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“We are the Real Latin music world network”
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Search Results for: Africa
Nossa Kizomba. International Amsterdam Festival 2016
Europe / Netherlands / Amsterdam
Nossa Kizomba. International Amsterdam Festival 2016 (16, 17, 18 DECEMBER Brasa Dance Studios Zuidoost)
Nossa Kizomba Amsterdam Festival is an event focusing on dance, culture and real talent. At our festival you will enjoy workshops by some of the best International teachers in a variety of dance styles including Kizomba, Semba, Tarraxinha, Kizomba fusion, Afro House, Hip Hop and Funk.
There will be of course parties and shows.
But this is not all, because we want to give you an all-round experience of the Angolan culture with:
- An African fashion show
- A documentary about Angolan music
- Typical food
- Palestras allowing you to learn and discuss about dance styles with experts
- Afro House battle
Eduardo Paim
LIVE IN CONCERT
Special Guest!
Music producer
Eduardo Paim has proved not only a performer but also a composer and music producer from multiple sources. It should be noted that the music producer, record producer also known, is the figure responsible for the completion of a recording that is considered finalized for release.
In this sense the process of the first productions of Eduardo Paim has included recording, advice from musicians, writing, including the supervision of the mixing process and can be considered the pioneer in the use of synthesizers and other similar procedures, as the box rhythms, learning who had the undeniable contribution of techniques already dominated by Ruca Van-Dunem.
Is that too much, that the musical aesthetics of Eduardo Paim, as producer, had great importance in the careers of singers and important in the course of Angolan popular music itself, later.
Paul Flores, Diabik, Clara Miller, Nelo Paim (the promising younger brother Eduardo Paim) Mamborró, Tchipa Jacinto Moniz de Almeida, Tropical Band and Van-Dúnem Ruca, we cite the most important, are examples of the influence and focus Radiator keys Eduardo Paim, whose electronic sound, has undergone a substantial part of the music of the past twenty years.
The early career of Paul Flores had the production and contribution of Eduardo Paim. Topics such as: “Cheri”, “Kapuete kamundanda” and “This wedding is” the first compositions of Paul Flores, resulted from an invitation by Carlos Eduardo Paim Open Flores, father of Paul Flores.
Discography
Eduardo Paím
Also known as General Kambuengo (stubborn, resolute), Eduardo Paim has obtained during his career, three discs of gold and silver awards granted for publishing Portuguese, assigned by the sum of fifty thousand copies sold, with the albums “Kambwengo” (1994), “From kayaya” (2002), and “There is still time” (1996).
The song “Baila Rose” from the album “Kambwengo,” one of the paradigms of discography Eduardo Paim, which portrays the typical Angolan woman, was in the charts of Radio Television Portugal (RTP) for months.
“Luanda my band” (1990), “Mujimbos” (1998), and “Maruvo Cup” (2006), is a whole album, more than twenty year career. His latest CD, much more involved, was contributed by singers such as Fernando Girão, Nancy Vieira, Bonga, Vote Gonçalves, Don Caetano, Angelo Boss, Black, and Matias Damasio Bué. The CD “Luanda my band,” proved, likewise, a success unprecedented in the career of Eduardo Paim, an album that aligns the themes: “My Neighbor,” “Kutonoca,” “It’s So Good” “Luanda My Band”, “Sound of the Band,” “Nagibo” and “Kizombada.”
On this record, Eduardo Paim has worked with the Guinean guitarist and singer Justin Delgado Guilherme Silva, a Mozambican artist who has shared the stage with artists such as Julio Iglesias, Tina Turner, Juan Luis Guerra, Cesaria Evora, Tito Paris and Rui Veloso.
The economy of instrumental means, one of the merits of Eduardo Paim, in close collaboration with guitarist Simmons Mancini, revealed itself as one of the strategies of this album, as well as the use of synthesizers, whose functionality was ultimately the only recourse at that time.
For an artist with a long artistic career, Eduardo Paim argues that “when you have no followers, you do not reach the target, but when there are many, we can lose ourselves among those who follow us.”
