International Salsa Magazine

Search Results for: Música Latina

Two Latin Events Will Blow Europe Away In August

A Salsero Festival and Tour will be the stars of the summer in the main cities of Europe

Europe welcomes Latin music events in the last month of summer this year with two impressive Salseras parties. During these events, the safety of the attendees will be guaranteed, will be an unbeatable festive atmosphere and lots of fun. So, don’t miss the opportunity to attend the Salsa Latina Istriana Festival in Croatia and the Cuban artist Maykel Blanco y Su Salsa Mayor’s European Tour, and enjoy the heat of August with your favorite Latin music.

Salsa Latina Istriana Festival 2022

DJ Sergio, DJ Marc “El Mágico” and DJ Julián Duke will be in charge of mixing the greatest Salsa hits during the Festival

Salsa Latina Istrian Festival began in 2004 as a free dance workshop with 100 dancers who love and dance enthusiasts to promote Salsa and other Caribbean dances.

This year the eighteenth edition of this festival with tradition and support for the community of European dancers arrives from August 26th to August 29th with four Bootcamps, workshops (Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba, Semba, and Urban Kiz), international instructors, Masterclasses, night parties, boat and beach parties (the farewell party on Monday will be free), 12 famous DJs, two free social dances on four floors, and much more.

Salsa Latina Istriana Festival 2022 http://www.salsalatinaistriana.com will be held under the precautionary measures agreed for events and dance academies.

The workshops, as well as the night parties, will take place over three days at Dom Hrvatskih Branitelja, Leharova 9, in the center of the coastal city of Pula, Croatia, and the cost of the gold pass is €150.

Maykel Blanco y su Salsa Mayor

The singles Qué Hace Que Te Mueve and Ya Tú No Coronas belong to the “Qué Hace Que Te Mueve” album released in 2019

Cuban artist Maykel Blanco and his orchestra will continue their tour of Europe (Part 2) on Saturday, August 27th, at London’s iconic auditorium Electric Brixton with a special six-hour Cuban Salsa show. Javier La Rosa and Dr. Jim will be the evening’s Cuban DJs, while Osbanis and Anneta (Cuban Salsa Dancers and UK and World Champions) will lead a Cuban Salsa class for all levels.

On Sunday, August 28th, they will visit Glasgow (United Kingdom) at The Garage (nightclub) and will end their tour on September 9th at the Transformatorhuis event venue located in Amsterdam (Netherlands).

Maykel Blanco y Su Salsa Mayor made their way into the Havanera capital’s music scene more than a decade ago. This popular band in Cuba combines catchy lyrics with irresistible arrangements that get dancers, fans, and onlookers moving on the dance floor.

They currently have two great hits playing on the popularity charts of the most important radio stations on the Afro-Caribbean Island, Ya Tú No Coronas (2019) and Qué Hace Que Te Mueve (2019).

“Maykel was born in San Leopoldo, a neighborhood of the Centro Habana municipality in the Cuban capital, on January 21st, 1981, the year that began a decade of splendor for Cuban popular music. With academic training at the Guillermo Tomás Music Schools and the Amadeo Roldán Conservatory, at the age of 17, he joined the orchestra “Abel y la Seducción” and a year later created, “Suprema Ley”, thus starting his outstanding career professional.

At this stage, he arouses the interest of the Spanish record label Envidia Record with which he signed his first international contract. With this record company, he managed to produce more than ten phonograms for his group and various other artists, including Tirso Duarte. He also participated in the recording of 40 albums as a percussionist in various productions and created music for various “Latin Jazz” groups, such as “Havana Express”.

Maykel decides on October 10th, 2004 to make his big debut with his new orchestra “Maykel Blanco y Su Salsa Mayor”, made up of talented musicians, who graduated from various art schools in the nation.

Since then and up to the present, he has devoted his energy, creation, and musical talent to this interesting project. Thus, allowing his professional career to continue on the rise, as a pianist, percussionist, composer, music producer, arranger, and cultural promoter reaching a high level of popularity and prestige, in Cuba and the world”. Fragments extracted from Maykel Blanco biography. http://www.maykelblanco.com/

Home

Businessman, producer and broadcaster Jimmy Castro promotes his Ritmo Caribe Promotions Radio

Jimmy Castro and his radio station Ritmo Caribe Promotions Radio

We had the pleasure of interviewing businessman, producer and broadcaster Jimmy Castro, who started his radio show “El Toque Latino” on radio station WTCY 1400 AM from 1998 to 2002 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He then worked as a producer on “The Latin Jazz & Salsa Show” in Richmond, Virginia on station WCLM 1340 AM between the years 2008-2014. He eventually launched his own online Radio station Ritmo Caribe Promotions Radio in 2018 through the link www.ritmocaribepromotionsradio.com. Here, listeners can find salsa, Latin jazz and Afro-Cuban music.

