UNITED STATESDIRECTORY OF NIGHTCLUBS |
||
| CALIFORNIA | FLORIDA | ILLINOIS |
| MICHIGAN | NEW JERSEY | NEW YORK |
| OHIO | PENNSYLVANIA | TEXAS |
| VIRGINIA | WASHINGTON | |
UNITED STATESDIRECTORY OF NIGHTCLUBS |
||
| CALIFORNIA | FLORIDA | ILLINOIS |
| MICHIGAN | NEW JERSEY | NEW YORK |
| OHIO | PENNSYLVANIA | TEXAS |
| VIRGINIA | WASHINGTON | |
Cuban musicians have always found the way to stand out in the entertainment world thanks to their talent and commitment and one of those examples is Ivan Camblor, tres player and vocalist with whom we have had the privilege to talk about his career and what was achieved with the group led by him right now, which is Pellejo Seco.
During the conversation, the artist elaborated on a few topics we found relevant to discuss and we were pleased to hear some of the most important data of one of the most important Cuban son groups in the Bay Area today.

As is the case of many other artists of his kind, Ivan showed a very early interest in music, specifically since he was at school in his hometown, Havana, Cuba. He defines himself as a self-taught composer who began his musical learning on the street, while he attended classes like any child his age.
From a very young age, many veteran musicians saw in him the enormous potential he had for music, so they began teaching him all they knew, leading him to the path of Cuban son and traditional Cuban music. Today, these genres is still his north after so many decades.
The Felix Varela School of Music
When he was old enough, Iván attended the Félix Varela School of Music, where he studied music appreciation theory, but unfortunately the island’s economic situation affected that part of his learning. Over time, the conditions of the institute started to worsen, making many teachers resign and leave students without chances to continue their studies, including Ivan, who could not see the classes he wanted because of the lack of staff.
Being unable to study what he wanted, Ivan decided to continue learning on his own with the musical groups he had contact with and that is how it continued until today.
His singing, composition and ability to play the Cuban tres came with the experience he acquired on the street and with friends who knew more about music than he did. He refers to guitarist and tres player Octavio Sánchez ”Cotán” and El Niño Rivera as his greatest teachers and influences.
With the experience gained, he had the opportunity to go through all the Cuban music companies, since there were not many tres players at that time and tres teaching was very new.

Just as Iván was in several groups, he also had the opportunity to compose original music for films and such was the case of the film ”Hacerse El Sueco” directed by his great friend Edesio Alejandro, who contacted him to support him in the musical part of the production.
It is then when he proposed him to write four or five original tracks to be used for the film, but Ivan did not mind getting credit, but helping his great friend with his project, so all the material is under his label Orula Music.
However, he is grateful for the experience and the opportunity to help a good friend who needed his talent at that moment.
Ivan remembers his coming to the United States as one of the most difficult things he had to do, since it is not easy to leave his roots and everything he knows to seek a different kind of future in other lands.
At first, Ivan was not at all convinced of this decision, but his then partner and mother of his only son made him see that it was the best for them to leave Cuba and go to the United States to try their luck, to which the artist finally agreed.
For many years, the tres player thought the worst of his host country because of the ideas the he grew up with in Cuba, but upon arrival, he found that the reality was very different from the propaganda he was bombarded with in his childhood and youth.
Once he was there, he started working on the area of music that he liked most since he was in Cuba, composition. It was then that the idea of forming his own musical group started going round his head.

Ivan conceived Pellejo Seco as a project in which he would pay homage to the Cuban community, so he tried to find the best musicians for the task. One of them was Cuban trumpeter Marcos Diaz, Puerto Rican Hector Lugo, trumpeter Mario Silva, Liban Montoya, Mexican singer Rogelio Maya and singer German Donatien. This is the original group with which the artist started his band, but others have already joined other orchestras or have started something on their own.
That was more than 20 years ago and, today, Pellejo Seco has managed to consolidate itself as one of the main Cuban music groups in the Bay Area. Now, it is the most required traditional Cuban music sextet in the area.
As for the name of the band, Ivan chose the name ”Pellejo Seco” as a tribute to the Cuban peasants whose skin is hard and dry as leather due to the sun and the working conditions that they are exposed to.
Read also: Israel Tanenbaum from The Latinbaum Jazz Ensemble in ISM
Although its exact origin is debated, it is believed that the marimba has its roots in Africa and was developed by different African cultures such as the Bantu and the Marimberos.
The term “marimba” comes from the Bantu “marimba” or “malimba”, meaning “single bar xylophone”.
In America, historical records indicate that diatonic xylophones, precursors of the modern marimba, were introduced in Central America between the XVI and XVII centuries.

