Search Results for: Cuban music

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

Unity, The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson

North America / USA /

Unity, The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson is a testament to the power of music and one man’s indomitable spirit. The passion project of Peruvian-born, Miami-raised producer / multi-instrumentalist / arranger Tony Succar, Unity features more than 100 musicians, such Latin superstars as Tito Nieves, Jon Secada and Obie Bermudez and the mixing magic of Jackson’s legendary engineer Bruce Swedien in the first ever Latin album salute to The King of Pop.

Fueled by his relentless commitment, quiet determination and passionate faith in the loving message behind much of Jackson’s music, Succar has spent the last four years carefully creating Unity: The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson. He overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles, turning each roadblock into a stepping stone to take the project to new heights. In the process, he married Jackson’s timeless pop and R&B tunes, such as “Thriller”, “Bilie Jean”, and “I Want You Back” to his glorious salsa and tropical rhythms, creating innovative, vibrant arrangements that snap to life with exhilarating energy.

“American funk, soul, jazz – all those styles that were influencing Michael – were inspired from African music”, Succar says. “Same with Afro – Peruvian music, Cuban music. These songs were meant to be. Their original flavor lends itself to these Latin rhythms”.

Succar, 28 grew up listening to his parents play Jackson’s music, and by 13 had begun his own music career. He started on piano and segued to percussion, graduating with a degree in jazz performance at Florida International University in 2008. But it wasn’t until after the superstar’s untimely passing in 2009 that Succar, who earned his Master’s in Jazz performance from FIU in 2010, took a deep dive into the music and the man.

Unity, The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson - Flyers — Unity, The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson – Flyers

“That’s when I became a fanatic, memorizing all his lyrics” he says. “He was an amazing singer. I started analyzing every single detail”.

As Succar pored through Jackson’s material, revisiting songs like “Man In the Mirror”, “Earth Song” and “They Don’t Care About Us” – all of which are reimagined on Unity – he came to a realization: “Michael wasn’t only a musician, he was a spiritual person. He was speaking to people’s hearts through his music. He was a true role model and leader, not only in the music industry, but life in general”, he says.

Concurrent with his discovery, Succar arranged a salsa-infused version of “Thriller” for a Halloween party at Miami’s legendary, now closed Van Dyke Café. The reaction was so immediate and overwhelmingly positive to the performance of this new arrangement, that Succar recorded a version in his bedroom with his band, posted in online and gave away copies. Djs started playing the track and Succar began getting requests from around the world for a full album of Latin – flavored Jackson songs. “That sparked it”, Succar says. “I was such a fan. I felt like I had to do something”.

He launched a Kickstarter campaign and raided more than $10,000, which allowed him to record basic tracks and the idea and harmonious ideal of Unity was born. “The one thing that stood out in Michael’s usic was love. The reality was unity,” He says. “I also wanted the title to stand for something: a real marriage between Latin roots and American pop culture and to help keep Michael’s legacy alive”.

Part of keeping Jackson’s legacy alive meant incorporating elements of the original production in each of his fresh renditions for Unity. “Even the horn lines, I would transcribe them from Quincy Jones’ produtions and then apply them to the arrangement in a different way,” Succar says. “The essence of every song was respected. I gave it my best to create this very thin line between what Michael did with his production and what I brought to the project”.

As Succar proceeded, an astounding number of coincidences buoyed the project. Succar’s initial plan was to record the album with one vocalist, soulful Broadway veteran Kevin Ceballo, but as Succar finalized the arrangements, the idea of a compilation album cae to him. The first artist he reached out to was legendary salsa singer Nieves. He heard nothing back for months . Then, one day in the studio someone suggested Nieves fo “I Want You Back”. Succar explained he’d had no success contacting Nieves.

It’s turned out a studio visitor knew Nieves, called his manager, sent Nieves an MP3, and within 10 minutes, Nieves was on the phone asking when he should come in to record his vocals.

Nieves became the project’s godfather, bringing in other Latin stars, such as India and Jean Rodriguez. “If it weren’t for Tito, I would never have been able to develop this into what it is, “Succar say. “He really opened the doors for me”. Nieves even brought in his son, Tito Nieves Jr. to duet on the album closer, an emotional take on “You are Not Alone”.

