Search Results for: Cuban music

Azúcar Club Cubano of São Paulo

Latin America / Brasil / São Paulo

Get to know the Azucar Club Cubano of São Paulo

In Brazil there is a great variety of Latin clubs where you can enjoy pleasant music, if what you want is to dance Merengue, Salsa and Cumbia, you can go visit the “Azúcar Club Cubano” which is located at Rua Dr. Mário Ferraz, 423 Itaim – Bibi , São Paulo, Brazil; which was inaugurated in August of the year 2000; being the first Latin house in Sao Paulo at that time thanks to the Latin inspiration with its coquettish and great Caribbean music. It is currently recognized for being very cheerful and with excellent service where it had great successes and that to this day opens its doors to all people who like Latin rhythms.

They also have a bar where the most requested drinks are Rum and Tequila and among their cocktails are “El Margarita”, “El margarita con Tequila” and “Mojito”, the latter known as the best in all of Sao Paulo; They also have a varied menu.

The Club opens its doors to the public from Tuesday to Friday from 19:00 hrs (7:00 pm) and Saturdays at 20:00 hrs (8:00 pm) and there one can pay with any credit or debit card.

For more information:

Website: http://www.azul.com.br
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/azulclubcubano/
E-mail: [email protected]
Telephone: +55 11 3074.3737

Luis “Papo” Marquez, Musician, singer, songwriter and producer

North America / Miami / Florida

This son of music, born on December 18, 1972, in the Pinar del Río Cuba Province, was raised between notes and chords that led him to be the artist he is today, known as Luis “Papo” Marquez, and considered a complete musician: trumpeter, composer, arranger, singer and music producer.

As a child, he contemplated music as his environment, profession and way of life, thanks to his family who instilled in him all the passion for art and provided him with the tools to develop his knowledge. He began his trumpet studies at the age of 8 (eight) and, at 15 (fifteen), he already practiced professionally as a trumpet player in groups such as the Bella Mar Orchestra, Grupo Cumbre, musical grouping Los Trimmers, Grupo Íreme and Ricardo Hechemendía, in Pinar del Río and Havana.

At 19 (nineteen) he emigrated with his family to Venezuela, a country that opened the doors for his artistic consolidation, where he managed to make art on a large scale with the execution of his instrument and took the first steps within the world of composition and production.

“In Cuba, love and passion for music through the trumpet was born from me, but it was in Venezuela where I had, for the first time, the opportunity to look closely at how the art of composition worked. Suddenly, I was sitting in front of a piano and reading music sheet, trying to understand how they worked and falling in love with the trade. ” LPM

This is how he started a successful career, thanks to his perseverance and permanent study, having the opportunity to play his trumpet with Venezuelan orchestras such as Mauricio Silva, Erick Franchesky, Naty and his Orchestra, Biella Da Costa, Ilan Chester, Sergio Pérez, Porfi Jimenez , Alfredo Naranjo, Orlando Poleo, Los Incorregibles, Mulato, Repicao and Guaco.

He continues forging his path and arrives in Miami, where he expands his international path with artists such as Jon Secada, Bacilos, Willy Chirino, Oscar D ‘León, Juan Gabriel, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Jerry Rivera, Celia Cruz, Cheo Feliciano, Chayanne, José Luís Quintana “Changuito”, Jose Alberto “El Canario”, Víctor Manuel, among others, with whom he has the opportunity to present himself as a trumpeter and in some cases, as arranger and producer.

One of his biggest recognitions has been the delivery of an American Grammy Award for best music producer with the album “Son del Alma” by Willy Chirino; however, for LPM, the recognitions come day by day with the opportunity to make the music that moves and elevates them in their personal and artistic satisfaction.

Luis Papo Márquez defines himself as a “citizen of the world” born in Cuba and with a Cuban-Venezuelan heart. Work and discipline are his pillars to get ahead and his greatest passion will always be “creating music that makes the world move”.

Participation as Trumpeter and Arranger: Jon Secada, Bacilos, Willy Chirino, Juan Gabriel, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Jerry Rivera, Celia Cruz, Guaco, Cheo Feliciano, Chayanne, Edwin Bonilla, Luis Enrique, Victor Manuel, Rafael “El Pollo” Brito, Oscar D´León.

Record Productions:

Son del Alma (The rhythm of the soul). Willy Chirino. 2004. Grammy winner.
De corazon a corazon (From heart to heart). Team VIP. Luis Papo Marquez. 2007
Wireless Telegraphy. José Luis Quintana “Changuito”. 2007
Puedes volar (You can fly). Luis Papo Marquez. 2011
Arturo Sandoval tribute. 2016
Cuban Añejo. 2017
Firstborn. 2019

Wilmer Sifontes “Music is one of the most important things in society”

Music has no boundaries, it has the magical power to bridge social and cultural divides. Such is the case of percussionist Wilmer Sifontes, born in Caracas on March 21, 1968, a year of great events worldwide, a native of the parish of La Vega.

