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Jorge Luis Suárez is a singer, musician and multifaceted artist and a bastion of Afro-Caribbean music

In Venezuela, the musical talent is undoubtedly first line and proven quality on any stage nationally and worldwide.

Specifically in the state of Lara and in the city of Barquisimeto, a great number of artists with category and hierarchy have emerged and been born, exalting our Latin rhythms.

For this edition of “Salsa Escrita”, we are honored to have as a special guest vocalist Jorge Luis Suarez, pride and bastion of Afro-Caribbean music and various genres, who, for years, demonstrates his class and professionalism.

Jorge Luis is a singer, musician and multifaceted artist; born on August 7 in the city of Maracaibo, son of parents from the city of Carora, where he spent part of his childhood in that state and began to lean towards music, having as main influence his father, who played the guitar and sang romantic music.

In the early 80’s, he moved to Barquisimeto to attend university and was discovered as a singer and player of the bass, cuatro and guitar. Welcome Jorge Luis Suarez to “Salsa Escrita”, through International Salsa Magazine, www.salsagoogle.com.

Vocalist Jorge Luis Suárez, pride and stalwart of Afro-Caribbean music

To begin this pleasant, enjoyable and long awaited meeting, because we wanted to have you as one of our interviewees and tell us about your experiences about your artistic career, which has been very successful nationally and worldwide for the pride of all who know you.

Thank you Professor Carlos Colmenárez, for inviting me to your well read and recognized salsa column, unique in the center-west of the country and in which you project Venezuelan musicians worldwide.

Jorge Luis, with which groups did you begin your journey through this wonderful art, in which you have demonstrated versatility, perseverance, discipline and quality?

Jorge Luis is a singer, musician and multifaceted artist

Well, let me tell you that I started my musical activity professionally, being part of groups of regional renown, among them: “Las Estrellas del Momento”, “Orquesta Alegría” and then “Venezuela en Gaitas”, “Sazón Latino” and in the late 80’s and early 90’s, I became part of the staff of the orchestra “La Banda Actual”, a salsa icon in the state of Lara.

By the way Jorge, we remember your beginnings with “La Banda Actual” and it was an obligatory reference to be hired in private parties, night clubs and of course to share the stage with great artists and luminaries of the Latin-Caribbean music genre.

In which billboards did you have the joy and privilege of singing, alternating with national and international stars?

Indeed professor, with Banda Actual we performed with Héctor Lavoe, Wilfrido Vargas, Las Chicas del Can, Porfi Jiménez, Guaco, Los Melódicos, Hermanos Carruyo, Billos Caracas Boys, Orquesta La Crítica and many more, in their visits to Barquisimeto, having as locations the Domo Bolivariano, Complejo Ferial, among others.

In fact, Jorge Luis and due to your outstanding and outstanding vocal ability, the son of the maestro Billo Frómeta, Luis Frómeta, called you to join the ranks of the Billo Caracas Boys, how was that experience?

With Billo I learned to have more artistic discipline and gain experience for 4 years, recording three albums touring Latin America, the United States and Europe; precisely in the carnivals of Tenerife we starred in the Güines Record in public attendance at a bailanta, sharing the stage with Celia Cruz and Oscar D’León.

Jorge, tell us about your entrance to the orchestra of the world’s sonero Oscar D’León.

Professor Carlos, precisely because of that event in the Canary Islands, maestro Oscar called me and told me that he needed a vocalist with my characteristics to accompany him in his shows and international tours and honestly it was a difficult decision because with Billo Caracas Boys I was well established along with other Barquisimetans: Ely Méndez and Wolfang Perdomo, integrating the line of vocalists at that time, pure “guaros”.

But maestro Oscar’s offer seemed interesting to me and I finally said yes. With the Sonero del Mundo, to whom I owe a lot, because thanks to him I established myself even more as a performer and especially in salsa, taking his recommendations to the letter and of course it was an unforgettable experience, because with his orchestra we toured many countries and performed in venues such as: Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, House off Blue in Los Angeles, Orange Ball, jazz festivals in Europe, sharing with renowned artists.

Professor, I wanted to tell you that at the same time working with Oscar’s orchestra, I recorded my production “Una Tercera Persona”, in the middle of 1992, which included the hit “Niégalo Todo”, obtaining the first places in the hit parade.