Producer, promoter, and broadcaster Jimmy Castro

Here is our conversation:

You founded Ritmo Caribe Promotions in 1998. What made you found this company and why focus on setting up festivals and concerts?

I started the company as a DJ Record Pool called Caribbean Rhythms Record Pool in 1996 in Harrisburg Pennsylvania. I began meeting many of the artists that I was receiving music from, who began asking me if I would bring them to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to perform. That’s when I changed the company name to Ritmo Caribe Promotions, and produced many concerts and festivals there featuring artists to include Larry Harlow, Tito Puente, Cano Estremera, Hector Tricoche, Van Lester, Miosotis, Edgar Joel, Yomo Toro, Eddie Palmieri, and more.

Why focus specifically on salsa, Latin jazz and Afro-Cuban music?

I used to promote more genres when I began such as Merengue, Bachata, Reggaeton, and Mexican but as the years went on it began getting more difficult because I was receiving so much music but I had a limited staff to and wouldn’t be able to focus on so many artists. I decided to limit it to the genres I had the most experience in.

Jimmy Castro while leading his old show “El Toque Latino”

I knew that Ritmo Caribe Promotions has co-produced songs by several well-known artists. Let’s talk a bit about your role as producer and record label.

Throughout the years, I have always dreamed of producing a Salsa song with my company. In 2020, I had the opportunity to co-produce my first Salsa song with JA Creations entitled “Mariana” by Colombian Salsa vocalist Jaime Andres featuring Frankie Vazquez “El Sonero del Barrio!” Since then I have co-produced 3 more Salsa tunes, “Nuestro Camino” by Leonardo Garcia featuring country vocalist Cat Beach, Max Rosado, and special guest Nestor Torres, “Mi Motivo” by Leonardo Garcia featuring Grammy nominated Miss YaYa, and “Lo Afortunado Que Soy” by William Mendoza’s Latin Heartbeat Orchestra featuring Cuban vocalist Amauri Menocal. Finally, on August 15, 2022 I will be releasing my first Salsa tune as Executive Producer entitled “Historia de Un Amor” featuring a vocalist from The Netherlands, Julie Huard.

What leads you to launch your own online radio station in 2018?

I started in radio broadcasting in 1997 with my own radio show called “El Toque Latino” on a commercial radio station, WTCY 1400 AM in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I was on the air for 5 years. I then moved to Richmond, Virginia where I worked as a producer on The Latin Jazz & Salsa Show on WCLM 1450 AM / WHAP 1340 AM for 8 years. I was also the entertainment producer for 10 years for the annual Latin Jazz & Salsa Festival, with The 15th Annual Latin Jazz & Salsa Festival scheduled this year on August 27th, in which I will be bringing headline artist Herman Olivera.

Finally, in 2018, I no longer was interested in working on everybody else’s radio station, and decided to launch my own 24/7 internet radio station, Ritmo Caribe Promotions Radio, where I am able to program exactly the way I want to. www.ritmocaribepromotionsradio.com.

Jimmy Castro with the “King of Timbales” Tito Puente

You have also produced theatrical plays and film productions. Give us more details about that.

The play I am most proud of was produced by my company Ritmo Caribe Promotions and Yamile Music (Los Angeles) entitled “Melena: A Cultural & Musical Journey into my Afro-Cuban Roots” which was the true story of Afro-Cuban latina percussionist Melena, and her journey from Cuba and becoming one of the best female percussionist in the world. You could check out the play in 3 parts on YouTube by searching for “Melena: A Cultural & Musical Journey into my Afro-Cuban Roots (Part 1, 2, and 3).”

You also receive music in mp3 format from the audience to place on the station. What basis do you have for choosing between the tracks you receive?

I accept music from artists from around the world, again Salsa, Latin Jazz, and Afro-Cuban music, and I listen to all the music I receive and focus on the quality of the production, ensuring I receive mp3/wave along with the album cover image, and last but not least the music has to be GOOD! I also send it to many Salsa dancers who I am connected with to get their opinion on the tune.

What you can say about your show “El Toque Latino”? How has this show changed with the passage of time?

I mentioned “El Toque Latino” in a question above, however, this show is no longer on the air. Now, it is only “Ritmo Caribe Promotions Radio” 24/7 at www.ritmocaribepromotionsradio.com.

