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Luis Conte: The Cuban-American percussionist who fuses Cuban son with global music

Luis Conte is a renowned Cuban-American percussionist who has left an indelible mark on the music industry. His talent and versatility have led him to collaborate with an impressive list of world-class artists.

Luis Conte, the percussionist who fuses Cuban son with global music.

Born in Santiago de Cuba, Conte emigrated to Los Angeles in 1967. Throughout his career, he has been honored multiple times as “Percussionist of the Year” by specialized magazines like Modern Drummer and Drum Magazine.

Luis Conte has been the percussionist for some of the biggest names in commercial music, including James Taylor, Phil Collins, Jackson Browne, Madonna, Sergio Mendes, Ray Charles, Pat Metheny, Beck, Shakira, Sade, and Herb Alpert.

In this first HD-Audio Latin recording, his talent, along with that of pianist David Garfield and the recently deceased bassist Dave Carpenter, comes to life through the magic of 96 kHz/24-bit, 5.1 channel surround sound. The music is mixed to maximize individual musical lines and timbres. Bob Stuart, the founder and chairman of Meridian Audio, described the sound as “incredible,” adding that it was one of the best recordings he had ever heard.

The difference lies in the use of new technology, strict adherence to signal purity, and a willingness to experiment with instrument placement. Finally, you have the opportunity to hear authentic HD-Audio with performers who know how to create wonderful music.

Being a percussionist is like being a geographer. These instruments come from all over the world: Africa, Brazil, Colombia, the Middle East. I try to cover everything.

Luis spent the first 15 years of his life absorbing the rich musical heritage of son and carnaval. “Life in Cuba is about enjoying it, and music is fundamental to that lifestyle,” says Luis. “Music is almost like food for Cubans.” Immersed in the music of his native Cuba, Luis also developed a passion for rock & roll, R&B soul, jazz, and The Beatles.

At age 15, in search of freedom, Luis emigrated to Madrid, Spain. He soon had another opportunity to travel, this time to Hollywood. In California, Luis stayed with a cousin and attended Hollywood High School, where he played guitar in numerous rock bands during his teenage years.

After high school, Luis met John Monteallegre, who reconnected him with Cuban drumming at L.A. City College. By age 18, Luis had a strong interest in drumming and took every opportunity to play and learn, drawing inspiration from a deep well of rhythm he absorbed during his youth in Cuba.

David Garfield’s mission is “I make music.” And “make music” is what he does, as a world-renowned keyboardist, producer, and composer. Whether it’s jazz, rock, funk, or world beat, he is the creative force behind the production of numerous internationally acclaimed recordings.

Conte is a renowned Cuban-American percussionist

After studying music at Ohio State University, the late Dave Carpenter started his professional career playing with three jazz giants: Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson, and Woody Herman. More recently, Carpenter was part of drummer Peter Erskine’s trio, which also included pianist Alan Pasqua. A veteran of the Woody Herman and Bill Holman big bands, he also worked with Bill Perkins, Jack Nimitz, Herb Geller, Herbie Hancock, Jack Sheldon, Al Jarreau, Bill Cunliffe, Jan Lundgren, Terry Gibbs, Buddy DeFranco, and Richard Stoltzman, among others.

As sought-after in Los Angeles studios as he was in clubs, Carpenter has an extensive list of recording credits. He participated in more than 200 recordings and composed dozens of themes and scores for television and film.

Sadly, Dave passed away from a heart attack in June 2008. The music world lost a truly wonderful musician and person. The premium DVD-Audio/Video discs from AIX Records are two-sided: one side is an interactive DVD-Video disc, and the other is a DVD-Audio disc (which requires DVD-Audio compatible equipment for playback).

The sound of this recording brings these incredible instrumentalists into your listening space. The HD audio surround mixes immerse you in the musical interplay with a full-range frequency and dynamic response. Discover how good Latin jazz can sound! When I’m asked at trade shows what my favorite discs are, I always include The Latin Jazz Trio.

Dave Carpenter, Luis Conte & David Garfield – The Latin Jazz Trio (2002-R2018)

Tracks:

Luisongo
Doña Olga
Memories Of Rio
Mujaka
Song For My Father
Future Generations
Pools
Rumba Del Cielo
Kumbisa / Cuba

Musicians:

Dave Carpenter (Bass)
Luis Conte (Percussion)
David Garfield (Piano)

Recorded at the Zipper Auditorium at The Colburn School of Performing Arts, 2000.

