Tregar Otton, founder of the orchestra, playing the violin
Orquesta La Moderna Tradición has been one of the most legendary groups of Cuban music in its entire history. It is a group whose members are based in San Francisco, California, and consists of 11 members who play different genres such as danzón, timba, guaguancó, cha cha chá, son, rumba, charanga, among others. They also mix in elements from American jazz, violins, and Afro-Cuban rhythms.
The beginning of this orchestra’s story goes back to 1996, since they started to perform throughout the United States to bring the best of traditional Cuban music to every corner of the country and transport Cuban immigrants back to the Havana’s streets and clubs during the 50’s. All the success accumulated allowed them to perform at the San Francisco Jazz Festival, the Smithsonian Institution, the Lincoln Certer and many other venues of high prestige.
Recently, Orquesta La Moderna Tradición once again displayed their talent at Yoshi’s, a jazz club and restaurant located in Oakland, California, whose reputation in the San Francisco Bay Area is not up for discussion. Our editor Eduardo Guilarte was present at the show to cover the details of the event, which left all those present in awe.
Conversation with Tregar Otton, founding director of the orchestra
Tregar Otton and Maru Pérez-Viana, his wife and an important part of the orchestra
Based on the above, we talked with Tregar Otton, founder, director, composer, and violinist of the group. This talented musician, born in the Marshall Islands and raised in Texas, started to learn about classical music from an early age and joined the Berkeley Symphony while he still was a teenager. By the 1990s, this musical promise worked as a regular part of Virgilio Mart Y Sus Majaderos, La Tipica Novel and the Charanga Orquesta Broadway.
By the year 1995, Otton founded Orquesta La Moderna Tradición with Roberto Borrell. At the beginning, the group started to become well-known for its soft sounds of Afro-Cuban charanga, which are accompanied by a set of wind instruments and violins that give a unique touch to this group’s music.
Today, we have the welcome presence of the musician to talk about each and every one of the issues raised in this brief review and anything he wants to reveal to our dear readers. It is such a pleasure to have you here today, Tregar. How are you feeling?
I am fine here near San Francisco. Good to see you today.
Very good, Tregar. You got started in the world of music at a young age. Could you tell us a bit about your beginnings?
I started playing violin when I was four years old and my family had a violin teacher as a neighbor. My parents did the laundry for all our neighbors, so we met her and she ended up giving me classes every day. After that, I studied a lot of classical music, bought music when I was about 20 and fell in love with it because it used the violins differently from classical music. I really enjoyed playing dance music because the connection with the public is quite different from that of classical music. In the case of classical music, many people get bored, but Cuban music and salsa music make a much more direct connection to the audience. There is nothing like playing for a floor with dancers.
We understand that you were born in the Marshall Islands, but grew up in Texas, is that correct?
Yes. After my dad married my mom, they both moved to Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, in the middle of the Pacific. After that, I grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, till I was 13 or 14 about when I moved to California.
I asked because it is very interesting how you set your eyes on Cuban music despite your origins. Where does this interest in Cuban music and the rhythms you play come from?
For the same reasons I play dance music. It caught my attention when I heard Charanga de La 4 or one of these New York bands. I was impressed that violins were part of the percussion and were making repetitive sounds with the refrain and the son montuno. We are more part of the rhythm section than the melodic section in many of our songs. We can dance while we are on stage. I was also impressed by the improvisations of Cuqui and Alfredo de la Fé. I had many Latin friends I met in college while learning Spanish because no one in my family spoke it.
How did Orquesta La Moderna Tradición come about and who joined you in its foundation?
I was working with a group. I was in New York, where I was playing with the Broadway Orchestra and the Orquesta Tipica Novel. I was very lucky to have been in that city because I got to know many veteran musicians in the 80’s like Renato Valdés, Virgilio Martí, and Adalberto Santiago. I visited a Cuban friend from San Francisco named Fito Reinoso, who had a group called Ritmo Y Armonía and he visited us here in New York. I was tired of the cold in New York, so I decided to go to San Francisco, where Tito and I had the idea of creating a group. It was there that I met a great drum instructor and dance teacher Roberto Borrell, who joined us to found Ritmo y Armonía. After two years, we had to be apart, but Roberto and I still wanted to play danzón. At least here in the Bay Area, it is very difficult to get singers. The ones we have are good, but there are not so many. So, we planned to make a danzonera or danzón group. When the orchestra began to work, we only played danzón songs, rehearsed every week and did many tours with this musical genre because there was a boom with swing dancing and dance music during the 40’s. So, we were surfing that wave. So, we were surfing that wave and doing collaborations with swing groups because it was older music. Danzón is a very rich genre, but it is no of interest to many people because they do not know how to dance it, so we started expanding our repertoire to include more modern and dance music. We still play danzones, but only two per set. There are still musicians from the original group in the orchestra including Michael Spiro. Roberto went to Peru about a decade ago, so Michael and I stayed with the group and invited Eduardo Herrera, who is a singer born in Caracas, Venezuela, to perform with us. We expanded the repertoire by doing the best we could with my own creations. Let’s remember I am the arranger of the group, so I do some songs and we have one that is included in the new recording in which I wrote the music and maestro Carlos Caro from Cuba added the lyrics.