Jimmy Castro with Puerto Rican salsa singer Cano Estremera

 

Home

The Tambor, Tumbadora or Conga is a percussion instrument of great importance in Latin music

The drum, tumbadora or conga as a soloist instrument in Cuban music or jazz bands, had as its first figure Chano Pozo, who, upon receiving the invitation of Mario Bauza and Dizzy Gillespie to participate in his big band, turned the world of jazz upside down.

This explosive union resulted in compositions such as Manteca or Tin Tin Deo.

They also created the roots of what is known today as Latin Jazz, which was originally called Afro Cuban Jazz “Cubop”.

After the surprising death of Chano Pozo, figures such as Cándido Camero, Carlos “Patato” Valdés, Mongo Santamaría, Armando Peraza, Tata Guines and Ray Barretto emerged who gave development and personality to the conga drum as a solo instrument.

It should be noted that Ray Barretto was born in New York and is of Puerto Rican descent.

He would be the first important figure in the world of conga drumming not born in Cuba. As a teenager, Barretto took care of his siblings in the evenings while his mother worked and spent hours listening to the radio.

There he was influenced by jazz and, in addition, his mother listened to Cuban and Puerto Rican music at home. This is how he formed his taste and love for music.

Mario Bauzá

He was a saxophonist in Justo Azpiazu’s orchestra and trumpet player in the Machín Quartet. Later, he joined Chick Webb’s orchestra as principal trumpet. In 1933 he was named director of the orchestra, and remained as such until 1937. Between 1937 and 1939 he played with the orchestras of Don Redman and Fletcher Henderson. And in 1938 he joined Cab Calloway’s band.

We can also affirm that Mario Bauzá is the musical godfather of two great jazz legends: Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzy Gillespie. Because it was Bauzá who made Calloway meet the then young trumpeter John Birks Gillespie, and Chick Webb incorporated Ella Fitzgerald into his band.

Chano Pozo

Luciano Pozo González, better known as Chano Pozo was born in Havana Cuba on January 7, 1915 and died in New York, December 3, 1948, was a Cuban percussionist, half brother of trumpeter Félix Chapolín.

Percussion instruments are instruments that produce sound when struck, shaken or percussed in some way.

This percussion can be done with drumsticks, with metal bars, with the hands, with keyboards or by striking two bodies against each other. This wide variety of possibilities allows for a wide range of sounds and types of instruments.

He shined shoes and sold newspapers, played music in many places and even danced in the well-known Havana comparsa of “Los Dandy”.

He belonged to the Abakuá Secret Society, which explains the perfect mastery he had of the drums of the rite. He had the habit of playing sacred rhythms on his congas, as well as singing Abakuá and Yoruba songs.

He worked in the public transmissions of the radio station Cadena Azul, together with figures of the stature of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, being with Dizzy when he popularized the well-known theme of “Manteca”.

Dizzy Gillespie

He was born on October 21, 1917 in Cheraw, South Carolina.

Son of a bricklayer and occasional musician who treated him very badly.

The young Gillespie hit on everyone: “I was a devil, a strong devil”.

At the age of fourteen, he began playing the trombone, but soon switched to the trumpet, which he was already playing proficiently when his family moved to Philadelphia in 1935. There he got his first important contract with Frank Fairfax’s orchestra.

His life changed as he transformed from a thug in his youth to a true citizen of the world, supporting social causes such as racial integration.

Ray Barretto

Of Puerto Rican parents from Aguadilla, Raymundo Barretto Pagan was born on April 29, 1929 in Brooklyn, New York. He spent his childhood and youth in the Bronx and Spanish Harlem.

He grew up with his mother Dolores Pagan and his siblings Cecilia and Ricardo.

As a child, when he was only 10 years old, he listened to Arsenio Rodríguez, Machito, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Harry James, Los Panchos, Pedro Flores, Daniel Santos and Miguelito Valdez.

At the age of 17, in 1946, he joined the U.S. Army.

In Germany he discovered his taste for music represented in Bebop, listening to the songs “Shaw Nuff” by Charlie Parker with Dizzy Gillespie and “Manteca” by Dizzy Gillespie with the Cuban Chano Pozo, who became his source of inspiration. It was at that time that he became thoroughly acquainted with jazz.

“The word percussion comes from the Latin percussio, a variation of the word percussus, which refers to the action of striking, shaking or vibrating something repeatedly.”

Percussion instruments have a great importance in music because, within a group of instruments, their usual function is to mark the rhythm of the piece. This means that they are often seen as the heartbeat of a musical composition.

