Samuel del Real was an excellent pianist, orchestra conductor, arranger and educator

Born on August 22, 1953 in Barranquilla, Colombia, he was a well-known pianist, orchestra conductor, arranger and educator.

He was part of renowned orchestras such as Pacho Galán, La Dimensión Latina and El Trabuco Venezolano and participated in a series of record productions in Caracas, Venezuela.

In 1983 he recorded his first album with his own band. His first hit “Ella No Baila Sola” became the theme song in every night club in Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Panama, USA among other countries.

In 1985, Samuel moved to Chicago, USA, where he quickly formed his orchestra with members of different nationalities resulting in a mixed sound for his music.

Since then Samuel del Real and his orchestra participated in many festivals, concerts, private events in cities such as Chicago, London, New York, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Detroit, Indianapolis, Miami and more. “Piano Caliente”, ‘Piano Jamboree’ and ‘Piano Navideño’ are the most recent albums that include selections from his extensive Latin jazz repertoire, as well as new interpretations of Afro-Cuban classics from his album entitled Piano Caliente.

Samuel has ventured not only into the salsa genre, but also into Latin jazz that surprises even those who don’t know him.

It doesn’t take much to realize that Samuel was “El Maestro del Buen Ritmo” and that his music is here to stay.

Samuel del Real: the artist from Barranquilla who triumphed in the United States.

He trained musically and academically, open to the idea of expanding his artistic horizons.

“I began my musical studies in Fine Arts, among my teachers I remember Günther Renz.

In Venezuela I attended the Juan José Landaeta Conservatory and the Caracas Philharmonic Conservatory with the pianist Paul Rosenbloo.

I studied harmony and counterpoint. With maestro Antonio Lauro, composer and guitarist, I completed my academic training”.

At the age of 15 he began his professional career as a pianist in the Pacho Galán Orchestra. There he learned the tricks of popular dance music of the Colombian Caribbean, and the possibilities of sharing with national musicians opened up for him.

With him I learned the routine of Caribbean music, he had a very positive attitude towards me. He would summon me before rehearsals to teach me how to play, he would take the score and sit with me at the piano: ‘Play like this’, he would tell me, and ‘play the acor-des this way, this is the tumbao, this is the phrasing’, all with a lot of patience”, he recounted.

“There was Pi¬chirilo on bass, Jorge Pérez on timbales and drums; and Joaquín Pérez on congas. Chicho Sarmiento, Clí¬maco Sarmiento’s son, played the alto saxophone; Pacho Aragón played the tenor saxophone. On trumpets Armando Galán, Raúl Lastra and Chino Acosta.

Rosendo on trombone. Maestro Pacho Galán would arrive to conduct the first set and then he would leave, Armando would be in charge of the orchestra. That’s when my interest in Caribbean folklore began.

I did not record with Pacho’s orchestra because he did not record in that period, but I played a lot of his music and I still play it in Latin jazz.

“For me it was a great school,” he said.

Although he has lived outside the country for many years, when he returns to Barranquilla it is as if he had never left.

It shows in his confidence to walk the streets, to visit places, to call friends, to exchange anecdotes with people he barely knows.

He is a man who lives for music, to which he has dedicated a contagious enthusiasm. That is why when he comes, it is a pleasure to review his career.

“I come to take a little hot temperature and to bring my latest albums for the local public to get to know them,” he said.

In 1975 he formed an orchestra in Venezuela with which he worked at the Hotel Tamana¬co Internacional, while at the same time he was a pianist, administrator and producer of various musical projects in the recording industry of that country.

In 1979 he joined Dimensión Latina, an aggregation with which he recorded Di¬mensión desconocida (1979), el número uno con la núme¬ro uno (1980), Para siempre (1980), Combinación latina Nº 4 (1980), and Cuerda para rato (1981).

“In Dimensión Latina I spent three years with Andy Montañez, Argenis Carruyo and Gustavo Carmona, then I started the orchestra project with my name.

I also recorded with Andy Montañez as a soloist, and made arrangements in recordings for Velvet de Venezuela”.

Samuel also participated in the extraordinary Trabuco Venezolano, led by drummer Alberto Naranjo.

“With Trabuco Venezolano I participated in many concerts in Venezuela.