TICKETS: https://www.dizizid.com/events-registration/index.html?officeId=47
Paoli Mejías A Talent Forged in the Streets and Discipline with a New Sound in Latin Jazz
From legendary sideman to the leader of a limitless musical vanguard.
Paoli Mejías is a pivotal figure in the evolution of contemporary percussion, renowned for his seamless fusion of Latin jazz with masterful conga technique.
Paoli Mejias: From accompanying legends to leading a musical vanguard without borders
While he is an exceptional multi-percussionist, his command of the congas has established him as one of the most in-demand soloists in the world.
He is distinguished by a melodic style; he doesn’t just keep time he makes the drums “sing,” utilizing precise tuning and astonishing speed.
After touring the globe alongside icons such as Eddie Palmieri, Tito Puente, Seis del Solar, Chick Corea, and Marc Anthony, Mejías has solidified his status as an international benchmark. His vast musical, folkloric, and cultural knowledge positions him today not only as a percussion virtuoso but as a visionary leading his own quintet.
With a career marked by success, Mejías has produced three high-caliber independent albums: Mi Tambor (2004), which received a Latin Grammy nomination, Transcend (2006), and Jazzambia (2008).
Paoli Mejías, a talent forged in the streets and through discipline
These works have placed the Puerto Rican percussionist at the forefront of the genre, earning glowing reviews in the world’s most influential publications, including JazzTimes, DownBeat, Jazziz, and Modern Drummer.
A Talent Forged in the Streets and Discipline
Born in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, on March 7, 1970, Paoli discovered his calling at the age of twelve. Inspired by the records of Carlos “Patato” Valdés and Ray Barretto, and the innovation of groups like Batacumbele and Irakere, he bought his first conga and began a self-taught journey.
Without formal teachers, he learned the language of percussion by mimicking the sounds emanating from his favorite vinyl records.
Paoli Mejía with Nuevo Sonido en el Jazz Latino
His true training took place in the effervescent musical atmosphere of San Juan, absorbing the styles of his mentors in street rumbas.
His professional debut came via Rafú Wagner (former vocalist for Bobby Valentín), and while still a teenager, he was already collaborating with renowned local artists such as José Nogueras, Glenn Monroig, and Charlie Sepúlveda.
The Leap to the Global Stage
His impeccable technique and melodic sensitivity quickly made him the preferred sideman for the greats. For over eight years, he was a key member of maestro Eddie Palmieri’s orchestra, recording on historic projects like Masterpiece/Obra Maestra (with Tito Puente), which won a Grammy Award.
His discography now exceeds 20 commercial productions, including the nominated Acuarela de Tambores.
This exposure to world music enriched his creative fire. As Elmer González noted in Latin Beat: “Through Mi Tambor, Paoli achieves a watercolor of rhythms and textures that make this album one of the best Afro-Latin jazz productions released as a leader, and he aspires to continue a career forged on the stages of the world’s most important festivals.”
Beyond the Traditional Genre
Today, Paoli Mejías’ group offers a style that transcends labels. His proposal fuses the “Salsa Gorda” of the big orchestras with Puerto Rican bomba and plena, incorporating nuances of Greek, Flamenco, Indian, and African music. The result is a vibrant experience where the audience ceases to be spectators and becomes participants.
His versatility was cemented at the Heineken Jazz Festival, where critics highlighted his absolute mastery of minor percussion, timbales, bongos, and ethnic instruments like the Nigerian Udu, hailing him as one of the most complete percussionists of our time.
Paoli was there: Eddie Palmieri, Tito Puente, Seis del Solar, Chick Corea and Marc Anthony
Beyond his role as a performer, the “Maestro” shares his knowledge by conducting clinics at prestigious institutions such as the University of Washington, the University of New Mexico, and the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music.
Sponsored by leading brands like Latin Percussion and Sabian, Paoli Mejías continues to elevate the legacy of Latin jazz into exciting new dimensions.
Member of Santana
Paoli Mejías is a world-renowned percussionist who was a member of the band Santana, led by Carlos Santana.
