Search Results for: Latin Jazz

Noticias Con Sabor with Luis Medina

Noticias Con Sabor in the month of January

We leave this year with the loss of giants in the Latin Music who have joined the ancestors that include the recent loss of the legendary Mexican star Vicente Fernandez, Panamanian powerhouse sonero Meñique and Paquito Guzman who was known for both his boleros and Salsa tunes. This year we have also lost legends and great musicians such as Johnny Pacheco, Roberto Roena, Chick Corea, Larry Harlow, Adalberto Alvarez, Johnny Ventura, Ralph Irrizary, Tommy Villariny and at the end of 2020, Tito Rojas. We are lucky that these artists have left us with their legacies of music that will continue to entertain people for years to come. Rest in Power!

Spanish Harlem Orchestra conquered Monterey with two explosive sets at a special show this past Saturday, Dec. 11th at the Monterey Conference Center. SHO played a few new tunes from their upcoming 2022 release, their repertoire of hits and Christmas salsa music much to the crowd’s delight. I had the pleasure of emceeing the show as well as playing music as the event’s DJ. SHO who were on fire all night and the dance floor was packed all night long. The crowd roared their approval with a standing ovation at the end of the night. SHO responded with an infectious danceable Christmas song with a crowd sing-a-long which ended the festive evening. Thanks to producer Luis Mendoza and Montuno Productions for inviting me to be a part of this event. Thanks to the great crowd in Monterey who are salseros all the way!

Oscar Hernández playing the piano — Oscar Hernández from Spanish Harlem Orchestra performing at The Monterrey Conference Center

During the COVID19 pandemic, it seemed that all live music stopped being played in public. However, there were a few places, mostly outdoor cafes, farmer’s markets and restaurants with outdoor dining that offered live Latin Jazz during these dark times. One of the unsung heroes who continued to play when the pandemic was at its height is veteran pianist-bandleader Gary Flores who formed Salsa Caliente in SF in 1976. The group has had a lot of prominent musicians including vocalists Paquito Acosta and Angelo Pagan who continued to see their careers thrive in Puerto Rico and Los Angeles. He disbanded Salsa Caliente in the late 90’s to concentrate on a smaller Latin Jazz group. Flores along with ex Franco Brothers bassist/vocalist Carlitos Franco and a revolving lineup of all-star percussionists including Santana timbalero Karl Perazo and former Avance bongocero Oscar Soltero kept the live music going during the pandemic at different venues. Flores was able to continue to play Latin Jazz and Salsa in stripped down format as a trio due to rearranging Salsa tunes as all the members sang coros and vocalized horn lines behind Franco, Now that live music has made a comeback of sorts and some venues are now booking bigger bands, Flores is revitalizing a bigger version of Salsa Caliente featuring Franco and Perazo. Flores has been writing new music and plans to record new music with the group. His last recording “Descarga Caliente: A New Beginning” came out in 2005. Gary Flores is a veteran and a survivor of the San Francisco Salsa Scene who deserves a big shout out for keeping Latin music alive in the age of COVID! Pa’lante Gary!!

Reopening will be later

Some scenes are not reopening for 2022 until February or later. One of those venues affected is Space 550 at 550 Barneveld St. in San Francisco who will reopen in February due to concerns regarding the current surge in COVID cases and the situation with the new variant of the disease. I also spoke with Adrian Goddard of Jaffe Events who told me that he will continue to book events but later in the first quarter of 2022, For some event producers, January isn’t a good month to book Latin Music.

People at Space 550 — Some people dancing at Space 550

However that’s not stopping Grammy Award winners Pacific Mambo Orchestra who will play their annual January dates at Yoshi’s, Jack London Square on Friday, January 7 and Saturday, January 8th. Get ready to enjoy and dance to swinging Mambo, Salsa and Latin Jazz from this awesome all-star 20 piece band led by pianist Christian Tumalan and trumpeter Steffen Kuehn. This SF based band is scheduled to play at Europe’s prestigious Tempo Latino Festival in late July. Tickets are now available for these upcoming January dates at Yoshi’s. For more information, visit www.yoshis.com.

