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“DeBÍ Tirar Más Fotos” is not just an album; it is an invitation to reimagine music and the cultural impact it can have in an increasingly interconnected world

Bad Bunny was born as Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on March 10, 1994. He is a composer and singer of urban music, especially trap and reggaeton.

Although he never took formal music classes or studied any instrument, he is a singer, composer and creator of his own songs. The first samples of his art were seen on YouTube, where he slowly began to gain fans.

In mid-2016, Bad Bunny joined Hear This Music, a label created by DJ Luian and Los Mambo Kingz, presenting the hit “La Ocasión,” an anthem of trap music. There he also recorded singles such as “Diles,” “Soy Peor,” and “Tú No Vives Así.”

Bad Bunny has also participated in songs with numerous artists, such as Farruko, De La Ghetto, J Balvin, Maluma, Nicky Jam and Ozuna, among other urban music stars.

In 2017 he conquered Europe, touring with more than 20 concerts in 20 days. Upon his return he sang “Si Tu Novio Te Deja Sola” at the 2017 Billboard Latin Music Awards with J Balvin.

In addition, he sold out concerts at the Luna Park in Buenos Aires on September 8 and 9. In November he released “Sensualidad” with Prince Royce and J Balvin.

The year 2018 began with great success.

On January 12, he released “El Baño”, a collaboration he recorded with Enrique Iglesias.

On February 6, he released “Salimos A Buscarte”.

On the 9th, he presented “Fantasía”, with Alex Sensation.

On the 14th, she released a version of the hit “Báilame” by Nacho, together with Luis Fonsi, Yandel and Daddy Yankee.

On the 15th, she released “Amorfoda”, a new single in which she says “no” to love.

She didn’t wait and on the 22nd, she released “Dime Si Te Acuerdas”.

On March 16, she released a song with Khea, Düki and Cazzu, titled “Loca”.

On the 23rd of that month, “Dime” was released, recorded with Revol, J Balvin, Arcángel and De La Ghetto.

On April 1, she presented “Me Rolié”. In the same month, she released: “Te Boté”, with Ozuna, Nicky Jam, Nio García, Darell and Casper Mágico; and “Explícale”, with Yandel, Noriel Cosculluela and Brytiago.

On May 5, she recorded “Contigo”.

Bad Bunny nació como Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio

On the 12th, 13th and 14th she presents her songs live, again at Luna Park. In between these concerts she releases “Sólo Avísame”. Then she releases “Quiere Verme”, together with Anuel Aa and “Diles”, with Ledy Medina.

On June 22nd she releases “I Like It”, recorded with Cardi B and J Balvin. On the 28th of the same month she releases the single “Estamos Bien”. She participates in Marc Anthony’s song “Está Rico”, together with Will Smith. On October 11th she releases “Mía”, in a spectacular collaboration with Drake singing in Spanish. On December 8th she releases the hit “Desde el Corazón” and on the 14th of the same month she presents “Sólo de Mí”, whose video reflects gender violence. On the 23rd her debut album goes on sale, under the name “X100Pre”.

On June 28, Bad Bunny & J Balvin present the eight-song album “Oasis” with the first single, “Qué Pretendes” (with special appearances by Mr. Eazi and Marciano Cantero of Enanitos Verdes)

Following the death of basketball player Kobe Bryant, Bad Bunny paid tribute to him with an emotional song titled “6 Rings.”

YHLQMDLG was released by the artist at midnight on February 29, 2020. The title means “I do what I want” and features collaborations with Daddy Yankee, Yaviah, Jowell & Randy, and Ñengo Flow. The album is a tribute to the marquesinas (garage parties) that Bad Bunny grew up attending, and features many nods to reggaeton from the early and mid-2000s

On May 10, 2020, he released his third studio album “Las que no iban a salir,” which features the participation of Don Omar, Zion & Lennox, Nicky Jam, Yandel, among others.

In July, after being the first Latin urban artist to be on the cover of Rolling Stones magazine, El Conejo Malo becomes the protagonist of the first digital cover of the legendary Playboy magazine.

On July 25, he releases the song and video: “Un día (One Day)” with Dua Lipa, J Balvin and Tainy.

