Search Results for: Bachata Festival

Businessman, producer and broadcaster Jimmy Castro promotes his Ritmo Caribe Promotions Radio

Jimmy Castro and his radio station Ritmo Caribe Promotions Radio

We had the pleasure of interviewing businessman, producer and broadcaster Jimmy Castro, who started his radio show “El Toque Latino” on radio station WTCY 1400 AM from 1998 to 2002 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He then worked as a producer on “The Latin Jazz & Salsa Show” in Richmond, Virginia on station WCLM 1340 AM between the years 2008-2014. He eventually launched his own online Radio station Ritmo Caribe Promotions Radio in 2018 through the link www.ritmocaribepromotionsradio.com. Here, listeners can find salsa, Latin jazz and Afro-Cuban music.

Producer, promoter, and broadcaster Jimmy Castro

Here is our conversation:

You founded Ritmo Caribe Promotions in 1998. What made you found this company and why focus on setting up festivals and concerts?

I started the company as a DJ Record Pool called Caribbean Rhythms Record Pool in 1996 in Harrisburg Pennsylvania. I began meeting many of the artists that I was receiving music from, who began asking me if I would bring them to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to perform. That’s when I changed the company name to Ritmo Caribe Promotions, and produced many concerts and festivals there featuring artists to include Larry Harlow, Tito Puente, Cano Estremera, Hector Tricoche, Van Lester, Miosotis, Edgar Joel, Yomo Toro, Eddie Palmieri, and more.

Why focus specifically on salsa, Latin jazz and Afro-Cuban music?

I used to promote more genres when I began such as Merengue, Bachata, Reggaeton, and Mexican but as the years went on it began getting more difficult because I was receiving so much music but I had a limited staff to and wouldn’t be able to focus on so many artists. I decided to limit it to the genres I had the most experience in.

Jimmy Castro while leading his old show “El Toque Latino”

I knew that Ritmo Caribe Promotions has co-produced songs by several well-known artists. Let’s talk a bit about your role as producer and record label.

Throughout the years, I have always dreamed of producing a Salsa song with my company. In 2020, I had the opportunity to co-produce my first Salsa song with JA Creations entitled “Mariana” by Colombian Salsa vocalist Jaime Andres featuring Frankie Vazquez “El Sonero del Barrio!” Since then I have co-produced 3 more Salsa tunes, “Nuestro Camino” by Leonardo Garcia featuring country vocalist Cat Beach, Max Rosado, and special guest Nestor Torres, “Mi Motivo” by Leonardo Garcia featuring Grammy nominated Miss YaYa, and “Lo Afortunado Que Soy” by William Mendoza’s Latin Heartbeat Orchestra featuring Cuban vocalist Amauri Menocal. Finally, on August 15, 2022 I will be releasing my first Salsa tune as Executive Producer entitled “Historia de Un Amor” featuring a vocalist from The Netherlands, Julie Huard.

What leads you to launch your own online radio station in 2018?

I started in radio broadcasting in 1997 with my own radio show called “El Toque Latino” on a commercial radio station, WTCY 1400 AM in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I was on the air for 5 years. I then moved to Richmond, Virginia where I worked as a producer on The Latin Jazz & Salsa Show on WCLM 1450 AM / WHAP 1340 AM for 8 years. I was also the entertainment producer for 10 years for the annual Latin Jazz & Salsa Festival, with The 15th Annual Latin Jazz & Salsa Festival scheduled this year on August 27th, in which I will be bringing headline artist Herman Olivera.

Finally, in 2018, I no longer was interested in working on everybody else’s radio station, and decided to launch my own 24/7 internet radio station, Ritmo Caribe Promotions Radio, where I am able to program exactly the way I want to. www.ritmocaribepromotionsradio.com.

Jimmy Castro with the “King of Timbales” Tito Puente

You have also produced theatrical plays and film productions. Give us more details about that.

The play I am most proud of was produced by my company Ritmo Caribe Promotions and Yamile Music (Los Angeles) entitled “Melena: A Cultural & Musical Journey into my Afro-Cuban Roots” which was the true story of Afro-Cuban latina percussionist Melena, and her journey from Cuba and becoming one of the best female percussionist in the world. You could check out the play in 3 parts on YouTube by searching for “Melena: A Cultural & Musical Journey into my Afro-Cuban Roots (Part 1, 2, and 3).”