By: L’Òstia Latin Jazz

Dj. Augusto Felibertt

Also Read: Israel “Cachao” López, a Cuban musician and composer, has been hailed as “the Inventor of Mambo”

How Money Is Made Today: Recording Artists, Record Labels, and Digital Platforms

Carlos Navarro is a renowned multi-percussionist, producer, bandleader, and singer, known for leading the Orquesta Son y Clave. Here are some key details about him and his music:

Musical Style: He specializes in genres like salsa, mambo, merengue, and Latin jazz.
Orquesta Son y Clave: The band has gained popularity in recent years, even sharing the stage with world-class artists like The Rolling Stones.
Collaborations: He has worked with major talents in Latin music in Los Angeles, including Tito Nieves, Luis Barbarán, and others.
Family Connection: He is the brother of the famous singer Cherry Navarro.

Carlos Navarro reconocido multi-percusionista, productor, bandleader y cantante, conocido por liderar la Orquesta Son y Clave

1). What’s the current process for recording, music production, and royalty distribution?

The current process begins with recording, which can now be done in professional studios or in home studios equipped with high-quality technology. Next is music production, which includes editing, mixing, and mastering to ensure the material meets industry standards.

Once the final product is complete, it’s distributed digitally through aggregators or distributors who place it on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube, among others. As for royalties, these are mainly collected by collective management societies and the platforms themselves, who distribute the income based on streams, downloads, or licenses, assigning it to the author, performer, and producer as stipulated in their contracts.

2). What is the impact of digital platforms that artists use to release their music?

Digital platforms have transformed the music industry by democratizing access. Today, any artist, regardless of their fame or resources, can distribute their music globally. The biggest impact is visibility: a song can reach millions of listeners without the need for a traditional record label.

However, there is also the challenge of market saturation, which requires artists to accompany distribution with solid strategies for digital marketing, branding, and social media presence.

3). How are the revenues distributed once the product is complete?

Revenue distribution varies according to contractual agreements, but generally, it’s split between authors and composers (publishing royalties), performers and producers (master recording royalties), and the distribution company or label.

In the digital environment, streaming platforms pay a percentage for each stream, which first goes to the digital distributor and is then divided according to the percentages agreed upon in publishing and production contracts. This system makes good administrative management essential so that everyone involved receives what they’re owed.

At The Blind Tiger Super Club in Santa Barbara California. Son y Clave Orchestra Carlos Navarro. Great venue.

4). Name some current business models for producing a record.

Independent Digital Distribution: The artist pays a digital distributor (e.g., DistroKid, CD Baby, TuneCore) and keeps most of their rights.
Record Label Contract: The label invests in production and promotion in exchange for a percentage of royalties and even the master rights.
Licensing and Sync: Producing music geared toward films, commercials, and video games, generating income from usage licenses.
Crowdfunding: Fans support the funding of the album in exchange for exclusive rewards.
360 Deal: The label or company handles not only production and distribution but also concerts, merchandise, and image rights, in exchange for a larger percentage.

5). What strategies can artists use to monetize their work in the digital environment?

Streaming and Digital Downloads: Maximizing presence on Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, etc.
YouTube and Content ID: Monetizing through views, ads, and copyright control.
Digital and Physical Merchandise: T-shirts, vinyl records, NFTs, and exclusive products.
Social Media and Subscriptions: Platforms like Patreon or TikTok offer the possibility of direct income from fans.
Licensing and Sync: Offering music for TV series, films, video games, and advertising campaigns.
Virtual Concerts and Exclusive Experiences: Monetized live streams, digital meet-and-greets, or access to exclusive content.

6). What do you think about creating a digital platform among us, the Latin musicians, where the profits go to the artists?

I think that’s an extremely valuable and necessary proposal. A digital platform created by and for Latin musicians would have a direct impact on the independence and sustainability of our artistic projects. By eliminating traditional intermediaries and ensuring most of the profits go directly to the artists, it would foster a fairer and more equitable industry.

Furthermore, this kind of initiative would not only allow for a better distribution of income but also the creation of a strong community where we can support each other, give visibility to emerging talents, and preserve the cultural identity of our music. In a market dominated by global platforms that prioritize volume over quality, having our own space would be a strategic tool to strengthen our voice as Latin artists and give true value to our creative work.

Also Read: How Money is Made Today as a Recording Artist with Record Labels and Digital Platforms

Rudy Regalado. The legend of percussion

North America / USA / California

Rudy Regalado was a composer/ educator and one of the top Latin Rock Timbaleros based in the area of East Los Angeles, California during the 1970s and the second more famous Latin percussionist after Tito Puente. His legacy has been exceptional, 23 recorded albums, participated in big Festivals from USA and shared the best platforms with the best in the world. This artist was well known for his style, his contagious rhythm and eccentric presence.

Rudy Regalado was a genuine and outstanding timbales maestro; he was inspired as a child by big bands Machito and Tito Rodriguez, who were two of favorites he became interested in playing music and the Timbales.

