Search Results for: Orchestra

Angel Bonne He was part of Juan Formell’s Los Van Van Orchestra, and collaborated with the impressive Irakere band of maestro Chucho Valdés

Latin America /Dominican Republic

Angel Bonne born in Santiago in 1961

Angel Bonne began his musical studies at an early age, developing his skills on the clarinet.

The artist confesses that genetically his father, Enrique Bonne, “has a lot to do with his musical taste”; he grew up watching him play the piano, and the drums played in the patio of his house, where musical meetings were held with greats such as Pacho Alonso and Omara Portuondo among others.

After graduating from the National School of Art, he worked as a saxophonist in groups such as: Galaxia, Santiago Feliú, Beatriz Márquez (where he also acted as director), Granma (Santiago de Cuba) and Cuban Orchestra of Modern Music (Santiago de Cuba).

He also participated as a saxophonist, in albums of renowned singer-songwriters such as Amaury Pérez Vidal and Evelyn García Márquez.

He also collaborated with other groups such as the Grupo Síntesis and the Irakere by maestro Chucho Valdés.

His interpretative quality and musical talent led him to form part of one of the most important orchestras of Cuban music, Juan Formell’s Orchestra, Los Van Van, where, in addition to playing the saxophone, he performed as an arranger and singer.

During this period, he interpreted everlasting successes in the history of Cuban popular dance music, as is the case of the song Azúcar, still very much in demand despite having been recorded for more than 25 years.

After graduating from the National School of Art, he worked as a saxophonist in groups — Angel Bonne He also participated as a saxophonist, in albums of renowned singer-songwriters such as Amaury Pérez Vidal and Evelyn García Márquez

His passage by this musical group, is qualified by the own Angel Bonne, like one of the most important moments of his artistic career, in fact has continued collaborating with this transcendental orchestra in the record productions due to the mark left by its vocal timbre in the chorus.

At the age of 33, he decided to make his career as a soloist without abandoning his role as an instrumentalist and his qualities as a composer, and he formed several groups.

His versatility allows him to venture into several musical genres, among which jazz, Nueva Trova and popular music stand out. — Angel Bonne He also shows his skills as a composer, arranger, performer, conductor and record producer.

Since then, he has starred in several record productions: “Pa’ decir lo que yo siento”, “Circunstancias”, “Esta es mi música”, “Por favor escuchame” and “Bonne and Bonne Co. He has also made three albums in which his facet as a singer-songwriter is evident; these are these are: “De otra manera”, “Buscándome”, and “El guardián”. He has participated in more than 60 albums recorded with well-known Cuban figures.

He made the original music and soundtrack of the Cuban soap opera EN FIN EL MAR, from which hits like ESE soy yo, Sueños en la inmensidad and Cada uno por su lado were released.

His versatility allows him to venture into several musical genres, among which jazz, Nueva Trova and popular music stand out.

From Bonne’s discography, you will always remember songs like: ¨Usted will return to passer¨, ¨No I know why he wants me to mi¨, ¨Pura vestment¨, ¨Ya I went from the 20¨, Amigos, which was also nominated in the category of best video of the year at the PREMIOS LUCAS, (an important Cuban audiovisual competition) to others, which also showcase his skills as a composer, arranger, performer, bandleader and record producer.

By: Diana Marie

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The Club de los Soneros Dorados The Orchestra of the Stars

The Club de los Soneros Dorados The Orchestra of the Stars, where great stars and legends of Cuban music meet

Two years ago, an orchestra made history. For the first time in Cuban music, the greatest legends, singers, and instrumentalists were united in a single project, their songs quickly transcended the world and occupied places in the charts.

The Golden was born from the hand of the young composer Carlos Sanabia from Santiago de Cuba. The Golden Soneros club (La Orquesta de las Estrellas) was one of the most awaited realities for all of Cuba.

The news of its 3rd record production is one of the best news in the musical world, its title will be MAESTROS DEL SABOR and it will count with the presence of several international guests, among them the living legend of Salsa Bobby Cruz, will consist of 21 themes in total divided into 3 volumes of 7 Songs Individually.

With a more modern and youthful style, the songs were specifically designed by Sanabia to capture the attention of the dancing public by inserting them in the popular taste.

With elements of Rumba, Salsa, and Timba and Occurring and Sticky Phrases from the day to day life of the Cuban people.

With the presentation of new talents, singers, and musicians in the Orquesta de las Leyendas, Sanabia insists on the purpose of bringing the secrets of its music to the new generations and thus guarantee the new formation of future stars in the new talents that abound on the island.

