Search Results for: Latin dance world

Charlie Haden was an extraordinary double bassist and composer who was a key figure in the history of modern jazz.

Double bassist and composer extraordinaire, Charlie Haden (Shenandoah, Iowa, August 6, 1937 – Los Angeles, California, July 11, 2014).

Charlie Haden began his professional activity in 1959 with Ornette Coleman’s quartet, a key figure in the history of modern jazz, and very soon began to investigate in that direction that Coleman initiated known as free jazz.

In that context, Charlie Haden participated in the recording baptism of that movement with the album recorded on May 22, 1959 for the Atlantic label and entitled: “The Shape of Jazz to Come” with the invaluable collaboration of Don Cherry, another incomparable musician and leader together with Coleman of that revolutionary musical movement that still lasts today.

Charlie Haden (August 6, 1937- July 11, 2014)

Charlie Haden in 1960 participated with another double bass player, Scott LaFaro in an operatic manifesto entitled: “Free Jazz” of whom both were distinguished representatives in their instrument.

In 1964 he worked with Denny Zeitin’s trio and in 1966 he returned with Ornette Coleman while expanding his performance area with collaborations left and right.

In these areas he stood out for his participation in the work, studio and recording meetings of the “Jazz Composer’s Orchestra” and in 1969 he was finally able to realize a wish he had been pursuing for years: to record his first album under his own name with the Liberation Music Orchestra.

With original arrangements by Carla Bley, the music of the Liberation also stood out for the political character of the songs, being the first time that, in that context, a jazz group echoed the popular songs alluding to the Republican side of the Spanish Civil War.

After the album recorded by Impulse in 1976 entitled: “Song for Che” in homage to Ernesto Che Guevara, Charlie Haden formed with Don Cherry, the quartet “Old and New Dreams” with which he toured throughout Europe, Asia and North America. At the end of the eighties, Charlie Haden elaborates a new musical discourse within the framework of his new formation entitled “Quartet West”.

The founding album of this new discourse was an extraordinary album generically entitled “Quartet West”, a musical manifesto of great beauty and one of the essential albums of contemporary jazz. From 1990 onwards, Charlie Haden explores more intimate jazz universes, introducing the duo format into his discourse.

In this context, the musician explores himself in the composition and his relaxation together with the other protagonist discovers us a music of great inventiveness, clean in the execution and approached from a purely instrumental point of view.

This is how on Thursday, November 14, 2002, Charlie Haden appears in Seville at the Central Theater with the master of the guitar, Jim Hall to offer a portentous concert, full of sensitivity, art and talent.

Fortunately Apoloybaco was present that magical night in Seville and Charlie Haden is still making music of the highest level. ~ (apoloybaco)

Charlie Haden teams up again with the young Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba in this melancholic and relaxing album. Ignacio Berroa on drums and percussion completes the main trio.

Special guests include tenor saxophonists Joe Lovano and David Sánchez, violinist Federico Britos Ruiz and guitarist Pat Metheny (one track only).

Charlie Haden photo 1978 Roger Ressmeyer

Rubalcaba contributes orchestrations on two tracks, both of which omit drums and percussion. Haden’s intention is to explore the bolero, a distinctive Latin dance rhythm that Ignacio Berroa accentuates with a soft, subtle snare drum roll, played with brushes, that begins on the “y” of the first beat of the measure and ends on the second.

This rhythm is perfect for a slow dance and, in fact, the whole album is very romantic, with bittersweet melodies and lilting cadences.

The only problem is that Berroa’s bolero figure is present on almost every track, perhaps what you would expect from a bolero album, but there is no getting around the fact that the music sounds pretty much the same on every track.

(To be fair, Berroa is not the only one guilty of uniformity.) Most of the songs, except for two Haden originals and one by Rubalcaba, are Cuban and Mexican standards, and they are beauties. Haden’s reluctance to mess with them is understandable.

But the arrangements, always straightforward, fade too easily into the background.

Nocturne may be the best music for a candlelit dinner party, but Haden and his guests are capable of much more. David R. Adler.