Orquesta La moderna Tradición at one of its shows
Although rhythms like danzón are not so popular, did you feel the acceptance of the public?
There were many people who knew danzón who began to notice that it was a very interesting genre due to the presence of the violins. As Roberto Borrell is a dance teacher, he teaches many of his students how to dance danzón, which is not easy because they should be affixed on each turn they have to make according to the sounds of the instruments.
Can you go from one genre to another in the same song?
Yes, we do that a lot. On our new album, we have rhythms with batá drums from music of Santería, which we use for our danzón songs. It sounds complicated when I explain it, but it is easy at the time of listening to it.
What makes Orquesta La Moderna Tradición different from other Latin music groups in the United States?
Well, I know no other group that plays danzón or charanga. There are two genres of popular dance music in Cuba that come from son montuno, which uses violins and flutes. In the case of charanga, the musicians use violins and flutes. Since the 70’s and 80’s, charanga is now no longer heard in the United States. In Cuba, neither do you hear danzón much. We are a group that has so many danzones in the repertoire. There are not too many groups that play cha cha chá. Me being an arranger, I try to create cha cha chá songs that are not copies of what was played by Orquesta Aragón and other bands in the 40’s and 50’s.
Given that music has evolved so much, what reaction do you perceive from the young public when you play charanga, cha cha chá, danzón and other rhythms?
Interesting question. For young people who do not know and are not salsa fans, our music sounds like salsa because it is difficult to distinguish the genres without knowing them well. However, I work as a music teacher and I have many groups of children, in which there are many salsa fans. They listen to Ray Barreto, Willie Colón, and Hector Lavoe. They also like charanga and understand it well. However, I think danzón is more difficult because it has to be a reflection of what people are feeling in their culture. Cha cha chá is simpler and innocent, but danzón is finer and refined. I think music can influence people and play its part in changing the direction of their culture.
Can you tell us a little bit about your performance at Yoshi’s?
Because of COVID-19, for a year and a half, we could not do anything. We could not even rehearse until the vaccine came on the market. We got this date with Yoshi’s because we have played there many times before as well as Yoshi’s in San Francisco. So, they gave us a date and we had the support of local DJs like Luis Medina, Chuy Varela and Jose Ruiz. We also made use of social media to promote us, sell our CDs and attract people to our shows. The staff of Yoshi’s was impressed because it is rare that a local band has been able to sell so many tickets. We were very excited to see so many people loving us and showing how much they love music. We have a large audience that is very loyal to us and has been going wherever we perform for over 20 years.
Orquesta La Moderna Tradición performing at Yoshi’s
What are your future projects?
We get everything ready for the repertoire of the new album. When I was in New York, I was working with Juan Carlos Formell, Juan Formell’s son, who is the bass player and took over his father’s position in Los Van Van. I was one of the first people he met here in the United States and we became very good friends. Then he told me that I could arrange any of his songs without any problem, so I have about four or five of his songs ready and some others that I have not finished yet. We have enough material to make at least two albums, but it is very expensive. One could only cost us about $15 to start with.
Cover art work for the Orquesta La Moderna Tradición new album El Encantado
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
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 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 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, Rubén Blades, Eddie Montalvo, and Ralph IrizarryOscar Hernández’s last recording entitled Visión
Alfredo Rodríguez Trio, Latin Weekender 2021, And Alain Pérez Quinteto
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
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 19th 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.
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 19th – Sunday, November 21st
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.
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).
He was the last surviving member of the glory days of mambo preceding what we know today as salsa.
Ray Santos was a Latin musician, was born to Puerto Rican parents on December 28, 1928, in New York City, attended the Juilliard School of Music where he studied saxophone.
He was a Professor at the City University of New York (City College), where he teaches a Band or ¨performance¨ course.
Ray Santos ¨The last of the Mambo Kings¨
He was a musician in the orchestras of Machito, Tito Puente and Tito Rodriguez. He was also was an arranger and musical director for recordings of Tommy Olivencia, Junior Toledo, Willie Rosario, Lalo Rodriguez, and Rudy Victorino and an Oscar winner in 1992, for the music of the film “The Mambo Kings” starring Armand.
Maestro Santos is a Puerto Rican man who has made significant contributions to Latin music as an arranger, bandleader, and musician.
Ray Santos ¨ The last of the Mambo Kings ¨
However, beyond the circles of mambo lovers and Latin music big bands of yesteryear, not much is known about his distinguished professional career in Puerto Rico.