They have not yet entered the studio to record and this third album by EL GOLDEN has already made the news. Thanks to Carlos Sanabia and his Soneros Dorados, “Salsa is in fashion again.

Several established musicians played at the club during the 1930s and 1940s, including bassist Cachao López and bandleader Arsenio Rodríguez.

According to Ry Cooder, “Cuban and Caribbean society and even New Orleans society, as far as I know, was organized around these social clubs.

There were cigarette wrappers clubs, baseball players clubs, and they played cards and sports and had their pets, like dogs.

In the case of the Buena Vista Social Club, there were musicians there, like in the clubs in the United States.

Rodriguez’s pianist, Ruben Gonzalez, who played the piano on recordings in the 1990s, described the 1940s as “an age of true musical life in Cuba, where there wasn’t much money to be made, but they played because they really wanted to.

That era saw the birth of jazz-influenced mambo, charanga, and dance forms such as pachanga and cha-cha-cha, as well as the development of traditional Afro-Cuban musical styles such as rumba and son, which was later modified by Arsenio Rodríguez’s use of additional instruments to become son montuno.2 Son, described as “the foundation of Cuban music,” has transformed much of Latin American music in the 20th century.

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Los Melódicos

Latinoamerica / Venezuela / Caracas

Among Venezuela’s most famous orchestras are Los Melódicos and Billo’s Caracas Boys; here, we focus on Los Melódicos, a Venezuelan dance orchestra founded on July 15, 1958, by musical director Renato Capriles (who passed away in 2014)—with the support of bandleader Billo Frómeta—in response to the temporary dissolution of the Billo’s Caracas Boys orchestra.

Los Melódicos are composed of: 4 saxophones, 3 trombones, 3 trumpets, a 5-piece rhythm section (piano, bass, drums, and minor percussion), 4 vocalists (always including a female singer), and their conductor—totaling 20 artists on stage.

Their slogan is “THE ORCHESTRA THAT SETS THE RHYTHM IN VENEZUELA,” though abroad they are also known as “LATIN AMERICA’S MOST COMPLETE ORCHESTRA,” “THE ORCHESTRA OF EVERY RHYTHM,” and “THE GIANT ORCHESTRA OF THE AMERICAS,” among other titles.

They are also the only Latin orchestra boasting such an extensive repertoire spanning a wide range of musical trends and styles, including salsa and merengue.

Their versatility is such that, during any given set, one might hear songs in Spanish, English, French, or Italian, alongside the latest popular rhythms—whether tropical, Anglo-American, classical, or modern—in all their variations.

Los Melódicos - Photo — Los Melódicos – Photo

Beyond the impeccable live performances delivered by each member, the group puts on a true “show,” compelling the audience to stop dancing and form a massive semicircle in front of the stage, while actively interacting with the band throughout the performance.

Los Melódicos have garnered the most prestigious awards both within and outside Venezuela, remaining the premier musical choice for major public and private events year after year. It would be an endless task to list the awards and accolades they proudly cherish—bestowed by various entities in countries such as Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Curaçao, and Aruba, as well as in U.S. cities with significant Latino communities (such as Miami, Orlando, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Tampa, Houston, Philadelphia, and—notably—New York). They continue to travel to New York to perform at top venues like the New York Hilton Hotel, where their twice-yearly dances became a must-attend, highly successful event in that major global entertainment hub.

With a history spanning over 50 years, LOS MELÓDICOS boasts a discography of more than 100 albums—a milestone unmatched by any other dance orchestra in the Americas—including the following:

Hits	Songs
The 1960s	· Caballito Relinchón · El Ladrón · El Misterio · Veneración · El pastorcillo
The 1970s	· Cayetano baila · Guitarra española · Apágame la vela · Al que le pique · Dejen de averiguá
The 1980s	· Papachongo · Mi Cocha Pechocha · La Fiesta · Hot Music ¡Oh, mañana! · Tú (éxito original de Juan Luis Guerra) · Ulé-ulé · Fernanda · Mi cacerola · Traca que traca
The 1990s	· Por ti amor · ¡Qué rico! · Diávolo · ¡Ay, Amor! · Sal y Menta · Mi locura · Amiga · No necesito más · Zúmbalo · Mi corazón · Amanecer

