Search Results for: Celia Cruz

Antonio Cartagena is an acclaimed artist, leaving the name of Peru on high all over the world

Antonio Cartagena is one of our best bastions who was born artistically in 1990 from a humble family with Afro-Peruvian roots.

Born in the Constitutional province of Callao (Bellavista) and having studied higher education in the National Police of Peru and half of career in the course of Psychology at the University San Martin.

Being able more the art is consecrated presenting his first success “Sin Ti” belonging in that instant to the Orchestra Peru Salsa All Star at the same time is invited to record songs like Niña and Tengo Todo Execto a Ti by the Orchestra of the Prestigious Oscar “Pitín” Sanchez La Sensual 990 achieving a greater acceptance the demands of work.

They were not made to wait in all the Peruvian literal for such reason is that Antonio Cartagena is traced important goals as the conquest of other countries reason others so that in 1991 produces his first album as a soloist with 10 songs where they highlighted songs like; Sedúceme and Necesito un Amor.

Becoming known in countries such as Colombia, Venezuela and part of the United States.

In 1992 he launches to the market a fresh and romantic Salsa where he highlights songs like Y que Tiene el and M Dueña; from there he reaffirms the internationalization being hired for a tour in the United States with all his group visiting places like New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Virginia, Dallas, Texas, San Diego, among others.

Then in 1993 he is hired by the prestigious international record company RMM of Mr. Ralph Mercado, one of the biggest salsa producers in the world; recording his first international album entitled Dime Que Si, where the most outstanding songs are Apaga La Luz and Perdone Querida.

To perform in dream stages such as Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden and Miami Arenas, alternating with many stars such as Oscar Leon, Van Lester, India, Marc Anthony, Tito Puente, Cheo Feliciano, Ismael Miranda, Celia Cruz, Domingo Quiñonez, Ray de la Paz, Tony Vega, Ray Sepulveda, Johnny Rivera, Tito Nieves, Jose Alberto el Canario, Luis “Perico” Ortiz, Giovanni Hidalgo, and an innumerable list of the greats of the firmament of the salsa market. The tour continued to include Canada, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Santo Domingo, Puerto Rico and Argentina.

These were events that marked a milestone in the vertiginous career of the artist; who arrives in his country after three years of coming and going; with a production titled Punto de Vista (1996), where he consecrates himself with the songs Si Tu No Estas and Pídele Perdón, successfully placing himself at the threshold of his career in his own country.

Already in 1997 he wants to impose the criollismo converting famous and traditional waltzes of our country in salsa; Disc that made him known all over the world even in Europe, presenting himself in stages of Germany, France, Holland, Italy, Switzerland, Spain among others.

In the year 2000 and without stopping touring nationally and internationally, Antonio Cartagena produced a new album which highlights the theme Nadie Quien te Quiera como Yo.

Then in 2001 he travels to New York to produce an album titled Volveré, with songs such as Ni Siquiera, giving much to talk about in that country and in Latin America, visiting countries such as the United States, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, etc.

In 2005 he presents a renewed and updated product imposing themes such as Salsa Regaee, titled No Me Digas Que No, placing himself in the first places of our musical environment.

Antonio Cartagena, is one of our best internationally recognized bastions, who is going through his best moment, considered in salsa as the best exponent of music in his genre and winner for this year of a number of awards such as: Nominated for Best Interpreter of the year in the salsa music genre.

Cartagena is an acclaimed artist, leaving the name of Peru on high all over the world.

Antonio Cartagena

José Mangual Jr.

The son of the master and pioneer of Bongó, José Mangual “Buyú”

The son of the innovative and pioneering bongo musician, José Mangual Sr., aka “Buyú”, José Mangual Jr. was born and raised in East Harlem, the Spanish Quarter of New York City known as “El Barrio”. By the age of fifteen, José Jr. was already playing in local groups.

In 1968, Mangual Jr. was invited to play bongos and sing background vocals for a fledgling orchestra led by a young man named Willie Colón.

The lead vocalist for this group was also a young singer named Hector Lavoe.

Along with his perennial rhythm section “compadre”, legendary percussionist Milton Cardona, Mangual would become a part of history, as they made some of the most important recordings in the annals of salsa music.

Mangual Jr. showed his skill as a composer, author, and lead vocalist with Colón’s orchestra.

José Mangual "Buyú" — Photo of José Mangual Jr in concert

With Kent Gomez in 1973, Mangual co-authored the song “San Miguel” for Tony Pabón y la Protesta. This song featured him as a lead vocalist.