Because of their primary role in creating and maintaining the rhythm of a piece, percussion instruments often work in conjunction with bass instruments, including the double bass or electric bass.

There are a large number of percussion instruments that can be classified according to different criteria. In this article you can find the most important classifications used today.

Many of these instruments are simple and rudimentary. It is due to their simplicity that percussion instruments are the oldest in the history of mankind.

The evolution of technology and music gradually allowed the development of more complex instruments, among which are wind instruments and stringed instruments.

Sources:

https://www.instrumentosdepercusion.com/

http://clasica.latinastereo.com/Salsero-del-mes/Mario-Bauza

http://old.latinastereo.com/html/genteLatina/salseroMes/RayBarretto/cronologia.shtm

Oscar D’ León Will Celebrate his 50th Anniversary In Europe

50th Anniversary Europa Tour 2022 will start on July 10th in Bulgaria

In 1997, the album Sonero del Mundo, in collaboration with Willy Chirino, was nominated for a Grammy.

Salsa legend Oscar D’ León “El Sonero del Mundo” will celebrate his half-century of a uninterrupted artistic career with a tour of six European countries, and tickets don’t exceed € 70, so hurry up because there are few left.

The 50th Anniversary Europe Tour 2022 will start on July 10th in Bulgaria (Latin Beach Boom Festival), and he will continue in Germany (Frankfurt – July 12th, Munich – July 13th, and Berlin – July 16th). After, he will visit the city of Milan in Italy on July 14th, then land in Spain for a concert in Barcelona on June 15th, Tenerife (June 23rd), and Madrid (June 27th – The last live of the tour). Oscar D’ León will continue his Tour through Paris (France) on July 17th and Amsterdam (Netherlands) on July 22nd at Kwaku Festival.

“Who will share this tour of Europe loaded with hits and #Saborrr?” The Sonero de la Salsa wrote on his Facebook page on June 7th.

The king of Salsa, Oscar D’ León http://oscardleon.net/ was born on July 11th, 1943. His youth grew up in the popular area of ​​western Caracas (Antímano). This singer and self-taught bassist, since his debut in Latin music, has become one of the most representative artists of the Afro-Caribbean genre. He has been praised for his participation in orchestras such as La Dimensión Latina and his work as a soloist.

His first jobs were as a driver of a school bus and a taxi during the day, along with his apprenticeship in the execution of the string instrument, double bass, and his numerous night performances in different clubs in the Venezuelan capital. His success came in 1972 with the orchestra La Dimensión Latina and since then, D’ León has remained at the top of popularity as one of the most respected and admired Salsa artists of his time, with more than four decades of experience in unsurpassed live performances and more than 50 albums of their own and collaborations.

Oscar D’ León sang “Mundo Perfecto”. Song in Spanish from the animated movie The Emperor’s New Groove (Disney – 2003)

He paved the way for musicians of his genre by being one of the pioneers to tour the Asian continent (Japan) and the first Latino to sign a record deal with the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom.

Between the 1980s and 1990s, Oscar recorded the hit “Ariel” with the Billo’s Caracas Boys orchestra as a tribute to Billo Frometa and Benny Moré. He launched the version “Qué bueno baila usted” with the Venezuelan orchestra Los Blanco. He was a special and permanent guest at important Salsa and Latin Jazz festivals, in addition to sharing the stage and recordings with famous artists such as Celia Cruz, Eddie Palmieri, and Tito Puente. Starting in 1998, every March 15th is celebrated in New York City as “Oscar D’ León Day”, and for seven years (May 14th, 2015) it has been “Oscar D’ León Day” but this once in the California state (USA).

In 2013 he received the Award for Musical Excellence awarded by the Latin Recording Academy and two years later he dazzled with his presentation in Viña del Mar (Chile) taking the Gold and Silver Gaviotas (Seagulls).

This year the master Oscar D’ León celebrates 50 years of trajectory and will celebrate it with you in Europe. So don’t miss this opportunity to sing his greatest hits such as El Frutero (1976), Llorarás (1986), Detalles (1986), Mi bajo y yo (1990), Frenesí (2001), and La Mazucamba (2002).

Puerto Rican singer Wito Rodríguez talks about his success and career

How his career starts

We are here with the very talented Irwin Wito Rodriguez (https://www.facebook.com/nmjrecords). Pleased to meet you, Mr. Rodriguez, such a pleasure to have you here. How are you?

Thank you very much, Karina. Thank you for the invitation. Quite well, thanks to God. I am in Florida at the moment, where the temperature is very pleasant.