Los Melódicos Discography

These Are Los Melódicos (1959)
Fabulous Dance Hits (1963)
Buy the Orchestra (1964)
Great Musical Reserve (1965)
The Most Complete Lineup (1966)
The Orchestra of Hits (1969)
The One and Only (1969)
Guayabo a la Ye (1970)
Catch It by the Tail (1970)
The Los Melódicos Club (1972 – Discomoda)
With All the Works (1974 – LM-Discomoda)
In Action with Los Melódicos (1974)
The Tempting Flavor (1975 LM-Discomoda)
Heavy (1975 LM-Discomoda)
For Whoever It Itches (1976 LM-Discomoda)
Los Melódicos (1977 LM-Discomoda)
And How Are You? (1977)
40 Years of Hits (with Manolo Monterrey) (1978 – LM-Discomoda)
The Swing of Los Melódicos (1979)
Party Night (1970)
Memories 17 (1971)
Congratulations (1972)
I Had My Coffee Plantation (1980)
1. Lyrics and music by the Colombian
2. Álvaro Serrano Calderon
The Musical Emblem of Venezuela (1980)
Welcome (1981)
Tonight (1981)
We Are Sensational! (1982)
The Sheikh (1982 LM-Discomoda)
With Flavor! (1983)
Oh! Tahiti (1984)
Dismelódicos ’85 (1984 LM-Discomoda)
Cada Día Mejor (1985)
Es otra cosa! (1986)
Juntos Los Grandes del Baile
1. (With Billo’s, Side A)
2. (1986 Velvet-Sonográfica)
De Nuevo Juntos Los Grandes del Baile
1. (With Billo’s, Side A) (1988 Velvet-Sonográfica)
Diferentes (1989 – Velvet-Rodven)
Líderes (1990 – Velvet-Rodven)
La Orquesta que impresa el ritmo en América (1991 – Velvet-Rodven)
Melódicos Club Mix (1991 – Velvet-Rodven)
Internacional (1992 – Velvet-Rodven)
Melódicos Club Mix Two (1993 – Velvet-Rodven)
Innovating (1994)
Incomparable (1995)
Los Melódicos Hits Together (1998)
To Dance Non-Stop (1999)
The Boys With The Girls (2000)
Los Melódicos Vs Billos (2002)
Number 100 for the World (2004)
Los Melódicos With Diveana (2005)
These Are The Singers (2009)
Micaela (2010)
Tonight We’ll Wake Up Partying (2011)
My Cumbia (2012)
They Return With The Best And The Newest (2012)
The Melódicos Renato Caprilles (2013)
Christmas with Los Melódicos (2014)
Golden Era (2015)
Golden Classics (2016)

Felipe Pirela The Immortal Voice of “The Bolero Singer of the Americas”

A Romantic Music Phenomenon

Few voices in the history of Latin American music have managed to convey melancholy, heartbreak, and love with the depth of Felipe Pirela.

Justifiably known as “El Bolerista de América” (“The Bolero Singer of the Americas”), the Venezuelan performer not only transformed the bolero genre during the 1960s, but also became a cultural icon whose vocal legacy remains an undeniable benchmark for generations to come.

A Talent Born in Zulia

Felipe Antonio Pirela Morón was born on September 4, 1941, in the El Empedrado neighborhood of Maracaibo, Zulia State, Venezuela. Raised in a large, humble family, he displayed a natural talent for singing from a very young age.

During his early years, he performed on amateur radio shows in his hometown and joined local groups such as the Orquesta San José and Los Peniques.

It didn’t take long for his extraordinary vocal timbrea lyrical tenor with velvety undertones and flawless pitchto catch the attention of the leading musical directors of the era.

Big Break with the Billo’s Caracas Boys

The year 1960 marked the ultimate turning point in Pirela’s career. Dominican maestro Billo Frómeta, while reorganizing his legendary orchestra, Billo’s Caracas Boys, was searching for a fresh male voice to lead their romantic repertoire. Upon hearing Pirela, he didn’t hesitate to sign him.

Felipe Pirela 2 — The Immortal Legacy of an Unforgettable Voice

At just 19 years old, Pirela became the star crooner for the most popular orchestra in Venezuela. During his tenure with Billo’s, his voice immortalized essential classics of the Latin American songbook, including:

Ese bolero es mío
Únicamente tú
Para qué recordar
Por la vuelta

The synergy between Frómeta’s orchestral arrangements and Pirela’s dramatic expression sparked a true wave of “Pirelamania” across the country.

International Stardom and Solo Career

In 1963, driven by a desire to expand his artistic horizons, Pirela embarked on a solo career. He moved to Mexico the epicenter of the recording industry at the time where he was warmly embraced by both audiences and music critics.

It was precisely abroad where he was officially dubbed “El Bolerista de América.” Albums like Un solo camino: México solidified his international success.