After Willie Colón and Hector Lavoe parted ways to pursue different ventures, it was José Mangual Jr. who took over the musical direction of Lavoe’s band.

Shortly after this in 1977, Mangual formed his own record label, True Ventures Inc., and released A Tribute to Chano Pozo.

This album features the classic recordings, “Campanero” and “Cuero ‘Na Ma”. It also established Mangual as a lead vocalist to be reckoned with, and a serious record producer.

Live Jose Mangual Jr — Photo of José Mangual Jr on stage

The 1980’s saw José Mangual Jr.’s fame grow even more, as he became a premier artist for Velvet Records, and further solidified his fan base in South America, Europe and the Orient.

His skills as a percussionist, vocalist, composer, and musical director were sought out by many including Juan Luis Guerra, Rubén Blades, Herb Alpert, Dizzy Gillespie, David Byrne, Celia Cruz, Ramon Orlando, Mario Bauza, Mongo Santamaria, The Fania All-Stars, Junior Gonzalez, Ismael Miranda, Louie Ramirez and many others.

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of Mangual’s career is his ability to evolve and refine the sounds of his music.

The 1990’s saw him forming and leading his band Sarabanda, while still pursuing the projects he always wanted to do.

In 1995, Mangual released his long-awaited Tribute to Chano Pozo Volume II. This album ranks among his finest, and gives listeners a glimpse into the mind of a master musician who grew up during the golden age of modern Latin music.

In 1998, Mangual produced and musically directed Caiman Records new salsa and Latin jazz release, “Son Boricua”, by his band of the same name.

This session features his original composition, “El Jibarito”, which pays homage to the island of Puerto Rico, and his Boricua heritage. The album and group was the recipient of the New York Latin Critics’ ACE Award as Best New Latin Release for 1998-1999.

Mangual’s recent new release with “Son Boricua”, entitled Homenaje a Cortijo y Rivera is a moving, swinging homage to the music of Rafael Cortijo and “El Sonero Mayor” Ismael Rivera.

What makes this work so noteworthy is that it marks an even deeper trip, not only into Latin jazz, but into the panorama of what the sounds of a Latin New York are: the sounds of the streets of “El Barrio”.

Photo by Jose Mangual Jr — José Mangual Jr on stage

Here, Mangual displays all of the attributes of his professional career, from being the musical director and a lead vocalist, along with the “Smooth One”, Jimmy Sabater, to being a composer with his original composition, “Boricua Blues”.

With this release, Mangual, Sabater, and “Son Boricua” captured their second ACE Award in 2002.

A third ACE Award would follow in 2003 for “Son Boricua’s” 2002 release, Mo!

His most recent participation as a vocal leader in the production of the Quinteros, Quintero’s Salsa Project entitled Our Home, nominated for the Latin Grammy 2019.

Stelio Bosch Cabrujas a remarkable musician, but completely forgotten by the new generations

One of the greatest Venezuelan arrangers that Venezuela’s tropical music could have had passed away on May 5, 1979, 44 years without Stelio Bosch Cabrujas.

Bosch Cabrujas was the arranger and assistant director of both Billos and Los Melódicos and was the architect of the success of both orchestras in the 60’s and 70’s.

A remarkable musician, but completely forgotten by the new generations.

Stelio deserves to have his place of honor in the tropical music of the Caribbean. Stelio, a native of the State of Bolivar, from a very young age, entered the musical field as a musician and arranger.

Billo Frometa, Renato Capriles, Rogelio Martínez y Stelio Bosch Cabrujas

His musical beginnings date back to the 40’s, when he performed “Campesino” for the then Billo’s, where he was recorded by Victor Perez.

Stelio’s musical baggage at the beginning was as a tres player for La Sonora Caracas, he worked with Pedro J. Belisario’s orchestra in the 50’s. He arranged a lot for the radio programs in the musical shows that they presented under the auspices of various commercial brands.

History of Sonora Caracas

Surrounded by an aura of mystery, elusive discography, and a special attraction as a pioneer of the son groups in Caracas. For a long time it was the musical platform for many local tours and recordings of Caribbean music luminaries, when they visited us in the golden age of radio and incipient television. Backed by more than a hundred immortal recordings, ranging from some of the first acetate recordings of Celia Cruz, to Daniel Santos and his theme forbidden by the always conservative Catholic Church.

