Search Results for: Orchestra

A graduate of Berklee College of Music, with his college degree in hand, the young bassist returned home to make his homeland in salsa time.

Jesús Algarín is a Puerto Rican bassist who, at the age of 25, landed in the salsa scene to make music his life project.  The young musician already walks with a firm step accompanied by the forceful interpretation of his bass, leading his own orchestra with confidence.

From the time he was born, according to what his parents told him, they used to party, so it was not surprising that at the age of 8 he was already the one who was the one who was livening up the parrandas while playing the Puerto Rican cuatro.  Algarín, who was born and raised in the heart of Puerto Rico (Caguas), candidly tells us that as a child, he discovered through our very own parrandera tradition, that music -which he refers to as a wonderful art- had a healing and restorative power.

Well advised by the adults in his family, he recounts that his uncle explained to him early in his life that if he failed to ignite his audience at the Choliseo during a parranda, it would become more difficult for him. Once he understood the advice, he applied it to himself.  Today he concludes that it is necessary to dominate every stage, from a marquee to a public square, and to take it one step at a time.

Through Puerto Rican folk music, studying and interpreting the seis, the aguinaldo, the bomba, and the plena, he was entering into what without planning it became his life project.  Later, playing the Puerto Rican cuatro purely by ear, he was able to enter the “magical” world of music, as he himself describes it.

Already in the sixth grade of elementary school, he began his formal apprenticeship at the Escuela Libre de Música de Caguas.  Before that time, he played the cuatro but did not read music.  Once he learned to read music, he decided to continue growing musically in his instrument.

Six years later, in grade 12, about to finish high school, he took part in the camps that Berklee College of Music brings to Puerto Rico every year. He auditioned for the Puerto Rican cuatro.  However, at the time, he did not achieve his goal of positioning himself. Determined not to give up, the following year he returned to the Berklee camp but changed tactics. He showed up to the workshops with a bass because he understood that the cuatro was not a good fit.  When he filled out the registration form for the workshops, he reported that his bass playing was at the advanced level, even though he knew it wasn’t true.  This adolescent idea, which added a good deal of pressure and stress to his musical performance, helped him get into the ensembles he aspired to qualify for. Today he admits that at that time, which today seems far away, he could not handle the bass because, as an instrument, it was still unknown to him.

In any case, Algarín qualified because, as we know, you have to take your chances with life.  The rest is history. 

With the bass as his main instrument, Algarín got Berklee to give him a scholarship and after four years in Boston, Massachusetts he graduated with a degree in Music Business. In other words, he spent four years making music while learning to see music as a business.

The young bass player confesses that he had not planned to be a musician nor had he thought he would make a living from music.  He did not see music as a possibility, since although it was always an integral part of his life, music was a hobby or a way to serve God in the church.  And that’s what he limited himself to until he came to Berklee’s summer workshops.  Before that, he saw himself as a lawyer and when it was his turn to enter college, he initially enrolled at Ana G. Mendez University.  There he attempted to complete a bachelor’s degree in accounting. However, from the very first accounting class he knew that accounting was not for him.

Algarín capitalized on what he learned, and has been able to stick to music as a way of life; from a more realistic and less idealistic perspective. Of course, all without losing the artistic focus of musical interpretation.  Along with his musical training, he has been preparing himself in legal issues, maintaining business awareness, focusing on the protection of music and copyrights.  He has also been responsible for making other musicians aware of the importance of registering their music with the Library of Congress and thus making the most of their work.  There is no doubt that Algarín knows his worth as a musician and from his space he has decided to serve and guide his counterparts to protect their work.

Before entering the studio to record his project, Algarín had recorded with Manolito Rodríguez.  During his student years in Boston, he was a musician in the Eric German Orchestra, the orchestra that accompanies visiting solo singers in the New England area.

Today, his main instrument is the bass, double bass, baby base or electric bass.

The bassist, a native of Caguas and graduate of Berklee College of Music, class of 2020, returned to Puerto Rico to lead his own musical project.