Throughout the 17th to 19th centuries, the marimba spread throughout most of the Americas and became a typical element of Mayan and Ladino ensembles.
Today, the marimba is considered a patriotic symbol of Guatemala and Costa Rica, and its music, along with the traditional songs and dances of Colombia’s South Pacific region and Ecuador’s Esmeraldas province, was inscribed in 2010 on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The modern marimba, like the one seen in the image provided, consists of a series of wooden slats of different sizes, arranged from largest to smallest, each with a different sound pitch.
They are struck with mallets to produce musical notes, and each key has its own soundboard.
The development of the modern chromatic marimba was established in Chiapas, Mexico, around 1890.
This instrument has been integrated into a variety of musical genres, from traditional Latin American music to academic concerts, jazz and martial bands.
The marimba remains a vital instrument that celebrates the cultural heritage and musical creativity of the regions where it is loved and played.
Image of a musical duet between a guitarist and a marimba player dated Guanacaste, 1888.

It is enriching to know, among other things, that a series of woods of multiple sizes arranged from longest to shortest are essential to assemble the keyboard. For the soundboard, on the other hand, it is necessary to work on the tuning so that each wood of this structure is in tune with each key.
As for playing procedures, the four-stick technique and the art of glissando appear as alternatives to keep in mind. Of course, the most advisable thing to do is to attend a marimba workshop in order to master the techniques correctly.
Nor should we forget that, since ancient times, many types of marimbas have been made and used and have contributed their characteristic sounds to multiple musical genres and styles.

Latin America / Venezuela / Caracas
On this occasion we have the privilege of meeting the new Venezuelan talent Toñito Laya (singer), son of Maestro Antonio “20 DEDOS” Laya, who was one of the most significant conga players in the Venezuelan salsa movement in the 1980s, director of the “ Banbankere Orchestra” of Petare with two musical productions; giving him more than enough reason to grow in Latin music, such as “el Son”, “la Rumba”, “la Guaracha”, “el Danzón“, “Boogaloo”, “la Timba” and “la Salsa” being This is the beginning of his artistic and musical career.
Starting in the 90s, he entered the Bigott Foundation where he had the opportunity not only to learn the various rhythms in Afro-Venezuelan percussion, but also developed as a dancer in one of the most important groups in Venezuela when it comes to popular traditions. “Vasallos del Sol”, eventually becoming “Vasallos de Venezuela” in 2016, where he had 16 concerts, productions, albums and national and international tours; Colombia, Mexico, United States, South Korea and Japan, among others.
In 2006, a project called “Comprehensive School of Latin Tradition Dance 100% Tumbao” began, where many dancers were trained in the Cuban Salsa Casino genre, combining this training with Venezuelan traditions, making them understand that traditions come first. Venezuelans. Then they participated in the most important events and competitions in Venezuela, they even became Latin American Champions of “CUBAMEMUCHO 2009” in the city of Caracas-Venezuela, thus managing to represent the country in the grand final to be held in the city of Munich-Germany, 2010 .