In 1992 he travelled to the United Kingdom for the first time to participate with the Entreverao Group in the World Music Festival “Spirit of The Earth” of the BBC in London.

Thanks to his (Wilmer Sifontes) participation with this group, he got several offers to return to the United Kingdom, so from 1996 he decided to settle down definitively in that country.

His musical duality has allowed him to work with different musical groups and bring the intoxicating rhythms of the American continent to those latitudes. He tells us that; “Fortunately, music is a universal language, it is the flag that one carries and allows you to make your way in other spaces”.

Wilmer, sometimes we imagine that the passion for music comes from a family inheritance, I see that this is not the case with you, how were your musical beginnings?

“In my family there are no musicians, however, as a child I always listened to music, on the way to my house there were places where the orchestras rehearsed, and that I liked it, I started playing salsa, it was always my forte, the music worm began at 10 years old, when the theme of Pedro Navaja with Ruben Blades and Willie Colon was in fashion, in the classroom a classmate imitated that little grave on the desk, this impressed me so much that from that moment the message came to me and I said -this will be my thing-“.

That would be his entrance to the world of music

“Yes, that was a message -but look at it-, I was a sportsman -I played Volleyball and Basketball-, and my sportsman friends wanted to be musicians, they were all adults and I was always with them as a boy, but they had no musical skills, no instruments, this prompted me to look for someone who would help me get into music, so, through my cousin I met the bassist José Machado

-he belongs to a family of musicians from La Vega-, they were my first teachers, they were always rehearsing and I saw, -a visual teaching – because I was a kid, they had a Cuban Son group called “Los Machados”.

At some point he played with them

“After a while we started playing with the “Machados”, people were impressed to see such young boys playing, from him I received my first drumsticks, although I wanted to play bongo”.

How was that evolution?

“In the neighborhood I continued with different groups, then with my cousin we created the “Orquesta La Conclave” and here we developed, we played in all the cultural events”. “We were rehearsing at Catia and Jesús Gómez -one of the singers of Sonero Clásico del Caribe- was always passing by and one day he told us that he needed a timbalero and a pianist, that if we wanted to work with him and we said yes, they played every night at La Caneca, a very famous place that was on Sucre Avenue in Catia”.

“This was my first night job, then I went to Silencio and played in different clubs”.

Wilmer Sifontes in the company of various artists

He is an empirical musician

“I made several attempts to study but… It was a little difficult, there were very rigorous classical schools at the time and I could not enroll, in one I went – La Lamas- together with my cousin, we took the exam and they scratched us (laughs), it is a very nice anecdote, we both sang without knowing the Black Tomasa”.

How does it come to perfection then?

“I was playing by ear, it wasn’t something formal, as he already works in the nights in the clubs, a friend told me that in the Central University of Venezuela, Alberto Borregales and Orlando Poleo were giving classes, when I arrived I saw a great amount of people and I said: -whoa, here they are not going to accept me with that crowd- by chance, the teacher Borregales, makes a small group due to the little space that there was in the classroom, and at that moment I was going to evaluate them to decide who was left and who was not, fortunately I passed the test and I stayed”.

The experience of the street helped him

“(laughs), yes.”

Formally, Borregales was their teacher

“Yes, but my first teachers were the Lp, besides the radio, I listened to a program called “Latin America the Cosmic Race”, with Borregales I entered with a greater discipline, he taught me to analyze, he indicated us what to read, what to listen. Later I was with Poleo in Caricuao, then in San Agustín and eventually went to Sarria. In the neighborhood I learned from Carlos “Tabaco” Quintana, he was one of my favorites, he was my inspiration, he was a timbalero with a terrible swing, excellent, in the neighborhood there were many good ones”.

“Apart from them I also learned from; Daniel Milano Mayora, Jesus Milano Palacios, in the Aquiles Nazoa Library -of Caricuao-, the Bigott Foundation and the Grupo Autóctono de la Vega”.

How was that jump from salsa to folklore?

“I was offered to join the Grupo Autóctono de la Vega, with a great trajectory -it must be 40 or 50 years old by now- there is no role for the amount of people who have passed through there, it is the first group that makes the San Juan demonstrations in Caracas, this is from the Rivas and Ochoa family, it was my first school of folklore, they did dances, sports and then it was dedicated only to folklore music, both have been my teaching, I did not leave either of them”. “Then I played with many other folk and salsa groups, music is one of the most important things in society.”

