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“Tell me your name in leather, Little Johnny, Little Johnny” Hard Strike.

Conguero, percussionist, producer, composer, and conductor, Little Johnny Rivero has performed throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and the South Pacific.

Born in New York City to Puerto Rican parents, Rivero was attracted to Latin jazz and the sounds and rhythms of the New York area rumberos as a child.

At age 10, Johnny began practicing percussion and joined his school band.

Shortly thereafter, he took dance lessons, which eventually led him to stage performances with the bands of the time at such famous venues as the Manhattan Center, Colgate Garden, Copacabana, and the Palladium.

At age 14, Rivero joined Orquesta Colón, the youngest Latin band in New York City, and recorded two albums with them.

Shortly thereafter, he took dance classes, which eventually led him to perform on stage with the bands of the time in such famous venues as the Manhattan Center, Colgate Garden, Copacabana, and the Palladium.

In 1973, Rivero moved to Puerto Rico with his parents and joined Sonora Ponceña in 1974.

After playing bongos with them for a year and a half, he switched to congas, which rekindled the love he had for the instrument as a child.

Rivero attributes the rhythms and professional direction he learned from Quique Lucca and his son, Papo Lucca, as qualities that have made him what he is today.

During the 16 years that Rivero played with La Sonora Ponceña, he traveled all over the world and made 18 highly respected albums with them.

Rivero has recorded with producers such as Eddie Palmieri, Brian Lynch, and Dr. Lonnie Smith.

In May 1997, Rivero shared the stage with his inspiration and idol, José Mangual. Rivero’s credits also include work with Charlie Palmieri, Dave Valentín, Rubén Blades, Cheo Feliciano, Andy Montanez, Ismael Miranda, Celia Cruz, Giovanni Hidalgo, Ray Barretto, Patato Valdez, Changito, Tata Guines, John Santos, Sergio George, Bebo Valdes, Paquito D’Rivera, Tito Puente, and many other artists.

Rivero’s first solo effort, “Pasos Gigantes,” was well-received by critics and music fans.

He wrote and produced all the songs on that CD, showing off his skills as an arranger and musician.

He is currently working on his next CD, “Music in Me”, his first Latin Jazz album, which will include musicians, Brian Lynch on trumpet, Zaccai Curtis on piano and keyboards, Luques Curtis on bass, Louis Founche on saxophone, Andrei Matorin on violin, Ludwig Alfonso on drums, and Anthony Carrillo on bongo and bata drums.

Currently, Rivero is traveling internationally with Grammy Award winner Eddie Palmieri.

He also continues to record in-studio sessions and perform with many of the most respected acts in Latin music, including his own band.

Legendary conguero, percussionist, producer, composer and bandleader Little Johnny Rivero is proud to present his latest album, Golpe Duro, with Anthony Almonte.

From New York and after moving to Puerto Rico, he spent sixteen years with the Sonora Ponceña band and recorded eighteen highly respected albums.

He has played with many of the biggest and most respected names in Latin music, including nine-time Grammy Award winner Eddie Palmieri.

During that same time, Little Johnny formed his salsa band and his Latin jazz band and continued to teach percussion at Kennedy High School in the Bronx, NY. It was there that Anthony Almonte, a high school student at the time, would become one of his music students.

Little Johnny has always had a passion for writing music and over the course of four years since his last album, he was inspired to write once again. He set out to create a danceable album that would highlight the roots of Son Montuno, Guaracha Mambo, and Latin jazz.

The only thing missing was a singer. In a rehearsal, his friend and colleague Jeffery Lopez mentioned that there was a talented “new guy” on the block. He came down, and here he was, Anthony Almonte from Kennedy HS. As they say “the rest is history” and the result of their collaboration is Little Johnny’s latest album, Golpe Duro.

Website: Little Johnny Rivero

Article of Interest: Eddie Palmieri: A Memorable Career

He is a traditional and important figure in Latin music.

Pianist, Multi-Instrumentalist, Arranger, Composer, Producer and Musical Director Lawrence Ira Khan “Larry Harlow el Judío Maravilloso” was born on March 20, 1939, in Brooklyn, New York, USA.