Felipe Pirela 4 — Felipe Pirela A Musical Phenomenon

Pirela sold out venues in Santo Domingo, San Juan (Puerto Rico), New York, Bogotá, and Lima, rivaling titans like Lucho Gatica, Daniel Santos, and Javier Solís in popularity. His ability to bring drama and elegance to songs by iconic composers such as Rafael Hernández, Pedro Flores, and Mario de Jesús turned him into a record-breaking phenomenon.

Lights, Shadows, and a Tragic End

Despite his overwhelming success on stage, Pirela’s personal life was plagued by controversy, heartache, and misfortune. A tumultuous, failed marriage, along with legal troubles and relentless harassment from the tabloid press of the era, eroded his personal stability and led him to settle outside his homeland.

On July 2, 1972, tragedy violently cut his life short. At the young age of 30, Felipe Pirela was murdered in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The news sent shockwaves across the Americas, leaving an irreplaceable void in romantic music.

Felipe Pirela 3 — On July 2, 1972, tragedy violently cut short his life

The Immortal Legacy of an Unforgettable Voice

More than five decades after his passing, Felipe Pirela remains vibrant in the collective memory. His discography continues to be reissued, honored, and studied by musicologists and music lovers alike.

Pirela possessed not only exceptional vocal technique, but a unique ability to phrase with heartbreak, elegance, and passion. His style directly influenced subsequent stars of salsa and bolero, proving that as long as heartbreak and romance exist, the voice of “The Bolero Singer of the Americas” will continue to resonate with the exact same power.

Felipe Pirela |El Bolerista de América

Hector Rivera ‘‘Riverita’’ tells the story of how he created Riverita Y Su Orquesta Noche Caliente

After several attempts, we finally managed to meet with bandleader and saxophonist Héctor Rivera, known in the industry as Riverita, and ask him all kinds of questions about his artistic career and his current group, Riverita y Su Orquesta Noche Caliente.

Here are some of the most important issues we touch with the artist during our pleasant conversation:

Riverita’s inspiration to become a musician

Despite not having musicians in his family, Riverita remembers growing up in an environment where music was always very present. He was born in New York, but spent long periods living with his grandparents in Puerto Rico while his parents settled down and eventually moved to the “Island of Enchantment” to give their son greater stability.

At his grandparents’ house, he used to listen to great artists of the time performing their unforgettable hits on the radio and one of them was Mon Rivera Y Su Orquesta performing “Karakatis-ki,” a song he never forgot, along with so many other musical pieces that gradually got him interested in this world. When his parents returned to Puerto Rico and he returned to live with them, he started listening to Cheo Feliciano, Pete “El Conde” Rodríguez, Felipe Rodríguez, and many others.

All these rhythms led the boy to play a sort of percussion on the table, a biscuit tin, or anything else that served as an instrument for him at the time.

His passion for music grew to the point that he began studying music education at the Escuela Libre de Música in Ponce and, subsequently at the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico in San Germán, where he studied for only about two years. Although he did not complete his studies, this helped him to understand even more the profession and apply what he learned during those years.

Danny, Riverita, and Jose — Riverita with two maracas

Being in Puerto Rico, he played with a merengue orchestra whose name he does not remember, but with which he learned to play alto saxophone professionally. After that, he moved to the United States permanently.

Year 2013

As he moved to Virginia, he took a long break from music until 2013, which is when his cousin, Michael Valladares, asked Riverita to found an orchestra, which was not in his plans. However, he accepted the challenge and carried forward the project.

Back then, the artist worked as a mailman at a post office, making it difficult for him to reconcile his previous professional activities with the direction of an orchestra. Still, he did not allow that to discourage him and chose to give priority to this new ensemble.

It all started when Michael was looking for an orchestra to perform at a gala event to celebrate 500 years of the city of Melbourne, Florida, so he contacted Riverita and proposed him to create an orchestra in which he would serve as musical director for the sole purpose of performing there. That was when the saxophonist set about finding musicians and producing a repertoire, which was not easy, since he did not know any professional musicians and did not have any arrangements he could use.

He was so distressed that he spent sleepless nights thinking about how to proceed to complete the mission entrusted to him. With three months to go, he had no time to spare. That is when he managed to make contact with a group of musicians of different nationalities, of whom only the singer, José Reyes, continues to work with him.

Finally, he relaunched the project with a new group of musicians—since the previous ones had left and called it Orquesta Noche Caliente, a name that it still bears today.

Among the most frequently recurring members, we can mention singer José Reyes, singer Danny Rivera Jr., pianist Kevin Figueroa, and trombonist Derick Harris.

To date, they have recorded three CDs and 26 songs. Some of them are “Noche Caliente,” “En Tiempos de Bolero,” and “Mi Linda Música.” They are also preparing their Christmas song several months in advance and will name it “Rabito de Lechón.”