Part of it, happens because of the nature of Ray Santos himself. This is a literate person but with an amiable and accessible character, totally devoid of vanity, presumption, or ostentation exhibited by other music personalities with attainments less than him.
For instance, unless he is asked directly, Ray Santos is not going to say that he participated with three arrangements on the compact disc “Palo Pa’ Rumba” CD of Eddie Palmieri, which received a Grammy Award from the Recording Academy in 1985.
Nor will he say that he also arranged for Eddie Palmieri and Tito Puente on the CD “Obra Maestra” which received a Grammy Award in 2001.
For Linda Rondstat he wrote all the arrangements and was the conductor for her CD “Frenesí”, which received a Grammy Award in 1993.
Cynthia DeCure y Ray Santos
In the movie “Mambo Kings” he was a mambo director and arranger, including the arrangement of “Beautiful Maria of my Soul”, a song that was nominated for an “Oscar®” as “Best Song from a Motion Picture” at the 65th Academy Awards® of the Academy of Picture Arts and Sciences.
In other words, this is a person who has reached a seat of honor in the world of Latin music, is Puerto Rican, and is practically unknown by his countrymen.
On the one hand, the album “Mi Luz Mayor” celebrates the legacy of Machito, Puente, and Rodriguez. And on the other, The great contribution of Ray Santos to Afro-Caribbean dance music.
We would like to present the outstanding professional career of Maestro Ray Santos after he suffered a recent health problem.
Ray Santos y Eddie Palmieri
Ray Santos passed away at his home died on October 17, 2019, at the age of 90.
International Salsa Magazine from Silicon Valley presents the album “Big Band Máquina” a production of Angel Melendez and Gia Fu, a real musical gem with 12 melodies of rhythm and flavor dedicated to the dancer, music lover, and collector of the world of Salsa.
Undoubtedly, this record production made between Hong Kong and Puerto Rico will be immortalized as one of the most important albums of the XXI century.
“Big Band Máquina” Latest Production from Angel Meléndez released by Gia Fu
Grammy-nominated Angel Meléndez reappears on the scene with his latest album, Big Band Máquina, which will be available starting Saturday, September 18, 2021.
This production has the particularity of having the talented artist and producer, Gia Fu.
Gia releases this production through the independent label Kong Records Limited.
Ángel Meléndez y Gia Fu
Angel Melendez, a Latin artist, based in the United States, gives us a new and refreshing chapter in his musical career after his album, Angel Melendez & the 911 Mambo Orchestra. Big Band Máquina album consists of eleven songs and a Bonus Track.
The Big Band Máquina project was directed by Ralph Riley. Ralph, Angel, Gia, and other magnificent professionals such as Juan Picorelli and Rolando Alejandro, completed the complicated feat of organizing the 30 artists’ work collaborated on the project.
The recording of the songs took place in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, at the well-known Rolo’s Studio.
Gia Fu, Ángel Meléndez y Ralph Riley en Rolo’s Studio, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
The Team of collaborating artists on this album comprises a quite heterogeneous combination of generations of musicians. Some of the excellent members of the Team were: Tito Allen, Primi Cruz, Hermán Olivera, Rico Walker, Carlos García, Willie Otero, Jorge Yadiel Santos, and Gerardo Rivas.
In addition, Big Band Máquina gives us the presence of a group of musical stars such as Richie Bastar, Gilbérto “PULPO” Colón Jr, Jan Duclerc, Sammy García, Luis Marin, Pedro Pérez, and, especially, Angel Meléndez.
Who is Angel Melendez?
Angel Melendez is a Puerto Rican artist based in the city of Chicago, United States. Angel has had an impressive musical career in the world of Latin music, primarily Salsa.
Melendez had the opportunity to study at VanderCook College of Music, which provided the foundation for his experience as a producer, trombonist, arranger, and music director.
His valuable performance has led him to become an artist nominated for the “Best Tropical Music” category at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards. This nomination was due to his previous album, Angel Melendez & the 911 Mambo Orchestra. Later he was honored with the award in “Best Latin Album” 4th Annual Independent Music Awards 2005.
Angel has had the opportunity to collaborate directly with internationally renowned artists such as Tito Puente, Tito Rodriguez, Andy Montañez, Ismael Miranda, Adalberto Santiago, Cheo Feliciano, The Singers of the Apollo Sounds, Frankie Ruiz, Eddie Santiago, Hector Tricoche, Tito Allen, Johnny Rivera and the Fania All Starr Records.
References & Reviews:
“As one of the most recognized musicians in Chicago, he leads the most popular Latin bands locally. The 20 piece 911 Mambo Orchestra and Tributo Lavoe are widely recognized and move people to the dance floor. Angel’s bands play an array of Latin music from the modern tropical sounds of today to the most traditional hard hitting Mambo of the 50’s”.