On January 3, 2021, he releases the video for his song “Booker T”. That same year, he releases the single and video clip “Lo sentir BB” with Julieta Venegas and Tainy.

Throughout the year, he publishes several singles and video clips.

On May 5, 2022, he releases the album “Un verano sin ti”.

On June 2, he releases the video clip for the song “Tití mepregunta”.

On November 30, he releases the single “La Jumpa” with the video clip.

On December 22, he released the single “Gato de noche” with Ñengo Flow.

On February 15, 2023, he released the video for “Ojitos lindos” with Bomba Estéreo.

On May 18, he released the single “Where she goes” along with its video.

On July 21, he collaborated with Travis Scott on the single “K-Pop” with The Weeknd.

On September 25, he released the single and video “Un preview”.

On October 13, he released the album “Nadie sabe lo que va a pasará mañana” becoming a hit single.

Becoming the most listened to album of the year in a single day.

“What are we overlooking in Bad Bunny’s ‘DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS’? Beyond reggaeton, a lesson in artistic evolution.”

While social media is boiling with divided opinions about Bad Bunny’s new album, it is worth moving away from the extremes and analyzing “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” from a broader perspective.

Beyond being a reggaeton album, this work is an artistic, cultural and strategic manifesto that leaves valuable lessons for all musical genres, including salsa.

Bad Bunny has used his position as a global artist to fuse elements such as salsa with urban rhythms, achieving a musical dialogue that transcends generations and tastes. However, the impact of this project does not stop there.

I’d like to share five key aspects that other artists could learn from this release to innovate and connect more deeply with their audiences.

The power of nostalgia: plastic chairs as a universal symbol

The album cover, with the humble plastic chairs, connects directly with the everyday life of Latin American neighborhoods. These common objects evoke memories of family gatherings, celebrations, and moments of community. The message is powerful: simplicity can be deeply meaningful and resonate globally.

Exclusivity that generates value: “Residencia” concerts

Instead of a world tour, Bad Bunny is betting on “Residencia,” a series of exclusive concerts in Puerto Rico. With this strategy, he not only boosts tourism and the local economy, but creates a “FOMO” (fear of missing out) phenomenon in his fans. This generates massive advance reservations on hotels and flights.

QR codes: intelligent digital interaction

Integrating technology with music is something that Bad Bunny has done masterfully. QR codes in Puerto Rico allow fans to interact with the album in innovative ways, unlocking exclusive content and creating a bridge between the physical and the digital.

Incorporating traditional genres and sounds

Bad Bunny is not afraid to mix salsa with reggaeton, betting on musical arrangements that celebrate his cultural heritage. This shows that genres are not compartments or “silos”, but platforms for dialogue

Expectation and release strategy

From the announcement of the title to the release date, passing through a short film full of cultural references, everything in this project has been designed to create a narrative that maintains the interest of the public. The lesson here is clear: music is not just released, it is experienced as a complete cultural event.

Final thoughts: innovation and evolution

In a world dominated by technology, staying traditional is not an option for artists who want to grow. Tools like Web 3.0, Blockchain, NFTs to offer immersive experiences and AI are revolutionizing the way musicians interact with their audiences and generate income.

While some lose themselves in criticism, others take advantage of these tools to redefine their art and project themselves globally. The lesson is clear: you have to look ahead and dare to evolve.

“DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” is not just an album; it is an invitation to reimagine music and the cultural impact it can have in an increasingly interconnected world.

Also Read: Sessions from La Loma brings together salsa fans from all over the world in Puerto Rico

Edgardo ‘‘El Bambino’’ and his extensive and interesting musical career

Edgardo ”El Bambino” Otero Lugo is the one to whom we want to dedicate some of the lines of this edition in International Salsa Magazine. The talented Puerto Rican vocalist has given us a few minutes of his time to talk exclusively about his beginnings, his career and other unpublished details that are not read in other media.

Edgardo’s childhood and music

As Edgardo’s childhood took place in his hometown of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, the artist recalls that he would sit on the balcony of his house and play with buckets and sticks to pretend to play music. His mother, fed up with the noise he made, decided to enroll him in the school choir so that he could explore his curiosity about music in a more professional way. That was when he was in the fifth grade of the elementary school.