He traveled to Cuba in the ’50s, at which time he established his residence and began to study Afro-Cuban music. After gaining experience, he returned to New York to develop his own style and created his group “The Harlow Orchestra”.

Later, he participated in “The Fania All Stars”. During his years with Fania, Harlow recorded 35 albums as the leader of his own orchestra and another 20 as a member of Fania.

He also produced more than 200 recordings for other artists, created and composed the first salsa opera, “Hommy”, which he orchestrated, directed and performed in New York and Puerto Rico.

Harlow stays active on international tours as well as in the main cities of the United States. In the present day, in addition to playing with his band, Harlow records and directs videos for standout artists from the United States and Europe.

Larry Harlow, a salsa composer.

The Latin music iconic pianist’s career in 10 recordings that marked an era and the history.

Heavy Smokin’ (1966)

In 1964, future salsa impresario Jerry Masucci went to the Chez José club to go dancing with his girlfriend in Manhattan. Impressed with the orchestra playing, Masucci approached its leader, a young pianist of Jewish origin named Larry Harlow, and offered him a record contract. Harlow would be the first artist signed by the newly-opened label of Fania Records. Recorded with Cuban singer Felo Brito, this first LP includes “La juventud”, as well as “Chez José”, which was a tribute to the club where it all started.

Presenta a Ismael Miranda (1969)

In the late 1960s, Harlow found the singer who would bring his group to the aristocracy of salsa: a young Puerto Rican boy named Ismael Miranda. Although their personalities are completely different, Harlow and Miranda record a series of explosive LPs with Afro-Cuban rhythms. This is their second collaboration and features some boogaloo songs, which was the fashion of the moment. The bassist is Bobby Valentin, who contributes three songs, including the lethal swing of “La Contraria”.

Abran Paso! (1971)

While collaborating with the legendary Fania All Stars as a keyboard player, Harlow feverishly records, taking advantage of the explosion of salsa as a cultural phenomenon. His trombone and trumpet sound reaches a paroxysm of flavor on Abran paso!, anchored in such wonderful compositions made by Ismael Miranda as “Abandonada fue”, “Donde llevas el son” and “Dolor y amor”. The singer brings his Puerto Rican sensibility, while the orchestrations of Harlow are nurtured in the tradition of Cuban son. An combination of electrifying artistic and commercial success.

Homenaje a Arsenio Rodríguez (1971)

When Arsenio Rodriguez (musical genius, blind, and pioneer of Cuban son passed away in Los Angeles in December 1970) Harlow quickly decided to record an LP dedicated to his work. Along with Miranda, he wrote the song “Arsenio”, a strong salsa with Cuban flavour and a climate of heartbreaking melancholy. The rest of the LP, which was recorded in an eight-hour session, is dedicated to Rodríguez’s repertoire, with extraordinary versions of “Tumba y bongo”, “No me llores” and “El terror”, among others. Indispensable.

Hommy A Latin Opera (1973)

In the early 70s, Ismael Miranda decided to leave the orchestra of Harlow and pursue a solo career, which would cause animosity between them for a long time. Harlow began developing ambitious projects. Inspired by the rock opera Tommy by the English group The Who, he recorded Hommy, with the participation of Cheo Feliciano and Pete “El Conde” Rodríguez, among others. Harlow asked Celia Cruz, who was neglected by the music industry at that time, to sing “Gracia Divina”, which resurrected her career.

Salsa (1974)

Harlow recorded one of his most significant albums in just two days. Under the simple title Salsa, it paid tribute to the Cuban roots of tropical music, combining the trombone and trumpet sound with two violins that evoke the aesthetics charanga made by groups like Orquesta Aragón. With “La cartera”, a cover version of a song by Arsenio Rodriguez, Harlow achieved his biggest hit. Thanks to singers Adalberto Santiago and Junior González, the nickname “El Judío Maravilloso” came about.

