Search Results for: Mambo
The Big Three Palladium Orchestra live at the Blue Note (2004)
The Palladium legacy lives on
The idea of bringing together the three great Palladium orchestras in an innovative concept was the brainchild of Mario Grillo, better known in the music world as Machito, Jr. whom I had promised to address on the subject of the Big Three at the Palladium.
Here I share one of my dreams come true. To be able to write about what I am passionate about is a great luxury, but to have these greats of music welcome me with so much affection to fulfill it is simply magic, fantasy and illusion.
Mario Grillo was born and grew up in a home that supported and sponsored his decision to become a musician. However, his mother -Doña Hilda Torres (EPD)- forced him to practice one hour a day “the hard way” while she told him that being a musician was as serious as being a doctor or a “shyster”. Mario Bauzá was his solfeggio teacher, since reading music was mandatory in his professional path.
At the age of ten he was already playing with his father’s orchestra. When he was still in high school and only 15 years old, Mario Grillo was already the regular timbalero in Machito’s orchestra. However, Machito, Jr.’s career skyrocketed when he did not yet dream of being ready to become a bandleader.
In 1975, his uncles Mario Bauzá and Graciela Grillo Pérez left their Machito’s orchestra, forcing Machito to take action and rescue his orchestra. Machito did not seem to be affected by the fact that Mario Bauzá’s replacement had not yet reached the age of majority. At only 19 years old, Mario Grillo became a bandleader “a la cañona” as we say in Borinquen bella.
The new orchestra was affectionately called “Machito and his Kindergarten” since the musicians were youngsters hungry for musical experience. Although Mario Grillo did not know it, the virtuoso timbalero had been preparing for this moment since he was only five years old when he had performed a timbal solo with none other than the “King of the Timbal”.
In 1982, at the age of 25, Mario Grillo directed and produced the recording of the 1983 Grammy winning album in the category of Best Latin Recording. With great pride Mario adds that the recording was done in Holland and that the entire process was completed in four hours. It is worth mentioning that Machito and His Salsa Big Band won against Julio Iglesias, José Feliciano, Willie Colón & Rubén Blades and Ray Barretto.
Here is a sample of the album in reference (Arrangement by Isidro Infante):
I ask you: How did the idea of establishing The Big 3 Palladium Orchestra come about?
Mario Grillo Torres, whose name honors the great Cuban jazzman -Mario Bauzá (EPD)- and whose nephew he is, tells us that the idea came out of desperation. The booking agency of Mario Grillo’s orchestra found that its strongest market was rather in Europe and Scandinavia. However, one bad day Mario Grillo had to face the possibility of modifying his orchestra. His promoter suggested that he reduce the 16-piece orchestra to form a quintet or sextet to make the project more profitable.
Machito, Jr. laughingly recalls that he only knows about big orchestras, so he got down to work and started making phone calls. He called Tito Puente’s widow: Margie, Tito Rodriguez, Jr. and Tito Puente, Jr. Once Margie, Rodriguez, Jr. and Puente, Jr. agreed to ally with Machito, Jr. the latter returned to the booking agency in London to offer him three orchestras for the price of one. Three calls were enough for Mario Grillo to return to counter negotiate with that promoter, offering him an irresistible orchestra.
The idea entailed a large orchestra with three timbaleros. Each timbalero would play one third of the repertoire, corresponding to the repertoire of the Patriarch of the timbalero on duty. That is to say, Mario would lead the orchestra during the performance of Machito’s orchestra repertoire; Tito Rodriguez, Jr. would lead the orchestra during the performance of El Inolvidable Tito Rodriguez’s orchestra repertoire prior to the closing in which Tito Puente, Jr. would lead the orchestra during the performance of the King of Timbal’s orchestra repertoire. The booking agency representative had no choice but to give up the promoter’s original idea of reducing the large orchestra concept to form a smaller, more economical group, because no one offers three orchestras for the price of one. And Mario is not a salesman. As an important detail, the tour began after 15 concerts were confirmed, without the orchestra having posters, much less CDs to promote. And “in a crazy way”, as Mario Grillo describes it, they began to fulfill the “stews”. The first places to host that non-promotional musical tour concert were Columbia University and the Verizon Center. From there they went on to England, France, Germany, Italy, Bulgaria and Latvia.