Charlie Haden – Nocturne (2001)
Temas:
01. En La Orilla Del Mundo (At The Edge Of The World) (Martin Rojas)
02. Noche De Ronda (Night Of Wandering) (Maria Teresa Lara)
03. Nocturnal (Sabre Marroquin/José Mojica)
04. Moonlight (Claro De Luna) (Charlie Haden)
05. Yo Sin Ti (Me Without You) (Arturo Castro)
06. No Te Empeñes Mas (Don’t Try Anymore) (Marta Valdès)
07. Transparence (Gonzalo Rubalcaba)
08. El Ciego (The Blind) (Armando Manzanero)
09. Nightfall (Charlie Haden)
10. Tres Palabras (Three Words) (Osvaldo Farrès)
11. Contigo En La Distancia·En Nosotros (With You In The Distance·In Us) (Cèsar Portillo De La Luz/Tania Castellanos)

Músicos:
Charlie Haden (Bajo)
Gonzalo Rubalcaba (Piano, Orquestación)
Ignacio Berroa (Percusión, Batería)
Joe Lovano (Saxo tenor en temas #1, #4, #7, #11)
David Sánchez (Saxo tenor en temas #6, #10)
Pat Metheny (Guitarra acústica en tema #2)
Federico Ruiz (Violín en temas #1, #5, #8)

Grabado del 27 al 31 de agosto de 2000 en Criteria / The Hit Factory Studios, Miami, FL.

Charlie Haden - Nocturne (2001) — Charlie Haden – Nocturne (2001)

Research Sources:

L’Òstia Latin Jazz

Dj, Augusto Felibertt

Also Read: Andy Gonzalez started as a musician at the age of 13 in the Latin Jazz Quintet in New York

ISM presents 2 Venezuelan DJ with a great passion for Salsa

Latin America / Venezuela / Caracas

DJ Katiuska Oropeza

Katiuska Oropeza. Born in Caracas, the capital of salsa in Venezuela, currently based in the Carabobo State, Valencia – Venezuela.

He mentions “My passion for salsa began at the age of 3, influenced by my father who was a great connoisseur of this genre and at the age of 7 I already wanted to learn to play the timbal since I love percussion.

Over the years and by chance I got to know the salsa movement produced by a number of virtual collection salsa stations where a number of music lovers gather to enjoy and keep alive what is the essence and basis of salsa, I become passionate and I begin an incredible learning about everything that Venezuelan salsa is and that is when I become a programmer for the pioneering station on the Internet called www.rumbayguateque.com through this I was the representative in Venezuela of Mr. Alfredo Maleta Torres, the last singer who had the Joe Cuba sextet.

Today I try to spread the little that I have learned from this genre that has an endless history and from time to time participating as a musicalizer in different salsa events.” “Long live salsa forever.”

DJ Jaime Guanipa

During his interview on La Maceta radio conducted by me, Jaime mentioned that he was born in December 1966 in Caracas Venezuela, a native of Sarria belonging to the La Candelaria parish, where he grew up in two aspects in his early years, between Sarria and Alta Vista. in Catia parish Sucre also in Caracas.

His first tangible experience within Latin music called “SALSA” was thanks to the Venezuelan “PHIDIAS DANILO ESCALONA” who gave him this label that has immortalized the genre, and for Jaime’s memory it was in 1973 with the premiere of the movie “Nuestra Cosa Latina” and The SALSA Movie in different theaters in Caracas, and through its soundtrack I was shocked, and began to develop a definitive taste within the musical field, nurturing and wanting to be more extensive…

In this way, through the years, I achieved a broader knowledge within the Latin American culture, where it was enriched by absorbing like a sponge everything related to the environment and listening to Radio where they moderated great knowledge to which I can name our Venezuelans and connoisseurs. and moderators in different Radio stations in Modulated Amplitude for the time in Caracas such as Phidias Danilo Escalona, Floro Manco, Enrique Bolívar Navas, Héctor Castillo, Rafael Rivas, among other great broadcasters, achieving a very solid understanding within the majesty of salsa , but…

As of 1979 he has the concern to share and listen to the coarsest of our Latin music, beginning with family parties and friends, then he made comments and selected music from the acetate discs that were in said meetings, being this a cult and from 1982 he defined himself as a DJ. Salsero, enriching the technology and the true art of the moment, which is research, the study of the genre and the credits of his albums that logically were and are in LP format.