His beginnings in this instrument go back at the end of the 1950s. During that period as s teenager, he learned to play the drum and timbales in home town (Caracas-Venezuela). For 1963 and with desire to eat the world with his music he moved to Puerto Rico and started playing in hotels and clubs in the San Juan area with Julio y su combo, the first house bands he played with in Puerto Rico’s at Hotel Caribe Hilton. They were the backup house band for all the famous musicians that performed in the Island in 1965; at the same time he studied harmony and percussion at Pablo Casals Conservatory of music.

A decade later the restless Venezuelan timbalero migrated to Southern California, where he joined playing with local jazz and Latin groups before joining with the extremely popular Latin Rock Band called El Chicano.

The timbalero of timbaleros spent twelve years with El Chicano, singing and playing the timbales in 5 albums, which was included in Top 40 hits during the 1970s with the songs “Viva Tirado” and “Tell Her She’s Lovely”. El Chicano also created the theme song for the television series Baretta, which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1978.

After, Rudy formed his own Latin Jazz All-Star / Salsa Band in 1983, which included a selected group of musician from Los Angeles. Initially known as Todos Estrellas, the band eventually became known as Chévere (aan expression of Venezuelan popular slang) and appeared at the PlayBoy Jazz Festival, Disneyland and Fiesta Broadway, among other engagements. The band also performed overseas in summer festivals in Canada, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and throughout the European continent.

As part of an El Chicano reunion in 2009, the Timbales maestro performed during the 40th anniversary of Woodstock festival at the Golden Gate Park Music Concourse in San Francisco, where the group actually celebrated their own 40th Anniversary, and last played with them at the Greek Theatre of Los Angeles in front of over a 100,000 screaming fans.

In addition, he participated in a variety of sessions with the Zawinul Syndicate, Quincy Jones, Alphonse Mouzon, Caravana Cubana.

Rudy also toured with Aretha Franklin in charge of her percussion section, was a drummer for Los Melódicos in its 1980 tour of United States, and performed on the Tonight Show, the Nancy Wilson Show and American Bandstand. His film credits include The Skeleton Key (2005), as well as the television series Pepe Plata (1990) and Clubhouse (2004).

Héctor José Regalado better known as Rudy Regalado passed away on November 4th, 2010, in Las Vegas – Nevada, where he died from complications of pneumonia at the age of 67.

Currently, his daughter Norka Tibisay Regalado founded in 2013, the Rudy Regalado Foundation. The goal of the foundation is to provide inner city music programs with instruments and financial support. “Let no child be left behind due to lack of funds”. In February, 2014, they donated over 2500 instruments and donated $2000.00 to help with cost for instructors. Her goal is to get financial support from big companies and the community in order to reach many more music programs; she is also working on bringing music programs inside children´s hospital to help the healing process to their mentally ill children and burned survivors.

Rudy Regalado will be forever remembered as one of the greatest Latin exponents of Salsa / Jazz sound of all time, undoubtedly, The Legend of Timbales (January 29, 1943 (Caracas – Venezuela) – Covember 4, 2010 (Las Vegas – Nevada).

For additional information or to make a donation, please contac Norka Regalado at 323.270.8176 or go to website www.rudysfoundation.org/

North America / October 2025

Directory of North American nightclubs
CANADA
ONTARIO		VANCOUVER
UNITED STATES
CALIFORNIA	FLORIDA	ILLINOIS
MICHIGAN	NEW JERSEY	NEW YORK
OHIO	PENNSYLVANIA	TEXAS
VIRGINIA	WASHINGTON DC

Tito Puente Jr.: perpetuating a legacy with its own rhythm

In International Salsa Magazine, we cannot contain our joy for the conversation we had with the son of one of the greatest legends of Latin music, who is now writing his own story of grandeur thanks to the education he has received practically since birth. This is none other than New York producer, composer, and percussionist Tito Puente Jr., who shared about 40 minutes of his time to answer some questions exclusively for Augusto Felibertt and yours truly, Karina Garcia.

Tito puente jr. smiling — Producer, composer, and timbalero Tito Puente Jr. smiling for the camera

The burden of Tito Puente’s iconic legacy

Having a successful father is a great blessing, but sometimes, it can become a veritable martyrdom for a son who wants to follow his path, as comparisons between them will always be inevitable. Being able to share with Tito Puente Jr., son of the legendary King Of Timbales Tito Puente, gives us the opportunity to get his perspective on this interesting and important subject.

Fortunately, the artist does not see this legacy as a burden, but quite the opposite. Although he admits that his father is one of the greatest masters and ambassadors Latin music and our culture in general have ever had, and that it is not easy to fill his shoes, he proudly bears his father’s surname and promotes his music.

Moreover, he sees the surname “Puente,” as well as the Spanish word implies, as a union among several generations because many young people this day do not know Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, and many other exponents of that salsa’s golden era. Tito Jr. wants to be part of that “bridge” between generations so that people of all ages can learn about these prodigies, including, of course, his father.