Two years after Algarín’s return home, the orchestra is already promoting its first production entitled “Dímelo Algarín”, which is part of his project “Jesús Algarín”. The format of the base orchestra of the project is as follows: winds (trumpet, trombone and baritone saxophone), bass, piano, conga, timbal, bongo and bell; backing singers and choirs. This, his first production, contains 5 songs, with contemporary themes in its lyrics. This lyric, however, embraces the nostalgic sonority of the sextet, complementing some of the songs with the Cuban tres. The bassist leader of his project arranged and composed these 5 unreleased tracks, which are merged in a production for which Jesús Algarín is also responsible.

The production is available in digital format on all platforms. The promotional cut is Sigue tu camino performed by Ricardo Colón, who also sings in the Willie Rosario Orchestra. The other four tracks included in the production are:  Playita, Cadencia y sabor and La calle se prendió; performed by vocalist José Luis De Jesús and Caribeña, in the voice of Marisabel Vázquez Varela.

The recording studio musicians who participated in the production are from the Caribbean.  Puerto Ricans, Cubans and Venezuelans merge in a salsa embrace; as is to be expected.

Vocals: José Luis De Jesús, Ricardo Colón and Marisabel Vázquez Varela.

Backing vocals: Jorge Yadiel Santos, Carlos García, Ricardo Colón, José Luis De Jesús, Manolo Ruiz and Carloscar Cepero.

Bass: Jesús Algarín

Piano: Aníbal Cruz and Juan Rivera

Tres: Renesito Avich

Percussion: Miguel Martínez

Trumpets: Luis Arnaldo Ramos, Angel Segarra y Nicolás Benítez

Trombone: Johan Escalante y Carloscar Cepero

Baritone saxophone: Efraín Martínez

Cuatro: Jesús Algarín.

As the son of documentary filmmaker Juan Félix Algarín, Jesús considers himself blessed to have been mentored by a father with first-hand knowledge.  His father always instructed him to be aware of music as a business in the entertainment world. Jesus knows his worth and has kept himself informed as to the costs of production and is clear as to the rates of his work.  He identifies himself as a Puerto Rican and Caribbean musician. He is in every sense of the word, a music worker.

As it is, we are still in salsa.  Yes, salsa lives! The effort, discipline and talent -in that order- of this young bandleader attest to that. Congratulations, and may you continue to “catch the ride”.

For bookings, Ángel Ilarraza: 787-347-4662 or e-mail: [email protected]

The trumpeter and director of the orchestra known as ‘The Tsunami of Salsa’ -Luis Gonzalez- delivers his new album under the title ’50 years, my music… My passion’.

With this production, Luis González takes the opportunity to celebrate five decades of musical life; during which he has been a musician of important orchestras, such as the Ray Barretto Orchestra, the Luis “Perico” Ortiz Orchestra and the Willie Rosario Orchestra, from which González left to form his own.

It should be noted that for thirteen years the trumpeter has been known as ‘the tsunami of salsa’ while becoming the director of his musical proposal, which he has kept active on local and international stages since 2009.

The launching of ’50 años, mi música… Mi pasión’ took place on Tuesday, May 3, 2022 at the headquarters of the National Foundation for Popular Culture in Old San Juan.  Present were Rafy Arroyo, Ricky Ramos and Jorge “Yoyo” Ocasio representing the current enrollment of the Luis González Orchestra; in addition to the ‘King of the Bass’ -Bobby Valentín- and trumpet player, director of the Juan Morel Campos Music Institute of Ponce and director of the Del Sur al Norte Orchestra, Julito Alvarado.

In ’50 años, mi música… Mi pasión’, guest musicians include trumpet players Jan Duclerc, Jesús Alonso and Julito Alvarado; pianist, arranger and music producer Pedro Bermúdez; Efraín Hernández on bass; William “Kachiro” Thompson on tumbadoras; Richard Carrasco on bongó; Gamalier González on trombone; and the voices of Pichie Pérez, Juan Bautista and Darvel García on backing vocals. On vocals, Rafy Arroyo, Ricky Ramos and Pedro Arroyo participated as guests.