He also tells us that in 2009, they were invited to participate in a new project but this time not to dance, but to “sing” in a group that by then had no name but a particular genre such as “Son Cubano” . From that moment Toñito began his musical career to develop in a somewhat unexpected way, he was a founder and assumed the commitment of being in charge of this group as one of its leading singers for more than 7 years, where the themes arose:
To me that, La Ruñidera, Bilongo, El Jamaiquino, I hear a drum, among others; They were part of his first musical repertoire. With two record productions together with the already structured band “La Séptima Bohemia” he consolidated his musical career as a singer, going through a training process with different teachers and vocal coaches such as:
Ronald González, Fanny Olano, Gustavo Gerardo and Marcial Istúriz, among others. others, who would help him develop in the middle of music. National tours, award nominations and concerts allowed him to share the stage alongside large-scale national and international groups such as:
Francisco Pacheco, Canelita Medina, Alexander Abre y su Habana de Primera, Manolito y su Trabuco, El Septeto Santiaguero, José Alberto “El Canario” to mention a few. Toñito records for the year 2012, the song “She takes me”, a song that in turn would be the title of the second album becoming an icon of parties, dances and social events not only in Venezuela but in many salsa and salsa dancing countries. casino in the world.
In the year 2016 Toñito Laya arrives in Aztec land to embark on a new path, he begins by residing in the city of Cancun-Mexico to sing in some local groups and participate in various projects such as: Los Panas.com, La Formula Perfecta, Grupo Swing Latin among others.
This new stage as an artist prompts him to consider a new musical challenge but this time as a solo singer with a well-defined and focused vision, his pleasant experience as a dancer motivates him to dedicate his first promotional single “ABRE QUE VOY”, this being the complement of an orchestra, for the musicians and their singers “EL BAILADOR”.
“ABRE QUE VOY” is the result of the work of talented and renowned Venezuelan musicians who give an important plus to this Musical production of “Maurice Melo”, this first single is created, performed by Toñito Laya, in the company of the Venezuelan talent of the following musicians:
Caracas – Venezuela 2018
If you want to meet or contact Toñito, you can follow him through:
North America / USA / Las Vegas
The main international event in Spanish that brings together the best of Spanish-speaking music reaches its nineteenth live broadcast, from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada for the fourth time, to reward and honor the achievements of professionals of music throughout the year. The ceremony of the 19th Latin Grammy Awards is here, and on November 15 you will be able to enjoy it through the Univisión signal for the United States and with the #LatinGrammy you will be able to follow it minute by minute during its three hours of transmission by all social networks.



Each year the Latin Recording Academy awards recognition to Latin music in 49 categories for work recorded in two languages: Spanish and Portuguese. This prestigious institution also endorses musical genres, identifies new talent, recognizes legendary living artists, and preserves and archives both recordings and videos in order to preserve the valuable Latin American musical culture.
The global impact that Spanish-language recordings have caused this 2017-2018 has proven once again that this year each category will be close to its maximum exponential, which shows that MUSIC made by Latinos has an enormous export capacity, and further evidence that the Latin Grammy awards continue to be one of the specials with the largest audience in the country, as it integrates the largest audience of diverse generations united to witness the annual event with the greatest presence of artistic talent gathered in the same show.
FOR THIS 19TH AWARD OF THE LATIN GRAMMYS, THE NOMINEES ARE:
BEST SALSA ALBUM
Pete perignon
Record Label: Pete Perignon Music
“La Esquina Del Bailador” is the second production by musical director and master percussionist, Pete Perignon. This album contains five unreleased singles and five re-interpretations of classics. “Gotita Falling in Key” was his first promotional theme. This album released in 2017 has versions of classics with modern arrangements such as: “De Mi Para Ti” (Bossa recorded by Tito Puente and Santos Colón), “El Beso Discreto” original from the Cuban songbook Trio Matamoros, among many other original songs and versioned

Alexander Abreu and Havana D’ Primera
Record Label: Páfata Productions

Charlie aponte
Record Label: CA Records Inc.

Chiquito Team Band
Record Label: Planet Records

Victor Manuelle
Record Label: Sony Music Latin

BEST TRADITIONAL TROPICAL ALBUM
José Alberto El Canario & The Santiaguero Septet
Record Label: Los Canarios Music
In this category, the Septeto Santiaguero, originally from Cuba, is nominated for its fourth album “A Mí Qué- Tributo A Los Clásicos Cubanos”. This ensemble founded in 1995 recorded this production in the company of the Dominican interpreter José Alberto “El Canario” and other music stars. This record material has 13 Tracks and was released on May 25, 2018.
Rubén Blades With Roberto Delgado and Orchestra
Record Label: Ruben Blades Productions

The Sonora Santanera
Record Label: Sony Music

Omara Portuondo
Record Label: Egrem

Maria Rivas
Record Label: Angel Falls Artists Inc.

