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New album by Spanish Harlem Orchestra

The three-time Grammy winner Spanish Harlem Orchestra has an undeniable impact on the perception of the public towards music in general and this is no coincidence, as the work done its members has an unsurpassed quality.

These salsa veterans have always been characterized by looking for a raw and organic sound based on the past, something that does not prevent them from being focused on the future. On each album, they are very conscious that their main goal is to keep good music alive.

Spanish Harlem Orchestra members

How this started

Once again, the salsa orchestra shows what they are really made of in their new album Imágenes Latinas, which will surely be a hit with the band’s fans. The record label in charge of releasing this recording is Ovation Records, whose owner is Oscar Hernández, pianist, composer and founder of SHO.

It is very interesting to note that Imágenes Latinas is the result of a funding model driven by the group’s fans in exchange an advance copy of the album and even a type of executive producer credit. The release show took place on May 20 at DROM, New York. There are multiple images from the show on the group’s official social media accounts, whose members thanked those present for their support.

Oscar Hernández commented that his mission and vision is to represent the history and legacy of this music, of which he feels very lucky to be part of. He also pointed out that his commitment to the music will never end and that the group explores new dimensions without deviating from its core belief. What Hernández means is that the concept and sounds are the same, but the arrangements and shows always seek to innovate one way or another.

The new album by Spanish Harlem Orchestra Imágenes Latinas

Inspiration

The title is inspired by group Conjunto Libre, which has always been one of the main souces of inspiration for SHO. The song Imágenes Latinas was one of Conjunto Libre’s most important pieces throughout their career and talked about the evolution of the Latin American diaspora in history. SHO seeks to give a touch of modernity to the song and introduce some contemporary arrangements while respecting its original essence.

A noteworthy aspect of Imágenes Latinas is that the group travels through various moods and styles, showing the vast experience of all its musicians in each piece. A great example of this is Mi Amor Sincero, which starts with the typical sounds of the bolero until becoming a joyful cha-cha that surprises anyone who will listen. These sorts of transitions from one style to the other can be found throughout the work and its brilliant interpretations.

The album is a true reflection of SHO’s career, which is still seen as one of the leading salsa ensembles even after all these years. The quality of their work has not decreased in the least, quite the opposite. Its members continue to risk breaking ground and experiment with the novelty of music without losing focus of who they are.

Spanish Harlem Orchestra performing on stage

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.  

Mayagüez, is one of the 78 municipalities into which the Island of Enchantment is politically divided: Puerto Rico.

It is the eighth in size and located at the western and central end of the island. Its name comes from a Taino voice that means according to the official historian of this town – Don Federico Cedó Alzamora, “Lugar Grande De Aguas”.

It was founded by the Spaniards and history records a September 18, 1760 with the name of “Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria”, in the territory already occupied by a rural population that was called “Sitio de Mayagüez”. The city has also been known as “Ciudad de Dios”, “La Atenas de Puerto Rico”, “La Sultana del Oeste”, “La Ciudad de las Aguas Puras”, “Capital de la Hospitalidad”, among other names.

Giovanni (Yova) Rodríguez Ruiz was born in Mayagüez, being the youngest of six siblings, raised alone by his mother Doña Delia Ruiz Crespo. At the age of 7 years old, he began singing Christmas aguinaldos and was influenced by his maternal uncle José Ruiz Crespo ¨Pipo El Indio¨ and his great uncle Antonio ¨Toño Ruiz¨ who played the Puerto Rican cuatro. At the age of fifteen he began his studies at the Ernesto Ramos Antonini Music School in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

It is here that he began his singing and percussion career and at the age of 16 he became the singer of the school’s band. In 2004 he began the project ¨Yova Rodríguez & his ensemble Sakao – Akà, Homenaje a Polo Montañez¨.

Since the release of his musical work Yova Rodríguez conjunto Sakao – Akà has become one of the most sought after ensembles in Puerto Rico, Colombia, Venezuela and New York, since 2010 resides in the Big Apple, La Babel de Hierro N.Y, working in musical composition for singers of the stature, Danny Rivera, Herman Olivera, Marcial Isturiz, Orquesta Boricua Legends, and the great Andy Montañez among others and to mention a few and traveling through several Latin American countries with most of the artists already mentioned.

In 2016 he starts with his promotional song ¨Me Quedaré¨ with arrangements by trumpeter Nelson Jaime Gazu, a song dedicated to the thousands of Boricuas who have left their beloved Puerto Rico. In 2017 he composed the song ¨Mi Barrio¨ dedicated to his native neighborhood and was presented in Mayagüez, at the same time the Mayor José Guillermo Rodríguez gave him the keys of the city and a recognition, in the same year he composed the song ¨Borinquén se Levanta¨ with the participation of great luminaries of Salsa in New York such as El Pulpo Colon, Jhon Benítez, Luis Mangual, José Dávila among others and by the hand of the Cuban trumpeter and arranger Agustín Someillan Garcia, in January 2018 is presented in Medellín-Colombia in the outstanding local Son-Habana, returns to New York and composes the theme Medellín, is presented last June 23 with a resounding total success in the event a day of Salsa for Medellín.

Yova Rodriguez himself informs me that he is already preparing his fourth album with pianist and arranger Arturo Ortiz. And at the same time he belongs to the board of directors of the Galería de La Salsa in Spanish Harlem in New York.

Other themes that social networks have been responsible for spreading recently will see the light in the next production of Yova Rodriguez, the same that will be titled YOVA RODRIGUEZ ENTRE LOS PUEBLOS and will be part of this production the recent theme composed to the First Peruvian Port: El Callao; highlighting here the fact that Yova has never set foot in our territory but that has not been an impediment for his pen to recreate scenarios: neighborhoods, corners and, mainly, its people. As he says in his lyric “…he who knows about salsa, knows that it is enchanting there in the Chimpún Callao…”

We come to the final part of this biographical sketch, thanking Yova Rodriguez for his kindness in sharing with this server the data and images that accompany this publication.

We wanted to honor the musician, singer and composer, but without leaving aside the tremendous human being that our guest embodies, both as a son and brother, as a fellow professional musician and, especially, as a family man.

A facet that is hidden behind the public man (singer-songwriter) but that impresses greatly in Yova’s pen: first, when sharing a message in each of his lyrics; second, his constant attempts to honor his children Ariana and Kerby on a daily basis, taking as a guideline that old adage that says: “You preach by example”; finally his constant struggle to shorten the physical distances between them, something that surely his Muse manages to do.

For the year 2022 from the pen of the composer Yova is still in force.