Joining Santana: Paoli joined the group in 2013, taking over the conga chair. His arrival brought an impressive technical energy and rhythmic depth, establishing him as a fundamental piece of the band’s world tours for several years.
Source: Paoli Mejías
Photos: Paoli Mejías Archives / © Martin Cohen
Also Read: Carlos “Patato” Valdés: One of the Greatest Percussionists in Latin Jazz History
ISM / April 2026
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“We are the Real Latin music world network”
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Ralph Mercado: The Visionary Who Turned the Rhythm of the Barrio into a Global Phenomenon
The Giant of New York Salsa
Ralph Mercado was a music promoter and an iconic figure of Salsa and Latin music in New York. More than just an entrepreneur, Mercado was the strategist who took Salsa out of local New York clubs and placed it on the world’s most prestigious stages.
Through his vision, the sound of Latin identity found a commercial language without losing its “street” essence, making him the most influential tropical music mogul of the 20th century.
Creator of “The Perfect Combination”; Early Days in the Bronx and Brooklyn
Of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent, Mercado was born on September 29, 1941, in Brooklyn. As a mere teenager, he was already organizing parties and dances as the president of a neighborhood social club.
He later founded the 3 & 1 Club on Atlantic Avenue, which hosted local bands and musicians such as Eddie Palmieri and Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz, among many others. Shortly thereafter, he created his first production and promotion company, Showstoppers, through which he promoted R&B acts of the caliber of James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight & the Pips, The Stylistics, and The Chi-Lites.
Expanding the Empire
He eventually ventured into Manhattan, where he helped expand the legendary Fania All-Stars, promoted dances at the Cheetah Nightclub, and presented Latin Jazz artists at venues like the Red Garter and the Village Gate. In 1972, Mercado established RMM Management, representing Palmieri and Ray Barretto.
He managed the genre’s biggest stars, including Tito Puente and Celia Cruz, with whom he worked for 25 years. “I learned so much from her,” Mercado told the AP in July 2003, following the passing of the “Queen of Salsa.” “I witnessed the impact she had in every country we visited.”
Mercado credited Cruz and Puente with the internationalization of Salsa. “They were two artists with so much talent and such good hearts… something unrepeatable,” he expressed at the time.
The RMM Phenomenon
By 1987, his popular “Latin Tinge” nights at the Palladium attracted hundreds of salseros every Thursday. In 1992, he founded the independent label RMM, which branched into RMM Records, RMM Filmworks, and two publishing houses. With a catalog of over 140 artists, the label sold millions of albums annually.
Mercado brought Salsa to South America and to places as remote as Africa, Asia, and Israel. He personally discovered and launched the careers of talents like Marc Anthony, La India, Domingo Quiñones, Tony Vega, José Alberto “El Canario,” and Tito Nieves. For his work, he received numerous accolades, including the Billboard Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999.
The RMM Label: A Hit Factory
Mercado’s impact was solidified by his ability to adapt tradition to changing times. While others clung to the past, Ralph understood the potential of Salsa Romántica and the power of international collaborations. RMM didn’t just produce records; it produced culture, documenting the history of the rhythm through videos and massive concerts that redefined the concept of Latin entertainment.
His influence extended far beyond recording. As a promoter, he opened markets in Europe, Asia, and throughout Latin America, ensuring the tumbao was heard in every corner of the planet. He was a relentless negotiator and a protector of the legends’ legacies, ensuring that Latin Jazz and Salsa Dura maintained their academic prestige while dominating the pop charts.
An Indelible Legacy
“Without him, I don’t believe the Fania All-Stars would have achieved the success they did,” stated Eddie Palmieri. Meanwhile, promoter Leo Tizol remembered him as someone “accessible and noble” who never refused to share his knowledge with those starting out.
Ralph Mercado passed away on March 10, 2009, surrounded by his wife Cynthia, his five children, his siblings, and his grandchildren. His departure left a void that as the greats of music often say can never be filled.
Source: RMM / Photo: Ralph Mercado Archives
Also Read: Hector Maisonave Manager of the Greatest Salseros in New York