As the project progressed, Succar sought out Secada, but once again, was running into walls. He had switched to a different studio and the recording engineer just happened to have worked wih Secada and upon hearing Succar’s story, gave Succar the singer’s direct email. Secada immediately replied that he wanted to record “Human Nature,” his favorite Jackson track.

But there was more to come. Succar contacted Swedien about mixing some tracks, but failed to get a yes after more than a year’s effort. He met his engineer Nick Valentin through a mutual friend, who piped up that he’d been Swedien some music and next thing Succar knew, he’s sitting beside his hero at Swedien’s ranch as Swedien mixed “Earth Song” and “Smooth Criminal. “He was the cherry on top,” Succar says. “When we were mixing, he would put up the original Michael songs and put on our remixes to compare and contrast. He mixed the tracks on the same Harrison 32C model console he mixed ‘Thriller’ on”.

The groundbreaking album, a joint project between Universal Music Classics, Universal Music Latin Entertainment and Universal Music Mexico, embodies Jackson’s spirit of harmony and bringing diverse cultures together through music.

Members of Unity, The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson

Where there once was nothing but a dream, Succar now sees unlimited possibilities. Not only will there be a tour to support Unity: The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson, but he is considering future Unity projects that could salute the music of other timeless artist, such as the Beatles or the Bee Gees, filtered through a Latin musical lens. “Unity is going to become a movement,” he says. And given how far Succar’s come already, who could possibly doubt him?

Julio Albino Y Su Secreto A Voces released ‘‘Pasaporte A Rumbero’’

After a few months of absence, we’re finally back with the batteries recharged to put a magnifying glass on the current projects of the best soneros right now. Today it is the turn of percussionist Julio Albino, who, as usual, delights us with every project he releases.

But before that, we are going with a bit of the artist’s story so that everyone can know him better.

Julio during an event — Julio Albino during a live event

A little bit about Julio Albino’s beginnings

Julio Albino, also known artistically as Junito, became interested in music in his homecity of New York, and after his subsequent return to Puerto Rico, this curiosity did nothing but grow as time went by. It was then that he started listening to the music of legendary names in the industry such as “El Rey de Los Timbales” Tito Puente and Oreste Vilato, who inspired him to join the San German’s school band to some extent. He would later pursue an artistic career through collaborations with more experienced artists.

He ventured into this world professionally in the 1960s, when he began to be taken into account by several of the greatest salseros of the time, such as Frankie Ruiz, Hector Tricoche, Marvin Santiago, Paquito Guzman, Junior Gonzalez, Los Hermanos Colon, Joe Quijano, among others.

There is no denying that each of these collaborations contributed to Julio making known his great talent as a percussionist, but he would not rest until he was able to form his own project, which he eventually achieved. That was how he founded his own orchestra, Julio Albino Y Su Orquesta Secreto A Voces.

Secreto A Veces

Thanks to all the effort invested in his career, Julio has managed to secure a place for his orchestra in the salsa scene, and his best-known musical works are proof of this. His big debut came in 2005 with the album ‘‘Bailalo’’, which ranked high on the charts in countries such as Italy.

Ten years later, he also released the album “Haciendo Ruido” and, the following year, he came with his single “Chachara Con Cua” and the promise of a new album. In 2018, he released “Edén Borinqueño” as his second promotional single, and shortly after, Julio released the full album, which he named “El Secreto Ya No Es Secreto”.

secreto a voces — Cover art of the song ”Pasaporte de Rumbero”

Pasaporte de Rumbero

In 2025, Julio once again showed why he deserves the place he has earned and released his new single “Pasaporte de Rumbero”, with which he looks to consecrate himself as a worthy heir to the soneros who previously gave him the opportunity to join their ranks. Similarly, he shows absolute respect for Afro-Caribbean culture and its deepest roots.

This joyful and energetic piece is not only a reflection of the Puerto Rican artist’s talent, but also of the strength and modernity of his orchestra, which is deeply connected to the Cuban musical tradition. From the very first seconds of the song, listeners can appreciate a festive street atmosphere, but at the same time with sophisticated percussion led by Julio himself, who boasts incredible technique that serves as a guide for the rest of the musicians accompanying him.

Among the members of the orchestra, we can mention trombonist Juan Colón, trumpeter Juan “Junito” León, saxophonist Ricardo Dávila, pianist Gabriel Rodríguez, and bassist Luis Rodríguez. Likewise, the lead vocalist is the charismatic singer Ángel Ríos, who contributes his exquisite phrasing and an enviable dominance of the clave at all times.