The Grupo Autóctono de la Vega opened its doors to him, but the Agrupación Entreverao marked his future

“Yes, Entreverao marked my future, let’s say it was a show group, a quartet, its musical structure was very particular, harp, bass, drums and singer, then the percussion was introduced, the percussionist Rhay Herrera was their Director, I got a lot of experience with this group, we had a lot of work and learning, with them we made the first trip to the UK in 92”.

How did you decide that London would be your destination, why not another place more tropical, warmer, you did not think that you would face another culture, another language, another climate?

“I was playing with Erick Franchesky, at that time he had 3 songs stuck in New York, we were going to go four or five of the band, it was almost confirmed, but it didn’t happen, music is like that, sometimes it offers you villas and castles and tomorrow you have nothing.” “I also had other proposals to come to the United Kingdom, the first thing that came out was this, that is, my destiny wanted me to come here”.

“Being out of your country, you learn other things, and that’s one of the particularities of my work, you learn to be more tolerant with people, as I know a lot of folklore from other places has allowed me to arrive, the culture is different to ours, is strong above all if you do not master the language, even if it is the basics, the climate if it was a shock, this is a fridge, (laughs)”.

I can’t imagine the English dancing and listening to Salsa, do they like the genre?

“In the 90’s Salsa was very fashionable around here, there were many places to play, the acceptance of the music is excellent, when the Salsa boom, everyone wanted to learn to dance it, there are clubs to learn to dance, they have fallen in love with Latin American culture, they have been very receptive to those we have come to work with”. “I am the first Venezuelan to make a legal Folkloric Group in this country”.

Tell us a little about that project; AfroAmerica Project

He founded it in 2007, it is an official group of typical and traditional Afro-Venezuelan music, people love Latin American music, they receive it very well, the name is due to a magazine that Jesus “Chucho” Garcia made, which speaks of Afro-Cuban music”.

He continues to work with this project

“Yes, it is a group like Un Solo Pueblo, 90% is Venezuelan music, fulia, tambor, parranda, Calipso, Larense music, there are people who are outside Venezuela and do not know their music, then, we must show what we are, show our culture”.

Photo of Wilmer Sifontes and his instruments

What groups have you worked with in the UK?

“Any number of bands, when I arrived in the UK I started with a man named Kora, he played an African harp, his band was World Music, his music was a mix of African rhythms and the idea was to play Latin American percussion, as I have the virtue of playing different styles of music work with him”.

“Although I did a lot of Salsa in the early years, the other bands I remember are Conjunto Sabroso, Hussein Zahawy, Tumbaito, Ensamble Criollo, La Papayera, Salsa Nueva, The Voices of Naturale, La Charanga Rivera, Tango Tierra, Ensamble Criollo, Clara Rodríguez, Ola Onabule, AfroAmerica Project, Cubanito, Chacón y Su Timba, Bahareque, Salsa Céltica, Kora Colours, Los Charlys Orchestra, Classico Latino, Bilongo all Stars, among others”.

It’s easy for him to move through different genres

“Yes, I owe this to my country, thanks to all that learning I have been able to do so many things and share with so many people in different parts of the world.”

Thanks to this duality you have worked with and accompanied different artists, which ones do you remember?

“Among those I remember are Herman Olivera, Willie González, Maelo Ruiz, José Mangual Jr, Luisito Carrión, Roberto Torres,Tony Vega, Pedro Brull, Tito Gómez, Tito Nieves, Cano Estremera, Giovanni Hidalgo, Andrés Cepeda, Aterciopelados, Leroy Burges, Rodolfo Arcardi, Henry Fiol, Alci Acosta, and the Bands and groups in Venezuela are; Orquesta la Grande, Catatumbo, Entreverao, Criollo y Sabroso, Orquesta la Raza, and with whom I have participated are; Grupo Cosecha, Grupo Autóctono, Jesús Ruiz, La Gran Compañía and Eric Franchesky -who- among many others”.

Wilmer Sifontes in the studio with his instruments

Celtic Sauce, explain that to me, it sounds a little strange

“It’s a Scottish group that mixes Celtic music with Salsa, with them I started doing substitutions for the timbalero, it’s very nice and interesting, they use the traditional instruments of Scottish Folk and the instruments of Salsa and Latin Jazz, they have also mixed it with pop, with rock, with Indian music, that gives them a unique and characteristic sound to this group, with this group I have traveled the world”.

Another band you have worked with is Sidestepper, very famous for fusing elements of Antillean and Colombian music with electronic music.

“Yes, the band was formed in Colombia, by the English producer Richard Blair, he revolutionized the traditional sounds of the region by mixing them with avant-garde sounds, with them I made an interesting work”.