Generating in this way a breeding ground for experimentation and musical selection, it is from this moment referring to the date in which his experience and exchange of criteria between friends who throughout these years have followed and accompanied him within this passion, having successes as Salsero Musicalizer in extinct venues in the city of Caracas for the years 1985 to 1990, was triggered.

Later, in 1993, he temporarily retired due to family responsibilities, but without ever abandoning my passion for music and genre research both here in my country Venezuela and abroad, and in 2008, he decided to resume after a reasonable time. my most significant taste for salsa musicalization, already for the moment obtaining many valuartes but with its due time within the genre, evolving distinctively in terms of its versatility and exponents, highlighting that for me it is not a challenge since due to the concept earned and maintained has given me a preferential position within the taste of the salsero and the dancer that…

I call demanding, experience experience gained due to the fact that at the time I was surrounded by great friends who love the salsa genre that many of them share today, which is why and subscribed to current technology and its ease of access, it means that in a masterly way I can give the what the dancing public really wants and desires in each meeting, event and party, without a doubt, before it I expose an interactive referential synthesis of my time in this exciting world as it is and I define “Salsa musicalization in Caracas nightlife ”.

Maite Hontele in CONCERT!

Europe / France / Utrecht

A great musician is someone who can enlighten the stage only with his/her presence, this is the case when Maite Hontele is on stage. Full-house, the stage full of colors and all the audience is ready to dance and enjoy the best rhythm: SALSA!

International Salsa Magazine had the honor to be part of the last concert of Maite Hontele, the incredible dutch trumpeter, in Caracas, Venezuela.

The silence is interrupted with the beautiful sound of a characteristic trumpet playing a melody, the stage gets full of musicians and Maite comes out with the biggest smile that characterize her.

She starts with a speech where she explains how thankful she is for being there, talks a little bit about Colombia, and then the party starts! Two hours full of hits of herself, Oscar d’ Leon, and many other artists, with the performance of her Colombian band by her side.

But let’s get deeper in who is her. Maite Hontelé is a trumpeter who was born in Utrecht, Holland, and was raised with music. Her parents owned a huge collection of salsa and son Cubano, and every day she would listen to Latin music, quite unusual for a Dutch girl. After playing a few years with the local brass band, she decided to become a musician, and studied latin and jazz trumpet at the Conservatory of Rotterdam.

Her first big tour was life-changing. She went to Colombia, the country where she now lives. In 2004, Maite Hontelé toured with the world-famous Buena Vista Social Club. In 2009 Maite launched her first album, Llegó la Mona, a salsa-tribute to Colombian music. This album was made with the purpose to tour more in Colombia. Among the gigs she played was the Medellin Jazz Festival.

That year has been very important for her. Not only did Maite record her first album, she also found the place where she wanted to continue to live and make music. That’s when she decided to move to Medellin, Colombia.

In 2010, she released her second production, Mujer Sonora. The album is focused on oldschool styles such as son and charanga, but also contains some spicy salsa-tracks. This album was presented at the 2010 North Sea Jazz Festival, and on various international tours. In 2011 and 2012 Maite toured many countries with her band, and was a guest with Ruben Blades, Yuri Buenaventura, Issac Delgado, Diego Galé (DVD-recording), Juan Carlos Coronel, Oscar D’León, and many others.

Her 3rd album, Déjame Asi, was released in April 2013. She is currently touring Europe and Latin America.

“My Outlaw Loredo is the most elegant gig-bag in the universe. A perfect match for me!” Maite Hontelé

Maite Hontele in concer - Photo — Maite Hontele in concert – Photo

The show ends with the best energy. Maite Hontele is not only an amazing trumpeter, but also a great singer and composer. We are glad to be part of his musical journey.