As the years went by, the boy’s love for music just kept growing, until he got his first big opportunity thanks to singer-songwriter Edwin Crespo, who had already written for famous groups such as La Sonora Ponceña at the time. Back then, Edgardo was only 14 or 15 years old, so he still needed a lot of guidance on these issues, so maestro Crespo was the ideal person for that.

It just so happenes that Pedro Crespo, Edwin’s father, was the founder of his own orchestra and grandfather of some of Edgardo’s cousins. Since they all lived nearby, Edwin heard him singing one day and liked his voice, so he offered to teach him how to sing professionally and invited him to join his Orquesta Ética, which is where it all began.

By being part of the Orquesta Ética, Edwin decided to spend two or three days a week explaining to Edgardo what to do and how to do it so that everything would go wonderfully for the young vocalist, and that is exactly what happened. So much so that Edgardo spent about three years singing for the group, in which he claims to have learned much of what he knows today.

Edgardo ‘’El Bambino’’ next to Frankie — Edgardo ”El Bambino” next to ”El Sonero del Barrio” Frankie Vazquez

The Rukanos

After having left Orquesta La Ética, Edgardo was also part of Orquesta Los Rukanos, which was much bigger, had more instruments and more musicians. Therefore, it represented a bigger and more complex challenge.

In 1981, he was invited to join the group by a Guyanese friend and colleague named Ferniand Pudia, who asked Edgardo to join him in a musical project he was working on, which he would name Los Rukanos, paying homage to the term used to refer to peasants and working class men in the South American country.

Alongside with this orchestra, of which Edgardo was also one of the founders, he managed to perform in completely new stages and to follow his path in the learning of this complex and rich world that is music.

Conjunto Quisqueya

During a concert in his hometown, the members of Conjunto Quisqueya heard Edgardo singing and liked his voice so much that they invited him to play with them in a project for Nelson García, who at that time was the second trumpet of the orchestra.

Having accepted the offer, the group recorded a whole LP called ”Nelson García y Merengue ’86”, which was a very nice experience for Edgardo since he had never had the opportunity to record in a studio before and finally he was able to do so. And it was not just any studio, but one of the most important in Puerto Rico, which was Tele-Sound Recording Studios.

”Playing with the members of Conjunto Quisqueya was a spectacular experience. Their musicians are wonderful human beings with whom I still have very strong friendship bonds” said Edgardo about his experience in the ensemble.

Edgardo ‘’El Bambino’’ in the army — Edgardo ”El Bambino” singing during his time in the army

Orquesta La Nueva Época de Ángel Rivera

There were some years that merengue was gaining a lot of popularity in Puerto Rico, so the artists and groups of the moment had to adapt to fulfill the musical taste of the audience. Such was the case of saxophonist Angel Rivera, also originally from Vega Baja, who created an orchestra and invited several musicians to play with him, including Edgardo.

The result was good acceptance from the public to the extent that the orchestra participated in competitions and won some awards thanks to the work done.

This was very useful for Edgardo’s career, since he succeeded in diversifying his rhythms and learning to play new things and genres, which made him acquire a lot of knowledge. Until such time as he played with Conjunto Quisqueya, he had only done salsa, so trying merengue was really enriching for the musician.

Service time in the army

Edgardo was in the Puerto Rico National Guard for about 24 years in total and he remembers a time when he was mobilized to the Iraq War in 2006, the year in which he met Edwin ”El Calvito” Reyes, who was part of the 3rd Infantry. El Calvito” had a group whose lead singer could not speak Spanish, so he learned the lyrics phonetically in order to perform them.

The chemistry between all the members was so great that they even played a few times at the U.S. base in Baghdad, where he stayed until 2008. It was then that he returned to Puerto Rico to adapt gradually to civilian life again, during which time he met Raphy Santana and joined his Tribute Orchestra, which made music to pay homage to maestro Héctor Lavoe.

Permanent move to the United States

In 2019, both Edgardo and his wife were retired from their jobs, so they thought it was a good time for a change of scenery, as they felt that nothing interesting was going on musically. This led them to move to the United States to settle permanently there, although he continued to travel to Puerto Rico to meet some commitments with La Corporación Latina, of which he was still part at that time.