Tell us about the Salsa Nueva Project

“That is the project of the Venezuelan pianist Elena Riu, is the fusion of Salsa with classical arrangements, you can be listening to a kind of montuno, a tumbao’ on the piano and the minute it disappears and leaves a passage well classic, is Latin in classical music, had original themes, is a theme that is called sal-si-ta -so separated-, had songs by Ruben Blades, Ismael Rivera, very cool.

“She needed a rhythmic element and invited me to accompany them, two months later we recorded an album in a church”.

How do you feel about conducting one of the most popular bands in London, El Conjunto Sabroso?

“It has given me a lot of foundation and satisfaction, it was founded by Mrs. Luisa Elena Caicedo, since I arrived here I started to work with them, she listened to my references and called me to make substitutions, then I was their director and assistant director”.

With you, the saying goes… No one is a prophet in his own land

“I think that yes, many people have been prophets, but… after death or after many years -laughs-, I don’t know, at this moment it is so difficult to put a definition to this, although I believe that nobody is a prophet in his land”.

From whom or from whom has he taken his musical influence?

“There are several, the list is long, Carlos “Tabaco” Quintana, Orlando Poleo, Alberto Borregales, Alfredo Villamizar, Orestes Vilato, Tito Puente, Dave Wackel, Ray Barreto, Un Solo Pueblo, Guaco, Paquito de Rivera, Giovanni Hidalgo, Paoli Mejias whom I had the pleasure to meet and accompany, El Trabuco Venezolano, La Fania All Star, Irakere Orchestra, and Puerto Rican and New York Salsa, among many others”.

How has your musical growth been?

“I have learned a lot from each culture, from the Colombian, Cuban, Argentinean, African, knowing the folklore of other places teaches you a lot, sharing with people from all over makes you grow and learn every day, this is part of the particularity of my profession.”

How do you see the market right now, there is a great variety of music, everyone has their own style, what do you think of all this new, but sometimes not good?

“I don’t know if it’s taking a turn or not, the truth is that Europe is different, it has another kind of market, which is not that I’m involved, previously there were many festivals, pop and rock are the popular music of this country, but, reggaeton has been influenced by society, it has been injected with a lot of money, apart from the impact of social networks, it reaches more people, social networks have changed the way music is sold in the world.

“People are scared of reggaeton, for me it depends on who is doing it, the market has changed because of the networks, anyone makes music, anyone plagiarizes music from others, we are in a time of change and music does not escape from it.”

What do you think about tributes and copies, is the musician’s creativity running out?

“When people are alive it is always good to highlight their contribution to the world, there will always be a reference to someone, but it is good that people are creative, and there are the brazen ones who shoot the songs and put other lyrics on them, it is like winning people over with other people’s work”.

“The musical genius has not declined, what happens is that there are no promotions, people who do not do commercial work, it costs a little more to reach, fight against the great machines that bet on other things, musical geniuses are born for generations, are counted.”

The first production of the Conjunto Sabroso is entitled “Ya tengo lo que quería, realmente”

“You never get to have everything you want, but at that moment, we had what we wanted, in that production there are arrangements by Naty Martínez”.

Among your personal projects, which ones would stand out and what new proposals do you bring to the public?

“I was the founder of Ensamble Criollo, we still work with this, AfroAmerica Project, Wilmer Sifontes y Su Combo Caribe, Will Sifontes and his Latin Sound and I’m still working with Conjunto Sabroso as musical director, besides, I’m making a solo album, -let’s say it’s called Latin Jazz- it’s a mix of everything, of my musical career, I already have 3 numbers, there will be duets, quartets, guests, the production is going to be called “Handmade”.

If you were to choose between folklore and salsa

“I’ll take them both, they’re different loves, I still do folklore, salsa and fusions.”

What recommendation do you have for the relay generation

“My recommendation is that they prepare themselves, musically, but first of all their idiosyncrasy, we have to have very clear the bases of what we are and develop them with modern techniques and other elements from other countries, to have discipline, today it is easier to have the information, there are more institutes, the internet”.

By Eling Blanco, ISM Journalist Correspondent, Caracas, Venezuela

” Latin music “, a legacy that does not go out

Musical genres have been part of the citizen’s common life for more than fifty years. In principle, it originated to differentiate religious music from other styles. Starting the great variety of musical genres that we know today. The term “Latin music” was born in the United States to refer to the rhythms from Latin America.

This is due to the large number of groups that emerged in the 1950s. It sought to differentiate African American music from Latin American ones. From now on, different rhythms belonging to this category have come off, such as: salsa, merengue, bachata, cumbia, bossa nova, among others.

Long live Latin music!

