January 2026 / Festivals |
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Directory of North American nightclubs |
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CALIFORNIA |
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ILLINOIS |
MICHIGAN |
NEW JERSEY |
NEW YORK |
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Search Results for: New York
Eduardo Herrera. The Man Behind Every Song – The Story of His Music
Latin America / Puerto Rico / Puerto Rico
“There’s a wide variety of artists, singers, and famous orchestras in different parts of the world, but that doesn’t mean you can’t discover new artists who have the motivation and desire to boost their musical talent. Here, we have as our guest Eduardo Herrera, a salsa and ballad singer.
Eduardo is the son of Puerto Rican parents, raised in New York with a ‘boricua sazón’ (Puerto Rican flavor/style). From a very young age, he fell in love with music, and over time, he gained many musical experiences in different genres with Latin nuances and foreign fusions.
He mentions that when he was younger, he participated in youth choirs on stages and attended concerts of great artists, learning the lyrics of urban music. As time passed, he captivated the perfect school that shaped his unique style; it includes spiritual music, Latin rhythms, and the influence of American styles without abandoning his Puerto Rican roots. He also mentions that he had the opportunity to share and collaborate with very famous artists who influenced him with their exceptional style and talent, even to this day.
Eduardo Herrera comments that his music is a collection of life experiences that many people identify with. It has no age or time; it has ‘sazón,’ Caribbean rhythm, and soulfulness.
When you hear the melody, you fall in love; when you pay attention to the lyrics, you are captivated; when you listen to it again, you turn it into something that identifies you, regardless of your age, race, condition, or gender.
It simply identifies what no one else sees or knows in or about you. In fact, his songs tell stories; they tell your life, his, and mine. Each story on a bus or train in New York, each event in family life or with a stranger, the stories of the fans, among others.”
“Eduardo Herrera comments that his music is a collection of life experiences that many people identify with. It has no age or time; it has ‘sazón,’ Caribbean rhythm, and soulfulness.
When you hear the melody, you fall in love; when you pay attention to the lyrics, you are captivated; when you listen to it again, you turn it into something that identifies you, regardless of your age, race, condition, or gender. It simply identifies what no one else sees or knows in or about you. In fact, his songs tell stories; they tell your life, his, and mine. Each story on a bus or train in New York, each event in family life or with a stranger, the stories of the fans, among others.
In the course of his life, he mentions that it was a transition as he went through many positive and negative life experiences, which allowed him to gain different meanings for the emotions he felt, whether real or false. All these experiences helped him help others, such as in personal growth.
In ‘Salsa‘ and ‘Balada,’ he has found his perfect space to express what he carries in his life’s baggage. Hoping that many couples will have a happy life to the rhythm of his music. Eduardo told us, ‘To achieve that emotional catharsis that lifts you up from any tragedy, it is necessary to LOVE YOURSELF BEFORE LOVING SOMEONE.’ So remember that when you listen to Eduardo Herrera’s music: ‘LOVE YOURSELF BEFORE LOVING SOMEONE.’
Recognizing the value of an individual and appreciating their abilities while learning from mistakes, that is what defines every song you will hear from Eduardo. The message will arrive; it’s up to you for the outcome to be happy. Because you learn from the difficulties in the process, the final result depends on how you handle the ‘tests’ to qualify yourself in feelings for the life you choose to live.
If you wish to know more about him:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eduardoherrerasalsa
- Instagram: eduardoherrerasalsa
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 787 399 5064
Oscar D’ León. Confessions by Oswaldo Ponte by William Briceño Part II
Latin America / Venezuela / Caracas
“Continuing the musical biography of Oscar D’ León. He moved on to new horizons, new learnings, difficult experiences, and decisions, as life always holds a wide variety of surprises over time. One of those changes was his breakup with Dimensión Latina due to various internal group problems.
Oscar’s departure caused issues for the group, as several of their scheduled performances in other countries were canceled, and over time, they lost audience, leading most of their members to split up and leave. Nevertheless, the group managed to carry on successfully but without the unique touch or ‘sazón’ that Oscar D’ León provided.
After leaving Dimensión Latina, Oscar ingeniously created La Salsa Mayor in 1976 and was able to release his first discography with his new group, thanks to the record label TH, which provided it because they were very interested in his new project, naming it ‘Con bajo y to’.’ From that moment, Oscar knew that he could consolidate himself with this group or any other, as his exceptional and unparalleled talents, so much originality, had never been witnessed”
“In any generation of Venezuelan artists. He also created another group called ‘La Crítica’ with the purpose that if any member of the Salsa Mayor Group was absent, one of them would substitute. However, the orchestra ‘La Salsa Mayor’ lasted only 4 years due to a strong disagreement Oscar had with his band on stage because the songs played during those two performances ‘were not accepted,’ leading to the closure of ‘Salsa Mayor.’ From that moment, he began to practice with his orchestra ‘La Crítica’ before his performances in Curaçao, where his songs, ‘Suavecito,’ ‘No ha pasado nada,’ served as a way to allude that everything had been overcome.”