The Cigar Bar, 850 Montgomery St. in SF is starting 2022 with a calendar of great acts coming to this fine venue where you can dine, dance and smoke a fine cigar if you choose to do so. The schedule includes Orquesta La Original w/Alexis Jan 7, Josh Jones Latin Jazz Ensemble Jan 8, The Latin Rhythm Boys Jan 14, Edgardo y Candela Jan 15, N’Rumba Jan 21, La Clave Del Blanco Jan 22, Julio Bravo Y Salsabor Jan 28 and Manteca Jan 29

The Seahorse in Sausalito continues to feature explosive music from the following acts in January on Saturday and Sunday including La Clave Del Blanco Jan 2, Gary Flores and Salsa Caliente featuring Karl Perazo of Santana Jan 8, Edgardo Cambon y Candela Jan 9, Carlos Xavier Salsa Band Jan. 15, Louie Romero and Mazacote Jan 16, Braulio Barrera and Somos El Son, Jan 22, Orquesta Bembe featuring Christian Pepin on Jan. 23 and Rumbache on Jan. 29. DJ Jose Ruiz from KPOO/KPFA Radio will also be behind the decks for your dancing pleasure. Check out their fine Italian cuisine and selection of beer and wine.

Beautiful decoration of Seahorse at night

The Ramp, 855 Terry Francois in SF continues to offer Salsa under their all-weather tent during the month of January. Their line up includes N’Rumba Jan 8, Louie Romero & Mazacote Jan. 15, Manny Martinez y La Rebeldia, Jan 22 and Orquesta Borinquen on January 29th. DJ Mendy is providing the music in-between sets and from 9 to 11 pm. The music starts at 5 pm on Saturdays.

Cascal, 400 Castro in Mountain View will be featuring the explosive sounds of Edgardo Cambon and LaTiDo on Fridays, January 7th and 21st starting at 7:30 pm. There is no cover. Cascal continues to offer their tasty menu of Spanish cuisine, Tapas and fine drinks.

The following recordings kept me going during the second year of COVID19: Ruben Blades “Salswing”, El Gran Combo “En Cuarentena” and their Xmas cd “De Trulla Con El Combo”, Gilberto Santa Rosa’s all-star studded “Colegas”, Sonora Ponceña “Hegemonia Musical”, Mel Martinez “Asi Escribe Un Sonero”, Los Generales De La Salsa featuring Van Lester, a 1996 all-star session finally seeing the light of day, Tromboranga “Salsa Terapia”, Los Van Van “Mi Songo”, Various Artists “El Son De Caballero-Homenaje A Adalberto Alvarez and “Son Para Un Sonero”, Sounds Of Cuba “Los Titanes De La Timba”, Alexander Abreu/Havana d’Primera, Various Artists “En Barranquilla Me Quedo-Homenaje a Joe Arroyo, Dorance Lorza’s Sexteto Cafe “20 Aniversario”, Luis Perico Ortiz “Sigo Entre Amigos”, Charlie Donato’s Son Ideal “De Vuelta Al Barrio, Eduardo Zayas Y Su EZ La Banda “Huerto De Soneros” and his latest “Sabor Y Sandunga”, Alain Perez, Issac Delgado & Orquesta Aragon “Cha Cha Cha: Homenaje A Lo Tradicional” and Orquesta Failde “Joyas Ineditas”. There are a flood of singles that did the job as well from Julito Alvarado’s maxi single “Lo Que No Se Escucha (Descarga De Soneros), Don Pergiñon Y La Puertorriqueña, Marc Anthony, Wilito Otero, Josean Rivera, Monsi Y Su Salsa , Mariana Y Su Makynaria, Julito Albino y Secreto De Voces and VibraSON. These recordings are some of my picks for the Best of 2021.

And…if that wasn’t enough, my program Con Sabor, Saturday nights 9 to 11 PM PST on KPFA 94.1 FM will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary year on January 1, 2022! Time flies when you’re having fun!! I’m also on “Sabiduria Con Tumbao” every Wednesday night 5 to 7 PM PST on WorldSalsaRadio.com.

That’s it for this time. Ciao 4 now!!