Omar Ledezma Jr. shares with us the new from his project with Azesu

Today’s guest needs no further introduction because you know him very well. This is the talented Venezuelan percussionist and singer Omar Ledezma Jr., with whom we have been able to talk about his latest projects, one of which gets him focused and excited in equal parts.

Omar talks to us about his projects — Percussionist and singer Omar Ledezma Jr. talks about his new project with Azesu

What is Omar Ledezma Jr. up to now?

After showing his gratitude for the latest of many invitations we have made to him in International Salsa Magazine, Omar went on to describe the new phase of his career, in which production plays a major role. We are talking about a project he has been involved in since 2011 called Azesu, which includes great musicians and is led by Cuban percussionist Orestes Vilato.

Although the initiative had progressed considerably, Omar and the rest of the group are still waiting for official communication from the social media of the organization that will fund the project by the artists who have applied for it. The group is awaiting approval, although they already have promotion, photos, and a series of details ready to be released once the financing becomes a reality.

What was required of Omar and the rest of the team to present the project

At the beginning, the idea of a recording was floated because this was one of the categories in which artists could apply for funding, so Omar and the others chose to pay tribute to Orestes Vilato. The organization loved the idea, which led them to be one of the groups chosen to receive this financial aid, and they are very happy about that.

However, not everything was rosy, as the members of Azesu could not find the right moment to start recording due to personal situations of some of them and the arrival of the pandemic. After overcoming all that, Jonathan Alford, the group’s pianist and overall director on the project, came to Omar with the idea of recording a second album (they had already recorded one in 2011, also called Azesu) to resume the project they had left behind.

It was then that the Venezuelan artist came up with the idea of paying tribute to Orestes and, in turn, bringing to life some of the lyrics written by his father, who passed away two years ago.

The material also seeks to be a tribute to that generation that is quickly departing, which is why Azesu tries to recreate those concepts and that way of making music, but at this time.

Omar and the rest of Azesu — These are the members of Azesu from left to right: Sheldon Brown (Saxophone), Orestes Vilató (Percussion), Jonathan Alford (Piano), Maria Marquez (Vocals), David Pinto (Bass), and Omar Ledezma Jr. (Percussion and Vocals). Photo taken by Roddy Blelloch

Timeline and objectives for the project

When Azesu released his first album in 2011, it all started with Orestes calling some of the group’s members, who were pianist Jonathan Alfort, Venezuelan singer María Fernanda Vázquez, Peruvian bassist David Pinto, and American saxophonist Sheldon Brawn.

The project is not conceived as a commercial album in every sense of the word, but as a hymn to Las Americas that has a little bit of everything, including jazz, folklore, popular music, dance music, and many more elements coming together to create a unique and different result.

It is also important to note that Azesu’s new album, next to release in 2016, will feature new tracks and covers with completely new versions in the style of Azesu, some of which will be sung and others instrumental. In addition, the new music was composed and arranged by Jonathan and David, although Omar also played an important role in the creative process when it comes to lyrics and melody. It is anticipated that they will enter the studio to start recording in about three weeks, and the album is expected to be released before the summer of 2026.

Omar teaching — Omar Ledezma Jr. teaching at the San Francisco Ballet School

Omar and teaching

We have already addressed the issue of Omar and his role as a teacher in previous editions, so we wanted to know if he is still teaching and which capacity he is using. The musician replied that the teaching part has been and will remain very important in his overall project as an artist, as he believes that, due to his profession, he has a great responsibility to showcase the music he grew up with and the instruments that have allowed him to develop his career.

He currently teaches Latin percussion at the California Jazz Conservatory at Berklee, which is basically a summer ensemble where students learn to play congas, timbales, and bongos. During the rest of the year, he focuses on specific instruments and developing the tumbadora curriculum.

He also offers private lessons in which students can enjoy a much wider range of instruments to learn, such as drums, cajón, bongos, timbales, and much more.

Omar concluded this important topic by saying, “I always take on the idea of remaining a student. Just as I teach classes, I want to continue acquiring knowledge and taking classes with teachers who know many things I don’t.”

Trombone player Lindsey McMurray from the women’s orchestra Las Chikas

Lindsey McMurray, bandleader of the group Las Chikas, has graciously accepted our invitation to talk about the women’s orchestra she is leading, which makes us very happy and pleased, so we invite our readers to enjoy this interview from beginning to end and learn about the musical journey of this young artist.