You also receive music in mp3 format from the audience to place on the station. What basis do you have for choosing between the tracks you receive?

I accept music from artists from around the world, again Salsa, Latin Jazz, and Afro-Cuban music, and I listen to all the music I receive and focus on the quality of the production, ensuring I receive mp3/wave along with the album cover image, and last but not least the music has to be GOOD! I also send it to many Salsa dancers who I am connected with to get their opinion on the tune.

What you can say about your show “El Toque Latino”? How has this show changed with the passage of time?

I mentioned “El Toque Latino” in a question above, however, this show is no longer on the air. Now, it is only “Ritmo Caribe Promotions Radio” 24/7 at www.ritmocaribepromotionsradio.com.

Jimmy Castro with Puerto Rican salsa singer Cano Estremera

Home

NOTICIAS CON SABOR on June 2022

The latest of salsa in the Bay Area of San Francisco

Someone to look out for is percussionist/bandleader/catalyst Javier Navarette who has been creating a serious buzz with his new group Javier Navarette and His Socially Distant Friends which features a “who’s who” of stellar Bay Area talent including esteemed violinist Anthony Blea, vocalist/percussionist Hector Lugo, rising star on the guitar, Kai Lyons, bassist Ayla Davila, percussionist Jesse Weber and charter members such as tresero/guitarist Camilo Landau, NY based trombonist and Javier’s brother Raul Navarette and PMO vocalist Chriselle Durandy. Navarette and friends play an intoxicating brew of danceable Salsa, Cuban descarga, Rumba, Afro-Cuban folklore, Bomba, Timba and Latin Jazz played superbly by this all-star ensemble that have impressed large audiences at Carnaval San Francisco, the UC Theatre, Rocky’s Market and other festivals and hot spots.

Navarette is also currently a member of the hot Bobi Cespedes Band and was formerly a member of renowned bands such as Charanson, La Mixta Criolla, Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir among others. He has established himself as one of the SF Bay’s rising stars….a rumbero with excellent chops, taste and well versed both in the Cuban and Puerto Rican culture and heritage. Navarette also has taught in the classroom spreading the knowledge to younger grade school children in the Bay Area. Navarette is also booking the popular Modupue Sundays series at Rocky’s Market in Oakland. Go Javier!!

Javier Navarrette from Javier Navarrette and His Socially Distant Friends

The Western Region Puerto Rican Council will once again present their “El Dia De San Juan” Salsa Festival on Saturday, June 18, 11 am to 7 pm at Swiss Park, 5811 Mowry Avenue in Newark. Headlining the show will be Frankie Vasquez “El Sonero Del Barrio”. Vasquez is considered one of the finest soneros in the business today. With a star studded career that includes working with Manny Oquendo and Libre, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Los Soneros Del Barrio, Pedro Bermudez, Doug Beavers and many others, Vasquez displays his art of the soneo, his distinctive vocal tone always backed up by a swinging band on record and live. Also appearing for the first time will be Izis La Enfermera De La Salsa from Puerto Rico, Gambizi & Dos Four hot from Carnaval SF, Hip Hop Jibarito, Orquesta Saboricua and Rinkinkaya playing Bomba, Plena and Jibaro music and DJ Santos Lopez. For more information, go to wrprc.org!

SF JAZZ and the San Francisco Jazz Festival are featuring an impressive array of Salsa, Cuban and Latin Jazz starting Wednesday June 8 with Pacific Mambo Orchestra. Followed by Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Grammy nominee Aymee Nuviola 6/9; Chucho Valdes with Dianne Reeves and Joe Lovano 6/12; Changui Majadero 6/13, Danilo Perez Global Messengers 6/14; Issac Delgado’s Con Tumbao Project w/Miguel Zenon, Oscar Hernandez, Pedrito Martinez, Alain Perez, Tony Succar and more 6/18. SF JAZZ and Stanford University also co-presents two legends: Piano master Eddie Palmieri and trumpet phenom Arturo Sandoval at Stanford’s Frost Amphiteater on July 23. Info: www.sfjazz.org.