“With this group, he achieved significant success. From that era, Oscar D’ León was known as the leading artistic figure in the country and on the American continent, with his music being heard in various homes in Venezuela and other Latin American countries. During that time, he traveled throughout the Latin American continent, the Caribbean islands, and the United States. From that moment, he leveraged his figure as he ventured into artistic promotion. He did so with Daniel Santos, Héctor Lavoe, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, and Celia Cruz.
If we have to mention which country Oscar liked or idolized the most, it was Cuba, because ever since he was very young, he loved the music played there, which over the years underwent various transformations in different stages, such as ‘La inmortal guaracha Celia Cruz’ which brought glory to the island; ‘la sonora Matancera’ carried the name of Martí’s land around the world; ‘Dámaso Pérez Prado,’ among other artists who contributed to the origin of Cuban music.”
“When Oscar D’ León first visited Cuba, it was an unforgettable experience and held extraordinary significance not only for the young artist but for the country itself. Its magnitude was such that, first and foremost, the ministers of culture and foreign affairs welcomed him, and every time he performed, large numbers of fans awaited to see and hear him. The respect and admiration for him were immense. In fact, this book mentions that ‘Cuban music,’ among other things, made Oscar D’ León’s existence as an artistic figure and as a person possible.”
“For Cubans, Oscar D’ León’s arrival had a profound effect; it was the rebirth of existing music. In short, he rescued it, causing Cuban music, ‘son,’ the central show, and entertainment venues to become their activities for relaxation and fun.
Oswaldo Ponte, in his research, mentions that when he looked for everything related to Oscar D’ León, there was immense admiration for him. Everyone he interviewed, even if they knew he was his manager and his biographer accompanied him, always said incredible things about Oscar. He not only rescued Cuban ‘son’ but also taught them to dance Cuban music, opening the minds and perspectives of Cubans, as Cuban ‘son’ continued to be known internationally. Everyone mentions what a good musician he is, that they can’t believe he isn’t Cuban and has that ‘sazón’ (flavor/charisma).
He was famous not only in Cuba but also in other countries. An example of this was Oscar’s participation in the Rome Festival when he sang a song by Adalberto. Mr. Adalberto Álvarez passed backstage and commented: ‘Cuba will never be able to repay Oscar for what he has done for Cuban music. He has kept it alive; if it hadn’t been for him, for Johnny Pacheco, for Celia Cruz, for La Sonora Ponceña and others who took it upon themselves to keep ‘son’ alive outside our country’… ‘and of all of them, the fundamental leader was Oscar D’ León because he is the most connected to authentic Cuban musical roots.'”
“In short, every time Oscar goes out to sing and dance, he is representing Cubans. For Cubans, dancing is almost a ritual. In 1950, they danced ‘son,’ ‘danzón,’ ‘mambo,’ ‘chachachá,’ ‘rumba,’ and other dances, some of which lasted a very short time, such as ‘dengue,’ ‘monzambique,’ ‘pilón,’ ‘carioca’; and others transcended time, like ‘conga’ and ‘rumba.’ Salsa is the continuation of, or the same as, ‘son,’ which can be danced with the same style or with different styles.
Oswaldo Ponte began his promoter plan by hiring figures, among whom was Oscar D’ León. Becoming a serious entertainment promoter, he took the risk of doing it internationally (outside Venezuela) where he bought a contract from Guillermo Arena to present Celia Cruz with La Sonora Matancera. He also partnered with Juan Caravallo and managed to present the biggest show in Higuerote, Venezuela; with this great step, he was becoming a potential successful entrepreneur in international shows.”
“In 1983, he hired Oscar for 3 performances with ‘Roberto Blades,’ two at the Ávila Hotel and one at San Jacinto Park (both in Venezuela). At that time, Oscar was returning from Cuba, and with a new event, Oswaldo, upon seeing the show, pondered the difference between the two artists.
The Panamanian star was well-managed by his team. However, when it came to judging which was the better show, it was Oscar D’ León’s. When Ponte went to talk with him, he proposed becoming his manager on the condition that Oscar follow his instructions, as he always directed everything, which Oscar accepted. From that moment, many things changed not only artistically but also personally, offering the public not just Oscar D’ León and his orchestra, but Oscar D’ León himself, giving more charm and charisma to his audience.
One of the challenges he had to face was a stagnation in record sales. His new record productions weren’t taking off, so he decided to rely on television. Venezuela was both a recipient and a transmitter country, so his performances were broadcast on different television channels that gave great musical importance, such as ‘Siempre en Domingo,’ which covered the center and north of the American continent, and ‘Sábado Gigante,’ which covered South America, thus giving him international exposure.
One of his best and most unforgettable collaborations was with singer Celia Cruz, who was a great friend of Oscar’s. They participated in many events, one of which was in 1993, where Ralph Mercado did what he called ‘The Perfect Combination,’ which consisted of combining stars for public performances.