In that production I was accompanied in the recording by renowned musicians such as: Luisito Quintero, Roberto Quintero, Robert Vilera, Raul Agraz, Yorman Leon and the Nicaraguan Luis Enrique.

Jorge Luis is a singer, musician and multifaceted artist, born on August 7 in the city of Maracaibo, son of parents from the city of Carora, Venezuela.

Jorge, how many years did you stay with Oscar and why did you decide to leave his orchestra?

I was with Oscar for about four years and I decided to leave the group due to major reasons, as a result of business and commercial commitments that I had and still have in Barquisimeto.

For those who do not know, Jorge Luis is a multifaceted artist and has managed to venture as a vocalist in different musical genres, from salsa, gaitas, tropical danceable, guaracha, merengue, Venezuelan and boleros; achieving in this last aspect, being the arranger and musical producer of the trio Carora International at the end of 2014.

At the same time, he produced and performed 19 songs of Venezuelan music with arrangements by Jean Piero Gonzalez, which will be released soon.

Jorge Luis, having settled again in the musical capital of Venezuela, with whom have you recorded? Professor, in Barquisimeto I have been invited to record with the following groups: Venezuela Somos Gaita, Nikitao, Amantes de la Gaita, Venezuela en Gaitas, Unión Gaitera, Rafa y sus Diamantes, Grupo Colorama, Con Klase, Orquesta Variación, Orquesta la Mayor, Orquesta la Gran Premiere, Venezuela Rumba, La Orquesta Raza Caribe, recording with the latter 8 songs in the production that is about to be released. I was also invited to record with the Orquesta Son Colón de Maracay and with the Latin Grammy nominees, our Grupo Santoral de Barquisimeto, participating with them as a special guest in the show “El Amor se Canta”, in celebration of the Day of Love and Friendship, touring, starting at the Teatro Juares and other cities in the country, as well as private presentations.

As for current projects, what can you tell the readers of Salsa Escrita? Currently my second solo production in the salsa genre is about to be released, with arrangements by multi-instrumentalist Taylor Aranguren from Barquisimeto and myself.

We are launching the record label, precisely this June with the promotional track “No lo beses”, a song that was interpreted by Alejandro Fernandez, by the Mexican composer Jose Luis Roma.

The production is called “José Luis Suárez Covers”, which includes songs that have been hits around the world, such as: Cobarde cobarde, Escándalo, La bomba, Cuatro rosas, Darte un beso, El amor más grande del planeta, Bailando, No lo beses, among others. In this production, I am accompanied by my nephew Taylor Aranguren, the musicians: Carlos Giménez, Rómulo Paiva, Jeison Marchán, Wílner Navas, Freddy Adrián, in the master and mixes: Latín Récods Digital. Sound engineer: René Zerpa and in the general production: Jorge Luis Suárez. Jorge Luis, what are your social networks or digital platforms to interact with your followers? My contacts are, Instagram: @jorgeluissuarezoficial, Youtube: Jorge Luis Suárez Oficial, [email protected]. Jorge Luis, to finish, we want to congratulate you for your perseverance in music and wish you to continue harvesting triumphs, because you have quality and to spare.

Salsa Escrita “La Columna Salsera de Barquisimeto”, will be at your disposal to support you in your present and future projects, good luck… Thank you professor and personal friend, Carlos Colmenárez, for giving me your support in your salsa column, unique in the west of the country and thus allowing you to reach your regular readers around the world; again a thousand thanks, blessings and long live Venezuela!

Article of Interest: Gerson Aranda “La Tabla de Caracas”

Carlos Colmenárez

Correspondent in Venezuela for International Salsa Magazine

North America – November 2021

Stories in the key of salsa come “from the LP to your library”

From the pen of the novel writer Urayoán Enrique comes Relatos en clave de salsa, a collection of eleven stories, all inspired by the same erotic salsa that revolutionized the salsa music scene at least three decades ago.

The eleven songs that inspired the stories contained in the book that Urayoán recently built-in clear homage to salsa erotica are all undisputed hits. The concept of this collection of short stories follows the line that the author calls: from the LP to your library.