The new hot spot for live music on Thursday’s is Charley’s LG, 15 N Santa Cruz Avenue in Los Gatos featuring the following for June: Orquesta La Moderna Tradición on 6/2; Carlos Xavier and his band 6/9; Edgardo Cambon and Candela 6/16; Son Y Clave from Los Angeles on 6/23 and Julio Bravo and Salsabor on 6/30. Presented by your friends at International Salsa Magazine and World Salsa Radio. Yours truly, Luis Medina from KPFA/WorldSalsaRadio.com will be your MC and DJ for the evening. WSR’s El De La Clave SF-Felipe Martinez will give dance lessons starting at 8 PM. Get a discount on your advance tickets by visiting charleyslosgatos.com.

Tregar Otton from Orquesta La Moderna Tradición

More clubs and events

La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley has been gaining a lot of notoriety with their monthly Baila events. The June edition will also celebrate the cultural center’s 47th Anniversary on Friday, June 17th starting at 7 pm. Corey Raynor, the venue’s production manager who organizes the event will also be celebrating his birthday. The show will feature the explosive sounds of veteran timbalero Eric Rangel and his Orquesta America as well as KPOO/KPFA DJ Jose Ruiz in the main theater and DJ Ron Palma in the Bachata lounge. Salsa and Bachata dance lessons start at 7:30 pm. For tickets and information, please visit lapena.org.

It’s Summertime and outdoor venues have opened back up for Salsa, Timba and Latin Jazz! Modupue Sundays at Rocky’s Market at Oakland’s Brooklyn Basin is featuring the exciting band La Mixta Criolla on Sunday, June 5 under the direction of percussionist/vocalist Hector Lugo and a special Bomba dance performance by Shefali Shah. The festivities start at 5:30 pm. Another great band Orquesta La Moderna Tradición will be at Rocky’s on Friday night, June 10th from 6 to 9 pm. Rocky’s Market events are all outdoors and located at 288 Ninth Avenue in Oakland. For more information, visit rockysmarket.com.

The Office on 1796 Willow Pass Road in downtown Concord is now offering Rumba Sundays every Sunday from 5 to 10 pm in a large, covered outdoor patio with a huge dance floor featuring Salsa bands such as Orquesta Taino on Sunday, June 5th. The Office features live salsa monthly with SF Salsa Congress staple DJ Super Chino spinning Salsa, Bachata and more in-between the breaks! Check out their Facebook page for more info!

Orquesta Taino posing for the camera

The Cigar Bar continues with their mission to bring you exciting danceable bands in their unique venue that combines great food, fine drinks, a parlor for cigar enthusiasts and a hot dance spot for weekend patrons. The June Latin music offerings are the following: Pacho y Orchesta Evolution 6/3; Orquesta La Original w/Alexis 6/4; Orquesta Borinquen 6/10; Josh Jones Latin Jazz Ensemble 6/11; N’Rumba 6/17 ; Manteca 6/18; Orquesta Taino 6/24 and La Clave Del Blanco on 6/25.

The Ramp is heating things up for the Summer at their fine outdoor venue with their huge dance floor at 855 Terry Francois Blvd in San Francisco. Their calendar includes great acts on Saturday afternoons starting at 4 pm with DJ Mendy with live music starting at 5 pm featuring N’Rumba on 6/4; Julio Bravo y Salsabor on 6/11; Somos El Son with Braulio Barrera 6/18 and Orquesta Borinquen on 6/25.

The Seahorse in Sausalito features fine Italian cuisine, beer and wine and a fine space for dancing on Saturday and Sundays starting at 6 pm with KPOO/KPFA DJ Jose Ruiz. Featured acts for the month of June include La Clave Del Blanco on 6/4; Julio Bravo y Salsabor 6/5; Ricardo Lemvo and Makina Loca from Los Angeles on 6/11 and 6/12; Edgardo Cambon y Candela 6/18; Louie Romero and Mazacote 6/19; The Latin Rhythm Boys 6/20 and Eric Rangel and Orquesta America on 6/26.