Melina Almodóvar “La Muñeca de la Salsa”

North America / USA / New York

Melina Almodóvar

With an unwavering spirit, melodious voice, Caribbean cadence on her hips, friendly and cataloged by many as sexy, Melina Almodóvar has represented the Latin female son in the US. During her 20 years of artistic career, Melina Almodóvar has conquered audiences in the most imposing scenarios and has shared stages with the most recognized artists of the tropical genre

The nickname as many know she is “La Muñeca de la salsa” and which for a long period of time she sought to have because she had the same name that already identified another Salsa singer. Getting an ideal pseudonym to her was difficult, but not for a fan who, while delighting in her live presentation, cataloged her with this nickname with which they would later recognize her in the whole world.

“I wanted to give myself a nickname for Salsa … But I did not want to change my name … And then one day a gentleman says to me:” Hey, but you are a doll and look how you sing “, and then it was there that I stayed “La Muñeca de la Salsa”. It’s a name that stuck with me and it stayed there, so everyone knows who “La Muñeca de la Salsa” is and sometimes they do not know who Melina Almodóvar is, but I really like that name, I think it’s very beautiful”, she said.

At the age of 14, the interpreter born in San Juan de Puerto Rico lived an experience that marked her life since then. She moved with her mother to Memphis, Tennessee, leaving behind her culture and family, which caused an emotional shock and made her take full refuge in the music.

Melina Almodóvar - Photo — Melina Almodóvar – Photo

“Salsa saved my life.” The Salsa is my way of life. It’s my way of breathing, of doing things “.

“We moved to a very white place to an extremely American place. The south of the US is a very different place from New York or Florida. There are not many Latin people and for me it was very hard … I started studying music at the High School. I got into all the choirs that I could and all the bands in the school where I could be”, told me Melina.

Melina Almodóvar - Photo 2 — Melina Almodóvar – Photo 2

This Puerto Rican composer not only prepared in salsa, also studied different musical styles: Blues, Jazz and Gospel. What made her race for only 3 years at the University of Memphis the career of Musical Execution. Studies that she decided to abandon for working at the same time as a receptionist and translator for the City Council and also to continue pursuing her dream of singing Salsa professionally. “I decided to quit my university studies because I was really doing what I wanted to do: that was to be a singer… I thought it was better to leave school and nothing has gone wrong, I have continued doing everything at that moment, but on a slightly larger scale and for me it was the right decision”, commented Amodóvar.

During the 90s, Melina and other music professionals created the first salsa orchestra in Memphis called “La Orquesta Caliente”. With this band toured places like Alanna, Kentucky and Alabama. They played at such iconic venues as Beale Street, one of the most famous music streets in all the US for almost 4 years, just as they did at Young Ave Deli, a place that filled to its maximum capacity just to hear them sing and play Salsa every Monday. In this regard, Melina told me: “That’s when I started singing Salsa. That’s when I fell in love with salsa and I wanted to continue being a professional Salsa singer.”

Melina Almodóvar “La Muñeca de la Salsa” in concert

Melina Almodóvar “La Muñeca de la Salsa” in concert photo

In 2003, she began her musical career as an independent soloist with her first album Rumba’s Salsa Soul Delight, where she exhibited her creative freedom to compose, work with other people in the music industry and create her own identity in this tropical genre. So, her second álbum was La Muñeca De La Salsa Y Más (2008) and Pasión y Salsa Live in 2013.

In all her productions this Puerto Rican singer based in Miami, likes to sing to the love in a very positive way. Each song is a tropical proposal of Latin culture, passion, celebration, dance and happiness that invites the dancer to enjoy. “I like to talk positively about things that make me happy. I do not like to shoot men … Because it’s not what happened to me. “She added: “I have a bolero that’s called Mi Nueva Página de Amor, but it’s very positive.

Melina Almodóvar “La Muñeca de la Salsa” - Cover — Melina Almodóvar “La Muñeca de la Salsa” – Cover

”Although the Salsa is a genre dominated by men, Melina has shown to take firm steps and open field solidly in the music industry, she has sung alongside major figures such as: The Great Combo of Puerto Rico, Andy Montanez, Bobby Cruz, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Marlo Rosa, Tito Puente Jr., el maestro Larry Harlow and Tromboranga.