Salsa, merengue and bachata, to name just a few, have become the flag of most Latinos; inside and outside their borders they dance, sing and teach others to move with that particular “son”. It is a rhythm that prints passion and a lot of dedication. The music industry is part of the history of this genre. Those who have managed to belong to their ranks have been immortalized through their songs. This movement has been on the rise, making those who were born in Latin American lands proud and accommodating documentaries and movies. Everyone wants to tell a story around Latin music!

5 movies you can’t miss

Films have become a window into the past and what we do not live but would like to recreate. In the case of music, there have been many themes that have been exposed. For this reason, we wanted to compile some of the best ones. You will love their content and you will want to see them immediately. Make your notes!

El Cantante, 2006

Movie - The Singer, 2006

The Singer, 2006

Héctor Lavoe is a Puerto Rican legend. A singer, composer and musical producer with a voice and talent what catapulted him as the greatest salsa performer in history. The film starring the also Puerto Rican Marc Anthony describes Lavoe’s life from his teenage years. The singer, as he is fondly remembered, traveled to New York City at just 16 years old.

Against his father’s will, he decided to go after his dreams. In the scenes we can see how he is part of a musical group and perform in a bar, he meets Eddie (Manny Pérez), Willie Colón (John Ortiz) and gets his first contract with a record label.

However, you will also get to know the darker side of Héctor Lavoe who went through drug and alcohol problems. Héctor meets and falls in love with Puchi (Jennifer López), mother of his son and a very important character in the film. Puchi accompanies him on this path of constant ups and downs until little by little his life begins to change.

They lose their son Tito, as a result of an accident with Héctor’s weapon, and he is definitely not the same again. A story that shows us the success of an artist, his talent and dedication, without neglecting his bad habits that led to his death.

Dance with Me, 1998

Dance With me - Img

Dance With me – 1998

A film in which rhythm and romance will run through your veins. Chayanne and Vanessa Williams play a dance couple who meet in the middle of a great coincidence. Rafael Infante (Chayanne) loses his mother and decides to travel from Cuba to Texas to meet his father, the owner of a dance school.

When she gets to see him, she doesn’t know how to tell him the truth and prefers to apply for a job as a cleaning assistant. However, they realize how great a dancer he is and he begins to have participation in the academy. In the scenes we will be able to see how they get together through dance and enjoy the Latin rhythms. A fun film that should be among your weekend selection. Enjoy it!

Cuban Fury, 2014

Image of Cuban Fury 2014

Cuban Fury 2014

It tells us a story of love, self-improvement, improvement of self-esteem and, of course, salsa. Bruce Garrett (Nick Frost) is attracted to his boss Julia (Rashida Jones) and wants to conquer her through dancing. Garret had qualities for salsa but during his teens he was intimidated and put it aside.

Today, he wants to regain that rhythm, overcoming self-esteem issues and personal fears. For the character it is not easy to leave behind those events that marked his life. However, you must put aside self-pity and allow the dance to define everything. Will it have good results? Find out for yourself!

Ciudad Delirio, 2014

4- City of Delirium 2014

City of Delirium 2014

Cali, Colombia becomes the setting for an adventure full of dance and new experiences. Javier (Julian Villagrán) is a Spaniard who travels to Colombia for work and cannot help but fall in love with its people, customs and women. He meets Angie (Carolina Ramírez) a Colombian who owns a dance school. Their encounters are marked by the music and dancers that characterize this city. Javier ends up learning to dance salsa and guess what? Become an expert!

If you want to know more, find it now!

Shine, 2017

Shine tells us about two Puerto Rican brothers Ralphi Matas (Jorge Burgos) and Junior (Gilbert Saldivar) who have separated due to bad experiences and after a few years, they meet again. Between them, an even greater distance is created when they are on opposite sides of the fight for the gentrification of the area where they grew up.

The dance and cultural roots are present throughout the film, with Uncle Julio (Nelson Gonzales) trying to unite them again. Drama, dance and romance take sides in Shine, a very common story among Latinos in the United States who struggle not to let their principles die.

Latin music is life, it gives color, improves mood and is part of a cultural legacy that will continue to be maintained through the years. Every day new exponents of the genre appear and this will continue to happen over the years. So be it!

Fidel Antillano “The greatest satisfaction of a musician is to finish a quality product and see the acceptance of the public”

Latin America/ Venezuela / Caracas

Salsa is an expression of life within the caraqueño and Latin American neighborhoods. This fusion of rhythms has known how to slip in and no one escapes its magic and enchantment. Such is the case of pianist, composer and arranger Fidel Gregorio Antillano, born in the city of Caracas on June 10, 1962 and raised in one of the city’s sound districts, Los Frailes de Catia, where he lived surrounded by salsa groups, street performers, carnival and Christmas parties, enjoying the golden age of the salsa boom.