Childhood with Tito Puente as his father

Regarding his childhood and adolescence, Tito emphasized that he always saw his father play all types of instruments such as timbales, marimba, saxophone, percussion, and many others, which inspired him and made him want to imitate him from the beginning. Today, his career is largely influenced by everything he saw at home, and he plays his father’s arrangements and compositions, which are divided between a total of 186 albums.

Everything learned within his family has taken him so far professionally, to the point that he now has seven Latin Grammys and 14 nominations, all thanks to the legacy he carries.

Tito Puente and Tito Puente Jr. — Tito Puente Jr. and his father Tito Puente on the 1998 Grammy Awards red carpet

The Puente family today

On the more personal side, Tito is the youngest of his brothers, among whom he is the only one who works on music as a profession. To some extent, this has made him take upon his shoulders Tito Puente’s legacy through his own art.

The musician currently resides in southern Florida, specifically in Miami, although he works with orchestras from different cities and countries. He is married and has two children who are Miranda, 18, and Tito Puente Jr. Jr., 17. Miranda studies marine biology at university, while her younger brother is in high school but travels constantly with his father and enjoys composing and playing the guitar.

He also told us a little about his wife, who loves salsa but is not in music. On the other hand, he spoke lovingly of “the boss,” his mother Margarita Puente, who is currently in charge of royalties, record labels, publicity, and the documentary on Tito Puente’s life.

He also has two siblings: Audrey Puente, 55, who is a television meteorologist, and Rony Puente, 77, who is also a musician like his father and younger brother.

Other musical influences besides that of his father

In addition to salsa, mambo, and guaguancó, Tito really enjoys English rock and several bands such as Metallica, Slayer, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, and others into this style. These tastes of his have led him to the idea of, at some point, blending heavy metal with mambo to see which result he gets.

As well as he can really enjoy the music of Bon Jovi and Ozzy Osbourne, he is also fascinated by El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, which he finds to be a very interesting mixture of genres that he would like to experiment with someday.

He also said laughing that his father did not share his musical tastes and that the only rock band he liked was Santana, and that was because they did their own version of the hit “Oye Cómo Va” in psychedelic rock and Latin rock.

Tito Puente holding his son — Tito Puente carrying his son Tito Puente Jr.

Current singers

Today, Tito works with various singers, including Aymee Nuviola, Lucrecia, Yolanda Duque, and his great friend, “La Princesa de La Salsa” La India. His father worked with great vocalists such as Tony Vega, Michael Stuart, Oscar D’León, José Alberto “El Canario,” Miguel Ángel Barcasnegras Díaz “Meñique,” and many more.

Tito’s latest album, “The King And I,” also features other big voices such as Domingo Quiñones, Frankie Negrón, José Alberto “El Canario,” Tony Vega, Sheila E., Pete Escovedo, and many other salsa superstars of today and yesterday.

The timbalero has worked with many figures who also worked with his father in the past, so it is clear that they see him and respect him as the continuation of his musical legacy.

Tito’s views on academic training in music

On the important issue of academic training in music, Tito pointed out that there are not enough educational programs aimed at teaching Afro-Cuban music in schools and universities, which in his view needs to change as soon as possible.

In fact, he noted the importance of promoting programs in educational institutions around the world so that their students learn much more than just symphonic music and become more rounded professionals. Although he recognizes the importance of knowing Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, he also believes that aspiring musicians should know about Eddie Palmieri, Charlie Palmieri, Larry Harlow, Pupi Campo, and other artists in this style.

The artist believes that the above mentioned artists and many others related to jazz and salsa are part of a very important era of music in the world, which is why he believes that teachers must take them into account during their classes. For him, it is a mission to promote both his father’s music and that of other exponents of his kind in the academic field.

Tito Jr. and his family — Audrey, Margarita, Tito, and Tito Jr.

Upcoming tours

For our research, we could notice that Tito has several performances and tours scheduled for the rest of the year, more specifically for November. In this regard, he told us that in the first week of September, he went to play his father’s music on his weekly show Mambo Mondays, which is held to delight dancers eager to keep enjoying Tito Puente’s music.

About international tours, he plans to go to Germany in February next year and Spain next summer. He is also close to release a documentary in 2026 and a new album with the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra, which has 77 musicians and instruments such as violins, violas, harps, bagpipes, flutes, French horns, among others.

Tito Puente Jr. and his son — Tito Puente III and his father Tito Puente Jr.

Final comment

We still cannot believe we had this great conversation with the talented Tito Puente Jr. and it has been a great pleasure to share this time with him. Those who wish to contact him can do so through his social media channels, which are as follows:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TitoPuenteJr/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/titopuentejr/

X: https://twitter.com/titopuentejr

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/tag/titopuentejr

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/intl-es/artist/2ROkqvVDXj5JgmN6z2uFrM