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Search Results for: Jazz
Argenis Carruyo is known in the music scene as “El Volcán de América” (The Volcano of America) due to the power of his voice
Carruyo He was born in Maracaibo on August 22, 1953 at the Chiquinquira Hospital in Maracaibo, located in the same sector where he grew up.
Argenis Carruyo he had the good fortune of being a neighbor of Los Blanco, who 12 years after his birth hired him as an instrument picker, an experience that served to awaken in him the love for music, a feeling that was nurtured when he discovered in him an unmistakable talent to make singing his life support.
“The Volcano of America” because the power of his voice makes the senses of those who have the opportunity to listen to him rumble; so sings Argenis Carruyo, from Zulia, who from a very young age began to demonstrate the vocal quality that characterizes him.
He has stood out as an interpreter of the gaita zuliana and during the 1970s and 1980s belonged to the Dimensión Latina.
The 80’s was a very busy decade for this multifaceted character; he sang with Orlando y su Combo, and did a duet with Ender Carruyo in the orchestra “Los Hermanos Carruyo” and then again with the Super Combo Los Tropicales, until 1985 when he decided to found his own group called “Argenis Carruyo y su Orquesta”.
He began his musical career with the youth group Los Larkings. Later, he was part of Los Juglares and Los Casinos.
In 1973, he joined the ranks of Súper Combo Los Tropicales and in 1977 he was recruited by Dimensión Latina, with whom he sang until 1981. Later he joined the group Los Melódicos.
During the 1980s he had an intense artistic activity in which he sang with Orlando y su Combo, duetted with Ender Carruyo in the orchestra Los Hermanos Carruyo, worked again with the Súper Combo Los Tropicales and, in 1985, formed his own group: Argenis Carruyo y su Orquesta.
Sabor a Gaita:
Apart from his work with rhythms such as guaracha and salsa, Carruyo has also performed the gaita zuliana.
The Volcano of America has not only stood out among the great interpreters of the Caribbean for playing rhythms such as the guaracha, he has also honored his land by making famous great gaita compositions.
During his time in the genre he worked with groups such as El Número Uno, Rincón Morales, Guaco, Los Morillo and Gaiteros de Pillopo.
He owes part of his fame to the gaita, because the Zulian melody accompanied him on stages and still accompanies him in his veins as it does to anyone who appreciates being a worthy Maracaibero.
During his artistic life he has received numerous recognitions, as well as the publication of a book with his biography.
In 1975 he won the Festival de Cantantes y Compositores Zulianos and has received the Mara de Oro (1993, 1994, 1995) and Gran Cacique de Oro awards as best singer, the Gran Aguila de Venezuela as best singer and dance orchestra (1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001), and the Catatumbo de Oro as best popular singer (1993) among others.
His orchestra received the Orden Ciudad de Maracaibo in its first class as best dance group.
He has performed in the most important nightclubs in Maracaibo, the country and abroad, alternating with the most recognized figures of the song, which is why he is considered one of the most genuine interpreters of tropical Caribbean genres in the Zulian region, such as salsa, guaracha, cumbia, merengue and bolero.
With a prolific career of more than twenty-five years that has served to demonstrate his talents as a vocalist and his own characteristic style, which gives him his most authentic identity.
Argenis Carruyo, with pride from Maracaibo, proclaims that he owes to Zulia the success and fortune that always accompanied him since he discovered the enormous talent he carried in his blood, his homeland became his main fan, to Maracaibo he owes his life and to its inhabitants the affection and the memory that will always keep him alive through his songs.
For 2023 Argenis was specially invited to participate in the excellent group Quintero’s Salsa Project – Tributo A La Dimension Latina directed by New York based percussionists Luisito Quintero and Robert Quintero.
Luisito Quintero grew up in the Latin and African percussion tradition. His father is as percussive as his uncle Carlos Nene Quintero and cousin Roberto Quintero. He became a member of the Venezuelan Symphony Orchestra, but soon joined ensembles such as Grupo Guaco and El Trabuco Venezolano and toured with Oscar D’León.
He then moved to New York, where he met Latin jazz musicians like Willie Colon, Eddie Palmieri, Tito Puente and Celia Cruz worked. He then turned to the fusion of jazz, funk, salsa and African music and played with George Benson, Herbie Hancock, Ravi Coltrane and Toshiko Akiyoshi, but also with pop musicians such as Gloria Estefan and Marc Anthony. Louie Vega produced his first album with him.