The tent at The Ramp! — Inside the tent at The Ramp

This is the report last month: Noticias con Sabor by Luis Medina

BY LUIS MEDINA, PRODUCER AND HOST OF CON SABOR ON KPFA 94.1 FM AND SABIDURIA CON TUMBAO ON WORLD SALSA RADIO.COM

Noticias con Sabor by Luis Medina

News about the live music scene in San Francisco

The Ruben Blades concert at Oakland’s Paramount Theatre on Saturday, November 20th was sensational! The anticipation of the packed intergenerational crowd to his first visit In 18 years was at a high peak. Blades wowed the audience with a stunning performance backed by bassist Roberto Delgado’s dynamic Big Band. Ruben’s powerful voice was as crystal clear as when he started his career with Ray Barretto back in 1974. His set list was a retrospective into his vast and deep repertoire that included his big hits, crowd favorites, esoteric song choices and selections from his Latin Grammy award winning album Salswing! The musicianship that accompanied Blades was top notch as Roberto Delgado’s crack band were tight, explosive and swinging! The visuals projected on the huge screen above Ruben were imaginative displaying photo tributes to Hector Lavoe as well as to recently deceased Latin music giants and clever animation that was the backdrop for songs. This was a triumphant return to the SF Bay Area for Blades who last played a concert here in 2003 at Roccapulco. He performed for 2 hours and 40 minutes to the delight of the massive crowd. What a show!!

Art for the Salswing Tour by Rubén Baldes

Speaking of big shows….Three time Grammy Award Winner Spanish Harlem Orchestra will play a special holiday dance/concert “Salsa Para El Bailador” on Saturday, December 11th, 8 pm at the Monterey Conference Center, 1 Portola Plaza in Monterey. Yours truly, Luis Medina will be your Master Of Ceremonies and DJ for the evening playing 100% Bailable in between the sets. There are VIP seats and packages still available. There is also an auto caravan coming from San Francisco directly to the concert. For more information on the concert, caravan and tickets, please visit www.montunoproductions.com or call 510-586-3215.

I dropped by La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley to catch the livestream of their couch concert starring Santana percussionist Karl Perazo live from their stage on Friday, Nov. 19th. The web streamed concert was hosted by renowned Bay Area based flautist Miguelito Martinez (Candela) with an intro from La Peña’s Executive Director Natalia Neira Retamal. Perazo was in excellent form on congas, bongos and percussion leading a hot Latin Jazz descarga accompanied by Martinez, bassist Saul Sierra and pianist Julio De La Cruz. This session was part of an on-going series that is coordinated by La Peña new creative staff Corey Raynor. For more information, visit www.lapena.org.

The Cigar Bar, 850 Montgomery in SF’s North Beach will be open to Salseros in December for part of December. Their lineup includes Orquesta Timbalero Dec 4, Alberto Y La Differencia Dec. 5, Edgardo Cambon y Candela, Dec 10, Josh Jones Latin Jazz Ensemble Dec 11, Latin Rhythm Boys Dec 17 and the last night for Salsa this year will be featuring PMO all star vocalist/percussionist Braulio Barrera’s Somos El Son on Dec. 18. Cigar Bar will reopen the Latin music nights in early January 2022.

The Seahorse is Sausalito will feature in their Sunday Salsa lineup the following acts: Julio Bravo & Salsabor Dec 5, Edgardo Cambon & Candela Dec. 12, Louie Romero & Mazacote Dec 19 and the Salsa Caliente All Stars with Karl Perazo (of Santana), Gary Flores and Carlitos Franco on Dec. 26. The Seahorse will also be starting off their Salsa Saturdays with Rene Escovedo on Dec. 4th. For the rest of the Sat schedule, visit sausalitoseahorse.com.

Julio Bravo Y Su Orquesta Salsabor — Julio Bravo in one of his performances

More news

The Ramp, 855 Terry Francois in SF will continue Salsa under their weatherproof tent on Saturday afternoons beginning at 5 PM featuring Pepe Y Su Orquesta Dec. 4, trumpeter Julius Melendez All Stars Dec. 11, Eric Rangel and Orquesta America, Dec 18 and a special Thursday with Julio Bravo and Salsabor on Dec. 23rd

Space 550 at 550 Barneveld, SF has opened its doors again to Friday Salsa dancing featuring Somos El Son Dec 3, Orquesta Borinquen Dec. 10 and their last event for 2021 featuring N’Rumba on Dec. 17th. The Friday Night happenings will resume on Friday, January 14, 2022 with Borinquen. The Saturday nights have resumed with Bachata Takeover Saturdays featuring Bachata in the main room and the other rooms featuring Salsa and Bachata.

Kimbara 3380 19th Street at the site of the old big room of the former SF Bissap Baobab location is now featuring Suzy Q Wednesdays every 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month. This night brought you by the Producers of I Heart Mambo and the SBK Congress feature Salsa Congress style DJ’s and live bands such as VibraSON on December 15th.