Most of the musical themes contained here came in LP (Long Play) format, those vinyl records that compiled ten musical themes in one unit, known as an album. From that concept, Urayoán came up with the idea of making the conversion, deciding that the collection of stories would be one of eleven, including ten tracks -in this case stories- plus the well-remembered bonus track, for a total of eleven.

From the pen of the novel writer Urayoán Enrique from Arroyo comes Relatos en clave de salsa, a collection of eleven stories, all inspired by the same erotic salsa that revolutionized the salsa music scene at least three decades ago. — Stories in the key of salsa From the pen of the novel writer Urayoán Enrique

During the official launch and presentation of the book, which took place at the Teatro Renacimiento in Arroyo, Puerto Rico on September 18, 2021; young actor Bryan (Brayito) Lebrón and Suhey Moraima played the lead roles in an apt theatrical interpretation of the story entitled Esa chica es mía. Broadcaster and DJ Eduardo Huertas Alicea moderated the event.

Puerto Rican writers Bella Martínez and Richard Rivera Cardona, editor of the literary work, were in charge of the question and answer segment, whose answers brought to light details about the construction of this text that, as previously stated, pays homage to erotic salsa.

The titles contained in this collection, whose inspiration came to Urayoán by way of the musical themes with which the stories in reference share the titles, are: Ven, devórame otra vez, Insaciable, Desnúdate mujer, ¿Quién será ese ladrón, Esa chica es mía, Desayuno, Caricias prohibidas, Mi mundo, Quiero morir en tu piel, Lluvia and Tu prenda tendida.

Before reading each story, it is suggested to listen to the musical theme that inspires it. The book is so carefully constructed that each story has the credits associated with the theme song. The credits include the title, the performer, the composer of the lyrics, the arranger responsible for the musical composition, the album that contains it, the record label that published it and the year in which the song was published. As can be seen, the research was exhaustive and the writing comprehensive; which evidences the care and respect with which this work, which has also been called salsa in prose, was treated.

Urayoán contemplates with his usual shyness to follow this literary line in order to continue building stories that keep the salsa alive and in the minds of the readers. There remained on the shelf the restlessness to write about: Me acostumbré (interpretation by “Tártaro de la salsa”: Frankie Ruiz), Sí, te mentií (interpretation by Lalo Rodríguez), Aquel viejo motel (interpretation by David Pabón) and 5 noches (interpretation by Paquito Guzmán).

By popular demand, Urayoán could write stories inspired by boleros. If he is motivated to explore the bolero, I suggested he develop a story inspired by Deseo salvaje (Lalo Rodríguez’s rendition). In addition to the lyrics of that song, the value lies in the fact that it was also composed by Lalo Rodríguez. Lalo wrote Deseo salvaje when he was only fourteen years old, and two years later he recorded the vocal part for Eddie Palmieri’s orchestra when he was sixteen years old. The album that contains the song I suggested here, The Sun of Latin music was the first salsa album to win the Grammy for “Best Latin Recording”. Even more significant is that it was the first salsa album to be nominated for the highest music award given annually by the world’s leading society of music professionals, better known as the Recording Academy.

In short, if the reader dares to dive into a daring read, inspired by salsa erotica, Relatos en clave de salsa is highly recommended.

Facebook: Urayoán Enrique

By: Bella Martinez “La Escritora Irreverente de La Salsa”

Puerto Rico

WebSite: Bella Martinez

Article of Interest: Tito Rodríguez, Jr. “The Palladium legacy lives on”

International Area – November 2021

Nelly Ramos, A Woman of Wood “Honorary Teacher”

Growing up with music, living from music, producing music, performing music, studying music, is not a cacophony, they are different states that a music lover can go through.

Either involved with one or several roles on the subject simultaneously. It is true that their development is transversed by music as a field that requires developing cognitive, motor, intellectual, and social skills, and even those required by the industry, such as those related to negotiation and marketing.

Nelly Ramos, A Woman of Wood “Honorary Teacher” — Nelly Ramos, A Woman of Wood

This means that music involves memory for the need to learn, remember and evoke; it involves dance as a pleasant form of non-verbal communication; it involves musical performance for the execution in various disciplines; it involves ingenuity and creation, to make arrangements and compositions; it involves social interaction, for the role of music in dances, concerts, programs, parties, festivals, competitions, orchestras and groups and finally it involves a field that very few are concerned with, such as research.