Quintero’s Salsa Project – Tribute To The Latin Dimension
Tracks: Ya Tu Lo Véras; Sin Tu Cariño; Cara de Guabina; Sigue Tu Camino; Irimo; Dulce Cantar; De Quintero a Dimensión; Ahi Nama; Te Conocí; Parampampam; Arroz Con Manteca; Frutas del Caney.
Musicians: Argenis Carruyo; Jimmy Bosch; Marcial Istúriz; Roberto Quintero, Luisito Quintero.
Record labels in which Argenis Carruyo has participated.
Top-Hit (TH), Maracaibo Record’s, Argenis Carruyo, Discos VRZ, SonoVen Records, L. G. Record’s C. A; iMusician | EDGARSARMIENTO, Palacio, among others.
Sources:
La Buena Musica: Argenis Carruyo
La Salsa es mi vida: Quintero´s Salsa Project – Tributo A La Dimension Latina
Also Read: Víctor Porfirio Baloa Díaz, more commonly known as Porfi Baloa
ISM – September 2023
Latin America – September 2023
Remembering Domingo ”Tito” Gutiérrez’s career
Domingo ”Tito” Gutiérrez
Domingo ”Tito” Gutiérrez is one of those names that can never be missing when talking about Latin music in the United States, since the contribution made by this musician has been invaluable. That is why we found this to be a good opportunity to look back on the trajectory of this great artist, who has demonstrated again and again that the language of music is universal and crosses borders.
Childhood and musical beginnings
Tito Gutiérrez was born in Guánica southwest of the ”island of Enchantment”, Puerto Rico on August 16, 1957 into the heart of a culturally Latin family, especially in the case of music. However, he moved with his parents to New York City when he was about 11 years old.
Given that little Domingo had to start making friends again after the move, he took every opportunity to interact with other children of the same age, which led him to meet a group of kids enthusiastically playing instruments in a park.
The boy had never played an instrument before in his life, so he felt a little intimidated at first, but that did not stop him from approaching them and saying he wanted to play with them. When asked him what instrument he played, he replied that he played the bongo, since he noticed that the improvised band did not have one.
This is how Domingo joined them, started playing the bongo and continued playing it until he became a professional of this instrument.
Professional life in music
In 1972, he finally ventured into music at a professional level with the same instrument with which he began in this world during his childhood and it was the group El Son De Hoy that gave him his first job opportunity.
Not much time would pass before he became a musical director and founder of an orchestra when he created his own group called Orquesta Borinqueya. At the same time, he was also working with the Orquesta Alianza Boricua, with which he was recording a studio album.
For a period of approximately five or six years, the artist has been recording with countless local orchestras with which he has continued to make a career and expand his musical curriculum, such as Orquesta La Crítica, Orquesta Nelson Feliciano, Orquesta Crisis, Orquesta Guainía, among others.
In 1978, he went to live in New York and did his thing with the bongo along with some groups such as Grupo Melao, Conjunto Avicú and Peter Brown Jazz Cuartet.
In the late 90’s, his fame had grown so much that he has had the opportunity to work in orchestras of international stature such as Orquesta La Terrífica, Orquesta Costa Brava, Orquesta de Simón Pérez, Orquesta de Roberto Ortiz and more. He has also shared the stage with Ismael Miranda, José Alberto ”El Canario”, Andy Montañez, Cano Estremera, among others.
Today, he plays for La Sonora Ponceña of Puerto Rico, ”45 Aniversario” being the first project he recorded with the group and has participated in a number of albums with this great team.
While on tour with the different orchestras to which he has belonged, he was able to visit a large number of countries such as Venezuela, Ecuador, Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, Spain, France, Italy, among others.
Parallel to all this, Domingo has his own line of bongos which he named ”Tito Gutierrez Bongo Series”. This line is part of an initiative of the Reyes Family, who are a group of Colombian artisans who are dedicated to designing bongos of different colors and sizes.
Read also: Jerry Rivas, career, and support for the Spaha Salsa Gallery Museum
Johnny Cruz Correspondent for ISM in New York City