A year into the tour, Mario Grillo was asked by the booking agency to promote a tangible during the next tour. The Big Three Palladium Orchestra, Performing the Music of Tito Rodríguez, Machito and Tito Puente was born.
This CD was recorded live at the Blue Note during two concerts that were “packed”, as Mario Grillo told me with emotion. The recording of this masterful production was coordinated from a rolling recording studio that monitored 48 microphones. The long awaited compact disc became the promotional item for the ten years that were added to that historic tour, which initially consisted of only fifteen concerts. The first concert of this historic reunion was in 2000. This year marks the 21st anniversary of the establishment of the Palladium’s Big Three Orchestra. Having come of age, this orchestra has the repertoire of the owners of the mambo. This results in more than three hundred record productions, which adds up to more than three thousand songs and no room for exaggeration; so as Mario Grillo declares: “Anything can happen”.
During the eleven years of touring Europe -Finland, Germany, Spain and France-, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Los Angeles and San Francisco -to mention a few places- Mario Grillo repeated what he did with Machito’s orchestra; this time the legacy sounds through The Big Three Palladium Orchestra. For Machito, Jr. one of the most emotional moments was when they came to Puerto Rico for the Jazz Festival. For the first time, the heirs to the mambo era – Tito Rodriguez, Jr., Machito, Jr. and Tito Puente, Jr. – teamed up again in their three-orchestras-in-one concept to bring the Palladium legacy to Puerto Rico. In fact, between laughter and mischief Mario states that his father always insisted that: “the best interpreters of Cuban music are the Puerto Ricans” adding that this assertion guaranteed him tremendous fire within the Cuban community.
When I asked Mario about his favorite instrument, he commented with a loud laugh: “women, I’m malamañoso”. Once we returned to the line of conversation, he added that he has been a TOCA artist for ten years. With a serious tone he added that he is very proud of his colleagues, fellow artistic staff members within TOCA Percussion. Among that list, he mentioned Tito Rodriguez, Jr. and the late Jimmie Morales, who, according to Mario Grillo, used to make a fire out of two coffee cans no matter what brand of instrument it was.
As you can see, each of the “Palladium’s Big Three” left behind a timbalero son, coincidentally. These three timbaleros have made it their mission to keep the Palladium legacy alive and well.
With deep pride, Mario Grillo told me that in 2019, the 80th anniversary of the first Machito orchestra, established in 1939, was commemorated. The average seniority of the musicians who remain in the orchestra since its establishment is forty years. In fact, there are anecdotes that show Luis “Perico” Ortiz as an alumnus of Machito’s orchestra. It is said that when “Perico” was part of Mongo Santamaría’s orchestra, he would go to play with Machito’s orchestra during his days off. Another alumnus of Machito’s orchestra is the bongos player of the Gran Combo de Puerto Rico: Richie Bastar, who as a teenager became the substitute bongos player of that school orchestra. With the privileged memory that characterizes him, Mario Grillo states with admiration that in 1979 Machito identified excellence in Isidro Infante -also a former student of Machito- when they played in Finland.
Although Machito, Jr. has not insisted on being Machito’s son, it is not possible to forget that he is the son of one of the greats of mambo, creator of Cubop and salsa, so it is not surprising that his father is still a topic of conversation in musical circles.
Here is one of my favorites (Arrangement by René Hernández)
Website: Tito Rodríguez, Jr. “The Palladium legacy lives on”
WebsiteBy: Bella Martinez “The Irreverent Salsa Writer” Puerto Rico
WebSite: Bella Martinez
Willie Morales The Salsa Pilot Taking off with force… New, Tasty and Danceable Salsa!
The Salsa Pilot Willie Morales, “Vivencias mi Misión”
Is his second and most recent musical production after debuting with Desafiando la Gravedad, el Piloto returns with more power and an original sound that bets on the style of Salsa de la Vieja Guardia or Gorda in the same way of interpreting a Son Montuno, a Guaracha, a Bolero or El Mambo and surrounds us with a voice of the original Sonero.
The main theme and title track of the production “Vivencias mi Misión” features an excellent Congas solo by veteran Puerto Rican percussionist Paoli Mejías and the Vázquez brothers (Víctor and Toñito) on Trombones.
William Morales Echeverría, better known as Willie Morales. Born in East Chicago, Indiana on December 1st. Son of Puerto Rican parents from the town of Añasco.
