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
The United States Will Be The First Country Where The Panamanian Artist Will Present Salswing Tour!
Rubén Blades will be recognized as “Person of the Year” at the Latin Grammys on November 17th in sin city, Las Vegas (Nevada)
The multifaceted artist and political activist, Rubén Blades, announced his return to the American stage with his friend and fellow countryman Roberto Delgado & Big Band, starting next November 20th.
The Salsero icon announced the beginning of his tour through his official Facebook account: “We are very happy to be able to work and get in touch with our audience again, after almost two years without being able to do so. With the Roberto Delgado Big Band, an orchestra of 20 musicians that is sounding better, we are eager and want to share our latest album Salswing!, and the usual songs… Please, don’t stop getting vaccinated”.
There are eight cities that the living Salsa legend will visit in North America, starting on November 20th in Oakland (CA), Los Angeles (CA), Atlanta (GA), Miami (FL), passing through Boston (MA), and New York (NY) on November 28th and December 2nd respectively, and having as a special guest the extraordinary American actress, singer, and wife of Blades, Luba Manson who will be showing the repertoire of her Jazz album Triangle released in October 2020.
Rubén Blades and Luba Manson have been married since 2006
Later, Salswing Tour! & the Roberto Delgado Big Band will present their penultimate concert this year on Friday, December 3rd in Washington (DC), and will close this magnificent tour on Sunday, December 5th on the southwest shore of Lake Michigan at the mighty Arena Arie Crown Theater in Chicago (IL).
Regarding this great 2021 tour, Nelson Albareda, CEO of Loud And Live, the company in charge of carrying out this series of concerts and those of Latin stars such as Carlos Vives, Juanes, Farruko, among many others, commented: “It is an honor for us working with a Latin icon, who has inspired generations through his salsa music and long artistic career. Rubén Blades is not only a great artist but also a great ambassador, and activist for our Latin community”.
The prestigious Panamanian songwriter will show for the first time the eleven songs of his most recent album “Salswing!” title that also gives the name to the tour.
“Music is a universal gift, and from Panama, we renew our contribution with this album, SALSWING!”. Rubén Blades
Salswing! has 11 tracks including, Mambo Gil, Cobarde, Canto Niche, and Ya No Me Duele, the latter written by Jeremy Bosch and Rubén Blades with arrangement by Tom Kubis. Salswing! was recorded in collaboration with the record’s bassist and musical producer, Roberto Delgado, and his band made up of 20 talented Panamanian musicians, and it was released on the digital market on April 15th, 2021.
“Although the connection between Jazz and Salsa has been historically documented, much remains to be described and recognized. The combinations and collaborations between musicians of these genres have been numerous over the years and include figures of the stature of Mario Bauza & Dizzy Gillespie, Machito & Charlie Parker, Luis Russell, and Louis Armstrong. With this record production, I try to continue that relationship, verifying that art does not have a nationality but rather represents a spirit that transcends races, geographies, and languages”. It is extracted from his official page.
Rubén Blades has been performing with Roberto Delgado & Bing Band for ten years in the most prestigious stages around the world. In these eight concerts, there will be a historical tour of recognition of the Latin origins of jazz as well as the influences of the son, Afro-Caribbean music, and swing. In addition to including the hits always chanted by the crowd in any corner of the planet.
Roberto Delgado and his Orchestra along with Rubén Blades won a Grammy for Best Latin Tropical Album in 2018
Roberto Delgado was born in the capital of the Chiriquí province in western Panama on June 27th, 1961. This prodigious artist has developed in the musical environment as a Producer, Singer, Bassist, and Arranger.
His upward career began with his studies at the prestigious Conservatory of Music of Fine Arts in Mexico City (Mexico) and later at the Golden West College of Huntington Beach California (United States).
With more than 40 years of experience, Roberto has been a member of ten Panamanian groups counting the Salsa singer orchestra, Roberto Blades (1992) and he is currently the director of his big band made up of 20 musicians and with whom he has shared the stage since 1996 together with the master Rubén Blades.
In the enormous list of famous artists that Delgado has accompanied in productions and tours in addition to the Blades brothers are Cheo Feliciano, Celia Cruz, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Ismael Miranda, Andy Montañez, Tito Nieves, La India, Víctor Manuelle, José Alberto “El Canario”, Luigie Texidor, Maelo Ruiz, Charlie Aponte, Joan Manuel Serrat, Carlos Vives, and many more.