El Judío Maravilloso (1975)

Harlow continued to record prodigious albums, now with Junior Gonzalez as lead vocalist. This LP of the year 1975 continues to exploit an epic sound with a amarked Cuban influence. The opening track, “El dolorcito de mi china”, by Arsenio Rodriguez, lasts 10 minutes and includes a piano solo full of virtuosity and expressiveness. The peak of keyboard player’s carrer showed no signs of fading, as demonstrated by his versions of “Buenavista guaguancó” and “El negrito ñéngere”, as well as the psychedelic instrumental “Latin Roots”, composed by Harlow himself.

La Raza Latina (1977)

At the end of the 70s, salsa is fertile ground for grandiloquent experiments of a symphonic character. Harlow participated in this trend with a musical, A Salsa Suite, which describes the evolution of the tropical genre from Africa to the Caribbean, passing through New York of the 50s and 60s and culminating in a song dedicated to the future. Harlow hired Rubén Blades to be his vocalist, although this is not his prime. A failed and brief album, but fascinating in its conceptual ambition.

Larry Harlow presents Latin Fever (1978)

Harlow always showed the eclectic trends of a cosmopolitan musician. In 1970, for example, he recorded a rock record in the style of Chicago band with the group Ambergris. In 1978, he produced this fascinating LP by Latin Fever, a group consisting of 14 female singers and instrumentalists. These include percussionist Susan Hadjopoulos, who would become famous with English Joe Jackson, and the singer Ada Chabrier, who also collaborated with Ray Barretto and Willie Colón. A rarity that is worth discovering.

Larry Harlow’s Latin Legends Band (1998)

Harlow continued to record high-quality LPs in the 1980s. In the late 1990s, when the interest in classic salsa had been increasing, he formed the band Latin Legends with conguero Ray Barretto and singer Adalberto Santiago. This first album includes the participation of Pete “El Conde” Rodríguez (a few years before his death) and Ismael Miranda. The sound is warm and organic, emphasizing the musical knowledge of these veterans. According to Harlow, it was his favorite band to play live.

The Jewish Salsa Pianist, Innovative and Irreverent

This day 20 / 8 /2021 and after 32 days hospitalized “El Judío Maravilloso” Larry dies in New York at 12:30 a.m. from complications as a kidney patient that weakened his already weary heart.

Words of his wife Maria Del Carmen Harlow-Kahn

“Mi Amore, you are already free to play your music in the celestial orchestra. Thank you for the honor of accompanying you and loving you till the end of your life. 

You will live forever in my heart and in the hearts of all who love your music and your huge legacy, fly high my Wonderful Jew and rest in peace.”

Sources:

Ernesto Lechner de AAPR

Artículo de interés: La voz de Markolino Dimond y su irreverente piano en Funk / Soul & Funk-Disco “The Alexander Review

From Santiago de Chile to the world

International Salsa Magazine / www.SalsaGoogle.com and its leading correspondent in Miami, Diana Marie, awarded “La Dama de la Salsa 2021” by Richard Roman’s Salsa Superior, are privileged to present one of the most important bastions of our Latin music Cristian Cuevas.

It all began when his father brought home a keyboard one afternoon. Cristian Cuevas, born in Santiago, Chile, began playing the piano at the age of 6.

It was immediately evident that he had a gift and by the age of 8 he was playing with local bands and artists. playing with local bands and artists, all over Chile. When Cristian was 9 years old, his talent caught the attention of Chilean media, and he became a constant musical guest on “Buenos Dias a Todos”, the best late-night show in Chile at the time.

due to the success and exposure gained while working on “Buenos Dias a Todos”, Cristian was contacted by the producers of Univision where he was asked to fly to Chile to work on the show here he was asked to fly to Miami FL, and perform on the TV show “Sábado Gigante”.

After performing on the show, Cristian was offered a permanent spot on Sábado Gigante’s children’s segment and Cristian at age 11 moved with his family to Miami where he began his musical career.

By the time Cristian was 17, he was teaching as an instructor for local middle schools and high schools in Miami such as Miami Killian High, Felix Varela High, and Glades Middle School.

When he was 18, Cristian began to gain recognition among the Miami music scene and quickly began his first tour with Sonora Carruseles and other artists in the Miami salsa scene.