From a very young age, the inclination towards music was apparent, inspired by his brother Jose Rodolfo Morales (Rudy) who sang with various musical groups in the city of Chicago.
Willie developed in choirs of different schools in the city of Chicago where he demonstrated his vocal range where he performed all voices from soprano to baritone.
At the age of 13, after his parents’ retirement, he took up residence in Añasco, Puerto Rico on Nicolás Soto Ramos Street, better known as La Gallera.
It was here where his passion for Salsa grew and he had gatherings in the neighborhood with family and childhood friends where we spent hours in street rumbones.
He attended the Escuela Libre de Música de Mayagüez, where he took piano lessons with Luciano Quiñones, and also participated in the school’s band as a singer. He sang with several musical groups in the area such as Polanco, Nelson (Ruido), and La Dictadora, which belonged to Willie Sotelo, the current pianist of the Gran Combo.
His favorite singers are Cheo Feliciano, Marvin Santiago, Ismael Miranda, his relative among others. During this trajectory, he began another passion in his life, aviation.
His desire to be a pilot grew with the same intensity he felt to be a singer, as time went by, he took the path of aviation where he has been flying around the world for more than 30 years. He never stopped singing, bringing joy to co-workers, neighbors and the general public.
Bringing music and joy in every corner, in every place, dancing and singing even in the airplane.
Always with the hope that in the future he could realize his dream of making his own musical production. After such a long wait, he got the opportunity to do what he loves so much in life, taking both careers hand in hand, singing and defying gravity, two dreams come true.
Here is Willie Morales, El Piloto de la Salsa! As his friends called him.
Family…
Just out of the oven!
Now available for sale by PayPal, Zelle or money order. Bufete de Salsa, features 12 tracks, Pa’ Gozá!!!! Each unit has a cost of $16.00 includes shipping (USA) with tracking number. Autographed if you wish!
“YOUR SUPPORT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE MAKING MUSIC FOR THE SALSA PEOPLE”.
Contact: Willie Morales II or call 832-515-3522
Por: Erika Muñoz
La Mulata Rumbera
“Se Armó la Rumba en México”
Corresponsal de International Salsa Magazine
Article of Interest: Fabián Rosales Araos Chilean singer-songwriter, native of the city of Valparaíso
Great conversación with conductor and timbalero Sammy Deleon
How Sammy Deleon’s career began to flourish
There have been uncountable artists who have lifted Latin music around the world, and one of them has been conductor Sammy Deleon. This American of Puerto Rican parents was born in Lorain, Ohio, on August 18, 1961, and grew up in the same county with his 14 brothers. He started his professional career with the Trio Puerto Rico when he was just 13 years old, after which he was already beginning to demonstrate his incredible musical skills.
While it is true that neither of his parents were musicians, Sammy recalls with affection his mother while she used to sing at home and his father used to play the Puerto Rican cuatro during the Christmas season to celebrate the occasion to the sound of parrandas typical of the Island of Enchantment that were created for the occasion.
This musician greatly enjoyed the work of Tito Puente, with whom he later developed a great friendship and an excellent working relationship. That happened on one night when the King of Timbales was playing a concert in Lakeview Beach. Deleon made his way to the stage, greeted the timbalero, wanted to talk to him and asked to play with him. After doing some soundtracks and a unique display of talent, Puente accepted to let him play and together they shone on stage by making one of the biggest dreams of Sammy a reality.
After that, he ended up playing with Puente in his hometown, Orlando, New York and Puerto Rico. After many years, the same would happen with Tito Puente Jr. who would also take into account this musician’s talent for his shows.
Deleon has shown diverse musical abilities throughout his career, but without a doubt, he has been successful in percussion, more than in any other. Likewise, he has dedicated much of his time and effort to exploring Latin and Afro-Cuban rhythms, resulting in a style that is unlike many other artists of his kind.
For the last 10 years, he has managed to conduct his own group Sammy Deleon Y Su Orquesta, with which he has had many of his successes in his career so far, one of them the respect and admiration of a vast multicultural audience that is always seeking innovation in the music which they hear.
During these years, he has managed to capture the attention of many DJs, dancers, and Latin music lovers thanks to his hard work and the enormous energy invested in each of his musical productions. Contigo Y Sin Ti and Baila Que Baila have been a gift to the ear on dance floors crowded with people of all musical tastes and different levels of skills in relation to dance and choreography.