Ronald Borjas is a Venezuelan singer, musician and composer

Ronald Borjas is currently considered one of the greatest exponents of salsa in Venezuela with an international projection that grows every year.

He is a Venezuelan singer, musician and composer, born in Maracaibo, the capital of the state of Zulia, on November 19, 1981.

Ronald Borjas is a Venezuelan singer, musician and composer

At the age of 10, his love for the timbal was born, a few years later, at the age of 14, he began singing as a soloist in the Bochinche Orchestra. Throughout his adolescence he stood out as a soloist in bands such as: Caribe, Asterisco, VHG and Bacanos.

He completed higher education at the Cecilio Acosta University (UNICA) where he obtained the degree of Bachelor of Music – Musical Education in 2002. In the same year he went on stage with the Venezuelan Super Band GUACO, where he debuted as a soloist and composer with the song “Te vas” from the album “El Sonido de Venezuela”.

Not only did he develop as a composer, Ronald also plays other percussion instruments such as the bass, the guitar and also the trumpet.

After 11 years as one of the main voices of Guaco, in 2014, Ronald decided to take another path and that is when the great project of his life began, developing his career as a soloist in genres such as Salsa, Bachata and Pop.

Ronald debuted as a soloist with the song “Te Doy Mi Voz” dedicated to his fans, with which he received the nomination for the Latin Grammy for “Best Tropical Song”. That same year, his musical godfather, Salsa legend Oscar D´ León invited him to his show at Madison Square Garden in New York, where he introduced him to thousands of people and baptized him as his “godson”.

That same year, he released “Te Encuentraré” a song that reached #1 on the Venezuelan radio charts Record Report and its video clip, filmed in New York, managed to enter the ranking of the most viewed videos on the HTV channel.

In 2015 he began his musical expansion to other borders, achieving success in countries such as Ecuador and Colombia where his third single titled “Dame Tu Amor” was positioned in the first places of the radio stations as well as in his native Venezuela, while in Peru, it was named the “tropical song of the summer”.

Ronald Borjas is currently considered one of the greatest exponents of salsa in Venezuela with an international projection.

At the end of that year he officially released his first album “Da Capo” with an event that brought together in Caracas, Venezuela a hundred figures of the national show, as well as the press, radio and TV of the country in an unprecedented event. This release in its first weeks, managed to accumulate more than 10,000 digital downloads on his official website www.ronaldborjas.com.

“Da Capo” had valuable collaborations and a first featuring with his godfather Oscar D´León, with whom he recorded “La Quiero Para Mi”. In addition, this album has songs by Amaury Gutierrez, Robert Vilera and his uncle Neguito Borjas, among others.

In 2016 he began releasing his song “Cántalo” which quickly became an anthem of joy and managed to position itself in the first place on Venezuelan radio. That year he won several national awards of great importance such as “Mara de Oro Internacional”, “Cacique De Oro”, Explosión Creativa and Supremacy, all of which recognized him as the “Salsa Singer of the Year”.

That same year he signed a contract with Sony Music as an artist from the Andean Region and embarked on his first international concert tour entitled “Da Capo tour” with which he visited Aruba, Panama and several cities in the United States.

In 2018, he released “Loco por Volverte a Ver” a song he wrote with Nacho Mendoza, Cáceres and Sharo Torres. He also made his second featuring with the “Caballero de la Salsa” Gilberto Santarosa with whom he released “Ellas te van lleva” the first collaboration with an international artist that also managed to position itself as number one on the radio charts.

Ronald Borjas is currently considered one of the greatest exponents of salsa in Venezuela

Shortly after, in 2019, he received a double nomination for “Album of the Year” with the song “Lo que pase aquí” as one of the songs on Tonny Succar’s album titled “Más de Mi” and “Salsa of the Year” with the song “No Queda Nada”. In addition to the collaboration he did with “Quintero´s Salsa Proyect” which was nominated for “Salsa Album of the Year”.

Also in 2019 he released his second album entitled “Bailamos Otra Vez” where he recorded songs of his own, as well as those of Servando Primera, Oscarcito and Amaury Gutiérrez. From this album come hits such as “Amor Demente” “Estoy Dispuesto” “Tu y Yo Tenemos” “Te Quiero para Mi” among others.