Today, Cristian Cuevas is one of the toughest working musicians in South Florida, he is also working as a musical director and composer for television shows on various networks such as Telemundo/NBC and Mega TV, and whether he is performing at sold-out venues around the world, playing on national television for millions of viewers, or recording from his home studio.

At 30 years old, Cristian Cuevas continues to write his musical journey while currently working as a producer and arranging his own upcoming album where he is featured singing and playing the piano.

Work History: Cristian has performed and toured the world with world-renowned award-winning artists in the Latin music industry such as: Jon Secada, Julio Iglesias Jr, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Oscar D’ Leon, Elvis Crespo, Charlie Zaa, Tito Nieves, La India, Luis Enrique, Sheila E., among others.

While on tour Cristian has also shared the stage with names such as: UB40, Kool & The Gang, Judith Hill, Willie Colon, José Feliciano, Rubén Blades, Gloria Trevi, among others.

Contact

Cristian Cuevas Productions

Miami FL

[email protected]

Tel: 786-768-9422

Facebook: Cristian Cuevas

Source: www.CristianCuevasMusic.com

By: Diana Marie Miami Correspondent for International Salsa Magazine

Supporting Emerging National and International Talent

Article of Interest: Fabián Rosales Araos Chilean singer-songwriter, a native of the city of Valparaíso

The Palladium legacy lives on

The idea of bringing together the three great Palladium orchestras in an innovative concept was the brainchild of Mario Grillo, better known in the music world as Machito, Jr. whom I had promised to address on the subject of the Big Three at the Palladium.

Here I share one of my dreams come true.  To be able to write about what I am passionate about is a great luxury, but to have these greats of music welcome me with so much affection to fulfill it is simply magic, fantasy and illusion.

Mario Grillo was born and grew up in a home that supported and sponsored his decision to become a musician.  However, his mother -Doña Hilda Torres (EPD)- forced him to practice one hour a day “the hard way” while she told him that being a musician was as serious as being a doctor or a “shyster”.  Mario Bauzá was his solfeggio teacher, since reading music was mandatory in his professional path.

At the age of ten he was already playing with his father’s orchestra.  When he was still in high school and only 15 years old, Mario Grillo was already the regular timbalero in Machito’s orchestra. However, Machito, Jr.’s career skyrocketed when he did not yet dream of being ready to become a bandleader.

In 1975, his uncles Mario Bauzá and Graciela Grillo Pérez left their Machito’s orchestra, forcing Machito to take action and rescue his orchestra.  Machito did not seem to be affected by the fact that Mario Bauzá’s replacement had not yet reached the age of majority.  At only 19 years old, Mario Grillo became a bandleader “a la cañona” as we say in Borinquen bella.

The new orchestra was affectionately called “Machito and his Kindergarten” since the musicians were youngsters hungry for musical experience.  Although Mario Grillo did not know it, the virtuoso timbalero had been preparing for this moment since he was only five years old when he had performed a timbal solo with none other than the “King of the Timbal”.

In 1982, at the age of 25, Mario Grillo directed and produced the recording of the 1983 Grammy winning album in the category of Best Latin Recording.  With great pride Mario adds that the recording was done in Holland and that the entire process was completed in four hours.  It is worth mentioning that Machito and His Salsa Big Band won against Julio Iglesias, José Feliciano, Willie Colón & Rubén Blades and Ray Barretto.

Here is a sample of the album in reference (Arrangement by Isidro Infante):

I ask you: How did the idea of establishing The Big 3 Palladium Orchestra come about?

Mario Grillo Torres, whose name honors the great Cuban jazzman -Mario Bauzá (EPD)- and whose nephew he is, tells us that the idea came out of desperation.  The booking agency of Mario Grillo’s orchestra found that its strongest market was rather in Europe and Scandinavia.  However, one bad day Mario Grillo had to face the possibility of modifying his orchestra.  His promoter suggested that he reduce the 16-piece orchestra to form a quintet or sextet to make the project more profitable.