Everything he learned during his career has also been benefitial to other musicians, as Sammy uses his knowledge to mentor would-be percussionists who want to follow in his footsteps and those of the most acclaimed musicians in history. Unquestionably, a noble task for those who, at a certain point, had the same dreams.
Interesting and emotional conversation with Sammy Deleon
A very good morning to all of you. This is Karina Garcia, North American director for International Salsa Magazine. I am very happy today because we have a very special guest. This is none other than Sammy Deleon who is a composer, timbalero, and musician with a long-standing career. How are you, Sammy? How are you feeling today?
I’m very well, thank you. I’m very well, thank goodness. From here in Cleveland, Ohio.
All right, Sammy, could you tell me what pushed you to go into music? What inspired you? What did you decide to take this path and why did you chose percussion?
Well, the one who put the music on was my father. Gumersindo Deleon was the one who started all this. I say he was a frustrated musician because his time was not very good, but slowly, he taught me and my two brothers Puerto Rican jibaro music when I was a little boy. Two years went by and one of my brothers was 15 years old, the other one was 14 and I was 13 when my brother taught us salsa when it was a boom in New York. That is how we started playing percussion on our own, since no one taught us.
We listened to music every day and from there started singing in church choirs with trios, ensembles, jibaro music and, little by little, we kept going up, up, up. That is when my older brother Roberto, who was a timbalero before I do, saw that I were interested in the timpani than him while he was dedicated to the conga and my other brother Micky was dedicated to the bongo. Then the three of us were rehearsing almost every day and my dad said that we were too loud when playing percussion. Years passed and my brother Roberto moved to Florida, my brother Micky moved to Kansas City and I were alone here.
I have been playing since I was 13, starting with the Trio Puerto Rico and, later, I started playing with a group called Conjunto Nabori with music by Cheo Feliciano and we were doing it with vibraphones, congas, timbales and so on. From there, we joined an orchestra called Charambo (meaning charanga and mambo) where I stayed for 10 years. Next thing after that, the orchestra was going to break up, another merengue group called Orquesta Marquis was being created when merengue was in full swing in the 90s. After being part of that orchestra for five years, we had a problem with the director, so we fired him and changed the name to Orquesta Impacto Nuevo where I stayed for 10 years. After burning the CD, we went to Florida to promote it and, after that, a few things did happen and I decided to go back to Ohio.
We created a group under my own name, so it was called Sammy Deleon Y Su Orquesta with which we have worked for almost 25 years now. We have joined many different singers. When we were in the Charambo Orchestra, we performed with Tito Puente, Adalberto Santiago, Chivirico Dávila, Vitín Aviléz, Conde Rodríguez, Luisito Carrión, Tito Rojas, Tony Vegas and many more. We played with Ismael Mirando for over a year and I won several awards in the city as Legend of the year and it was a big thing. I use an orchestra composed of 18 musicians and played mambo created by Tito Puente and Los Mambo Kings.
Remember that I come from a big family in which we were 14 siblings, 8 sisters and 5 brothers. The oldest was a DJ for many years and the one who brought salsa here in the 70s and 80s. I also had the joy of playing with the Gran Combo de Puerto Rico two years ago because their timbalero got sick, which is why I had the opportunity to play with them a couple of times while he was getting better. We have played in Buffalo, Cincinnati, New York, Los Angeles and many other places.
All right, Sammy. Everybody knows very well your admiration for Tito Puente before you even became a famous musician. In fact, I remember seeing an interview with you in which you recount an anecdote of how you met and played with him.
Thank you. You brought up a very cool issue. One time, Tito Puente came here to Cleveland, Ohio, in 1979. There was a big concert in Lorain, where I was born and raised. He played during the day, and at night, we went to watch him at a well-known jazz club. There, a friend of mine offered to give me 20 pesos if I was going to play with him, to which I replied yes. So I went to the stage, made a hand gesture, said give me a break and I do not think he heard me. However, he looked at me and told me to get close to him. When I was up on the stage, he said look at me, listen and don’t touch anything yet. That is when he did something, I did the same and we are continuing to do so. That was the last song on his set. He took me into his dressing room, asked me where I was from. I told him I was from Loraine, Ohio.