The conductor together with Rubén Blades has performed on the major international stages, including Madison Square Garden (New York), Hollywood Bowl (Los Angeles), Shepherd’s Bush (London), Poble Espanyol de Barcelona (Spain), numerous Latin American auditoriums, and acclaimed festivals in Europe and the Caribbean.
Also, this duo has three Latin Grammys (2015, 2017) and two Grammys for Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album in 2016 and 2018.
Currently, Roberto Delgado (60 years old) and Rubén Blades (73 years old) continue to transgress the barriers that will be the first Latin artists touring Salswing! in the middle of the pandemic throughout the North American territory.
An important fact to attend the Rubén Blades and Roberto Delgado & Big Band concert series in Los Angeles County is mandatory to wear masks. At the moment, mandatory vaccination in the United States only applies to public employees and workers of large companies.
The Dallas Bachata Festival is a celebration in which Latin music and dance have a leading role, but there are so many other things to see besides that. Among the many things that this great event offers its assistants, we can include amazing dance workshops that specialise in salsa, bachata, kizomba, zouk, and many other dancing musical genres. That is why its organisation team has made a genuine effort to get the best instructors to teach the best classes their students have ever had.
There was a lot of doubt about the realization the festival for the year 2021, as the Dallas Bachata Festival had previously been suspended last year. However, it was recently announced that its organizers have decided to hold it this year without any further delay. All efforts have been made to carry out this great set of activities, including the obedience of all the protocols required by the health authorities in order to avoid the spread of COVID-19 among those attending.
Some dancers at the Dallas Bachata Festival
what about costs and dates?
Given that the event already has specific scheduled dates, costs, guests and activities have been announced via the festival’s official Facebook page. According to the information published on the aforementioned social network, the general admission ticket is $125 and gives you access to all programmed activities during the three days of the event. Taking into account that all this will take place in a luxurious hotel in the city, those interested can also book a room, which will cost $109 per night. In case they want to pay for a double room, the price must be over $129 per night.
As of now, those who want to live the unwinding experience will be able to reserve their places at the event during the days of its realization, even if it has to be postponed once again. As it happened once before, the festival had to be postponed due to the spread of the pandemic, but the organizers were fast enough at the moment of responding to the return of the money invested by the attendees or using the payments made for the new dates. Now the same thing will happen here. If the event is canceled for any reason, buyers can be assured that their money will be refunded or pledged to the new dates.
On August 8, the organisation team made some major announcements about the event. One of them refers to the overwhelming speed with which the remaining passes are selling, so those interested have to hurry up to get one. October 4 will be the day when the sale of tickets will close, as there will be no sale at the doors to the event.
Another of the announcements made was the implementation of a health protocol for the protection of attendees from COVID-19, which includes a negative PCR result or arapid antigen test to detect the presence of the virus.
Some students in a dance workshop
Further information can be found on the official Dallas Bachata Festival website at www.dallasbachatafestival.com or call 956-497-3450.
There are different musical rhythms throughout the world and as time passes new rhythms are born and in turn dances that show the elegance, grace, fun and communication between us, at present the kizomba is a musical genre that emerged in the decade of the 70 in Angola, a South African country with varied terrain (beaches, deserts and rivers), this great genre is described as an art, it is passion and beauty who dances it, that means that the couple who dance it shows their viewers their own music through its steps and close movements (it is a narrow or sensual dance) since its songs are more leisurely, romantic and soft, currently it is the fashionable dance.
In the different congresses, events and / or festivals lively dances reign, with rhythm, grace and competitive, where there is a great interaction with the participants and spectators, especially in Latin America with the following musical genres Salsa, Bachata, El Mambo, Merengue and the Kizomba, where a great skill of conduction and communication is required between the dancers, alternating open dance steps (Pasos Libres) with complicated and fast movements of the feet.
There are a wide variety of congresses in all Latin American countries, which have taken place every year including the Covid19 quarantine through social networks such as Facebook live and Instagram live, but this time Costa Rica will be holding Costa Rica Bachata Salsa and Kizomba Fest 2021 from September 2 to 5 at the Hotel Radisson San Jose, Costa Rica.