Machito, Jr. laughingly recalls that he only knows about big orchestras, so he got down to work and started making phone calls.  He called Tito Puente’s widow:  Margie, Tito Rodriguez, Jr. and Tito Puente, Jr. Once Margie, Rodriguez, Jr. and Puente, Jr. agreed to ally with Machito, Jr. the latter returned to the booking agency in London to offer him three orchestras for the price of one.  Three calls were enough for Mario Grillo to return to counter negotiate with that promoter, offering him an irresistible orchestra.

The idea entailed a large orchestra with three timbaleros.  Each timbalero would play one third of the repertoire, corresponding to the repertoire of the Patriarch of the timbalero on duty.  That is to say, Mario would lead the orchestra during the performance of Machito’s orchestra repertoire; Tito Rodriguez, Jr. would lead the orchestra during the performance of El Inolvidable Tito Rodriguez’s orchestra repertoire prior to the closing in which Tito Puente, Jr. would lead the orchestra during the performance of the King of Timbal’s orchestra repertoire.  The booking agency representative had no choice but to give up the promoter’s original idea of reducing the large orchestra concept to form a smaller, more economical group, because no one offers three orchestras for the price of one.  And Mario is not a salesman.  As an important detail, the tour began after 15 concerts were confirmed, without the orchestra having posters, much less CDs to promote.  And “in a crazy way”, as Mario Grillo describes it, they began to fulfill the “stews”.  The first places to host that non-promotional musical tour concert were Columbia University and the Verizon Center.  From there they went on to England, France, Germany, Italy, Bulgaria and Latvia.

A year into the tour, Mario Grillo was asked by the booking agency to promote a tangible during the next tour.  The Big Three Palladium Orchestra, Performing the Music of Tito Rodríguez, Machito and Tito Puente was born.

This CD was recorded live at the Blue Note during two concerts that were “packed”, as Mario Grillo told me with emotion.  The recording of this masterful production was coordinated from a rolling recording studio that monitored 48 microphones.  The long awaited compact disc became the promotional item for the ten years that were added to that historic tour, which initially consisted of only fifteen concerts.  The first concert of this historic reunion was in 2000.  This year marks the 21st anniversary of the establishment of the Palladium’s Big Three Orchestra.  Having come of age, this orchestra has the repertoire of the owners of the mambo.  This results in more than three hundred record productions, which adds up to more than three thousand songs and no room for exaggeration; so as Mario Grillo declares: “Anything can happen”.

During the eleven years of touring Europe -Finland, Germany, Spain and France-, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Los Angeles and San Francisco -to mention a few places- Mario Grillo repeated what he did with Machito’s orchestra; this time the legacy sounds through The Big Three Palladium Orchestra.  For Machito, Jr. one of the most emotional moments was when they came to Puerto Rico for the Jazz Festival.  For the first time, the heirs to the mambo era – Tito Rodriguez, Jr., Machito, Jr. and Tito Puente, Jr. – teamed up again in their three-orchestras-in-one concept to bring the Palladium legacy to Puerto Rico.  In fact, between laughter and mischief Mario states that his father always insisted that: “the best interpreters of Cuban music are the Puerto Ricans” adding that this assertion guaranteed him tremendous fire within the Cuban community.

When I asked Mario about his favorite instrument, he commented with a loud laugh: “women, I’m malamañoso”.  Once we returned to the line of conversation, he added that he has been a TOCA artist for ten years.  With a serious tone he added that he is very proud of his colleagues, fellow artistic staff members within TOCA Percussion.  Among that list, he mentioned Tito Rodriguez, Jr. and the late Jimmie Morales, who, according to Mario Grillo, used to make a fire out of two coffee cans no matter what brand of instrument it was.

As you can see, each of the “Palladium’s Big Three” left behind a timbalero son, coincidentally.  These three timbaleros have made it their mission to keep the Palladium legacy alive and well.

With deep pride, Mario Grillo told me that in 2019, the 80th anniversary of the first Machito orchestra, established in 1939, was commemorated.  The average seniority of the musicians who remain in the orchestra since its establishment is forty years.  In fact, there are anecdotes that show Luis “Perico” Ortiz as an alumnus of Machito’s orchestra.  It is said that when “Perico” was part of Mongo Santamaría’s orchestra, he would go to play with Machito’s orchestra during his days off.  Another alumnus of Machito’s orchestra is the bongos player of the Gran Combo de Puerto Rico: Richie Bastar, who as a teenager became the substitute bongos player of that school orchestra.  With the privileged memory that characterizes him, Mario Grillo states with admiration that in 1979 Machito identified excellence in Isidro Infante -also a former student of Machito- when they played in Finland.

Although Machito, Jr. has not insisted on being Machito’s son, it is not possible to forget that he is the son of one of the greats of mambo, creator of Cubop and salsa, so it is not surprising that his father is still a topic of conversation in musical circles.

Here is one of my favorites (Arrangement by René Hernández)

 Website: Tito Rodríguez, Jr. “The Palladium legacy lives on”

WebsiteBy: Bella Martinez “The Irreverent Salsa Writer” Puerto Rico

WebSite: Bella Martinez

 

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Bobby Valentin The mind of a master

Roberto Valentin “Bobby Valentin” was one of the main collaborators and arrangers of the Fania All-Stars in the 1970s, over which time he also recorded numerous solo albums. Born in 1941 in the locality of Orocovis, Puerto Rico, he began playing guitar as a child and won a contest with a band that he conducted himself at the age of 11.

He began his trumpet studies at the age of 15 shortly before he moved with his family to New York, where he continued his studies under the direction of Carmina Caruso. In 1958 he started his professional career with the Joe Quijano’s Orchestra.

Valentin spent the next several years working as a trumpeter, guitarist, bassist and arranger for artists such as Willie Rosario, Charlie Palmieri, Ray Barreto, Tito Rodríguez and Willie Bobo, until the year 1965, when he debuted with an orchestra to his name by releasing two albums, one of them was under Johnny Pacheco‘s Fania label.

Bobby Valentin, the King of the Bass

During the following years, Valentin continued to release albums to his name under the Pacheco’s label, but he also began recording and making arrangements for the label’s band, the legendary Fania All Stars, which had the presence of important figures as Rubén Blades, Celia Cruz, Willie Colon, Eddie Palmieri, Papo Lucca, Mongo Santamaría, among many others.

In 1975, he began recording for his own label, but his work with the Fania All Stars goes on until the day. Since then, the musician continues to perform with his orchestra for the most important salsa and jazz festivals from all over the world, while at the beginning of the decade Valentin contributed arrangements for some Pacheco‘s songs, it was only natural that he released his albums under his new label.

And while Bobby Valentin moved with his orchestra to Puerto Rico in 1968, he continued to travel often to New York to record for Fania, in addition to working and arranging songs for the label’s band, the Fania All-Stars to which he helped define the sound through his bass, on classic albums of the 1970s like the Tribute to Tito Rodriguez or the live album at Yankee Stadium.

In 1978 he began recording for his own label, Bronco Records, through which he recorded “La boda de ella“, a song that became one of the most important of his career.In addition to continuing to release albums for his own label, the latter of which saw the light in 2016 under the name “Mi Ritmo es bueno” and Mind Of A Master in 2018.

The pop classic The Twist composed by Hank Ballard and popularized by Chubby Checker in 1960, now sounds in salsa clave in a new version created by musician, arranger and composer Bobby Valentin y su Orquesta.

For award-winning Puerto Rican composer, arranger, producer and musical director, to remember is to live, as a result of which he presented the song in Spanish and dance in order to interest the new generations.

“When I was based in New York, this was a boom, Chubby Checker recorded it! At that time, what was done in rock & roll and today’s music is called salsa and it was all about dancing. There was the chachachá, the pachanga, the boogaloo… Everything was visual, with dancing! Chubby Checkerwas in all the TV shows… I recorded the song a year and a half ago, but the premiere was pushed back for the pandemic. I figured I could do it in salsa without losing the essence of that time,” he said.

 

The Twist https://youtu.be/zf-SjdhbH9M

Sources

Amarie Magazine

Fania