Peninsula/South Bay’s long-running established Salsa Club Alberto’s, 736 West Dana St in Mountain View offers Salsa on Tuesday and Friday nights featuring dance lessons by Pantea with DJ and live entertainment. Their weekly calendar includes Tango on Sunday, Bachata on Wednesdays and Rock En Español on Saturday nights….Cascal Restaurant located nearby at 400 Castro Street, Mountain View offers live entertainment on Fridays through Sundays with great ambiance, tasty Spanish cuisine and the sounds of Edgardo Cambon and LaTiDo on December 3, 4 and 17th.

Singer Edgardo Cambon — Uruguayan bandleader, percussionist, and singer Edgardo Cambon

Producer Adrian Goddard’s Jaffe Events continues to keep busy into the holidays. They will celebrate with a Fiesta Navideña on Saturday, Dec. 11 from 3 to 7 pm. Featuring an afternoon of Salsa, Timba, Bachata, Reggaeton and more by DJ’s including Walt Digz, Tony O and Pablo at the Mars Bar, 798 Brannan SF. Jaffe Events is also presenting Feliz Año Nuevo 2022 on New Years Eve with DJ’s spinning Reggaeton, Salsa, Latin Hits, Cumbia and more at the BEI Hotel, 50 Eighth Street in San Francisco.

On New Year’s Eve, the renowned Salsa orchestra Grupo Gale from Colombia will headline at the Hyatt Regency in Burlingame. The event will also feature DJ Tony O, DJ Bosco and DJ Franklin. The event will also feature International music in their second room. For more information, go to eventbrite.com, ticketsparaticom or call 415-424-8809.

The Marriott in San Mateo will feature 6 rooms featuring live music by Julio Bravo and Salsabor, Amor Do Samba with Brazilian Drummers, Orquesta N’Rumba, Orq Revelation and 10 DJ’s playing hits, Reggaeton, Bachata and Salsa. Free beer offered from 8 to 11 pm. For ticket info, visit www.marriottliveparty.com.

There will be a New Years Eve Descarga 2021 featuring Salsa, Bachata and Kizomba music at 1824 Hillsdale Avenue in San Jose. This bash will feature a tribute to the legendary all-star timbalero Louie Romero who will be performing with Orquesta Salson, Dance performance by John and Liz of Salsamania Dance Company,, DJ music will feature WorldSalsaRadio DJ’s El De La Clave SF and DJ Boricua, dancer Kathy Reyes will be hosting the bachata room and more! For tickets, go to eventbrite.com

Be sure to check out my radio programs “Con Sabor” every Saturday evening 9 to 11 pm on KPFA 94.1 FM/kpfa.org and “Sabiduria Con Tumbao” every Wednesday evening 5 to 7 PM PST on WorldSalsaRadio.com.

Until next time, Ciao 4 now!!!

Louie Romero Y Su Grupo Mazacote — Bandleader and timbalero Luie Romero while performing

This is the report last month: NOTICIAS CON SABOR- SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA/NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

BY LUIS MEDINA, PRODUCER AND HOST OF CON SABOR ON KPFA 94.1 FM AND SABIDURIA CON TUMBAO ON WORLD SALSA RADIO.COM

Arturo O’Farrill’s career and upcoming projects

The story of Arturo

Latin America has given rise to a great number of musical legends who have made history in the United States and Arturo O’Farrill is one of them. Arturo O’Farrill Valero is a bandleader, composer, arranger, pianist and jazz and Latin jazz musician who was born in Mexico City, fruit of the union of his parents Chico O’Farrill and Lupe Valero. Both were closely linked to the world of music since before their son was born, which means that the young O’Farrill followed the footsteps of his parents.

His family lived in Mexico City until the mid-1960s, when they decided to move to New York City, where Chico began to work as a musician and to establish contacts with some of the greatest musicians of the moment, such as Dizzie Gillespie, Lester Bowie, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, La Lupe and many others. His first contact with music was at the age of six, when he began taking piano lessons, which he did not like very much, but then he changed his mind and decided that music was what he wanted to dedicate his entire life to.

One of his big breaks took place when composer and jazz pianist Carla Bley contacted him to play with her band at Carnegie Hall. After getting some kind of piano and organ experience with this group, he started making solo collaborations with Howard Johnson and Steve Turre.

This is Arturo O'Farrill — Arturo O’Farrill

In the 1990s, he joined his father to help him revive his musical career. Given that Chico was in a rather vulnerable state of health, he had to delegate the hiring of his musicians to others, so Arturo wanted to intervene to help his progenitor and formed the Chico O’Farrill Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra that began playing at Birdland every Saturday night. Once his father passed away in 1995, he went on to become the orchestra leader.