With them I recorded Irakere and Trabuco, in a live performance at the Poliedro de Caracas. I also recorded Imágenes Latinas.

The Flor y Nata, themes: No me engañes, Rosa de la Noche, Brujería, Almas Blues, Desilusión, (there I do a piano solo that has been highly praised), a pesar de Usted, Orquesta de moda, No quiero Confusión. Retrospectiva del Trabuco Venezolano Vol. 2 (1977- 1984)”.

In 1983 he recorded his first album with his orchestra, the hit was the song Ella no baila sola, which became his letter of introduction.

In 1984 he recorded his second album, repeating his success with the song Cara de Domingo, by the niuyorrican flautist Lou Perez.

The third album with his orchestra was produced in 1987, when he was already living in Chicago.

“When I left Dimensión Latina, Gustavo Cardona, Oscar D’León’s bass player, encouraged me to start my own orchestra.

One of the numbers was Ella no baila so¬la, and when it was played, people stopped to dance. That is why we decided to record that song.

I brought Frankie Paz, a boy from Maracaibo who had auditioned with Dimensión Latina as a replacement for Argenis Carruyo, but César Monje didn’t like it.

I told the boy, I’m going to have my orchestra soon and I’m going to bring you with me”.

Referring to his piano influences, Samuel recalls Noro Morales, Eddie and Charlie Palmieri, Richie Ray and Lino Frias.

Others such as Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk and Oscar Peterson, shaped his vision.

“I liked Noro Morales a lot, I had only one record of his, ‘Maria Cervantes’, which caught my attention since I was a child. One day I decided to arrange it a little differently. I still play it in my Latin concerts.

Del Real took up residence in Chicago in 1985. There he has continued his work moving between Latin dance music and Latin jazz.

I’ve been living there for 32 years, I have my orchestra, I give Latin jazz concerts, and I’ve also worked for other organizations in other cities like Minneapolis and Cleveland.

We do salsa and different Latin American rhythms. The music business has changed, it’s a big investment to make a record, and you have to project it to the singer, limiting the possibility of moving.

That’s why I decided to make Caribbean Latin jazz instrumentals; with that I expose my music without the need to write ten arrangements for a singer with whom you run the risk of him leaving”.

His recent recordings include the Pianos del Caribe series, which includes the discs Piano caliente, Piano jamboree and Piano navideño.

“The first disc of the series, Piano Caliente, brings songs from the 50’s such as Mata Siguaraya, El que siembre su maíz, Besitos de coco…. I made the themes a little more progressive with jazz, but preserving their essence.

I subtly changed the harmonic structures, without distorting them. There the singer is the piano.

Then came Pia¬no Jamboree, with some of my own themes. I do more complex things, trying to penetrate Latin jazz, looking for a space for my musical identity.

It is an interesting work that I would like music lovers from Barranquilla to listen to.

The third album also in the same series is entitled Piano Navideño,

“The first album in the series, Piano Caliente, brings songs from the 50’s like Mata Siguaraya, El que siembre su maíz, Besitos de coco…. I made the themes a little more progressive with jazz, but preserving their essence.

I subtly changed the harmonic structures, without distorting them. There the singer is the piano.

Then came Pia¬no Jamboree, with some of my own themes. I do more complex things, trying to penetrate Latin jazz, looking for a space for my musical identity.

It is an interesting work that I would like music lovers from Barranquilla to listen to.

The third album also in the same series is entitled Piano Navideño, I took as a reference the themes of Christmas. Christmas is very important to me. I am a lover of that celebration.

I took several themes from the international Christmas repertoire and put them in Latin jazz”.

No one doubts that Barranqui jazz or the International Carnival of the Arts would be the perfect setting for his work. Plus, it would be a homecoming in style.

“I think it would be a great opportunity to showcase my music in my city. I am glad that in Barranquilla they are creating spaces like the Carnival of the Arts and the Caribbean Cultural Park, so that people have access to that part of the culture that is music”.

He passed away at the age of 67 on December 10, 2020.

Samuel del Real, who suffered from diabetes, died in Chicago, United States, where he had settled 35 years ago.

Also Read: Thank you Rafael for all you have done for Salsa. Without you many of us would not be salseros