kings Eve dance at the Sheraton Hotel, Convention District, with Don Perignon and La Puertorriqueña, with salsa figures such as Herman Olivera, Pedro Bull, Pichie Pérez, Joe González, Rico Walker, Josué Rosado, Jerry Rivas, Gilberto Santa Rosa and of course our Marcial Izturiz.

We saw him singing choruses with these greats, specifically next to Herman Olivera and Rico Walker waiting for his turn like each of those called to this meeting until Peter Perignon introduced him for the first time with his Orchestra La Puertorriqueña and said that the person responsible for that invitation and presence of our sonero there was his friend Gilberto Santa Rosa.

Briefly, Perignon told the audience that he knew Marcial since he was part of Bailatino and he fell in love with that group, since then he had been following him and now recently in his participation with the Latin Dimension he knew that Marcial with this performance made his dream of being in that country come true.

Saying good night to Puerto Rico he performed the song “La Familia” (authored by José Curbelo and musical arrangement by Louie Ramírez, inserted in the production titled Indestructible by Ray Barretto and his Orchestra in the voice of Tito Alen for the year 1973) with soneos and melodic phrases and his popular “agua pa’ los gallos Puerto Rico” left established what this Venezuelan is made of, acclaimed and congratulated by his peers on stage.

Joy is not enough for what we salseros in Venezuela feel for this representation that should not be overlooked because if there are soneros from Venezuela and with class: Marcial Isturiz is one of them; with his own style and professionalism, this is how our “Mayor of Capaya” was seen next to these greats, comfortable, safe and proudly waving our tricolor wherever he goes.

At Swing Latino we say congratulations to Marcial, keep doing your thing without resting like until now, because later it will be too late:

AGUA PA’ LOS GALLOS y

¡Ponle Sabor!

Source: Giorgenling Méndez from Swing Latino

Also Read: Salsa at its best, led by the leader of La Puertorriqueña: Don Perignon

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Augusto Felibertt

Latin America Coordinator at International Salsa Magazine LLC

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P.O. Box 50631
Palo Alto, CA 94303
+1 408 287-9500

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