BEST TROPICAL SONG
Juan Carlos Luces & Víctor Manuelle, songwriters (Víctor Manuelle Featuring Juan Luis Guerra)
Cut off: 7/25
Record Label: Sony Music Latin

The prominent Puerto Rican singer-songwriter and producer, Víctor Manuelle, began his professional career in 1993, and to date has sold millions of records worldwide. He has earned 16 LATIN GRAMMY and GRAMMY nominations, thus establishing himself as one of the most admired artists of his generation. He has placed 46 singles on Billboard’s weekly Hot Latin Songs chart. Eleven of his albums have reached the place of honor in the Salsa genre for sales in the United States and Puerto Rico.
His hit “Imaginar” (2016) as a duo with urban artist Yandel, broke records, reaching #1 on the tropical charts thanks to his fusions of salsa with urban rhythms. In addition, it was named the most popular tropical song of that year, marking the third time that Víctor has obtained this important recognition, after his hits “Me Da Lo Mismo” and “ Tengo Ganas”.

In this 2018, Víctor celebrates his silver anniversary as a professional artist with his new record label “25/7” under the Sony Music Latin label. This album nominated for best Salsa album features collaborations with international artists, such as: Wisin, Bad Bunny, Juan Luis Guerra, Gilberto Santa Rosa and Glenn Monroig. The single “Quiero Tiempo” taken from this production is designated as one of the candidates to win the award in this important category.
Silvestre Dangond, Nicky Jam, Juan Medina, Mauricio Rengifo & Andrés Torres, songwriters (Silvestre Dangond Featuring Nicky Jam)
Record Label: Sony Music Entertainment US Latin

Jorge Luis Piloto, songwriter (Reynier Pérez y Su Septeto Acarey Featuring Gilberto Santa Rosa)
Cut from: Fall in Love Dancing
Record Label: Independent

Jorge Luis Piloto, Jean Rodríguez & Tony Succar, songwriters (Tony Succar Featuring Jean Rodríguez)
Record Label: Unity Entertainment
Fonseca, Mauricio Rengifo & Andrés Torres, songwriters (Fonseca)
Record Label: Sony Music Latin
BEST LATIN JAZZ/JAZZ ALBUM
Bobby Valentin & The Latin Jazzists
Record Label: Bronco Records

| Tracks: | |
| 1. De Nuevo a la Carga | 7.El Cumbanchero |
| 2. Latin Gravy | 8.Mellow Funk |
| 3.Orocoa | 9. Endless Love |
| 4.Smooth Ride | 10.Freedom |
| 5.Blast Off | 11. God Bless the Child |
| 6. Coco Seco | |
Roberto Valentin, better known as Bobby Valentin, was born on June 9, 1941 in the town of Orocovis on the island of Puerto Rico. At a very young age, Bobby learned to play the guitar thanks to the teachings of his father. At just 11 years old, he formed his first musical trio with which he won his first prize, after participating in a local competition. In 1963 Bobby Valentin joined the Tito Rodríguez orchestra traveling to Venezuela twice.
This phenomenal bass player and arranger belonged to the Fania All Stars for 20 years and also arranged music at the same time for celebrities such as: Charlie Palmieri, Joe Quijano, Willie Rosario and Ray Barretto.
In 1975 he formed his own record label “Bronco Records” and released the album, “Va a la Cárcel” Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, among others.
Over the years, Bobby has made collaborations on recordings for great artists of international fame, such as: Larry Harlow, Ismael Miranda, Roberto Roena, Cheo Feliciano and the always remembered, Celia Cruz.
Likewise, Valentin has taken over the stages performing live in the United States during this year, and more recently launched his new production “Mind of a Master”, on April 14, 2018, with which he is nominated. for this important award.
Adrian Iaies Trio
Record Label: DBN
Hermeto Pascoal & Big Band
Record Label: Scubidu Music
Dafnis Prieto Big Band
Record Label: Dafnison Music

Nestor Torres
Record Label: Alfi Records

For more information visit the official website of the Latin Recording Academy: