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Search Results for: Puerto Rico

Goodbye to José Antonio Abreu, the most beloved Master – Part 2

Latin America / Venezuela / Caracas

José Antonio Abreu. The Venezuelan musical miracle

BY ANA ROSA MASSIEU

The pedagogical plan of El Sistema contemplated, since 1980, approximately, the foundation of exemplary pedagogical structures and models as scenarios for the training and improvement of musicians. As the demand for children entering El Sistema and its nuclei has grown, projects for the construction of new educational centers are on the rise.

José Antonio Abreu - On the European stage
José Antonio Abreu – On the European stage

Among them, the Simón Bolívar Conservatory, the Montalbán Children’s Academic Center, the Center for Social Action for Music, the Academic Center for Luteria and the twelve Latin American Academies for the instruments of Violin, Viola, Cello, Flute, Horn, Contrabass, Clarinet , Classical Harp, Trumpet, Oboe, Bassoon and Trombone.

http://www.musicabancaribe.com/Publicaciones /Libro_digital/VenezuelaEnElCielo/info/capitulo6 /i/index.php#prev

The Simon Bolivar Conservatory

The Simón Bolívar Conservatory offers training of the highest pedagogical and artistic rank to the ever-increasing number of students, with a very complete curriculum of studies in which orchestral practice accounts for approximately 70%. The title of Performing Musician is awarded, an important endorsement that allows graduates to continue higher studies at universities.

“…the Simón Bolívar Conservatory has emerged as the head and model of a network of conservatories already established in Yaracuy, Carabobo, Aragua, Guárico and Ciudad Bolívar. However, I am excited and pleased with the new challenge we are facing: broadening the musical and artistic horizon of that large contingent of students that El Sistema has and of those who will join in the future.

These are the new contents: the Venezuelan Popular Music Teaching Program, in all its aspects, including that of Afro-Venezuelan roots; the Urban Music Program; the Jazz Program, which is already in progress with our Simón Bolívar Big Band Jazz Symphony and the Latin and Caribbean Music Program, which especially includes the salsa genre.

Cambiando Vidas - flyers
Cambiando Vidas – flyers

This is already underway with the creation of more than 15 pilot nuclei and the formation of a body of teachers specialized in these genres. The idea is that these programs capture and channel the talent of many musicians and students who have greater virtues for these musical currents, always pursuing and achieving the same level of excellence as those who perform symphonic music in our orchestras”.

Valdemar Rodriguez. Taken from the interview with Valdemar Rodríguez, clarinetist, Director of the CSB, creator of the Latin American Clarinet Academy, among other titles and positions, by Chefi Borzhacchini in the digital book Venezuela en el Cielo de Los Escenarios. Caribbean Bank, 2010

Latinocaribe2014-02-03
Latinocaribe2014-02-03

http://www.musicabancaribe.com/Publicacio nes/Libro_digital/VenezuelaEnElCielo/info/c apitulo6/ii/

Diversification of teaching, orchestras and festivals

In the same way that teaching has been diversified, including different musical genres –popular, urban, jazz, Latin Caribbean, salsa– other orchestras have emerged dedicated to developing each of these genres, as well as festivals to promote them at the regional level.

These events, organized by El Sistema, revolve around an artist, musician, composer, instrument, or arise for the meeting between musical talents from various regions, local or international.

Among them are the FIP-Llanos International Percussion Festivals, the Spain Venezuela Festival, the Festival of New Venezuelan Clarinetists, the Chamber Music Festival (in Mérida and Caracas), the International Flute Festival, the International Bassoon Festival, and the International Clarinet Festival. , International Oboe Festival, Young Virtuosos Festival, Youth Festival, Young Directors Festival and Latin American Music Festival, among others.

Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela

The Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela (OSSBV) was founded by maestro José Antonio Abreu and is currently the apex ensemble of the National System of Youth and Children’s Orchestras and Choirs of Venezuela.

Concert directed by Dudamel 40th anniversary Feb 2015
Concert directed by Dudamel 40th anniversary Feb 2015

Under the musical direction of maestro Gustavo Dudamel, its 180 young musicians, whose ages range between 18 and 28 years old, named Ambassadors of Peace by UNESCO, have been trained in the Orchestral Academic Program of the Simón Bolívar Musical Foundation, through the which have received master classes with outstanding world-class teachers and soloists, including teachers from the Berlin Philharmonic, the Sibelius Academy in Finland, the Bach Academy in Stuttgart and the New England Conservatory in Boston.

His performances with internationally renowned directors include Simon Rattle, Claudio Abbado, Daniel Baremboim, Krzysztof Penderecki, Essa Pekka-Salonen, and Lorin Maazel, among many others.

Other Orchestras

  • Simón Bolívar Afro-Venezuelan Orchestra
  • Simón Bolívar Youth Baroque Orchestra
  • Youth Orchestra of Caracas
  • Youth and Children’s Orchestra Alma Llanera of Guárico State
  • Simón Bolívar Latin Caribbean Orchestra
  • National Flute Orchestra of Venezuela
  • National Children’s Orchestra of Venezuela
  • Simón Bolívar Symphonic Rock Orchestra
  • Francisco de Miranda Youth Symphony Orchestra
  • Carabobo Youth Symphony Orchestra
  • Prison Symphony Orchestras
  • Teresa Carreño Youth Symphony of Venezuela

Bands

  • Youth Symphonic Band
  • Simon Bolivar Simon Bolivar Big-Band Jazz

Assemblies

  • Assembly 7/4
  • Carabobo Metal Assembly
  • Metal Ensemble of Venezuela

Chamber Groups

  • Simón Bolívar String Quartet
  • Liberators Quartet
  • Teresa Carreño Quartet
  • Yaracuy Quartet

Choirs

Choir of White Hands Simón Bolívar National Youth Choir of Venezuela Network of Prison Orchestras and Choirs

More information at: http://fundamusical.org.ve/agrupaciones/

The system in the world

The philosophy and methodology of El Sistema has had an almost magical ability to inspire artists, educators, and social activists across the globe, as Tricia Tunstall puts it in her book Changing Lives…

Play, sing and fight
Play, sing and fight

“its guiding principles—the orchestra as school of civility and the passage from a vision centered on music to a humanistic vision of social change through music” have been taken as a model to follow and El Sistema has been implemented or adapted in more than 66 countries in which five continents Programs inspired by El Sistema have emerged in:

  • AMERICA: Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, United States, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Republic Dominican Republic, Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay.
  • AFRICA: Angola, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda.
  • EUROPE: Germany, Armenia, Austria, Bosnia, Croatia, Denmark, Scotland, Slovakia, Spain, Finland, France, Wales, Greenland, England, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Luzembourg, Norway, Netherlands, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania , Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey.
  • ASIA: Afghanistan, Japan, South Korea, Philippines, India, Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore.
  • OCEANIA: Australia, New Zealand. More than 66 countries on five continents.
Venezuela Sembrada de orquestas Coros Cortesía FundaMusical
Venezuela Sembrada de orquestas Coros Cortesía FundaMusical

More information can be found at:

http://www.elsistemausa.org/el-sistemaaround-the-world.htm http://sistemaglobal.org/ http://www.sistemaeurope.org/ http://fundamusical.org.ve/category/elsistema/el-sistema-en-el-mundo

Latin America / November 2024

Mulatu Astatke is the first African to earn a PhD from Berklee College of MusicGabriela Anders was born in music with the paradox and tradition of ArgentinaThe world's sonero returns to dance with the bass, this time from the Coca Cola Music Hall in Puerto RicoSessions from La Loma brings together salsa fans from all over the world in Puerto RicoCalibrated maracas

DIRECTORY OF NIGHTCLUBS

Argentina flag
ARGENTINA

Aruba circular flag
ARUBA

Belize circular flag
BELIZE

Bolivia circular flag
BOLIVIA

Brazil flag
BRAZIL

Chile circular flag
CHILE

Colombia
COLOMBIA

Costa Rica circular flag
COSTA RICA

Cuba circular flag
CUBA

Dominican Republic
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Ecuador circular flag
ECUADOR

Guatenala circular flag
GUATEMALA

Mexico Circular flag
MEXICO

Panama circular flag
PANAMA

Peru circular flag
PERU

Puerto Rico circular flag
PUERTO RICO

Venezuela circular flag
VENEZUELA

Shine the Movie is coming to all US Theaters on August 24th

North America / USA / New York 

Hang out on August with the best Latin thematic movie on August 24th in all US Theater. Shine is a Latin American musical film that is framed in the drama genre with a very current content that will immerse you in the life of two young brothers, SALSA dancers with broad and recognized trajectories that after the death of their father years later, return to meet, each in a different city and in opposite poles of the gentifricación.

Shine - The Movie
Shine – The Movie

This musical with sound track based in the Golden Age of the Salsa Sound Bands and the Hottest Latin Urban Scene of the Moment has a leading cast mostly made up of famous dancers from Latin Music and Pop.

This movie that also narrates the cultural and political moment that we are currently crossing was shot in the Puerto Rican area of ​​New York, has its own musical themes due to an alliance with Fania Records and the Latin titans of Sony Music, Marc Anthony and Romeo Santos, “El Sabor” of New York hip-hop of the Puerto Rican rapper and winner of the Grammy Award Big Pun, and the rap duo The Beat Nuts.

Shine has been the Latin thematic film with the highest collection on Kickstarter and with this Latin musical its director Anthony Nardolillo sought to remind viewers of the power that exists when members of Latino communities in the US join.

Anthony Nardolillo
Anthony Nardolillo

“Its marketability on various platforms is the direct result of a team of passionate creators with a unifying message on a cultural level, and we are very proud to bring this film to the public”. Geno Taylor of GVN Releasing.

“Shine is a passionate, vibrant film with a current theme. It’s the perfect film for the launch of Forgiven Films, where we want to share unique voices and stories and bring quality entertainment to the less represented audience”. Steven Belmont, president of Forgiven Films.

In September 2017, the film won the Audience Award for “Best Film” at the Urbanworld Film Festival, sponsored by HBO and supported by Ava DuVernay. Tickets for this projection were sold out 48 hours in advanced setting a new record in the history of this festival.

“In 2017 Latin music and dance globally dominated record sales, streams and headlines in unprecedented numbers. There is no better time than now for a film like this”, said Brian O’Shea of The Exchange.

Director:

Anthony Nardolillo, director and also actor has produced several national and international projects related to Latin dance, such as the short film “Mano” acclaimed by the specialized critics.

Starring:

David Zayas

He was born on August 15th, 1962 in Ponce, Puerto Rico. He joined the United States Air Force, where he was able to acquire the experience to become a New York police officer, which served him for roles later. He is an actor of Cinema, Theater and Television recognized for his work on Skyline (2010), The Expendables (2010) and Dexter (2006) and the series “Gotham” by Warner Bros playing the mobster Salvatore Maroni.

David Zayas
David Zayas

Alysia Reiner

She is best known for her role as Natalie “Fig” Figueroa on the Netflix hit series Orange Is the New Black (2013), for which she won a Screen Actors Guild award as part of the ensemble cast. She also worked in the FX show Better Things (2016). Additionally she played District Attorney Wendy Parks on ABC’s How to Get Away with Murder (2014), Lilian Izikoff on Rosewood (2015) and Fiona in the TNT series Search Party (2016).

Reiner starred with Anna Gunn in Equity (2016) about the first female-driven Wall Street film, which she also produced. Other recent films include “School Spirits” and Whitney Cummings’ “The Female Brain”. She was recognized as an Intelligent Optimist in Ode Magazine and profiled by New York Women in Film and Television as a woman to watch.

Alysia Reiner
Alysia Reiner

Kimberli Flores

She is an actress, known for her work in important films, such as: 30 Beats (2012), Actors Anonymous (2017) and Bad Twin (2016).

Kimberly Flores
Kimberly Flores

Gilbert Saldivar

He is an actor and professional Mexican-American dancer, known worldwide for his works in blockbuster movies like: Dexter (2006), From Justin to Kelly (2003) and Magic Hour and for being the choreographer of great celebrities such as: Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, and Madonna.

Jorge Burgos

Better known as Jorge “Ataca” Burgos is an acclaimed bachata instructor who debuts as an actor in Shine.

Jorge Burgos
Jorge Burgos

Music by Eduardo Reyes Napoles.

Premier: August 24th.

 “Los bailes latinos continúan creciendo en popularidad cada año y los vemos en algunos de los mejores programas televisivos. El mensaje sobre el orgullo que debemos sentir por nuestra comunidad y herencia no podía resultar más urgente y de actualidad. SHINE fusiona estos elementos con un set ardiente y excitante, con una banda sonora interpretada por estrellas musicales latinas, todo ello entrelazado con una poderosa narrativa. Esta película está narrada con nuestra propia voz, por un reparto donde los intérpretes poseen talentos brutos muy diversos que no han tenido cabida en las películas de Hollywood – hasta ahora”. Anthony Nardolillo.

Shine The Movie scene 1
Shine The Movie scene 1

For more information about SHINE the Movie, please visit

www.shinethemovie.nyc or like them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/shinefilm

Vídeo (Trailer): https://youtu.be/9EUs0eh_js8

Shine The Movie scene 2
Shine The Movie scene 2

Edgardo ‘‘El Bambino’’ and his extensive and interesting musical career

Edgardo ”El Bambino” Otero Lugo is the one to whom we want to dedicate some of the lines of this edition in International Salsa Magazine. The talented Puerto Rican vocalist has given us a few minutes of his time to talk exclusively about his beginnings, his career and other unpublished details that are not read in other media.   

dgardo ‘’El Bambino’’
This is Puerto Rican singer Edgardo ”El Bambino” Otero Lugo

Edgardo’s childhood and music   

As Edgardo’s childhood took place in his hometown of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, the artist recalls that he would sit on the balcony of his house and play with buckets and sticks to pretend to play music. His mother, fed up with the noise he made, decided to enroll him in the school choir so that he could explore his curiosity about music in a more professional way. That was when he was in the fifth grade of the elementary school.   

As the years went by, the boy’s love for music just kept growing, until he got his first big opportunity thanks to singer-songwriter Edwin Crespo, who had already written for famous groups such as La Sonora Ponceña at the time. Back then, Edgardo was only 14 or 15 years old, so he still needed a lot of guidance on these issues, so maestro Crespo was the ideal person for that. 

It just so happenes that Pedro Crespo, Edwin’s father, was the founder of his own orchestra and grandfather of some of Edgardo’s cousins. Since they all lived nearby, Edwin heard him singing one day and liked his voice, so he offered to teach him how to sing professionally and invited him to join his Orquesta Ética, which is where it all began.   

By being part of the Orquesta Ética, Edwin decided to spend two or three days a week explaining to Edgardo what to do and how to do it so that everything would go wonderfully for the young vocalist, and that is exactly what happened. So much so that Edgardo spent about three years singing for the group, in which he claims to have learned much of what he knows today.   

Edgardo ‘’El Bambino’’ next to Frankie
Edgardo ”El Bambino” next to ”El Sonero del Barrio” Frankie Vazquez

The Rukanos   

After having left Orquesta La Ética, Edgardo was also part of Orquesta Los Rukanos, which was much bigger, had more instruments and more musicians. Therefore, it represented a bigger and more complex challenge. 

In 1981, he was invited to join the group by a Guyanese friend and colleague named Ferniand Pudia, who asked Edgardo to join him in a musical project he was working on, which he would name Los Rukanos, paying homage to the term used to refer to peasants and working class men in the South American country.    

Alongside with this orchestra, of which Edgardo was also one of the founders, he managed to perform in completely new stages and to follow his path in the learning of this complex and rich world that is music.   

Conjunto Quisqueya   

During a concert in his hometown, the members of Conjunto Quisqueya heard Edgardo singing and liked his voice so much that they invited him to play with them in a project for Nelson García, who at that time was the second trumpet of the orchestra.   

Having accepted the offer, the group recorded a whole LP called ”Nelson García y Merengue ’86”, which was a very nice experience for Edgardo since he had never had the opportunity to record in a studio before and finally he was able to do so. And it was not just any studio, but one of the most important in Puerto Rico, which was Tele-Sound Recording Studios.   

”Playing with the members of Conjunto Quisqueya was a spectacular experience. Their musicians are wonderful human beings with whom I still have very strong friendship bonds” said Edgardo about his experience in the ensemble.   

Edgardo ‘’El Bambino’’ in the army
Edgardo ”El Bambino” singing during his time in the army

Orquesta La Nueva Época de Ángel Rivera 

There were some years that merengue was gaining a lot of popularity in Puerto Rico, so the artists and groups of the moment had to adapt to fulfill the musical taste of the audience. Such was the case of saxophonist Angel Rivera, also originally from Vega Baja, who created an orchestra and invited several musicians to play with him, including Edgardo.    

The result was good acceptance from the public to the extent that the orchestra participated in competitions and won some awards thanks to the work done.    

This was very useful for Edgardo’s career, since he succeeded in diversifying his rhythms and learning to play new things and genres, which made him acquire a lot of knowledge. Until such time as he played with Conjunto Quisqueya, he had only done salsa, so trying merengue was really enriching for the musician.   

Service time in the army   

Edgardo was in the Puerto Rico National Guard for about 24 years in total and he remembers a time when he was mobilized to the Iraq War in 2006, the year in which he met Edwin ”El Calvito” Reyes, who was part of the 3rd Infantry. El Calvito” had a group whose lead singer could not speak Spanish, so he learned the lyrics phonetically in order to perform them.   

The chemistry between all the members was so great that they even played a few times at the U.S. base in Baghdad, where he stayed until 2008. It was then that he returned to Puerto Rico to adapt gradually to civilian life again, during which time he met Raphy Santana and joined his Tribute Orchestra, which made music to pay homage to maestro Héctor Lavoe.   

Permanent move to the United States   

In 2019, both Edgardo and his wife were retired from their jobs, so they thought it was a good time for a change of scenery, as they felt that nothing interesting was going on musically. This led them to move to the United States to settle permanently there, although he continued to travel to Puerto Rico to meet some commitments with La Corporación Latina, of which he was still part at that time. 

Read also: Momotombo SF with former members of Malo and Santana 

Ronald Borjas is a Venezuelan singer, musician and composer

Ronald Borjas is currently considered one of the greatest exponents of salsa in Venezuela with an international projection that grows every year.

He is a Venezuelan singer, musician and composer, born in Maracaibo, the capital of the state of Zulia, on November 19, 1981.

Ronald Borjas is a Venezuelan singer, musician and composer
Ronald Borjas is a Venezuelan singer, musician and composer

At the age of 10, his love for the timbal was born, a few years later, at the age of 14, he began singing as a soloist in the Bochinche Orchestra. Throughout his adolescence he stood out as a soloist in bands such as: Caribe, Asterisco, VHG and Bacanos.

He completed higher education at the Cecilio Acosta University (UNICA) where he obtained the degree of Bachelor of Music – Musical Education in 2002. In the same year he went on stage with the Venezuelan Super Band GUACO, where he debuted as a soloist and composer with the song “Te vas” from the album “El Sonido de Venezuela”.

Not only did he develop as a composer, Ronald also plays other percussion instruments such as the bass, the guitar and also the trumpet.

After 11 years as one of the main voices of Guaco, in 2014, Ronald decided to take another path and that is when the great project of his life began, developing his career as a soloist in genres such as Salsa, Bachata and Pop.

Ronald debuted as a soloist with the song “Te Doy Mi Voz” dedicated to his fans, with which he received the nomination for the Latin Grammy for “Best Tropical Song”. That same year, his musical godfather, Salsa legend Oscar D´ León invited him to his show at Madison Square Garden in New York, where he introduced him to thousands of people and baptized him as his “godson”.

That same year, he released “Te Encuentraré” a song that reached #1 on the Venezuelan radio charts Record Report and its video clip, filmed in New York, managed to enter the ranking of the most viewed videos on the HTV channel.

In 2015 he began his musical expansion to other borders, achieving success in countries such as Ecuador and Colombia where his third single titled “Dame Tu Amor” was positioned in the first places of the radio stations as well as in his native Venezuela, while in Peru, it was named the “tropical song of the summer”.

Ronald Borjas is currently considered one of the greatest exponents of salsa in Venezuela with an international projection.
Ronald Borjas is currently considered one of the greatest exponents of salsa in Venezuela with an international projection.

At the end of that year he officially released his first album “Da Capo” with an event that brought together in Caracas, Venezuela a hundred figures of the national show, as well as the press, radio and TV of the country in an unprecedented event. This release in its first weeks, managed to accumulate more than 10,000 digital downloads on his official website www.ronaldborjas.com.

“Da Capo” had valuable collaborations and a first featuring with his godfather Oscar D´León, with whom he recorded “La Quiero Para Mi”. In addition, this album has songs by Amaury Gutierrez, Robert Vilera and his uncle Neguito Borjas, among others.

In 2016 he began releasing his song “Cántalo” which quickly became an anthem of joy and managed to position itself in the first place on Venezuelan radio. That year he won several national awards of great importance such as “Mara de Oro Internacional”, “Cacique De Oro”, Explosión Creativa and Supremacy, all of which recognized him as the “Salsa Singer of the Year”.

That same year he signed a contract with Sony Music as an artist from the Andean Region and embarked on his first international concert tour entitled “Da Capo tour” with which he visited Aruba, Panama and several cities in the United States.

In 2018, he released “Loco por Volverte a Ver” a song he wrote with Nacho Mendoza, Cáceres and Sharo Torres. He also made his second featuring with the “Caballero de la Salsa” Gilberto Santarosa with whom he released “Ellas te van lleva” the first collaboration with an international artist that also managed to position itself as number one on the radio charts.

Ronald Borjas is currently considered one of the greatest exponents of salsa in Venezuela
Ronald Borjas is currently considered one of the greatest exponents of salsa in Venezuela

Shortly after, in 2019, he received a double nomination for “Album of the Year” with the song “Lo que pase aquí” as one of the songs on Tonny Succar’s album titled “Más de Mi” and “Salsa of the Year” with the song “No Queda Nada”. In addition to the collaboration he did with “Quintero´s Salsa Proyect” which was nominated for “Salsa Album of the Year”.

Also in 2019 he released his second album entitled “Bailamos Otra Vez” where he recorded songs of his own, as well as those of Servando Primera, Oscarcito and Amaury Gutiérrez. From this album come hits such as “Amor Demente” “Estoy Dispuesto” “Tu y Yo Tenemos” “Te Quiero para Mi” among others.

Shortly after he announced his collaboration with another former Guaco partner, Nelson Arrieta with whom he released the song “Sobran Los Momentos” which also gives name to the tour they would do together where they traveled through countries such as Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Colombia, Spain, Peru, Panama and the United States achieving great acceptance by the public.

He started the year 2020 with several collaborative releases. “Para Ustedes” from the album origenes where he participated as a guest and achieved #1 on the radio in Venezuela, then he released the song “Juegos Eróticos” with Victor Muñoz and promoted it in his country with great acceptance.

The “pandemic” stage begins and confinement did not stop him. In March he releases the version of the song “María Antonia” by the Venezuelan singer Gualberto Ibarreto, in April he releases “Aunque Parezca Extraño” with Manuel Petit who invites him to this collaboration. In May, together with his uncle Neguito Borjas, Jorge Luis Chacín and Nelson Arrieta they join in a project entitled “Los Mágicos”. In June “Ahora Me Llama” comes out, a song he had recorded for Rumberos del Callejón.

As if that were not enough, in July he records an intimate concert where he invites Victor Muñoz, his uncle Neguito Borjas and Nelson Arrieta to release it as a gift to his fans through his YouTube channel.

He closes the last months of 2020 with the song “Mía” written by Ronald and Salvador Solano that became the anthem of the ´Zumba´ reaching several places in the world. After this, he released one of his songs, “Ya Lo Decidí,” with which he again achieved first place on the radio and was accepted by the entire public.

He started 2021 as a special guest at Gilberto Santarosa’s concert at the Filmore Theater in Miami, where they performed the song “Ellas Te Van Llevando” together. Months later, he released the song he recorded as a duet with José Alberto “El Canario” entitled “A Mi Me Gusta” which quickly managed to position itself on the main playlists of digital platforms in the world. He closed that year with the song “Dime Cómo Hago” which he recorded with Nelson Arrieta and Oscarcito, a salsa that took over the public’s taste and today is one of the most chanted in his concerts.

2022 started with another important collaboration with Motiff, a song titled “Me Descontrola” which quickly entered the top spots on radio billboards and digital platform listings, and was also the song chosen by the renowned company Zumba to use as the official song at its world events.

In 2022, he also launched a very ambitious musical project that he carried out with his friends and fellow countrymen Adelmo Gauna and Nando De La Gente called “Los Pikis” with which they released a series of videos where they compiled erotic salsa hits from the 80s and 90s. Such was the success that in just two months they achieved more than a million views on YouTube.

In May 2022, the live concert titled “Sobran Los Momentos” premieres where Nelson Arrieta and Ronald Borjas invite the founder and lead voice of Guaco, Gustavo Aguado, and together perform several of the hits of the Venezuelan super band, such as “Vivo” “Pídeme” “Eres Más” and “Lo Eres Todo”. Oscarcito was also there performing his hit “Si Tu Me Besas” and the one he has with Arrieta and Borjas “Dime Cómo Hago”. All this incredible material can be enjoyed on the official YouTube channel of Ronald Borjas and Nelson Arrieta.

To close the year, he released the song “Se prende el Parampampan” with his musical friend, Acosta, a fun salsa that unites their musical styles, which together with a video recorded in Puerto Rico, managed to enter the public’s taste, turning this song into an anthem for Venezuelan parties. For his part, Ronald Borjas released a solo single titled “Los Vecinos” which is accompanied by a humorous video directed by Alex Galán.

2023 began for Ronald Borjas with his third featuring with an international artist, this time with the Puerto Rican legend, Tito Nieves. A romantic salsa titled “Te Busqué” that was accompanied by a video where the two singers can be seen in a performance and story. The video currently has more than half a million views on Ronald’s official YouTube channel.

Ronald Borjas
Ronald Borjas

Months later, Ronald reunited with his cousin Luis Fernando Borjas and recorded the song “Cuestión de Tiempo”, which was widely accepted by the public, surpassing two and a half million views of the video and positioned itself as one of the most listened to songs by “Lo Borjas” on digital platforms. This name gave rise to a joint tour with which they have traveled to the main cities of Venezuela, achieving sold out in each one of them.

He closed the year with a great concert “Live in Miami” where he reunited several of his musical colleagues and friends, such as Oscarcito, Victor Muñoz, Motiff, Los Pikis and for the first time since their separation, Toto and Beet from the group Caibo joined together with Ronald, performing the hits “La Despedida” and “La Promesa”. This great reunion of artists can be found on Borjas’ YouTube channel and has also surpassed more than 600,000 views in less than a year.

2024 began with his fourth song in a duet with an international artist, this time with the Nicaraguan, “the prince of salsa” Luis Enrique with whom he recorded “Y Si Mañana”. A great launch was made through the media in Venezuela and it has been a song that quickly became the favorite of the public of both singers and in a few weeks it was positioned in the main salsa lists on Spotify.

After this success, Ronald begins his “Tour LATAM 2024” through Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Panama and Uruguay, countries where he managed to sell out all his performances and reunite with his public after several years. The success of this tour will soon take him to Europe where he will be performing several shows in Spain and other countries that have not yet been announced.

Also Read: Tribute to Johnny “Dandy” Rodríguez Jr. His first recording was professionally with Tito Puente in 1964 and was titled “Exciting Rhythm of Tito Puente”

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International Salsa Magazine (ISM) is a monthly publication about Salsa activities around the world, that has been publishing since 2007. It is a world network of volunteers coordinated by ISM Magazine. We are working to strengthen all the events by working together.