Talented Puerto Rican singer Wito Rodríguez

Your beginnings in the musical world occured in a rock band, which is very common in many of your colleagues. Many of them start as boleristas and rockers. How did you go from a rock band to singing salsa and other genres like this?

I was born in Chicago and my parents are Puerto Rican, so I was raised American and tended to speak more English than Spanish. I listened only to music in English, but I also listened to Daniel Santos, Los Panchos and Tito Rodriguez at hore since I was a little boy. However, they were my parents’ favorite artists, not mine. As the years went by, my dad bought me my first guitar, so I joined a rock band of four or five kids and we started playing very cool songs. This lasted until I was 14 years old, when my father decided to send us to Puerto Rico and it was a very drastic change for me because now I was going to be in a school where Spanish is spoken and my Spanish was very bad. When I arrived in Puerto Rico, it was very nice to see the island in person because I only knew it from what my dad told me.

Five or six months after I arrived in Puerto Rico, I started singing with another rock band until I turned 16, which was when a very famous percussionist named Chacón (he had a band called Chacón Y Sus Batirítmicos) heard me sing and told me that he would like me to sing with them. He lived near me, so I could go to his place. I started going about twice a week to learn to play the conga and the clave. Around that time, I started learning everything related to salsa and typical Puerto Rican rhythms.

So I started playing in a nightclub, but I wasn’t supposed to do that because I was still 16 years old. So, they got me a jacket, hid me and I started singing there. When I turned 17, I moved to Chicago to finish school and speak English again. Three months later, I started singing salsa with the first orchestra in Chicago whose name was La Orquesta La Justicia from 1971.

So, you didn’t like salsa, but you developed a taste for it.

That’s correct. I didn’t have the joy of attending music school, so I just tried to learn as much as I could from what I saw. If I saw someone playing on a stage, I would approach the musicians, ask questions and clear my doubts. I learned a lot of things on my own.

Image taken from his video clip You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine

Military service and his first orchestra

You were part of the German orchestra Conexión Latina while serving in the army. How did the idea of starting a Latin music group in such a country arise?

When I was in the Orquesta La Justicia, I met many salsa stars like La Lupe, Ismael Rivera, Larry Harlow, Ray Barreto, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, La Sonora Ponceña and many others. All these artists helped me and taught me many things.

When I joined the U.S. Army, I had the opportunity to sing with an orchestra in Puerto Rico, but I was in Chicago. I accepted and prepared everything to return to the island, but the orchestra had already gone on tour when I arrived and they didn’t take me. It was very sad for me because I left everything in Chicago, since I wasn’t thinking of returning.

From there, I decided to join the U.S. Army and wanted to be sent as far away as possible. A week later, I reveived word that I passed the test and that I would be sent to Germany. That’s when I started a band called Wito Y Su Conjunto Sabor in 1977 along with other Puerto Ricans who also sang or played instruments. We were the only salsa band in Germany at that time. In 1981, I already had an orchestra called La Sonora Antillana and we played for the German audience, which was very tough.

In 1983, I left the army. Then, Luis García, an excellent tres player, and Cano Robles from Conjunto Canayon, Puerto Rico, made my first album called Calorcito. The following year, I released my first album and it was awesome because it led me to release another record production that took me to tour all around Europe.

In 1992, I went back to Tampa, where my dad lived. I came back to be in need because nobody knew who I am there. It was very difficult, so I had to start working until I returned to the Army and was sent to Pennsylvania. In 2007, I finally retired with 30 years of service.

In 2013, I started making my first solo album whose name was Qué Mundo Maravilloso. In 2016, I moved to Orlando, where I finished my other three albums I released later.

Art for the song Qué Mundo Maravilloso

You took opera classes. How did this help you in salsa?

Those classes taught me how to stabilize my voice, know how to modulate, know how to breathe, know how to feel the tone in one part of the body (under your nose), know what tone comes after the previous one and all kinds of things. I also learned some very good exercises to warm up my voice.

Another thing these classes taught me was resistance. Spending an hour singing on stage is not easy.

A lot of singers have a good voice, but they don’t have the necessary training to get to the right tone for them and avoid singing off-key.

I read that you have been nominated for the Hollywood Media Music Awards and the Miami Fox Music Awards for both English and Spanish songs. Which songs are the most successful? English or Spanish?

I try to include even a salsa song in English in all my albums. My last song focuses more on the American audience than the Latin audience. It was a good choice because the video has about 42,000 views on YouTube, which means it attracks more attention than my other work.

One of the things that has done musicians in general most harm has been Covid-19. Many are recovering, but others had to get a job because they could no longer make a living from music.

Many of his songs are related to his Puerto Rican roots