Fidel Antillano - Photo — Fidel Antillano – Photo

This genre influenced his destiny and allowed him to make it his way of life. Salsa is a cultural condiment with the flavor of many countries, which has managed to transcend borders.

Almost always at home the musical vein is lit. Was this your case?

“There was influence from my relatives, in my house there was always music, it was like a big jukebox, La Billos, Los Antaños del Stadium, la Sonora Matancera, Barbarito Diez, Casino de la Playa, among others, my grandmother lived in El Retiro, in La Pastora, she had a piano, when I went to visit her with my dad, I sat at the piano and I liked what I felt, music was part of my family, my dad was a great music lover, he bought all kinds of records, classical music, Creole music, tango”.

Did your grandmother or your father play the piano?

“No, my grandmother Gregoria “Tata” -we called her that because of our affection-, she was an amateur but she did not play it, she had it as a reference, she played cuatro, my uncle also played cuatro and guitar, my father did not play anything, he bought many Lps, given the house we had -the piano was a kind of furniture that embellished and gave cache to the house-“.

Family photo of Fidel Antillano's uncles Isaías, Pablo and his grandmother Tata — Family photo of Fidel Antillano’s uncles Isaías, Pablo and his grandmother Tata

“My older brother -on my father’s side- he did have some knowledge, he was the most educated, in that house there were harps, cuatro, maracas, records, my family on my father’s side were very fond of music, from our musical family tree we have four musicians -Julito Antillano, Denis Antillano, José “Kikin” Fernández and me”.

What anecdotes or memories do you have of the piano?

“At the time of the construction of La Cota Mil, my grandmother’s piano was taken to my father’s house, at that time I began to kill a fever, I was about 10 years old, it was the time of the gazebos to choose the queens of the neighborhoods, the Sexteto Juventud was in fashion with its theme Caramel and Chocolate; at Christmas and Carnival we did not peel a rehearsal of the groups that lived in Catia”.

That would be the first impulse to awaken the gift within

“Yes, that was my first impulse, I inherited that musical vein from my grandmother and my father, they were close to salsa and folk musicians, besides, my father and my uncle bought a lot of Long Play (elepé), I started working with my

brother in a shoe store and started buying records.

Fidel, I understand that you are a self-taught musician. How was that learning process and deciding that the piano would be the instrument to play?

“Yes, I am a self-taught musician, back in the 70s we used to hear Nico Monterola’s Orquesta Renovación, La Banda y Su Salsa Joven on the radio. To my surprise, we used to meet with those musicians and we used to go and hang around their rehearsals, this had a big impact on me, there were many shows, it was a coming and going of groups of the moment”.

When I was 18 or 19 years old, seeing Salsa Mayor, Pacheco, Carlos “El Grande”, all those great musicians, I made the decision to learn to play an instrument, I looked for a teacher or someone who would teach me to play the piano -Salsa was underestimated and that’s why they thought it shouldn’t be studied”.

He got a teacher

“No, because of what I’ve told you, salsa was seen with bad eyes, the scholars did not see it as music would be, look, at that time I was exchanging the Lp with my friends, in one of those exchanges a friend lent me the album “Musical Conquest” by Sonora Ponceña, when I heard the song ‘Ñañara’ I fell and the entrance of the piano played by Papo Luca, that simple montuno, I was hooked – I said; this will be my thing!

That was the leap you’re hoping for

“Yes, that was the big jump, I went uphill because I didn’t know what a chord was, I didn’t know anything, I mounted 4 songs with simple chords, taking the first steps I fell in love, then I joined people with more knowledge”.

“As there was no one to teach me, I saw books, I had chords of the songs and I was guided by a music theory book, I learned to decipher the codes, music is a code, I read the Swing Latino magazine -from my friend Angel Mendez-, without stepping on a school, I was fed up; one must know about harmony, contra punto, I bought the Berklee harmony book and many more, -I rubbed shoulders with other musicians -some records came as a clinic, all this was feeding me”.

He was his own teacher and a very disciplined student

“I was my own teacher and I took on a discipline because that’s what I wanted, if you went to an institution where they gave music lessons and you said you wanted to play salsa, the musician was fined or thrown out, they were treated in a derogatory way”.

It was worth the effort, from being an empirical musician to playing with the best orchestras.

“I started with Grupo Fósforo, back in 81, we only wanted to play, it was a sextet, Mr. Manuel Ibarra passed me the notes and I didn’t know much about playing, then Jesús “Mandinga” Torres, took me to see different groups, That’s when I decided to introduce brass into the sextet and it became an orchestra, -all the arrangements were done by me-, I had any number of records and many songs from those Lp were not played or played by other orchestras -Gran Combo, Sonora Ponceña, among others-“.