Lindsay from Las Chikas singing — Lindsey McMurray singing during a concert with Las Chikas

How Lindsey got started in music

Lindsey’s journey to become an artist began very soon at school, when she was just 10 years old and started learning to play the trombone. Prior to this, she had already studied other instruments such as the keyboard and the recorder, but she ended up trying the trombone.

Soon after, at the age of 11, she joined the school jazz band, but it was not until college that she began experimenting with salsa in orchestras that played this genre. Until then, Lindsey had had virtually no contact with Latin music, as she had only listened to typical U.S. rhythms. However, once she discovered Latin American music, she could not escape her love for it and continues to play it to this very day.

It should be noted that the musician does not have any family member who is too. So she would be the first one to make music her profession and, of course, one of the most important areas of her life.

Professional experiences prior to Las Chikas

Before even getting to know of the existence of Las Chikas, Lindsey was on a TV show called ‘’Noches Con Platanito’’ in the musical side, but she did not really lead anything until the bandleaders of the groups who were there left. Her big break came in 2017, when she finally managed to become a bandleader herself and, in turn, started two groups at the same time.

This is because Lindsey did not want to depend on anyone be called whenever she was required, but, on the contrary, she wanted to go on developing her autonomy to the point of being the one to create jobs for others instead of looking for them somewhere else.

Las Chikas

It is important to clarify that Lindsey is not the founder of Las Chikas, but that the group already existed before she joined during the pandemic. The idea of Las Chikas was born during “Noches Con Platanito” as part of the show, but Lindsey and the other members wanted to have activities outside of the show and what the production asked them to do. At that time, the leader and founder of the group was Eliana Rose who during the pandemic wanted to settle in Southern California, so she asked the artist to take her place, which she accepted.

This posed a significant challenge for her, as she had never led a Latin music orchestra in her life. However, the novelty did not make him get cold feet, but on the contrary, it was an experience she wanted to live in order to learn from it.

The current members joined the group thanks to recommendations from friends and other people in the industry. Already at this point, it can be said that they all are her friends, to the extent that they have shared all kinds of special occasions such as birthdays, trips, and much more.

Why only women in the orchestra

What catches the attention about Las Chikas is that, as its name suggests, it is only composed of women. One of the reasons is that the industry, despite of the recent social changes, continues to be dominated by men, so these young female talents find support between themselves.

What the original founder wanted was to promote the idea that a group of girls could play Latin music without it being perceived as strange. Lindsey shares this vision with hundred percent and hopes new generations of women never think for a moment that their gender is a limitation to achieve what they want in music.

Las Chikas with its certificate — Marina Panzetta, Shirly Ace, Lindsey Murray, Whitney Hernadez, Gabby Tamez, Maria Vega, Mayelin Vazquez, Alisha Ard Vazquez, Dolores Duran-Cefalu, and Anitta Garay from Las Chikas posing for the camera with its certificate from the City of Los Angeles. Photo taken by Craig Cochrane

While acknowledging that there have been positive changes in recent decades, she thinks there are areas that do not have enough female representation such as percussion, bass, production, arranging, among others. It is very common for women to be vocalists in a band, but it is still unusual to see them in other areas of the project.

Las Chikas as a mix of cultures and ethnicities

On the band’s website, it can be read that the group is a mix of diverse cultures and ethnicities. In this regard, Lindsey pointed out that, while it is true that she is not a Latina, she has always sought to create something as authentic as possible that is rooted in Latin culture, of course with great respect. “Latin music is so joyful, intelligent, and capable of being beautiful to the eyes of any human being who hears it. I also want in a certain way to make non-Latinos enjoy this beautiful music as much as I do,” Lindsey added on the subject.

She also said that diversity plays a very important role, as non-Latino audiences tend to feel that they have permission to be part of the joy emanating from this music. In addition to that, the fact that the members have diverse backgrounds helps the band have different perspectives on what they want to do.

Today, Las Chikas is composed of Cuban singer Mayelin Vázquez, Cuban singer Whitney Hernández, American pianist Dolores Duran-Cefalu, bassist María Vega, Mexican timbalera Anita Garay, Mexican conga player Diana Teixeira, American trumpet player Anne King, Mexican saxophonist Marina Panzetta, and Lindsay herself on trombone.