Interestingly, a trend that has been emerging lately in salsa recordings also took over the tsunami.  I am referring to the batá drums, which for this album were played by Anthony Carrillo and Juanchi Sánchez. The album was recorded at Rolo Recording Studio, under the direction of Luis González himself. The mixing and mastering was in charge of Vinny Urrutia.  

The composers responsible for the songs chosen for this, the tsunami’s third release, include Francisco “Chalina” Alvarado, Yova Rodríguez, Luis “Perico” Ortiz, Eliu de Jesús, Cucco Peña, García Guadalupe, Ricky Ramos, Pedro Arroyo and Onorio Rivera. For the musical arrangements, Tsunami counted on arrangers of the stature of Oscar Hernandez, Javier Fernandez, Luis ‘Perico’ Ortiz, Ricky Gonzalez, Roberto Perez, Isidro Infante, Julito Alvarado and Pedro Bermudez.

Currently, the orchestra better known as ‘El Tsunami de la Salsa’ counts on the musical experience of its members: Rafael “Bodo” Torres (piano), Mario Vélez (bass), Luis González (leader, fiscorno and trumpet), Ito Torres and Simón Rivera (trumpets), Jorge Echevarría (trombone), Rigo Díaz (timbal), Jorge “Yoyo” Ocasio (tumbadoras) and Wilfredo Rosario (bongo).

So, we are still in salsa.  Yes, salsa lives! The efforts of this bandleader attest to that. Congratulations and may the next one come.  

While it is true that salsa is very much alive, it is also true that it has been enriched through fusions and transformations.  Of course, this is not the first time we see that the salsa sound is transformed to give way to increasingly daring musical themes.   

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: “I’m glad there are collaborations where the wallet of other sounds invests in producing music that I enjoy.  Note that the only music I enjoy with the passion I enjoy nothing else is salsa.  This salsa I’m talking about also includes fusions and other inventions, as long as I like them.”

Well, let’s get to the mambo….

During the “Tropical Music Festival” I was backstage and was able to share with the musicians before and after their performances.  That privilege gave me the opportunity to talk to them about their projects, among other things.  On a side note, Oria Rivera graciously let me know about the release that same day of Bobby Valentin’s latest single.  As soon as I got home I listened to the song via You Tube.

Once again, maestro Valentín delivers a very daring and innovative song. I know that “chinchas” are going to fall on me as usual; but without being repetitive, you know that I am one of those who believe that Valentin is never wrong. 

Let’s establish that boogaloo or bugaloo is a Latin music and dance genre that was popular in the United States in the 1960s. It originated in New York City, mainly among Hispanic and Latin American teenagers. The style was a fusion of popular African-American rhythm and blues (R&B), in turn combining soul music with mambo and son montuno.

In the 1950s and 1960s, African Americans in the United States listened to various styles of music, including jump blues, R&B and doo-wop. Latinos in New York City shared those tastes, but also listened to genres such as mambo and cha-cha-chá. There was a mix of Puerto Ricans, Cubans and African-Americans in clubs, whose groups tried to find common musical ground. In the end, boogaloo or bugaloo was the common musical ground, a fusion of many styles cooking American son montuno, guaguancó, guajira, guaracha, mambo, R&B and soul on the same stove.  That must have been the reason why the boogaloo or bugalú allowed Spanish and English on equal terms.

As you can see, fusions are not a recent fad.

Well then.  The time has come to tell you what my salsa ears have heard, since there will be those who say that this is not a salsa song.  Well, the truth of the matter is that it is not suitable for salseros without musical appreciation skills.

From the first bars of this song, Bobby Valentín’s musical arrangement highlights the bass, accompanied by trumpets and saxophones in an arrangement that sounds great.  In the first thirty seconds of the song you can appreciate the vocal part of the composer -Bobby Valentín- ultra well accompanied by his most recent acquisition for the front of his orchestra: Leró Martínez. And for the most skeptical, Bobby and Leró sing in impeccable English.