In the early 2000s, Lincoln Center jazz program director Wynton Marsalis contacted Arturo to ask him to help with a concert entitled The Spirit of Tito Puente. The problem was that the Lincoln Canter jazz orchestra did not get what it took to play Latin jazz. As expressed by O’Farrill in the Wall Street Journal, he tried to make the musicians to play jazz in a more Afro-Cuban way, but he could not manage to. They ended up playing a quite traditional type of jazz, but failed to capture the essence of what Arturo wanted to obtain as a result.

That’s when he knew they needed a very special group of musicians who could play music with the right approach for the genre. After that, Marsalis invited the musician to found and lead an Afro-Cuban jazz band that would perform at Lincoln Center regularly, which was baptized as the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (ALJO) after accepting the proposal. One of the things which have characterized the orchestra since its beginnings has been the use of a large instrumentation very typical of traditional jazz bands and a three-piece percussion section.

Arturo and his piano — Arturo O’Farrill while performing

Arturo O’Farrill’s new album

According to some media reports, the artist released his latest album entitled Dreaming In Lions on September 24. In the album, O’Farrill leads a very special group of 10 musicians The Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble and receives the cooperation of the Malpaso Dance Company from Cuba.

The artist was inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s novel The Old Man and the Sea (one of his favorite books at a young age) to give a name to his album. Its protagonist is a Cuban fisherman who starts dreaming of lions prowling the African shores while doing his job at sea.

What he is trying to achieve is that those who listen to the album are not just listeners of it, but also actively participate in that dream, even if it is not real.

FIREWALL

Del Mar
Intruso
BeautyCocoon
Ensayo Silencio
La Llorona

DREAMING IN LIONS

Dreaming in Lions
Scalular
HowI Love
TheDeep
WarBird Man
Strugglesand Strugglets
IWishWe Was
Bloodin the Water
Dreams So Gold

Know everything about Oscar Hernádez and Spanish Harlem Orchestra

Spanish Harlem Orchestra and its beginnings

Spanish Harlem Orchestra is for many one of the best Latin jazz and salsa bands in the world due to its long career, impressive relevance and numerous awards throughout its 19 years of existence. This Latin music orchestra based in the United States was created by producer Aaron Levinson and producer, composer and arranger Oscar Hernandez, who gave birth to a legendary group, which was Grammy winning twice and whose style has differentiated it from many others of its kind.

It all started with a call from Levinson to Hernandez to offer him the opportunity to join an ambitious project he had in mind, which consisted of the creation of a Latin jazz orchestra with a very peculiar sound and style. The producer could not resist such a proposal, so he agreed to lend his talent to the nascent initiative. This is how they debuted their first album Un Gran Día en el Barrio in 2002, thanks to which they received their first Grammy nomination for Best Salsa Album. After their first singles, the new group began to garner major success and to offer great performances all over the world.

One of the main objectives of the members of the band is to set for themselves is to keep salsa dura alive in order to be lasting and to reach as many lovers of good music as possible. This is how the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, or SHO as its fans affectionately call it, has managed to preserve the best of traditional salsa, but from a fresh and innovative perspective.

Its centerpiece Oscar Hernandez

This is Oscar Hernández — Oscar Hernández playing the piano

Its most famous member Oscar Hernandez got his taste for music in the vicinity of Harlem’s Latin Quarter, where he spent his early childhood that would mark his professional future. As a young boy of 12, he became a trumpet player, but it would not be long before he decided to switch to the piano. He spent much of his adolescence playing with many Latin Jazz artists of the time. One of those great stars with whom Hernández had the opportunity to explore his talents was Rubén Blades, for whom he worked as a producer, arranger and pianist.

In the 90’s, the musician produced the album Dance City, for which he received good reviews in the New York Times and was called by singer and composer Paul Simon for his Broadway show.

Today, we are fortunate to have the pleasant presence of Oscar Hernádez to tell us about his beginnings and the path he had to take to join the project for which he is best known today by many of his fans, Spanish Harlem Orchestra

Mr. Hernandez, reading your story, we noticed that Spanish Harlem started with a call from Aaron Levinson in 2000, could you tell us a little about that?