Shortly after he announced his collaboration with another former Guaco partner, Nelson Arrieta with whom he released the song “Sobran Los Momentos” which also gives name to the tour they would do together where they traveled through countries such as Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Colombia, Spain, Peru, Panama and the United States achieving great acceptance by the public.

He started the year 2020 with several collaborative releases. “Para Ustedes” from the album origenes where he participated as a guest and achieved #1 on the radio in Venezuela, then he released the song “Juegos Eróticos” with Victor Muñoz and promoted it in his country with great acceptance.

The “pandemic” stage begins and confinement did not stop him. In March he releases the version of the song “María Antonia” by the Venezuelan singer Gualberto Ibarreto, in April he releases “Aunque Parezca Extraño” with Manuel Petit who invites him to this collaboration. In May, together with his uncle Neguito Borjas, Jorge Luis Chacín and Nelson Arrieta they join in a project entitled “Los Mágicos”. In June “Ahora Me Llama” comes out, a song he had recorded for Rumberos del Callejón.

As if that were not enough, in July he records an intimate concert where he invites Victor Muñoz, his uncle Neguito Borjas and Nelson Arrieta to release it as a gift to his fans through his YouTube channel.

He closes the last months of 2020 with the song “Mía” written by Ronald and Salvador Solano that became the anthem of the ´Zumba´ reaching several places in the world. After this, he released one of his songs, “Ya Lo Decidí,” with which he again achieved first place on the radio and was accepted by the entire public.

He started 2021 as a special guest at Gilberto Santarosa’s concert at the Filmore Theater in Miami, where they performed the song “Ellas Te Van Llevando” together. Months later, he released the song he recorded as a duet with José Alberto “El Canario” entitled “A Mi Me Gusta” which quickly managed to position itself on the main playlists of digital platforms in the world. He closed that year with the song “Dime Cómo Hago” which he recorded with Nelson Arrieta and Oscarcito, a salsa that took over the public’s taste and today is one of the most chanted in his concerts.

2022 started with another important collaboration with Motiff, a song titled “Me Descontrola” which quickly entered the top spots on radio billboards and digital platform listings, and was also the song chosen by the renowned company Zumba to use as the official song at its world events.

In 2022, he also launched a very ambitious musical project that he carried out with his friends and fellow countrymen Adelmo Gauna and Nando De La Gente called “Los Pikis” with which they released a series of videos where they compiled erotic salsa hits from the 80s and 90s. Such was the success that in just two months they achieved more than a million views on YouTube.

In May 2022, the live concert titled “Sobran Los Momentos” premieres where Nelson Arrieta and Ronald Borjas invite the founder and lead voice of Guaco, Gustavo Aguado, and together perform several of the hits of the Venezuelan super band, such as “Vivo” “Pídeme” “Eres Más” and “Lo Eres Todo”. Oscarcito was also there performing his hit “Si Tu Me Besas” and the one he has with Arrieta and Borjas “Dime Cómo Hago”. All this incredible material can be enjoyed on the official YouTube channel of Ronald Borjas and Nelson Arrieta.

To close the year, he released the song “Se prende el Parampampan” with his musical friend, Acosta, a fun salsa that unites their musical styles, which together with a video recorded in Puerto Rico, managed to enter the public’s taste, turning this song into an anthem for Venezuelan parties. For his part, Ronald Borjas released a solo single titled “Los Vecinos” which is accompanied by a humorous video directed by Alex Galán.

2023 began for Ronald Borjas with his third featuring with an international artist, this time with the Puerto Rican legend, Tito Nieves. A romantic salsa titled “Te Busqué” that was accompanied by a video where the two singers can be seen in a performance and story. The video currently has more than half a million views on Ronald’s official YouTube channel.

Months later, Ronald reunited with his cousin Luis Fernando Borjas and recorded the song “Cuestión de Tiempo”, which was widely accepted by the public, surpassing two and a half million views of the video and positioned itself as one of the most listened to songs by “Lo Borjas” on digital platforms. This name gave rise to a joint tour with which they have traveled to the main cities of Venezuela, achieving sold out in each one of them.