Participants included Oscar D’ León, Celia Cruz, Marc Anthony, La India from New York, Tito Nieves, Tony Vega, Cheo Feliciano, José Alberto El Canario, and Domingo Quiñones, of which the most recommended songs were ‘El Son de Celia y Oscar’ and ‘Vivir lo nuestro’ by Marc Anthony and La India. At that time, Oscar had left the TH label and was now with Ralph Mercado; his colleagues were Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Sergio George, Cheo Feliciano, Tito Nieves, La India, José Alberto El Canario, and other significant stars.
There are many other details and more events up to the present day, but it would be too much to explain in one article. What is very clear is that Oscar D’ León has conquered countless goals in his life, and we can all do the same in the different areas in which we operate, if we set our minds to it with determination and an iron will.
To learn more about this, we recommend reading ‘Oscar D’ León, Confesiones De Oswaldo Ponte’ by William Briceño, published by Fundación Simón Bolívar.”
La Nota Band showcases the best of Venezuelan talent
We are proud to introduce the talented Venezuelans Rebeca Rodríguez and Armando Montiel, who are members of the group La Nota Band, which we will talk about in the following lines.
After thanking us and clarifying that they are both partners and share the direction of the band, they proceeded to tell us a bit about their origins, professions, band, and current careers.
Rebeca and Armando’s beginnings in music
Armando began his story by telling us that, in his case, he has always loved music and enjoyed listening to it live. In his native city of Maracaibo, there were many street concerts featuring national and international artists, which sparked his interest in joining his school’s marching band between the third and fourth grade. This, in turn, led him to participate in some intercollegiate gaita festivals, which are very popular in many cities of the South American country.
This love for music took shape when the young man moved to Caracas and began his percussion lessons to finally have more formal training in this art. However, his parents made him promise to study a “real” career and then do whatever he wished for. He did so and studied civil engineering at Nueva Esparta University, but he has never practiced it, as music has always been his profession.
Rebeca also loved music, and from an early age, was always reciting poems, learning songs, and singing them at full blast. Then, as she grew up, she slowly built her career and made decisions based on that goal. Just as Armando, she participated in her school’s gaita festivals and took singing and dancing lessons, which led her to join bands in Caracas and become a backup singer for great artists.
Like Armando, she also studied a university degree, but in her case it was social communication at Andrés Bello Catholic University. She does not practice it either, although she does use her knowledge in favor of her artistic career.
Groups prior to La Nota Band
Armando said with a laugh that he could not mention all the bands and artists he has worked with because there are too many, but the most important ones were Ricardo Montaner, Chino y Nacho, Víctor Muñoz, Elvis Crespo, Guaco, Treo, Mermelada Bunch, and a few others.
Meanwhile, Rebeca pointed out that they met playing for Son Bubalú in Caracas and continued to share experiences in a certain way. While Armando was Chino y Nacho’s percussionist, Rebeca was hired as their backup singer, so they continued to live together and grow as artists in the same environments.
Their professional relationship developed at such a level that they ended up moving to the United States together in 2014 to take advantage of some work opportunities that arose. Among the artists they were able to play with in the United States are Gloria Estefan, Wisin y Yandel, Daddy Yankee, Luis Enrique, José Alberto “El Canario,” and many more.
Already in the year 2016, both realized that they loved collaborating with music greats, but also wanted to start their own business so they would not have to rely on what others wanted for them. That is when La Nota Band was born, with support from family and friends who were willing to help them on this new path.
The beginning of La Nota Band
In addition to being on their own, another thing Rebeca and Armando wanted to do was to offer employment to other musicians who were in the same situation as them years ago. This was the case of Armando’s twin brother, who was about to go to the United States and also devoted himself to music on percussion. Then, he bought a drum set so he could become the band’s drummer and his brother could take his place as a percussionist.
From the beginning, they have always focused on pleasing both Anglo-Saxon and Latin audiences, so they have been working to fill their repertoire with songs in both English and Spanish in order to enliven events where the two cultures come together.
What they have learned from the artists they have worked with
Of all the great artists Rebeca and Armando have been fortunate enough to work with, there are a number of things they have learned and applied to their own careers. One of these was the use of playback, as it is an extremely common and necessary resource in modern music. There are also other elements used to increase the sound quality of their performances.
Similarly, the discipline, professionalism, and perseverance necessary to manage this business are things they have seen in other artists and that have helped them get the place they want in the industry, which they also expect to achieve.
The Venezuelan musicians always keep their eyes and ears open to capture what can work for them and apply it to their own project.
Dreams fulfilled
Among the many dreams come true thanks to music, Rebeca and Armando appreciate being able to travel regularly to many countries, even if their professional activities prevent them from sightseeing as they would like. This is something they would not have accomplished with other kinds of work, which they are enormously grateful for.
In addition to that, they are pleased to have been able to perform on big and famous stages such as Crypto.com Arena, formerly known as Staples Center, and Madison Square Garden in New York, something they never would have thought possible in their early years in Venezuela.
And last but not least, their talent and hard work have also led them to perform in important award ceremonies such as the Latin Grammys, Premios Juventud, and Premios Lo Nuestro.
Read also: Colombian dancer and instructor Camila Cepeda takes salsa caleña to Canada
North America / December 2025
VANCOUVER
Directory of North American nightclubs |
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