Aaron Levinson is the producer. I did not know him. I have to make it clear that he is not a musician, but a DJ with a lot of connections and was called to make a record with the Warner Bross label with a specific concept. They thought he was the right person for that. He called me to help him with the musical part. Everything related Spanish Harlem Orchestra I owe to him because that is how I joined the project. That was what had to happen in terms of my fate. That is how God told me to wake up and understand that this was what I had to do. Until such time, I had only been a producer, arranger and pianist, so Levinson came to me and I accepted. We talked about the tracks and he picked some that I did not want to do. To make a long story short, we recorded the album, but Warnes Bross said they did not want to release it, so they gave it back to Aaron. A year and a half later, he sold it to a small company whose owners were friends of his and it was nominated for a Grammy. Since then, I started with the orchestra in 2002. The orchestra is almost 20 years and has been a great blessing for me. It was intended that he called me to put my personal stamp on that record with my brain and my heart, so I could create all the music that I have made these 20 years. Aside from that, we have gotten incredible reviews all over the world and won three Grammys. People know how good the orchestra is and how good the concepts we have recorded are because it is all documented. Listen to any of the albums and you will immediately note our quality, integrity, professionalism and musical concept. Obviously, I have very good musicians helping me, but final decisions start and end with me.

After you decided to carry out the project, how did you combine what you already had with Spanish Harlem Orchestra?

It was a moment in time that things were changing. I did not have anything stable at that time, as I had just finished working with Paul Simon in a stage play which was quite a large process. I was freelancing, so I was working for whoever called me. The perfect time came when I had the chance to create the orchestra and it was not easy because I had no ambitions for a career as a bandleader. It was not something I wanted to do, but I had to learn a lot of things after I became one like dealing with people, with musicians and with situations that were not easy. During that process, I had to get rid of a lot of people because I realized that I had good intentions, but that is not enough. You have to have willpower and be clear about the concept musically and in terms of business. I always try to deal with musicians in the best way because I was one before anything else. I try to be transparent and understand all situations, but there are also selfish people who want to enjoy all the advantages for themselves and I am not in that plan. My plan is to look for what is in the best interest of all of us as a group. At my age, I do not have time for anything but high quality and professionalism. I lasted seven years with Ray Barreto and recorded six albums. I lasted 12 years with Rubén Blades and we also recorded six or seven albums. What do I say? I have already worked with many people like Juan Luis Guerra, Paul Simon and many others who have left an important mark on me as a musician and as a director.

Oscar with his piano — Oscar Hernández next to his piano

What do you consider to be the most valuable thing you have learned from the artists you have worked with?

I think all these people have love for music, which is the most important thing. I remember my times with Barreto, who listened to all the mixes we made and drove musicians crazy in search of perfection. Like Rubén Blades, who was a transparent person and always wanted to do his best as a musician. It is not just one thing I have learned, but several because they are all important. I believe that love, professionalism and willingness to work with musicians. I remember that Rubén was the bandleader, but he always considered our views as musicians. I was even the arranger and my musical value was respected from the beginning. I respect my musicians very much and I give them all the value they deserve.

You told me earlier that you were on tour in New York. Could you tell us how it went? How did the audience respond? How did it feel to be back on stage after such a long time?

It was incredible. Our first concert with the orchestra was in the very heart of of New York City on 42nd Street in Manhattan. There is a place called Brian Park and there were about 10,000 people there, as the event was free to the public. It filmed live and virtually streamed. I mentioned to the audience that this was the first time we played live and that we had only one rehearsal the day before. It was an amazing experience because I felt that musicians were in the best position to make a first-rate performance and they did. The audience warmly and gratefully applauded. When you do something all your life and suddenly it stops for a year and a half, you realize many things.

What other events are you going to do? Are you planning on touring outside the United States?

We are scheduled to have a tour in June in Europe, but it remains to be seen what will because COVID is still present and countries are evaluating how things are going to go in the next few months to specify dates and cities. In December, we will have four shows, two in Santa Fe, one in Albuquerque (California) and one in Costa Mesa (California). We are no longer touring as such, we are doing dates. It had been years since we have toured like we used to. The new album is done and sounds amazing. Last week, we were in New York finishing the vocals with the three singers, who are some of the best and it was a pleasure for me to share with them. They are clear that they have to do their part in what is going to be another great record.

Oscar with his Grammy Award — Oscar Hernández with his Grammy Award

Questions from a lifelong admirer of Oscar Hernandez

Augusto Felibertt, international director at International Salsa Magazine, professional DJ and collector, asked Oscar Hernandez some very interesting questions to learn more about his past as a musician.

I want to know your feeling about your time with Grupo Libre de Manny Oquendo and Grupo Folklorico y Experimental Nuevayorquino.