Contrary to what some critics thought at the time, it was not a bad copy of its namesake matancera, they began under the structure of a septet, and later in their golden age they abstained from using the nasal choirs, they managed a structure of three trumpets, a clear hammer of the bongo accompanied by the congas, in a group with its own personality and that served as a school for some of the most important orchestra directors of the coming decades in our country.

The first Sonora Caracas

In September 1933, our capital was musically shaken by the visit of the Trio Matamoros, famous movie and record stars, who during their twenty continuous days at the prestigious Teatro Ayacucho, stirred up a bucolic Caracas with their sones and boleros, and when they traveled to the west of our country1, they sowed the seeds of the first son groups in Venezuela.

He was in the quintet Los Modernos, who on several occasions accompanied Felipe Pirela on TV. He was the pianist.

He worked for Los Guaracheros de Manolo (when he left Billo’s) and also worked with the Orquesta Sans Sousi.

He worked for a short time in Carlos Guerra’s orchestra and from there he made the leap to Renato Capriles’ Melodicos, recommended by Freddy Coronado when he was the director of LM.

When Coronado left the direction of LM, Stelio took over the musical direction and catapulted them to the fat and unequaled sound of lm in the 60’s, which represented a sonority like few others.

When Stelio left lm, Manolo Monterrey’s orchestra joined the harmonies, and he suggested to Manolo that he return to lm, which the Antillean cyclone accepted and returned triumphantly to Renato’s organization.

At the beginning of the 70’s Stelio goes to work with the most popular band in Venezuela and there Stelio’s arrangement work gives another big hit, his contribution is immense and Billo’s goes on to live one of the greatest decades that Billo Frómeta’s group has ever had.

The contribution of Stelio Bosch Cabrujas to tropical music is worthy of study and review, to be included in university courses so that the new generations of arrangers and musicians understand the legacy of a musician who is threatened to be forgotten, it is up to us to make sure that this does not happen and it is mandatory to keep his memory alive.

Sources:

Newspaper library of the popular music of Venezuela.

Gherson Maldonado

Iliana Capriles (Oficial)

Fausto Cuevas Y La Moderna in International Salsa Magazine

Who is Fausto Cuevas

Fausto Cuevas is a bandleader and percussionist from the state of Texas who is currently leading the orchestra Fausto Cuevas Y La Moderna, which has been playing in a large number of nightclubs located in the state of California, where Fausto currently resides.

For its part, Fausto Cuevas Y La Moderna is a salsa group whose purpose is to take the old Latin genres and provide a modern twist to them. While it is true that their main genre is and has been salsa, its members also experiment a lot with Cuban guaguancó, yambú, cumbia, son, cha cha chá, among others.

We are proud to have such an artist in our June edition and hope that this conversation will grace all our readers.

Fausto’s beginnings in music

Fausto grew up in Brownsville, a village in Texas very close to the southern border with Matamoros, Tamaulipas, where his father is from. Due to this territorial proximity to Mexico, the artist was always exposed to ranchera instruments and, in particular, drums. The latter would be very important in what would become his professional future.

At the age of 11, he entered the public school system and was assigned to play a snare drum in a symphonic style. It can be said that this is when his fascination for this type of instrument began and continues till this very day.

In fact, Fausto claimed to have not been interested in guitar, piano or bass. He was always very clear that his aspirations were focused on drums, and percussion.

These first steps led him to specialize in playing American music, rock and jazz. Until then, he had not had any contact with Latin or Afro-Cuban music, but that would eventually change.

Moving from Boston to California

Fausto tells us that his biggest dream was always to go to New York, since the music scene was vibrant there at that time, but he could never do it due to some personal issues he encountered, such as the birth of his daughter. This is what made him move to Los Angeles and give up on that dream.

When we asked him if he still wanted to live in ”The Big Apple”, he told us that he had already found his place in California and his career had already taken root in this part of the United States.

Fausto Cuevas Y La Moderna

Fausto Cuevas Y La Moderna was created in a very particular way. One day, Fausto received a call from the department at Berkeley that does concerts for the Boston community and was asked if he had a salsa band to play at the Tito Puente Latin Music Series. He said yes to everything, although he had nothing prepared at the time.

What he did have was a group of friends who were related to music and happened to live in Boston. They were all so well-suited and had so many plans that things worked out in an extraordinary way. That was 25 years ago and they have stayed together to this day despite the obstacles.

Relationships with other artists and genres

Fausto Cuevas Y La Moderna have performed and toured with stars such as Marc Anthony, Jose Alberto ”El Canario”, Celia Cruz, Julio Iglesias, Santana, Tito Nieves, Tito Puente Jr., Stavie Wonder Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, among others.