She has developed a successful musical career of 20 uninterrupted years that has led her to perform at the biggest annual festivals and daily events in the country. For nine years “La Muñeca de la Salsa” performed live shows in South Florida at Tapas y Tintos club located in Miami’s South Beach with el maestro Ricky Torres, where thousands of dancers from all over the world gathered every Tuesday to dance and enjoy her music.

Melina Almodóvar “La Muñeca de la Salsa” - Singing — Melina Almodóvar “La Muñeca de la Salsa” – Singing

In 2010, Melina and approximately more than 600 dancers broke the Guinness Record for the largest number of people dancing Salsa at the same time a song. The idea got with her former manager Frank Nieves. The theme was “Lista pa’ Impresionar” of her authorship and doesn’t rule in the near future to do it again. “We were there seeing how we could do something different for an event that he was doing here for the Broward County Patron Festivities and we said why we did not try to break the Guinness Record. Establish a Guinness Record of the greatest number of dancers dancing a song and then we did it and it was spectacular”, said Melina.

In 2016, she released to the national and international market the salsa version single “Estoy aquí” of the popular Pop singer Shakira, whose arrangement was made by Seferino Cavan. The video of “Estoy Aquí” was shot on the famous beaches of Miami Beach and already has almost 1 million views.

Melina Almodóvar “La Muñeca de la Salsa” - Photo — Melina Almodóvar “La Muñeca de la Salsa” – Photo

Likewise, and in mid of 2017, Almodóvar recorded with Tito Puente Jr. a new version in Salsa Mambo of the song “Mi Socio” created by Tito Puente and Cuban singer La Lupe popularized in 1965. In the same way, she did with the singer and composer Bobby Cruz the song “La Chica del Bling”.

Currently, Melina does live performances every Friday to 6pm at Best Time Wine Shop located on 8th Street at 64th and 8th, a wine warehouse with a large dance floor. “Ándale! Pon a Sonar el Güiro” is her most recent single, it was released since last December and you can find it on all digital platforms. During this month of January, Melina will continue playing her music through the territory of Florida with the event Los Patrones de la Salsa and on April 7 she will produce along with her friend Kristina Moinelo the biggest salsa festival in Miami, the Hollywood Salsa Fest, in which she will also participate as a main star with great figures of salsa music.

la muneca de la salsa - flyers — la muneca de la salsa – flyers

Melina Almodóvar believes that the Salsa will never die because it is in the Latin idiosyncrasy and at some point this AfroCaribbean genre will return to be that people like most. She also commented that she does not rule out the possibility in the future to do a fusion with the new urban musical trends of the moment.

“For me to represent Latin music in the US is a very big honor because I love tropical music more than anything. It’s my life, it’s my way of breathing like all the SALSEROS … For me, it’s the whole world to be able to continue my long-standing career, to go ahead and bring good Salsa for the whole World.” Melina Almodóvar

The Salsa is the NUMBER ONE music genre that is danced around the world. I believe that we are keeping this genre alive with what we are doing every day. “Melina Almodóvar

Melina Almodóvar “La Muñeca de la Salsa”

To more information about La Muñeca de la Salsa, please visit www.melinaalmodovar.com or like her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pg/MelinaSalsa

Kiki Valera and his talented and special family’s great legacy

Cuba has an extensive list of talented musicians and a great musical and artistic tradition that are truly the envy of many countries, so it is impossible to cover all the exponents of this land of talents. However, in this opportunity, we talked to one who sets the bar very high among them all, the incredible arranger, composer, sound engineer and multi-instrumentalist Kiki Valera, whom we have been able to interview for the March edition.

Kiki playing the tres — Kiki Valera playing the Cuban tres live at Town Hall Seattle

How Kiki fell in love with music

The first thing to point out about Kiki is that he was born into a very musical family in the easternmost part of the island of Cuba, specifically in Santiago de Cuba, which is an area well known for the presence of the now world famous Cuban son. In addition to that, his father, Don Felix Valera, inherited from his family and ancestors those musical genes that came from his grandparents, great-grandparents and further back.