Be sure to check out my radio programs Con Sabor on Saturday evenings from 9 to 11 PM PST on KPFA 94.1 FM and www.kpfa.org and Sabiduria Con Tumbao every Wednesday evening from 5 to 7 PM PST on worldsalsaradio.com. Enjoy your Summer! Ciao 4 now!!

Louie Romero from Louie Romero Y Su Orquesta Mazacote

By Luis Medina, ISM Correspondents, San Francisco, California

By Luis Medina, ISM Correspondents, San Francisco, California

NOTICIAS CON SABOR on June 2022

The latest of salsa in the Bay Area of San Francisco

Javier Navarrette from Javier Navarrette and His Socially Distant Friends

Tregar Otton from Orquesta La Moderna Tradición

More clubs and events (título 3)

Orquesta Taino posing for the camera

Louie Romero from Louie Romero Y Su Orquesta Mazacote

By Luis Medina, ISM Correspondents, San Francisco, California

The Salsera Fiesta Returns To Rome

The wait is over and Fiesta opens its doors with a new season of Latin concerts during the summer

Festival Fiesta has been the point of reference in Italy for Latin American concerts and events for 27 years.

Since 1995 the Fiesta club has been the point of reference for Latin American culture in Italy during summer nights in Rome.

Fiesta is located in the Rosati Tourist Park (Parco Rosati -Eur) and has an area of 5,000 square meters with a capacity of 3,500 people. Its distribution consists of an outdoor music room equipped with a stage with a led wall for live music and two dance rooms for different musical styles (Salsa, Mambo, Cha Cha Cha, Bachata, Rumba, Merengue, Timba, reggae, and reggaeton).

“The objective of this festival is to build a permanent cultural bridge between Italy and Latin American citizens living in Rome, promoting the value of integration between peoples and respecting different identities.” Fragment extracted from the website. https://fiestafestival.it/

In this regard, the artistic director Mansur Naziri expressed the following: “Over the years I have witnessed several changes in the audience of Fiesta. Now, we have reached the new generations, those the children of immigrants who were born in Italy feel Italian but still keep their traditions alive, even through music. Next to them are the Italians who dancing and listening to Latin songs have also learned a little Spanish, giving life to a beautiful cultural fusion…”

The most representative Salsa artists who have come to this evocative stage of the Eternal City have been Celia Cruz, Los Van Van, Rubén Blades, Gilberto Santarosa, Tito Puente, Oscar D’ León, and Marc Anthony, among many others.

This year the club with its Fiesta festival will continue to offer the best of the Latin music scene from the traditional to the most current. Here are the Salsa artists who will be performing in the cool of Rome’s nights from June to August.

PUPY Y LOS QUE SON SON

Pupy was the pianist in the Revé Orchestra

The Cuban traditional music orchestra created and directed by the pianist, composer, and director César Pedroso Fernández better known as “Pupy” will be performing on Wednesday, June 1^st, and tickets don’t exceed €17.

Pupy is recognized for being one of the most important figures in Timba and traditional Cuban music. He participated in two emblematic orchestras during his career: Orquesta Revé and Los Van Van. In this last-mentioned band, he was one of the founders along with his partner and friend Juan Formell.

After 32 years of artistic career, on October 4^th, 2001, he formed his band Pupy y Los Que Son Son. Its name derives from the recognition of “Son” as a musical genre where his roots come from, and the style of the band is the fusion of the different instrumental formats with the “Tumbao”.

HAVANA D’PRIMERA

Alexander Abreu spent his childhood in Cienfuegos city (Cuba), where he began playing the trumpet at ten years old.

The band of more than ten musicians created in 2008 and founded by the Cuban trumpeter, singer, and composer Alexander Abreu will take the Fiesta stage on Friday, June 3^rd, and you can get the ticket for €30.

Alexander Abreu has become one of the most versatile and acclaimed Cuban musicians in Afro-Cuban music. “I have always seen Havana D’Primera with 15 people on stage, and everyone said that it was impossible, that it would be too expensive, too difficult to move… It is how we started: 14 or 15 of us and a lot of positive energy, now we are stronger than ever.” Abreu commented.