He closed the year with a great concert “Live in Miami” where he reunited several of his musical colleagues and friends, such as Oscarcito, Victor Muñoz, Motiff, Los Pikis and for the first time since their separation, Toto and Beet from the group Caibo joined together with Ronald, performing the hits “La Despedida” and “La Promesa”. This great reunion of artists can be found on Borjas’ YouTube channel and has also surpassed more than 600,000 views in less than a year.

2024 began with his fourth song in a duet with an international artist, this time with the Nicaraguan, “the prince of salsa” Luis Enrique with whom he recorded “Y Si Mañana”. A great launch was made through the media in Venezuela and it has been a song that quickly became the favorite of the public of both singers and in a few weeks it was positioned in the main salsa lists on Spotify.

After this success, Ronald begins his “Tour LATAM 2024” through Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Panama and Uruguay, countries where he managed to sell out all his performances and reunite with his public after several years. The success of this tour will soon take him to Europe where he will be performing several shows in Spain and other countries that have not yet been announced.

Also Read: Tribute to Johnny “Dandy” Rodríguez Jr. His first recording was professionally with Tito Puente in 1964 and was titled “Exciting Rhythm of Tito Puente”

Willie Rosario, El Rey del ritmo by journalist and music researcher Robert Téllez M.

Puerto Rico Date Be more by Bella Martínez writes announces the release in Puerto Rico of the second edition of the authorized biography of Míster Afinque, Willie Rosario, El Rey del ritmo by music journalist and researcher Robert Téllez M.

This second edition, which has been revised, expanded and updated, has 62 more pages, every time master Willie Rosario has remained active since the publication of the first edition in 2019 to date. It also contains photographs that were not included in the first edition, images from Willie Rosario’s own archive and from the archive of the most important salsa collector, Robert Padilla.

The book, which has a preface signed by musician “Bobby” Valentín and a foreword by researcher José Arteaga, also compiles significant accounts from composers, musicians, instrumentalists, arrangers and vocalists who have been part of Rosario’s orchestra throughout different periods.

The new cover photo is by photojournalist Conrado Pastrano, the cover design is by graphic artist Felix Disla and the illustrations are by artist Frank Rosado.

The content of the back cover of the first edition, which includes the praises of Edwin Clemente, Edwin Morales, Elmer González, Hiram Guadalupe Pérez and Néstor Galán, was moved to the inside of the text, adding the recently captured praise in the voice of Ricardo Padilla, programming director of Salsoul radio station.

The back cover text is by the prodigious arranger, composer and music producer, who was exalted to the Hall of Fame of the U.S. East Coast and who, like Willie Rosario, is a timbalero and orchestra leader: Tito Rodríguez, Jr. Tito tells us about “El Inolvidable’s” friendship with Willie Rosario, as well as the way in which Mister Afinque received from Tito Rodríguez the first songs that Rosario would record with his orchestra, including the classic ‘Changó ta vení’ (composition by “Justi” Barreto), arranged by René Hernández. He also shares with us the closeness between Willie Rosario and Tito Rodríguez since they were neighbors in the Bronx, NY until they became colleagues and developed a friendship based on companionship and mutual admiration. In a nostalgic way, he highlights the golden years of El Palladium. As if all this were not enough, Tito candidly offers his opinion on Willie’s contribution to the salsa sound, which he reinvented by adding the baritone saxophone to his orchestral format, which at the time was thought to be an experiment, and on the permanence of that contribution within Latin music.

The publication of this second edition of Willie Rosario, El Rey del Ritmo comes just in time to add to the centennial celebration of the musical leader, who has managed to keep his orchestra active and alive for more than six decades. The book is now available in physical format and can be purchased through Amazon.

Book cover Willie Rosario Second Edition

About the author:

The author, Robert Téllez M, is a music journalist, broadcaster and audiovisual media producer. He is a member of the Círculo de Periodistas de Bogotá (CPB) and since 1998 he has worked as a programmer for different music radio stations. For nine years he directed and hosted the program Conversando La Salsa on Radio Nacional de Colombia. He was also founder and general director of Revista Sonfonía. Robert Téllez M stands out as a researcher dedicated to Afro-Antillean music. His in-depth research has led him to serve as a consultant and lecturer, specializing in the appreciation of salsa music.

