USA / Florida / Tampa

Omar Negron, The Virtuoso of Trumpet and Percussion

Omar Negron was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on March 3, 1972. Music came into his life as a family legacy.

From the age of 3 he began to play percussion “las pleneras y el bongo”, guided by his maternal grandfather, his paternal grandfather who was also a musician and cuatro player and his grandmother who sang Puerto Rican trova.

At the age of 7, he entered the Carolina School of Music where he learned to read music to interpret it in percussion, which he had already mastered.

The first witnesses of his talent were his classmates at the Angel Ramos de Country Club elementary school in San Juan P.R, where he was part of the central show in several of the school activities, in some of them even imitating the singer Oscar de León. .

At the age of twelve, while attending his regular studies, he was alternately accepted at the Ernesto Ramos Antonini Free School of Music in San Juan.

There he began to study Trumpet since there was no room for percussion.

However, the percussion teacher allowed him to be part of his class, so he (Omar Negron) studied Trumpet and Percussion simultaneously.

Proven his talent, Omar Negron had the opportunity to be part of the School’s dance band, where he began playing Bongo and years later he would play Trumpet.

He was part of some talent competitions where he ranked first as a singer.

Upon graduating from the Escuela Libre de Música, Omar Negrón received the Rafael Hernández medal for his versatility playing different instruments, including his voice.

His musical career

At just 16 years old, Omar Negron makes his first professional recording as a singer, thanks to an opportunity he received from Mickey Cora and his Cabala Orchestra, where he was able to record and perform the songs: “Wanting to Live With You” and “We Will Always Be Friends” .

In 1990, Omar Negron was recruited by the Conjunto Chaney after the departure of the singer José Cheo Andújar.

A year later he made his first recording with the Ensemble, in the production entitled “Somos Amigos” where he performed the song “En Trance”.

Omar made three more productions with the Chaney Ensemble under the Hit Makers record label, but unfortunately none were released.

In 1994, Chaney made a recording with the Musical Production label, entitled “La Escuela de la Salsa”, where Omar recorded the songs: “I’m back”, “Impulsos”, “I fell in love”, “You are the vice”, ” Gaining Sensuality”, among others. This production earned them several awards including a Gold Record and an ACE Award.

It was a season of success and presentations in Europe, the United States, Central America and South America.

In 2004 he was invited by maestro Willie Rosario to be part of his orchestra after the departure of singer Rico Walker.

Opportunity that he enjoyed for three years and allowed him to gain experience as a son player and interpreter of many of his hits.

However no new recordings were made during that season.

In 2013 he launched himself as a soloist with the song: “No Son Juguetes”, composition and arrangement by Frank Poupart, a song that was widely accepted among the fans of romantic salsa in Puerto Rico, the United States, the Canary Islands, Venezuela, Panama, Colombia. among others.

Then he recorded the song by Ricardo Montaner and Jorge Luis Chasin “Bésame” which made him the winner of two Fox Music Awards in the city of Houston, Texas.

The same theme was placed number one on the Italian and Swiss tropical music radio charts.

A year later, he recorded “Waiting for you” written by Jesse Villareal and arranged by the great experienced arranger Tommy Villarini.

This single allowed him to open doors in countries like Belgium, Turkey, and Germany in addition to the United States, Central and South America, especially in Panama where his music is well accepted.

In 2016, with much more accumulated experience and with the help of a new work team, Omar Negron launches his new single entitled “Por Si Mañana”, composed by Jorge Luis Piloto and arranged by Ramón Sánchez.

This song is the Salsa version of the ballad recorded by the well-known Colombian group Mojito Lite.

USA / New York / New York 

Eddie Montalvo, Was a personal friend of the singer and legend of Afro-Caribeña music Héctor Lavoe

Eddie Montalvo, two time Grammy award winner, born and raised in the South Bronx of New York City, descendent of Puerto Rican roots, found his passion for music at very early age.

His parents Leonardo and Carmen instilled in Eddie the richness of Latin music and the heritage of their Puerto Rican culture.

During his high school years, he ventured in the school band and decided to become a conga player.