It will be 4 days full of music from both DJs and live music, shows, competitions, pool parties, after parties and workshops, and everything is possible thanks to its sponsors Euroson Latino world Salsa Championship, Houston Salsa Congress, World Championship from Pasos Libres “La Negra Salsa”, Oaxaca Salsa Bachata Festival Nicaragua, Salsa Resort Punta’l, Pie World Championship, Palma Real Hotel & Casino and Sara Beauty Salon.
Costa Rica Salsa Bachata and Kizomba Fest 2021 Flyers
In this great tropical festival we will have the following artists (dancers) already confirmed:
Oswaldo Corzo (Mexico) will participate for the first time in the Costa Rica Salsa Bachata and Kizomba Fest, offering and giving him a lot of bachata on those days.
Style Company By Henry Urias (El Salvador)
Rincón Salsero Puntarenas (Costa Rica), known for being a school specialized in Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba and popular dances in Costa Rica, not to mention that they are experts as companies that offer shows and competitions, so their presence will be very interesting and dynamic. . @ Rincon-Salsero-Puntarenas
Alexander Gómez (Panama), who will teach us Panamanian Kizomba and contemporary rhythms, you can learn more through his Facebook page @danceholicpanama or Instagram @alex_holic.
Dicky Colon (Puerto Rico), known for being a Puerto Rican dancer and instructor who has participated in different international events, teaching salsa, afro, rumba and other musical genres, you can learn more through Instagram @ dickycolon
There will be the Dancer, Choreographer and teacher Jessica Quiles (Puerto Rico) @jessicaquilesll
Dancers of Papa Tambor Los Santana (Costa Rica), where we will be ready to enjoy the “Bomba” @ Danzarines-de-Papa-Tambor
Director and choreographer of Latin sphere # 2 # 3, dj, salsa and bachata dancer, Bachateros factory Danny Salsita (Colombia) @ danny.salsita
The dancers of Héctor and Mariana (Mexico).
The background music that they will have at the festival will be performed thanks to the participation of the following DJs:
Dj Azúcar Morena (Mexico), @djazucarmorena
Dj Mac (Mexico)
For more information, consult the following links:
Before the lifting of many of the restrictions caused by COVID-19 in Texas, the progressive reopening of entertainment venues that were forced to close due to the pandemic has taken place. Of course, Club Tropicana could not stay out.
Founded in the year 1999, Club Tropicana is still considered one of the favorite places for Texans to go dancing and spend a night of drinking in the city of Houston. Although the place has a wealth of attractions for people of all ages, what is most striking to the audience is the great music being played there. Predominant genres played are salsa, merengue and bachata. Of course, the vast majority of the invited artists are linked to these musical styles.
Although the club itself provides the music heard and danced every night, it usually invites singers and groups that delight all present with their talent. Many performers have walked across this stage, but there are many others who will be more than glad to give the bar customers precious time.
Alcohol bottles and drinks at Club Tropicana
Artists, drinks, and so on
Among the groups invited to perform in the future, we can mention Porfi Baloa y Sus Adolescentes, who will offer a great show to fans who want to listen to their early hits and their new works. The general admission has a cost of $50, the assigned seat has a cost of $60 and the VIP entrance has a cost of $90. For those who wish to purchase a VIP platinum ticket at $125 apiece, they will have to pay for a full table, which will have an extra cost. This concert is part of the orchestra’s tour around several cities in the United States and Houston could not miss was a must.
As well as this Venezuelan group, there are other Latino talents who have not missed the opportunity to perform in the theme parties at Club Tropicana. Such is the case of DJ Noel Velasquez, who performed last Tuesday and showed a varied musical repertoire that includes salsa, cumbia, bachata and many other genres. In addition, the Salsa instructor Jorge Melo was there as a guest, who was teaching a sensational class as a complement to the great work of the already mentioned DJ.
Image of the stage at Club Tropicana
All the advantages that we have already mentioned have resulted in a huge number of positive reviews in which frequent and occasional clients reveal the fun they have had here and what they have liked most about the club. Among the many things they mentioned, we can highlight the fabulous live band, the party atmosphere, the delicious cocktails, the imposing atmosphere and many more. These elements and a few more have made Club Tropicana a great option for all who want to spend an afternoon of drinking among friends and dancing.
Another detail that charms many people is the invitation to great exponents of Latin music, who delight the present ones with their talent. In fact, these artists represent a big part of the appeal of the place, since they welcome both their regular customers and the fans of the singer of the time.