Published books:

* Ray Barretto, Fuerza Gigante (2016).

* Willie Rosario, el Rey del ritmo [Authorized Biography] (2019, 2024).

* Ray Barretto, Giant Force (2021), the translation by Ronald Vazquez of Ray Barretto, Fuerza Gigante, is the silver medal winning literary work for best Spanish to English translation at the International Latino Book Awards, 2021 edition.

Also Read: Metamorphosis: from music to photojournalism, a reinvention without limits

Virginia Ramirez is the artist of the XXI century, the Princess of Piano and Voice, the hope that will save the new generations of anti-music

Virginia Ramirez, the talented concert pianist, pianist and singer-songwriter, has been making an impact for her contributions to the music of her country and the world. She was born in the city of San Cristobal, Venezuela and grew up in a family where art, poetry and music were the language of every day.

Virginia Ramírez es la artista del siglo XXI

His mother was a poet (Etha, the Lady of Love), Dr. Enriqueta Martinez, his father Asdrubal Ramirez, a self-taught harpist, guitarist and singer of Venezuelan popular music.

Since she was 7 years old she plays the piano and from a very young age she began to develop her musical skills, she started her training at the Miguel Angel Espinel School with the well-known teachers Edgar Vasquez (Piano) and Heliodoro Contreras (Theory and Solfeo).

She graduated as a pianist, concert pianist and piano teacher at the National School of Music in Havana (Cuba) where she graduated with the highest qualifications and studied at the José Lorenzo Llamozas School and the Simon Bolivar Conservatory of Music.

He has taken courses in harmony and improvisation with professors Gerry Weil, Andres Alen Rodriguez and Mike Orta at the “FIU of Miami” in the jazz department.

Ramirez studied classical piano with Professor Igor Lavrov, recorded her jazz projects with drummer Willy Díaz and bassist José Velázquez in the “Jazz” program of the Venezuelan TV channel “Venezolana de Televisión” in Venezuela on several occasions, and her first album “Espiral de Fuego”.

She participated as a special guest of other groups such as Alberto Borregales and Fredy Roldán and El grupo la Calle.

She participated with a new proposal as a composer and pianist in important Jazz festivals in Venezuela as the “Latin Festival” of the Teatro de la Opera de Maracay (June 2003) and the “Prehot” of the 5th.

Festival de Jazz del Hatillo (October 2003), where he alternated and shared the stage with the American bands of Aaron Thurston (drummer) and Jaime Baum (flutist), receiving excellent reviews from the radio and television press.

She alternates her activity as a jazz concert performer with teaching, as a piano and singing teacher.

In her music school Vicky’s harpsichord.

Her formidable work in music and composition is very beautiful and colorful, because in her proposal she has fused jazz and Afro-Venezuelan elements highlighting the values of Venezuelan and Latin American music and using a variety of drums such as the Culo’e Puya, Quitiplas, Clarines, Cumaco and Chimbangles combining them with the songs of the peoples of the coast of Venezuela making excellent personal harmonic contributions.

He has achieved a high musical concept that has been recognized in the continent and the world, for that incredible capacity to unite the idea of the concert with the characteristics of the Show and for that reason he contributes much more of the pure musical element in each one of his performances.

With a rich repertoire and an unparalleled originality in the world of Venezuelan Female Jazz, this excellent artist is a source of joy and an excellent contribution to the new generations of Jazz.

She has won countless national and international awards and recognitions, among which stand out: World Prize “César Vallejo” for Artistic Excellence, World Prize “El Águila de Oro” for Artistic Excellence 2022, 2023, almo Chispeante prize 2024, awarded by the UHE, world Hispanic writers union, thousand minds for Mexico, and world academy of literature, history, art and culture First Mention in the Juan Sebastián Bach Competition in Havana Cuba.

1993 as a teacher, pianist, concert pianist has participated in various festivals and concerts such as the Fitztrovia Festival in London, in Mexico, Madrid, the south of France, in Colombia with his salsa group tabaco latino, where he performed in different cities, Cali, Bogota and Medellin.