He is a collector

“Not a collector as such, but I do like it, not with the eagerness that any collector has to obtain all the production, as La Sonora Ponceña says, but I have my Lp”.

What happened with the group Fósforo?

“It dissolved because they each started playing for different orchestras.”

And then the Grupo Fósforo

“Mandinga tells me that Carlos “Tabaco” Quintana needs a pianist, I clarify to him that I do not know how to read the scores, that he gives me the papers that I have the album, I began to listen to the album and I saw the papers, with that I completed the study, and I was increasing the experience, I recorded in the production of Tabaco and his Group Futuro”.

“Then with Dimas and his Orchestra Alegria, it was the first album I recorded professionally in the year 85, through those works I was doing with Dimas, I know Mauricio Silva, I felt afraid because Mauricio already had experience, he was the producer of Dimas’ album, but everything flowed, on the way I know many other professionals”.

“In the year 87 Roberto Blades came to Venezuela to the famous events Consul, Alberto Vergara recommended me Manuel Guerra and we made several tours by some regions of the country, then Julito – my nephew – told me that Naty Martinez needed a pianist”.

How was your time with Naty’s orchestra and your separation?

“Thanks to the album I made with Dimas, many doors opened for me, he believed in me and I will always be grateful for that. Through this album, Naty hired me, he already had references from me, and I recorded 4 of his productions with him -Naty, El Legendario, returned, In Dos tiempos and Proyecto Maelo-, with Naty I made my debut at the Poliedro de Caracas, I met Ray Barreto and the pianist Ricky González -he passed me some tricks-, we also went to Colombia and alternated with Grupo Niche and Joe Arroyo, a great growth and learning”.

“I left the Orchestra with a good relationship with Naty, so much so that he called me later to record in the productions, En dos Tiempos and Proyecto Maelo”.

It was a very fast growth

“Yes, I’ve even recorded jingles, I was with the Orquesta Café de Caricuao, I was with Erick Franchesky in the production where he pays tribute to Billos”.

From Salsa orchestras to working with one of the greatest exponents of Caribbean popular music, maestro Porfi Jimenez

“At the time that erotic salsa was introduced, I started to play with Porfi, merengue and snail soup were in fashion, all that music was in great demand, it was a boom, weekly there were 3 or 4 dances, this dragged a great group of followers, with it I go to Tenerife to some carnivals, I have great respect and admiration for the master”.

His time with the group of Porfi opened the doors to work with the group “Los Roques” of Tenerife

“Of course, however, I had left my resume there and one day they called me and told me that they were going to send me the ticket, I was with them for about 7 months, I played in the carnivals of Tenerife, it was something apotheosis, dances and dances did not let me come – laughs – they played merengue, I was blessed to visit Africa”.

All this accumulation of experience allows him to decide to create his own orchestra

“When Porfi was in the merengue boom, however, most of us musicians were salsa musicians, and because of that need to play our rhythm I decided to create my orchestra, but before doing the Combo Antillano we had an orchestra called La Gran Fuga, the singer was Edgar dolor, we killed fever with that orchestra and eventually I played with Naty and Porfi, because of so much activity I played with my orchestra on the days I had free, it was a good time for the groups”.

What happened with La Gran Fuga?

“We made it to occupy the days we had free with Porfi’s orchestra, at that time it had suffered a drop in the number of performances, but when it came back up, we didn’t have time or space to play, – well – it didn’t really dissolve, in fact they always give us caps to reassemble”.

From being the musician of the Orchestra Dé, to being the owner of El Combo Antillano and taking responsibility for a team

“A great responsibility and commitment, but it was time to do the same, we opened the compas playing music from the Gran Combo of Puerto Rico, that was the end, we played the greatest hits of the moment, no other band did, on Tuesdays that was full of people in the different places where we worked, this served as a bridge and accompanied other artists, Andy Montañez and other groups, this made me think about making original songs to record.

What was your first composition?

“The “Afro-Caribbean Music Festival” took place at the New Circus in Caracas, with 30 orchestras participating. Lil Rodríguez asked the orchestras to play original songs, and my first composition was a tribute to Caracas”.

At that moment they take a prize as the most applauded group of the night

“Yes, that was impressive, with Leah’s song, a Mongo Santamaría song, it was something new for the moment, an instrumental discharge”.