He asked me who taught me to play and I told him I was just self-taught. He said no way!, and can you read music?, to which I answered no, but that I was learning to do it. Then, he told me that I had a great future in front of me and to keep playing the timbales because that is an instrument that requires a lot of strength to be played because it is not like a 4-drum battery. So basically, he told me to move on because I was going to have a good future in front of me. He died several years later, but I played with him a couple of times here in Cleveland, New York, Orlando, and Detroit, Michigan.
After his death, I met his son, Tito Puente Jr. who came to Cleveland. I conducted an orchestra composed by 17 musicians, he played all of his father’s songs and we had a good time. When he comes in October, I have to provide him with the group again. Playing with Tito Puente was one of the best moments I have ever had.
You commented in that interview and now that it was memorable for you to play with Tito Puente. Apart from that, what other memorable experience could you mention?
There is an experience I had in 2016 when I won the jazz salsa and legend award. I was labeled a legend – imagine that, me a legend! Since when am I a legend? That took me by surprise when I got the prize. I am still shocked (crying). I didn’t expect that award because other musicians have had more years of trajectory than me.
When the lady called me and said me what’s going on, I asked her if she was sure of what she was saying and she answered yes. After hanging up the phone, I sat down and cried because I did not expect this. I had to call my family and explain to them what was going on. The day I got the prize, my whole family was there with me. To this date, it still shocks me because it was a very special day for me. I pray to Him not to cry again because these things enter my heart.
How does it feel to be on a par with your idols? How does it feel to play with them and to see the road you have taken?
It has been amazing to accompany artists such as Tito Puente or Tony Vega, who are on another level and I am trying to get there. I’m already old man and coming up on 60 years old, but I still have a way to go and try to pull ahead step by step. I’m going to make it, but it was an honor to play with all those legends. We have opened up for many groups such as La Sonora Ponceña, La Mulencia, Luis Henrique and so on. I will never forget those days and times.
I understand that you have been responsible for training young people who wish to become percussionists, is that right?
Yes, we are working with guys from Ohio to teach them about salsa, percussion, instruments and many other things. There are many who leave, but there are always two or three who stay on. Right now, we’re teaching kids all about salsa, which I love to do because I will not last long around here.
In what way has teaching contributed to your career? What is the most valuable thing you have learned from your students?
I learn that you have to be humble in life. When those boys go home and tell their parents that I’m teaching them, many of the family members want to come see what their kids are doing here. So I am working hard to see that they are learning only positive things and using their time well. What if they will be able to make good money and even become professionals about this in the future?
How do you think these young people perceive your music?
Many young people opt for Reggaeton, which is what is fashionable, but I give thanks that I have achieved that two or three young people stay with me to learn. They want to learn to play the bongo, the conga, the timbales, and other things. I always look for more of them to get them interested in salsa.
What do you do outside the recording studios and off the stage?
I love sports. When there is a basketball or football game (my favorite) that I want to see, there is no one to stop me from watching it.
Do you practice any of them?
Basketball, but I am too old for that. I used to play a lot, but I don’t do it anymore.
What advice do you have for young people who want to devote themselves to music in the context of this pandemic?
The only advice that I can give to someone who wants to learn to play music is to study, learn to read music, and choose an instrument before learning to play others. Many young people want to play many instruments at the same time, but they don’t master one. You have to master an instrument before trying to learn to play others.
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: Sammy Deleon
Johnny “Dandy” Rodríguez Jr. Growing Up in Latin Dance Music and Jazz
Johnny “Dandy” Rodriguez Jr. is a salsa legend and world-renown, pioneering bongocero.
His “Dream Team” is currently regarded as the hottest salsa “conjunto” performing In New York City.
It is rare, and ever increasingly so, that a musician would spend a lifetime in a band. But percussionist Johnny “Dandy” Rodríguez Jr. who was a teenager when he was allowed to sit in with the Tito Puente Orchestra and be an apprentice for a few months before earning a place in its rhythm section, was also there at the end, playing alongside Puente until his death, after a concert on May 31st, 2000.
“I went from being a kid, coming into the band as a 16-year-old to being the man running the band at the end,” said Rodríguez, 70, in a conversation from his home in Las Vegas.
Between that beginning and end, Rodríguez also contributed, in prolonged stints, to the sound of the Tito Rodríguez Orchestra, Ray Barretto, his own band, Típica ‘73, and more.