The song is perfect, since in three minutes it opens up a range of musical possibilities in “English without barriers”.  Despite the brevity of the song, it lacks nothing.  Nor does it feel or sound like musical creativity was curtailed by trying to shorten the time.  The track flows naturally from the prelude, to the mambo, to the closing. At one and a half minutes, the saxophones provide the melody and the trumpets the breaks.  At the fiftieth minute, the trumpets play challenging the rhythm section, formed by:  Victor Roque on the tumbadoras, Kevin Vega on the timbal and Javier Oquendo on the bongo. Ceferino Cabán’s piano complements the “king’s” bass in a masterful way.

Shortly after the second minute (2.19), Victor “Yuca” Maldonado’s baritone saxophone sets the stage for Julito Alvarado and Angie Machado’s trumpets to firmly establish their presence.  This second minute also highlights the dynamism of the trombone by Eliut Cintrón. Let’s not forget that the composer, arranger, producer and bassist of this song was a trumpet player in his beginnings. At exactly 2.40 the bass takes command of the orchestra with more forcefulness, melodically allying itself with the sound of the trumpets and saxophones. Well into the second minute (2.44) the electric guitar in command of Javier Perez begins a correspondence with the bass, which is maintained until the closing of the song.

As for the cover art, it features a childish Bobby Valentine dressed as a musical celebrity.  The boy wears dark pants and a white shirt with those stylish puffed sleeves that scream mambo.  The title letters, which read It’s Boogaloo time are superimposed over the child’s image.  The style of the yellow letters that inscribe the word Boogaloo over the image described above make me imagine letters in some liquid material. The composition of the artwork rests on a rather garish salmon-colored background. According to the credits, both the graphic design and art direction were created by Orialis Valentin. Brava!

If you are one of those who say you are tired of the same old same old, I challenge you to listen to this gem, just as I recommended El Twist a while back. 

Salsa lives! I hope I have dispelled your doubts, if you had any.  If you still have any doubts, I confirm that you are not ready for this salsa conversation.

Musical Director: Bobby Valentín

Audio Recording & Mixing: Play Bach Studio

Engineer Carlitos Velázquez and Ramón Martínez

Mastering: WAVEM Acoustic LLC; Eduardo Ramos

Producer: Bobby Valentín

© 2022, Bronco Records, Inc. (Artist: Bobby Valentín)

Our nice talk

Good afternoon, we have here José Miguel Ortegón. He is a music producer, composer, DJ and violinist. Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ortegón, how are you feeling?

I’m fine. Thank you very much for the invitation.

Your name is José Miguel Ortegón, but you are known as Sr Ortegón in artistic circles. Why?

I think that is a cultural tradition in the Hispanic world. Men are always called by their last name. That was natural and came spontaneously. Taking advantage of that señor is a Latin cliché, it was perfect for the work I was doing.

José Miguel Ortegón at the Latin Grammys

What was your first approach to the entertainment world?

I started recording with Guayacán, which is a salsa orchestra from Cali, Colombia. I received a lot of help from maestro Zumaque, who is a musician that does contemporary and classical fusion with Latin American rhythms. This was during my teens.

Then, you ventured into other facets, correct?

That’s correct. I started studying music at the conservatory when I was five years old and was in some rock bands. You know that our culture is divided into two musical styles in Latin America, which are classical and popular music. My first professional recordings came with the first computer we had at home as well as most of my generation. When the first computers came to our homes, the concept of music also changed.

How did you go from playing rock and classical rhythms to boogaloo and urban rhythms? How was that transition?

Cali has always been very linked to pachanga, boogaloo and charanga. Rock comes from blues and boogaloo is more or less part of the same trend, so it’s not uncommon for rockers to want to experiment with those rhythms I mentioned at the beginning. I also had teachers at the conservatory who taught classical music during the day, but played with professional orchestras at night. For me, that transition is inevitable.

Sr Ortegón doing his job as a DJ

You have created music for series, movies, digital platforms, Disney, Netflix, animated series, etc. Did you think your career would go that far?