Havana D’Primera’s first album is Haciendo Historia released in 2009, followed by Cantor del Pueblo (2018), A Romper el Coco (2019), and Será que se acabó (2021).

LOS VAN VAN

Los Van Van was the first Cuban group to replace a solo singer with a vocal quartet.

The musical orchestra founded by Juan Formell in Havana (Cuba) in December 1969 will arrive on Saturday, August 6^th. They will present their fusion of Cuban Son, Jazz, and Rock with the incorporation of percussion, trombones, keyboards, electronic violins, flutes, bass, and drums for a rhythmic and harmonic sound that complements the quartet of voices, and you can get tickets for a value of €30.

Prince Royce Returns To European Stages With Classic Tour

The young Bachata idol will celebrate more than a decade of experience with a series of concerts in the Netherlands, Italy, France, Spain, and Switzerland

Royce recorded “My Angel” a single that was part of the soundtrack of the sequel Fast and Furious 7.

The internationally famous Latin superstar, Prince Royce, will tour Europe with five concerts called the Classic Tour in which he will perform his greatest hits and most recent singles in a unique and special environment celebrating his ten years of artistic career.

The tour will cover the five most important cities in Europe starting on June 6^th at the Zénith multipurpose indoor stadium in Paris (France), he will go through Madrid (Spain) with Las Noches del Botánico on Friday, June 24^th, after he will be in the city of Zurich (Switzerland) on June 25^th, will continue at the Fiesta festival in Rome (Italy) on July 2^nd, and of course, will end his visit to Europe by closing the Pal Mundo Latin-Caribbean Festival in The Hague (Netherlands) on July 3^rd.

“EUROPE! See you this summer on the #PRClassicTour to sing all my classics. I’m crazy to see them again!” The singer of Dominican descent expressed this on May 4^th through his Facebook account.

Tickets for the Classic Tour range from €40 to €100, and you can purchase them online through his official website. https://www.princeroyce.com/

The last stop to see Prince Royce in concert on the European continent will be at the Pal Mundo Festival in The Hague, a city located in the west of the Netherlands. Here, nature and the Latin world will come together for the first time in the huge urban park in the middle of the city, Zuiderpark, located at 2533 SP, Den Haag/The Hague.

Pal Mundo will take place during the first weekend of July, and it will have approximately 50,000 attendees from all over Europe who will enjoy urban and Afro-Caribbean music, dance to Latin rhythms, and broaden their culinary tastes with typical food of the South American and the Caribbean Islands.

Geoffrey Royce Rojas de León was born on May 11^th, 1989, in the Bronx (New York).

Continuing in the same tone, Prince Royce, the artistic name of Geoffrey Royce Rojas, in the last decade has obtained almost 100 million followers on his social networks, 22 world hits on radio charts, 24 Billboard Awards, 20 Premios lo Nuestro, 19 Premios Juventud, 6 Latin AMAs, and 14 Latin Grammy® nominations.

In the last eight years, this 33-year-old artist has collaborated with Selena Gómez on the hit Already Missing You, Gerardo Ortiz (Moneda), Shakira (Deja Vu), Gente de Zona and Arturo Sandoval (Tumbao), Zendaya (X), Marc Anthony (Adicto), Thalia (You Lost My Love), Daddy Yankee (Come With Me), and more recently Natti Natasha (Antes Que Salga El Sol), Mau y Ricky (Doctor), and the single that trended on the global YouTube chart along with María Becerra released on March 4^th, Te Espero.

This New Yorker artist has six studio albums: Prince Royce (2010), his debut album, with which he rocketed up the popularity list with songs like Stand By Me and Corazón Sin Cara. His next record production was Phase II (2012) and was followed by Soy El Mismo (2013), Double Vision (2015), Five (2017), and his last recording to date Alter Ego (2020). This sixth album released on February 7^th contains two discs “Genesis” and “Enigma” for a total of 23 songs. The genres that you will find in this compilation discs are Salsa, Bachata, Latin Pop, Reggaeton, and Trap.

“I’m excited to share Classic Tour with all my fans, who have been there for me unconditionally since the beginning of my career”… I’m still here thanks to all of you, and this tour is for you. I am full of gratitude.” Prince Royce