In 1970 at the age of 17, Eddie’s first professional show was with Joey Pastrana which led to another show with Tony Pabon & La Protesta and Ernie Agosto y La Conspiracion.

Then immediately after studio recordings commenced with La Conquistadora de Martin Galagarza, Tony Pabon y La Protesta.

Then in 1976 Eddie joined the band Los Kimbos of Orestes Vilato as the band’ conga player.

Montalvo’s distinctive and unique conga playing was spreading like wild fire among his peers and in the music industry which consequently led his endorsement in 1976 by the instrument company Latin Percussion and recordings with Luis Perico Ortiz, Nicky Marrero, Jose Fajardo, Pupi Lagaretta, Luigui Texidor, Los Kimbos, Hector Casanova, Santiago Ceron and renown artists such as Celia Cruz, Hector Lavoe, Fania All Stars and Juan Luis Guerra and with Johnny Pacheco where Eddie was a member of his band for two years.

Eddie has had the privilege to record in over 200 productions for renown artists, as well as up and coming artists.

In 1977 Eddie had the honor of joining the band of one of salsa’ greatest artists, Hector Lavoe. Not only did Eddie successfully embraced the roll of conga player with Hector Lavoe’s band, but also did back up chorus for him as well.

While his time with Lavoe, Montalvo was hired to record on the album “Siembra” with renown artists, Willie Colon and Ruben Blades which sold over 25 million copies worldwide and became one of the most prestigious Salsa productions of all times.

In 1979 Eddie proceeded to audition and became the youngest member of the renown Salsa band, Fania All-Stars.

After numerous accolades, worldwide notoriety and sold out concerts, today Fania continues bringing to the world the very best of Salsa of which Eddie continues being a member and is about to embark on Fania All Stars 2013-2014 World Tour.

During this time it’s when the opportunity of a lifetime presented itself. Ruben Blades approached Eddie in 1983 to join his world renown group, Seis del Solar.

After a series of successful tours around the world, Eddie recorded on the 1986 Grammy award winning album “Escenas” with Seis del Solar.

Then in June 2009, Ruben Blades reunited the Seis del Solar for the 25th Anniversary of Buscando America in an ambitious tour of the Americas.

Culminating  with the world tour of  Todos Vuelven in 2010 which earned Eddie a Latin Grammy win in 2011 for the live recording of Todos Vuelven Live Vol 1 & 2.

Eddie Montalvo also had the privilege of performing with Ruben Blades and Sting at the Amnesty International in Santiago, Chile.

Eddie Montalvo has achieved many goals and one of them was to record his first production titled On My Own in 1995.

He also had the privilege of participating in a supporting roll in the 2006 movie “El Cantante” based on the life of his personal friend and Salsa legend, Hector Lavoe, and also recorded in the sound track of the Broadway play The Capeman with Paul Simon.

In August 2012, Eddie Montalvo finally launches his new recording project titled “Desde Nueva York a Puerto Rico”.

This amazing production is a master piece in the making which was brilliantly produced by Eddie Montalvo and Jose Lugo, which has gathered some of Salsa’ greatest like: Ruben Blades, Cheo Feliciano, Willie Rosario, Papo Lucca, Domingo Quiñones, Rico Walker, Issac Delgado, Wichy Camacho, Pichie Perez and Tito Gonzalez.

Since Nueva York a Puerto Rico took the music industry by storm and earned Eddie an American Grammy nomination on February 2013 for Best Tropical Latin Album.

The first single of the album titled El Hijo del Ricachon featuring Ruben Blades received airplay in the Northeast and Puerto Rico.

The following singles Caonabo featuring Cheo Feliciano and Abicu featuring Tito Gonzalez are currently receiving airplay in Puerto Rico and throughout the Northeast of the U.S with much success.

This is one production all hardcore Salsa lovers cannot miss. Eddie is also presently showcasing and featuring his talent with Jazz artists like Lou Caputo, Dave Chamberlin, Joe Battaglia and Pucho & Latin Soul Brothers.

As one of the most sought after conga players, Eddie will continue to build his legend as a skilled clinician who shares his limitless knowledge of music to congueros and percussionists around the world.