Thank you for your words. I make music. I have the same worry since I started in this world, I think I still have a lot to learn and maturing ideas, The truth is I never imagined it. I simply took the opportunity before me in Europe, where I was studying musicology at the Sorbonne. It is true that Latin music is very exotic there because there are not many Latin composers and producers.

At university, I got a chance to make music for a television channel. Subsequently, there was a snowball effect, a colleague who is now working in Hollywood contacted me for one of those jobs and that was my big opportunity. When I got the script, it was a Dominican series, which made me immediately discard salsa and mariachis. I thought about using bachata or something that really belonged to the Dominican Republic.

When you talk about Hollywood, it should be emphasized that there are several generations of Latinos born in the United States of any origin. A Cuban knows that a ranchera is not Cuban but from Mexico. Such a thing happenned a lot in the industry in previous years. The same rhythms and mixes were always used regardless of the Latin country involved in a production like, for example, West Side Story. I love that movie and think it’s excellent, but the music they used doesn’t sound Puerto Rican at all. That’s why I thought I should take this opportunity to respect the rhythms and traditions of each country. I know we all speak Spanish but each country has its own identity, so I respectfully take each rhythm and use it to make it authentic.

Latin music in Hollywood

When you did music for any series or film, were you given parameters to follow or did you have to be free to experiment with your music?

That’s one of the best questions I’ve ever been asked because the vast majority of producers are American and not connected with Latin culture, so salsa and merengue are the same for them. I just tell them to trust me, send me some samples to guide me, we analyze everything and move on. If the director or the editor doesn’t like what I did, we reach an agreement. Nowadays, this process is easier because there is more musical and cultural education on the part of the producers in the United States.

Sr Ortegón at the party in the Jetset Magazine

You were nominated for a Latin Grammy thanks to a mix of boogaloo and urban rhythms that you made. How did you think of it?

I’m 40 years old, so I spent my adolescence at the time when Californian hip hop was in full swing. Cali is one of the most Americanized cities in Colombia, so you were always listening to all those American groups and songs. Mixing all those rhythms with boogaloo has always seemed very interesting to me and I had no idea how to do that until I learned.

Since a mix between hip hop and Latin music is complex to make, a lot of people gsurrended and opted for reggaeton as culture. There are other groups such as Control Machete that have done an excellent job, but I felt they were lacking something. That’s how I started to learn, but it took me a long time because of lack of resources, since I didn’t have the right elements to respect the codes. So, I did a boogaloo song and a hip hop beat to mix them, which made me realize that they are sister rhythms. This work was very popular and even appeared in series and movies.

In fact, I heard about you from an email that included your new album entitled Latin Boogaloo Volume 2. I also listened to Volumen 1 and noticed the difference. What is the main difference between one volume and the other?

Volume 1 includes what I called Boogaflow, which is boogaloo with flow. Volume 2 is pure boogaloo. I tell you this because, for example, salsa is a term, but it’s really Afro-Cuban music made by Nuyoricans in New York if we go back to basics. Prior to that New York sound known as salsa, there was that phenomenon called boogaloo, shingaling or Latin soul.

I had to listen to disco to get to those rhythms because nobody teaches you anything about those genres. Unfortunately, those who created those rhythms are already dead or doing other things like Joe Cuba, Jimmy Sabater, the people from Sexta All Stars, Eddie Pamieri, Ray Barreto and many others. That fashion lasted about six or seven years and that was that. Every time I go to create a boogaloo, I have to listen very well because there are no scores or models to follow. Poncho Sanchez is one of the few who brings up the torch of that sound, although he is inclined more to Latin jazz.

I wanted to do a boogaflow, but my editor David Santiago proposed to me that we make two versions, one boogaloo version and the a little more acoustic one. What we were looking for was to please both audiences, the one who wants something urban and the one that wants something classic.

Which of the two volumes was more successful?

I know you have the answer (laughs). Volume 2 was the most successful. Number one has put me in touch with my salsa friends, but I didn’t want to tell them that I was going to make a volume two because boogaloo is not a very common rhythm.

Cover of the album Latin Boogaloo Vol. 2