The son of Johnny “La Vaca” Rodríguez Sr., a respected percussionist who also played with the Puente and Rodríguez orchestras, “Dandy” Rodríguez is one of those essential musicians who have created and shaped the sound of contemporary Latin Jazz yet are little known by the public at large.
While some of the great players in Duke Ellington or Count Basie bands have long been recognized for their contributions, their counterparts in the Latin orchestras, for the most part, have not. Rodriguez will be honored by Arturo O’Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra in their concert “Tribute to the Great Sidemen of Latin Jazz” alongside Sonny Bravo, Ray Santos, Papo Vázquez, Reynaldo Jorge, José Madera, Joe González, and Bobby Porcelli at Symphony Space, in New York City, January 29th and 30th.
“When they called me about the concert I thought it was such a great idea,” says Rodriguez.
“Usually people just know the name of the bandleader and it’s fine,” he says. “But they must remember that there is a good team behind that leader which makes him look so much better.
There’s a way of playing that music that makes it sound the way they wrote it and the way they wanted it and these guys knew it and they knew how to do it.”
Rodríguez grew up in Spanish Harlem, Manhattan, in a house with “a great music collection, a good, what was then called, hi-fi system and always full of musicians,” he recalls.
“It was great but I was interested in baseball, in stickball. I didn’t get involved with music until later, but the music was always in the background, in my house.” By the time he was in junior high, Rodríguez played bongos, congas, timbales, and set drums and, as he puts it, “started to get into it.”
“Remember, I lived in El Barrio and back in those days, in that area, there was a lot of music in the air.
There would be speakers outside the furniture store or the bodega or the record shop, and music would be playing. This shop would be playing this radio station, the butcher would have another, so walking one block you’d be hearing three different pieces of music. It was an environment full of music.”
During the first two decades of the new century, the musical work of maestro Johnny Rodriguez continued; thus, his musical imprint has remained in other publications with The Latin-Jazz Coalition, Frankie Morales, Eddie Palmieri, Gilberto Santa Rosa, George Delgado, Victor Manuelle, Rick Arroyo, Orestes Vilató, Mitch Frohman, Cita Rodriguez, Doug Beaver, Adalberto Santiago and Jeremy Bosch.
In addition, special mention must be made of the participation of maestro Johnny Rodríguez with a group called The Latin Giants Of Jazz, in the best style of the classic Big Bands, made up of great teachers, among them, some of the former members of the band of maestro Tito Puente; with this group they have released four albums; this project gave rise to another band called The Mambo Legends, who recorded the album titled: Watch Out! ¡Ten Cuidao!
John Rodriguez is, without any doubt, one of the most prolific percussionists in the world of Latin music called Salsa; the nickname “Dandy” goes back to his childhood, when the car in which he was taken was bought in a warehouse or a store called “Dandy”, and people said: look how cute the “Dandy”, and from there he kept that nickname. In music he is better known as Johnny instead of John.
In the (year 2022) the experienced Johnny Rodriguez had three or four groups with which he is playing, among them Dandy Rodriguez and his Dream Team, and at the same time he teaches percussion classes over the Internet. He is part of the true legends of Latin music, not to mention that his talent has also been reflected in recordings for other musical genres such as: Electronic, Folk Rock, Folk, World & Country, Funk / Soul, Heavy Metal, Jazz, Stage & Screen, Jazz-Funk, Merengue and Pop.
In his very extensive artistic career, the master Johnny Rodriguez took part in historical and iconic recordings of our musical culture, some of these albums have been worthy of awards such as the Grammy Award, among which are:
Homenaje a Beny Moré – Year 1978.
On Broadway – 1983
El Rey: Tito Puente & His Latin Ensemble – Year 1984
Mambo Diablo – 1985
Goza Mi Timbal – Year 1990
Mambo Birdland – Year 1999
Masterpiece / Masterpiece Tito Puente & Eddie Palmieri – Year 2000.
“In 2008, Johhny entrusted LP’s Research and Development Department with the design of the John “Dandy” Rodriguez Jr. bongoes in the Legends series. John is proud that these drums, which bear his name, feature such outstanding sound and visual characteristics.”
He died on August 17, 2024 in New York City of a stroke.
Facebook: John Rodriguez(Dandy)
Article of Interest: José Madera Timbal de Machito and his Afro-Cubans, Tito Puente, Mambo Legends Orchestra and Fania Record Co.