So much so that Don Felix was a music teacher in the small town of San Luis, which was 30 kilometers from Santiago de Cuba, while his mother was a dance teacher. Both were recent graduates of the first national school of art instructors that was founded in the country in the early 1960s, while Kiki was just being born.

Growing up surrounded by all this environment, music was the first thing he heard and lived, not to mention that the artist already had the necessary conditions and abilities to dedicate himself to this world professionally. When he was six years old, his father gave him a Cuban tres, one of the most iconic instruments of the son, and taught him his first songs, melodic motifs, tumbaos, among other things.

One thing to mention is that the Valera Miranda family does not consist of professional musicians as such, but rather empiric musicians who frequently get together at family events such as birthdays, Christmas, New Year holidays and vacations to play the tres, the bongo, the maracas, the guitar, among many other instruments.

As a child, this was all very normal for him until he realized that his interest in music was genuine and he entered the Conservatorio Esteban Salas in Santiago de Cuba to study classical guitar. It was thanks to his studies that he realized that his family’s thing with music was something really authentic that had been developing a very long time ago, more precisely since the 19th century.

Kiki and his family — Carmen Rosa Alarcón on the maracas, Antonio Rondón on vocals and clave, Félix Valera on lead vocals and guitar, Raúl Félix Valera on bass, and Kiki Valera on Cuban tres

It turns out that a now deceased musicologist named Danilo Orozco was conducting a sociological survey in the eastern part of the country and happened to be a good friend of his father. In one of their many talks, Don Felix told him much about the family history with music for several generations, which caused Orozco’s curiosity and he got to the rural area where the family had lived. These visits determined that the oldest ancestors were true carriers of the roots of son in the eastern region, to the point that this researcher even made a documentary and the Valeras of that time recorded two albums with a didactic approach to show the cultural phenomenon that happened in that family nucleus.

After all this, Kiki felt even more destined to continue the legacy of his ancestors in music, but with a little more academic training and more modern touches in keeping with the times. That was more than 40 years ago.

Fashion artists paying homage to old genres

There is a whole resurgence of genres, already thought forgotten, by the passage of time, but thanks to tributes by certain fashion artists, they have risen from the ashes to occupy the place that should never have been taken away from them. We have the example of Bad Bunny with his album ”DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS”, which focuses on the cultural and musical heritage of Puerto Rico and makes use of salsa, plena, and boleros to show the musical richness of the Island of Enchantment. We can also mention Desorden Público’s upcoming album ”Salsa All-Ska” which pays homage to salsa as part of the celebration of its 40 years of musical trajectory. Not to mention the 2024 Latin Grammy Awards which paid tribute to salsa and counted with the presence of Oscar D’ Léon, Tito Nieves, Marc Anthony and La India among its guests.

Kiki and Coco — Kiki Valera and Cuban singer Coco Freeman close to the Don Miguel Matamoros’s sculpture in Santiago de Cuba

On this phenomenon, Kiki considers that artists in general are the reflection of their time and the manifestation of the environment in which they develop. For the same reason, he believes it is inevitable wanting to look back to understand where we come from, no matter how many years pass. ”After you study a genre such as reggaeton, you can tell that it has been nourished by other musical manifestations that preceded it. Moreover, when musicians are given the task of acquiring technical and theoretical knowledge of music, they always try to innovate by recreating the foundations of the genres in which they work” said Kiki on this interesting and important subject.

”There is a saying that if we don’t know where we come from, it’s hard for us to know where we are going and this is the case. Contemporary musicians generally provide their vision of music and create new concepts, fusions and rhythmic patterns, but all this always comes from the past to a certain extent. To build something new, you need a base” he continued.

When Kiki decides to settle in the United States

Changing the subject radically, we wanted to know when Kiki decided to leave his country to settle in the United States, specifically in Seattle, to which he replied that he arrived here on April 2, 2013. The main reason why he left was due to his partner Naomi Bierman, who convinced him to move to start a life together in another place.

With that decision, the musician had to make a total shift in mindset, since he had lived in Cuba all his life and came from a very close-knit family. He had to give up the closeness he had with his loved ones, culture, values and climate to adapt to a completely different way of life in a territory that was nothing like his own.