But even though for the music lover music occupies a transversal axis, his daily life demands him to fulfill the necessary requirements to live in society, in them, the need to work, study, and take care of the family without neglecting to cultivate himself as a person simultaneously with enriching his spiritual demands.

Linked to all this panorama is a basic principle based on birth as a source of explanation of what men and women will be and will do. We came into the world unprotected, it was our parents who at that stage facilitated our adaptation to life, and as we grew up they unconsciously drew up a script for us about what we would be in the future, often being disappointed by not seeing any of their projections fulfilled.

Growing up with music, living from music, producing music, performing music, studying music, is not a cacophony, they are different states that a music lover can go through. — Awarded as “Honorary Teacher” of the National University of the Arts.

During the first years of life, the school and the family took the reins of our formation, socialization and the transmission of values, but in this process, the influence of the environment played a preponderant role by carrying behind it a hidden curriculum whose function was to transmit information to us, different from what the school or the family could have covered. In my personal growth,

the influences received by the environment that offered me living in a neighborhood such as the Marín neighborhood in the parish of San Agustín del Sur in Caracas were decisive.

It was living my adolescence in the ’70s, wrapped in the confluence of uses, customs, traditions and a whole diversity of socio-cultural practices inherent to the daily life of the neighborhood all culminating in shaping my tastes, my preferences, my interests, my way of being, of saying and acting. How to escape, for example, from the practice of a neighbor located at the top of the neighborhood who habitually listened to salsa amplifying it for the whole community; to coexist with the Saturday rehearsals of Frank y su Tribu and Mon Carrillo and his sextet or the almost daily practices of Alfredo Padilla studying his timbal on the balcony of his house, or Pedro García “Guapachá teaching the youngsters his tumbadora techniques; or waiting every year end for the street descargas; dancing in the parties and temples enjoying the song “Rómpelo de los Dementes, “Guasancó” by Sexteto Juventud or “Pao Pao” by Federico y su Combo Latino; listening to the salsa hour with Phidias Danilo Escalona was a must at lunchtime, and at night “Quiebre de Quinto” with Cesar Miguel Rondón.

Obviously, what I have said in this account is nothing more than a brief synopsis of how much influence I may have received, but when added together they give as a result of the support of my expansion through a cultural world that was seasoned by pop music and the expressions of the hippie movement during the 70s.

I continued my formal education studying Psychology at the Central University of Venezuela, simultaneously I studied Theory and Solfeggio with Professor Eduardo Serrano and then at the José Lorenzo LLamozas School, another part of my time was dedicated to studying Traditional Dances at the National Institute of Folklore.

In 1977, a group of musicians and young people from the Marín neighborhood promoted the creation of the Madera Group, through which we were able to channel all those concerns experienced in everyday life.

Maintaining the activity with the group, I got involved with Choral Singing at the Vinicio Adames Foundation. At the Bigott Foundation, I studied percussion with Professor Alexander Livinalli and popular singing with Professor Francisco Salazar.

I was a member of the group “Afroamérica” formed by Jesus Chucho Garcia, Miguel Urbina, Benigno Medina, Orlando Poleo Johnny Rudas and Faride Mijares. Since 1988 I dedicated myself to the production of Didactic Encounters of percussionist musicians teaming up with Jesús “Totoño” Blanco (R.I.P) and José Agapito Hernández.

In 1993 I was chorister of Marianella y su Orquesta. I was part of the Editorial Board and at the same time an article writer of the magazine “Así Somos”, a publication of the Ministry of Culture.

Pending not to neglect my academic interests, I dedicated myself to pursuing a Doctorate in Education at the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello.

Moving on to another facet, I had participated as an actress in the film “Pelo malo” by Mariana Rondón (grandmother Carmen) obtaining the award for a best supporting actress at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York (2014), in the Venezuelan Film Festival-Cinelco (2014) and the Municipal Film Award (2015), then I participated in the video clip of “De tú a tú” of Lasso’s promotional album in 2014.

Awarded as “Honorary Teacher” of the National University of the Arts (Unearte), in recognition of the cultural work developed.

Facebook: Nelly Josefina Ramos Tovar

Article of Interest: Professor MSc. Carlos Colmenárez and his “WRITTEN SALSA”