Tell us about your record productions

“My first production is called Háblame de Melao (2010), in most of the songs I do the lyrics and arrangements, was something new, the black Mendoza puts me to record and tells me to do theme by theme, we made 21 track, but in the album only put 19, this production was made to recognize the singers, Dimas Pedroza, Teo Hernandez, Angel Flores, Larry Tovar, Luis del Valle “Don Wicho”, Rodrigo Mendoza, Eloy Rios, a tribute to them and highlight our people.

“The second, Fidel and the descarga de los Frailes (2013), here we handle the Salsa, Latin Jazz, Danzón, has a lot of instrumental music before starting the rumba, I had the desire to work and create with a sense of belonging, I made an innovation in the melody with the electric guitar and flute, I did not want to continue recording on wet”.

“and, Caracas en su Salsa (2018), is a tribute to the Salsa of Caracas, in this production we have 14 songs”.

Through this production you made a documentary with the same name, which begins with a beautiful phrase of Cabrujas “Caracas Suena. The city was made to be heard, not to be seen”. How would your interpretation of this hidden city be?

“There is a city that cannot be seen, but it is there, and although the media does not show it to us, we can notice it, through, for example, the musical groups that exist in our neighborhoods and that become visible when there are events, like the one organized by Héctor Castillo (+) in 1983, where we could realize that there was a whole cultural movement hidden in each of our neighborhoods”.

“So I urge this type of inter-neighborhood events, which allow the visibility of the hidden Caracas.

Another of his passions is composition. At what point does the muse come to him?

“At first sight I fell in love -laughs-, -Bella Cubana-, to compose you must have a little bit of each thing, love, dislike, joy, sadness, they are not always experiences of the composer, sometimes if, in the variety is the taste, in my case I work with the rhythmic part and I put lyrics, and more than muse is a mixture”.

He makes songs with meaning that captivate the audience

“You like your audience to identify with your songs, the lyrics are thought-provoking.”

Does the song I don’t want to live in the dark have to do with any experience?

“That one was written by Carlos Navarro and I arranged it for him, it was a personal experience of his. I was in a treatment centre and he talked to me about it, I decided to do the arrangement”.

In the music industry we have many issues of strip and shrinkage, is the case of Domina tu lengua

“Sometimes people think that a song can be a strip and shrink, because of the content of the lyrics, in this case it is not, this was written by the Cuban producer Luis Llamo”.

What gives you the most pleasure as a musician?

“Finishing the product with quality and seeing the acceptance of the public, when you are in the studio and you realize that it looks better, then it sounds on the radio, seeing that the public sings it, dances it, that’s priceless, that’s the greatest satisfaction”.

Which of your productions has given you the most satisfaction?

“Tell me about Melao.”

Why?

“There is a great variety of rhythms in it, I had the opportunity and the satisfaction of exchanging with a large number of people from outside, in it is the theme Pa’ Barlovento, in it exported what is ours, our native rhythm, Venezuelan Sangueo, the Culo e’ Puya, the San Millán”.

What have been your musical influences?

“I wouldn’t be a musician if it wasn’t for Papo Lucas, trying to emulate what he did, as a musician, arranger and person, I admire him a lot, from here comes my influence, -in what time he learned everything he knows-, that makes him incredible, apart from the master Tony Monserrat, an independence with his left hand, he was a virtuoso”.

Many begin by imitating a style, versioning lyrics from other groups. What do you think of the copies, has creativity been lost?

“It’s a resource that is used, at a certain moment, it’s a hook, I barely had the opportunity to do my work, one must have the ability to discern where to play each song, maybe many are afraid of not liking it, or not being accepted”.

What do you think this fear is about?

“Perhaps not to be broadcast on the radio stations.”

He believes that more support is needed from the various media

“Yes, the lack of support sometimes makes one fear, it’s worrying to touch on a subject and the track gets empty.”

That’s when the artist turns to the hated payola

“I don’t agree with the payola, but it is a necessary evil, all the work that an orchestra owner does generates expenses, and after making an investment you need a retribution; previously live performances were a springboard, they projected a lot to the groups, that has declined a lot”.

What has happened to the Bolero in productions, you don’t listen to them anymore?

“The record companies are more determined to sell, that’s why I think they stopped recording, the new generation should identify with that rhythm, there are many beautiful boleros and if they stop recording they might be forgotten”.

Fidel, what new projects are on the way?

“Right now I’m recording with Angel Flores -record pocket- the song is called Callejon 107, is dedicated to the experiences of Latin American neighborhoods, is a son montuno very tasty, lyrics by Flores and with arrangements by this server”.

At this time when humanity is going through a hard test for its survival, what message would you leave behind?

“There is advice to live a life attached to good habits, one must live under these guidelines, the book of proverbs is wisdom… The man who walks in integrity walks confidently”.

By Eling Blanco, ISM Jounalist Correspondents, Caracas, Venezuela