Associating with Andy and Jerry Gonzalez was an incredible experience for me as a young musician in New York. They were an important part of my development. They were a little older than me, but I remember Andy came up tome and presented himself when I was playing with Ismael Miranda in a club. He told me it was nice to meet me and that we sounded great. Since then, we became friends and he invited me to his house. When I arrived, it turned out he lived with Jerry in an apartment below his father’s and had an incredible record collection. We would spend many hours listening to music I had never heard and arguing about musicians. We would debate about who was the most important, who else we liked. It was a very nice time from which Conjunto Libre de Manny Oquendo emerged. I was the founding pianist of the group that recorded the first three albums. The image of Grupo Folklorico y Experimental Nuevayorquino also emerged. That group composed of of Andy, Jerry and René López became larger with other musicians who joined later such as Alfredo Chocolate Armenteros, Virgilio Martí, Heny Álvarez, Willie García, Milton Cardona, among others. There were so many musicians that the image of what a jam was (a spontaneous concert in which an artist or group performs before a small group of spectators) was expanded.

Ray Barreto’s album Reconstrucción, a musical jewel for the salseros of the world. I want to know about your experience on that recording.

Reconstrucción was one of the most important recordings of that time because the elements that Rey used to design the concept resulted in something incredible. I am very proud of that record with more than 40 years old. I was 25 years old when we made it and it went down in history. I am very grateful to Ray Barreto because he gave me the opportunity to work as a pianist and arranger on that recording. Even today, many musicians tell me that they listened to that album every day and were inspired by it.

I would like to know about your time with Carabalí.

Carabalí was the group of Raúl Primo Alomar, who was a conguero, and percussionist Rey Colón, who was a bongo player. They wanted to make a septet and called me to join as a producer. He was the producer of the two albums. I am very proud of that experience because I can be anywhere in the world and people still call me Carabalí wherever I go. Aris Martinez, the singer of the group, was about 20 years old at the time and I kept correcting him in the studio all the time. Nowadays I listen to him and he sings very well. However, it got to the point where we had a disagreement, so I left the group and wished them luck.

You recorded an album entitled Como Nunca with Orlando Watussi, could you tell me a little about it?

I do not remember much about the details, but Watussi has always been in the music business and has been considered one of the best singers. We don’t talk much, but he is a great person and a lifelong friend. That was a great opportunity for us and another example of how I have done my bit in the music scene with what I feel in my heart.

Oscar Hernández with friends — Oscar Hernández, Rubén Blades, Eddie Montalvo, and Ralph Irizarry

Oscar Hernádez and his las recording — Oscar Hernández’s last recording entitled *Visión*

Link to Spanish Harlem Orchestra’s official website: https://www.spanishharlemorchestra.com/

Latest News From Events In Netherlands

Alfredo Rodríguez Trio, Latin Weekender 2021, And Alain Pérez Quinteto

Two back dance couples on stage ready to dance — November will be packed with Latin events this November in the Netherlands

With the arrival of the penultimate month of the year, it’s normal, that we are eager to enjoy and start having memorable moments now that 2021 is almost over. That is why, as a first step, we offer you the latest news about the most important Latin events taking place in the country known to be partially below mean sea level, the Netherlands.

Alfredo Rodríguez Trio Live

Alfredo Rodríguez in a blue shirt sitting in front of a white piano — In this Cuban Jazz concert, you will enjoy the most recent record production: The Little Dream

Get ready to delight yourself with the masterful sound of Jazz and its fusions with the virtuoso Cuban pianist Alfredo Rodríguez along with the participation of Michael Olivera (Drums) and Yarel Hernández (Double Bass) in a dazzling Latin Jazz concert on November 19^th at the Bimhuis auditorium in Amsterdam.

Energy, Latin Style, And Unique Enthusiasm Come Together In The Music Of This Trio

Alfredo Rodríguez (composer and pianist) was born into a family of artists whose father is the famous singer and TV host from the island of Cuba, Alfredito Rodríguez.

From a young age, he was a prodigy on the string instrument. “He studied classical piano at the prestigious Amadeo Roldán Conservatory and the Higher Institute of Art while playing popular music in his father’s orchestra at night. While performing at the 2006 Montreux Jazz Festival, he was discovered by his future mentor and producer, the legendary Quincy Jones.” Excerpt from his biography.