One thing that Fausto feels he has learned from these artists is to be identifiable as a Latino in American genres. He says it is very interesting to create things, always identifying with Latin rhythms when playing soul, R&B or pop.

Having had so much contact with all these musical luminaries has helped him to rediscover himself and be much more creative when mixing Latin and American elements. In this sense, knowing the roots of the genres he plays has helped him a lot to know how to link both worlds.

It is precisely the knowledge of these roots which has made Fausto Y la Moderna stand out among other Californian groups.

Future projects

As to future projects, Fausto Y la Moderna plans to release a few singles this year and record the rest of the album in order to release the whole album in 2024.

He also pointed out that he is about to release an album with Gonzalo Grau Y La Clave Secreta, another group in which he is also involved, so he invites everyone to listen to his music through networks and digital platforms.

Allyson Briggs ”La Rubia de La Salsa”

A little of her story

Allyson Briggs ”La Rubia de La Salsa” is a bandleader and singer who has earned a lot of recognition in recent years. Currently, this talented woman leads the Fleur Seule orchestra, whose main musical genres are salsa, jazz, swing and ballroom dancing.

Also known as ”The Glamorous Girl of Jazz” is able to sing in seven different languages and several of her covers have been written by artists such as Edith Piaf, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Marc Anthony, Héctor Lavoe, among others.

We feel very fortunate to have been able to interview Allyson, who has kindly agreed to tell us about her life and career so that readers of International Salsa Magazine can get to know her better.

Allyson Briggs ''La Rubia de La Salsa'' performing on stage — Allyson Briggs ”La Rubia de La Salsa” performing on stage

How she became interested in music

When we hit the subject of her childhood, Allyson told us that her parents always played classical music. ”We listened to a lot of the classics, big bands, swing, blues, rock and roll, jazz, opera, among other genres,” she said. That’s how her love for these styles began, but the case of Latin music was different.

Her taste for Latin music is because she is married to a Puerto Rican, so she feels her husband and her in-laws have influenced her to end up falling in love with salsa, Puerto Rican music and its culture in general.

This inclusion of Latin rhythms has made her Fleur Seule orchestra collect a lot of fans who simply want to dance to these genres and, some of them, remember their roots.

How she learned to sing in Spanish

Long before she learned Spanish, Allyson began to learn German, which she considers her second language. This interest came from the German roots in her family, whose past always seemed very interesting to her. The same happened with French, as the artist also has French ancestors.

In the case of Spanish, she had some kind of contact with the language at school, but its actual use began when she got married and had to communicate in that way at home. In addition to that, Allyson has a lot of friends in New York, who have helped her a lot to understand certain things about the language.

Allyson learned Spanish thanks to her Puerto Rican husband

Hispanic artists she likes the most are Héctor Lavoe, Rubén Blades, Celia Cruz and Javier Solis. As for covers, she commented that she always tries very hard to understand what a composer wants to say with his lyrics in order to make the interpretation as faithful as possible.

Why is she called ”La Rubia de La Salsa”?

The name ”La Rubia de La Salsa” was not invented by Allyson herself, but by some concertgoers when she sang at La Marqueta, Spanish Harlem. The point is that no one could pronounce Fleur Seule, so they opted for something that everyone could pronounce with no problem.

Upon hearing it for the first time, she realized that this nickname captured her essence perfectly due to her physique, her costumes and the type of music she makes. For the same reason, she is still called by that name to this day.

Fleur Seule

Allyson revealed that she chose the name ”Fleur Seule” for her orchestra in honor of the French language. In addition to that, it sounds unique and elegant to anyone who hears it.

As for the beginning of her orchestra, she told that she met a guitarist with whom she started doing some musical projects. This same person provided her with certain recommendations in terms of singing and even language, which were taken into account until she was able to assemble a complete group.

She chose the name ''Fleur Seule'' for her orchestra because it sounds elegant and unique — She chose the name ”Fleur Seule” for her orchestra because it sounds elegant and unique

Activity during and after the pandemic

Allyson told us that the pandemic gave her the opportunity to meet multiple people through social networks due to online concerts she offered twice a week. When things began to return to normal, there were many fans who told her that they got to know her music through digital platforms like Instagram and Facebook.

At the moment, she has some performances planned in Puerto Rico and the state of Florida after the success he had the last time she went to those places. He also mentioned that she would like to go to Colombia and Japan, as both countries are big salsa fans.