Within the salsa accompanied artists such as: Cheo Feliciano, Hernán Olivera, Meñique Lena Burke the singer Alfredy Bogado of the Venezuelan group “La Calle” and precisely with this group La Calle in the Juan Sebastian Bar when she worked there in 2000 was where they began their activities with salsa in several cycles of pianists, composers and arrangers.

In the Keyboard Museum of Caracas, in a jazz trio with Nene Quintero and William Velázquez on bass, in the Festival a toda Música Caracas, in the opera theater of Maracay and the Simón Bolívar University, among others.

Excellent comments in the national and international critics, have generated the presentation of his CD “Espiral de Fuego” presented by Otmaro Ruiz Jaquest Braunstein and Gerry Weil in his album “Manos y Alma” recorded, outstanding musicians such as: Nene Quintero, Aquiles Baez, Roberto Koch, Gonzalo Teppa.

Special guests: Vasallos del Sol, Aquiles Baez and C4 trio. This album “Manos y Alma” was presented by Aquiles Baez, Luis Perdomo and Pablo Aguirre from the BBC in London, received excellent reviews from the press in the south of France.

Her performance in the church La Canourgue in the south of France accompanied by the musicians Didier Hennot and Tonny Margalejo and her tour of successive concerts, carried out in France in different cities Mende, Saint Privat Des Vieux, Lozere, Ispagnac presenting her albums mentioned above.

She participated in the assembly and production of the play Cabaret with important theater artists such as Francis Rueda, Cayito Aponte, Natalia Martinez, Adrian Delgado, Karl Hoffman, Luis Fernandez performing in the Rios Reyna hall of the Teresa Carreño in different cities of Venezuela.

Virginia had the luxury of playing keyboards in the Kit Kat Club Band directed by Armando Lovera.

Great impact had her album “jazzguinaldos” produced as a trio with musicians Gonzalo Teppa and Nene Quintero, including as special guests Enio Escuariza, composer of all the lyrics of the album.

Her project “Acro Jazz” opens the horizon towards the world of circus arts, performing in different cultural centers of Venezuela musicalizing with the piano circus works and participating herself as a circus artist with the artist Jesús Piña in a pulsating work in the museum of the keyboard, Trujillo, Valencia among other cities with a new band integrated by Rubén Rebolledo Guitar, Willy Díaz Drums, David Rubio Bass and as special guests Jesús Piña and Kerlly Garcia.

He performed in the city of Morelia and Mexico, founded in 2015 a trio with musicians Fernando Mendoza Drums and Flavio Meneses bass, presenting the music of his albums in different nightclubs like Amati, Café de las Rosas, Casa de la cultura de Uruapan, and other cities of Morelia.

Virginia Ramírez, la talentosa concertista, pianista y cantautora

She accompanied drummer Antonio Sanchez in the house of music in Morelia.

Virginia Ramirez has collaborated with different artists of the Venezuelan music scene such as the group Facundo Project a Venezuelan Rock group, the singer Cheo Linares in his album “llegó la Navidad”, the singer Amarilis Bolaño in her album singing Henry Martinez, the singer Alejandra Gonzales in her album “Joyas de mi País” in the album “Tierra Liberada” and in the project “Venezuela demo”.

Ramirez has made music a matter of life and in her habitat of pianist and concert pianist, prepares for this year a vast plan to musicalize the poetry of the greatest poets of the world and a program entitled “La Totalidad de Virginia Ramirez”, by Cabina 11, Canal Global de Queretaro, Mexico, a country that has already known of her beauty and great talent.

I see in Virginia Ramirez, the complete artist with infinite talents as a pianist, singer, composer, songwriter and circus artist, who intentionally projects herself, illuminating the artistic firmament of the world with daring and magical projects that will always surprise the audience and make them feel the desire to ask for more.

Undoubtedly Virginia Ramirez is the artist of the XXI century, the princess of the piano and voice, the hope that will save the new generations of anti-music.

Dr. Carlos Hugo Garrido Chalem president of mil mentes por México and of the UHE Hispanic World Writers Union. President of the world academy of literature, history, art and culture.

Alterna su actividad de concertista de Jazz con la docencia, como profesora de piano y canto en su escuela de música la clave de Vicky.

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