The 36-year-old pianist from Havana has classical training with nuances of styles of dance music from the bars of his hometown and the Progressive Jazz of Keith Jarrett and Chick Corea, which we can evidence in each composition and concert.

Rodríguez already has four studio albums, and one of his most emblematic presentations was made in 2019 with Richard Bona with a full house in one of the best concert halls in the world, Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ, located in the capital of the Netherlands.

Date: Friday, November 19^th

Venue: Bimhuis. Piet Heinkade 31019Amsterdam, Netherlands

Time: 8:30 PM

Ticket: € 23 (Sitting) / € 19 (Standing)

Latin Weekender 2021

Main couple dancing. Man with hat and woman with flowered top — In Latin Weekender 2021, you will have three days of the hottest parties of Salsa, Kizomba, Bachata, Tango, and Afro Dance

Latin Weekender is the Latin festival per excellence in the Netherlands. This sixth edition will feature 25 workshops at all levels, boot camps, a pool party, shows, a concert with the Pegasaya Orchestra, and nine social events of Salsa, Bachata, Tango, Kizomba, and Afro Dance.

Get away from the routine with your group of friends and lovers of Latin music for a long weekend and experience the passion for dance.

Remember to buy your tickets in advance as there is currently less availability for Latin Weekender 2020 reservations.

Date: Friday, November 19^th – Sunday, November 21^st

Venue: Center Parcs Limburgse Peel. Peelheideweg 25, 5966 PJ America, Netherlands

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Pegasaya Orchestra dressed in white shirt and black tie — The Pegasaya Orchestra played for six consecutive hours in the Rotterdam Summer Carnival Party Parade 1998

The Pegasaya Orchestra will be present at the Latin Weekender 2021, and you can’t miss it. The band, made up of ten musicians, was founded in 1985 in Tilburg city (the sixth most populous city in the Netherlands).

This orchestra, the greatest leader on the Dutch Latin scene, has participated in national and international festivals. They have been the first band to win the audience award twice as The Most Popular Group at the Rotterdam Summer Carnival (1995 and 1999). In February 2001, Pegasaya released their compilation album “The Best of the Pegasaya Orchestra” and also featured live performances on the Holland Casino chain in the Netherlands for a year (2007/2008). They also accompanied Elvis Crespo on May 28th, 2009 during his concert at the Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam as well as Jeniffer López at her presentation at the Hennie Huisman Soundmix show in 2003.

Double Concert: Alain Pérez Quinteto + Alfredo Rodríguez Trio

Alain Pérez playing bass — Alain Pérez was recently nominated for the Latin Grammy 2021 for the album Cha cha chá: Tribute to the traditional together with the Orquesta Aragón and Isaac Delgado

Music Meeting Concerts presents a special Sunday in the Cuban style with the musical meeting between Alain Pérez Quinteto and Alfredo Rodríguez Trío in two unique performances on the third Sunday of November.

Music Meeting Festival 2021 organizes for this fall a series of concerts at LUX and Brebl in Nijmegen, LantarenVenster in Rotterdam, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, and MuziekPublique in Brussels. Music lovers will be able to enjoy unique evenings with challenging compositions and collaborations by music teachers from all over the world as a prelude to the Music Meeting Festival 2022.

Alain Pérez, the Cuban artist with numerous Latin Grammy Award nominations, will present his magic and charm with his fusion of Salsa, Latin Jazz, and Flamenco on November 21st in Nijmegen. Alain, known for leading the legendary singer Celia Cruz’s orchestra before he turned thirty, consolidated his musical career by becoming the bassist of Paco de Lucia for six consecutive years. Currently, Pérez has his band and is one of the most important musicians in his native country. Alain Pérez plays bass, guitar, piano, percussion, and sings; he also works as a composer, arranger, and producer. For this event, Alain (Bass and Voice) will be accompanied by Andy García (Piano), Inoidel González (Tenor Saxophone), José Montaña (Percussion), and Alain Ladrón de Guevara on drums.

On the other hand, Cuban pianist Alfredo Rodríguez breaks the third wall between him and his audience when he shares his skill and technique live. Attendees feel close to the refined play of the notes with the rhythm and harmony of the melodies that can be sung with ease. For this Latin event, Rodríguez (Piano) has in collaboration with his two friends: Munir Hossn (Bass / Spanish Guitar) and Michael Olivera (Drums).

Date: Sunday, November 21^st

Venue: Mariënburg 38-39, 6511 PS Nijmegen, Netherlands

Start: 3:00 PM

Admission: € 22.50