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Gerardo Rosales is the creator and producer of Combo Mundial, Venezuela Masters and Charanga La Crisis

Gerardo Rosales was born in Caracas Venezuela on July 6, 1964. At the beginning of his musical career he was a percussionist for important figures of his country.

He has been living in Europe since 1992, and has taken up residence in Holland, a country that has served as a base for him to project his music around the world.

He has recorded 20 albums under his own name and more than 70 productions with other artists.

Gerardo Rosales’ specialty is creating musical projects in the styles of salsa and Latin jazz.

Gerardo Rosales is the creator and producer of El Combo Mundial, Venezuela Masters, Charanga La Crisis, Our Latin Groove, La Gran Charanga, Son del Sofá, Rítmico y Pianístico, Cachao Sounds and many more.

In his beginnings in his country Venezuela he performed with:  Orquesta Café, Orlando Poleo, José Rosario, Canelita, Soledad Bravo, Adrenalina Caribe, Ilan Chester, Cecilia Todd, Víctor Cuica, Alberto Naranjo, El Trabuco Venezolano, Joe Ruiz, Tabaco, Los Satélites, Nancy Ramos, Wilmer Lozano,Watussi, Trina Medina etc.

In Europe he has performed with: The Rosenberg Trio, Saskia Laroo, Hans Dulfer, Benjamin Herman, Peter Beets, Tango Extremo, Drums United, Nueva Manteca, New Cool Collective, Fra Fra Sound, Denisse Jannah, Laura Fygi, Izaline Calister, Metropole Orchestra, Holanda Big Band, Cubop City Big Band, Lilian Vieira, Rolf Sanchez, ChaChaChalina y Maite Hontelé etc.

Gerardo Rosales has accompanied on tours, recordings and performances in Europe artists such as Dee Dee Bridgewater, Benny Bailey, Paquito D Rivera, Bebo Valdés, Toots Thielemans, Jimmy Bosch, Juan Pablo Torres, Herman Olivera, Oscar D León, José Alberto El Canario “, Andy Montañéz, Meñique, Edy Martínez, Carlos” Patato “Valdés, Conexión Latina, Orlando Valle” Maraca “, Alfredo Rodríguez, Armando Peraza, Luisito Quintero, Ramón Valle, Larry Harlow, Adalberto Santiago, Frankie Vázquez, Oscar Hernandez, Africando, Chamaco Rivera, Luisito Carrion, Jorge Herrera, Edgar Dolor, Dorance Lorza, Luisito Rosario, Watussi, David Cada, and Tito Allen, etc.

The Records of Gerardo Rosales:

2016 Gerardo Rosales “Salsa Vintage” (Download – CD – LP)

2014 Gerardo Rosales “Son Del Sofa” (Single) ITunes

2013 Gerardo Rosales “Síguelo” (CD).

2011 Gerardo Rosales “Chano Pozo’s Music” (CD).

2011 Gerardo Rosales “30 Aniversario” (CD).

2010 Cachao Sounds “La Descarga Continúa” (CD).

2010 Gerardo Rosales “Buscando Chamba” (CD).

2009 Venezuelan Masters Orchestra “Toros y Salsa” (CD).

2008 Gerardo Rosales “Salsa Mundial” (CD).

2007 Our Latin Groove “Bringin’ it All On Back” (CD).

2005 Gerardo Rosales “Mongomanía” (CD).

2005 Charanga La Crisis “Salsa Antigua” (CD).

2004 Gerardo Rosales “Tribute to Fania” (CD).

2001 Gerardo Rosales “La Salsa es mi Vida” (CD).

2001 Gerardo Rosales & Edy Martínez “Rítmico y Pianístico” (CD).

1999 Gerardo Rosales “El Venezolano” (CD).

1998 Gerardo Rosales “Señor Tambó” (CD).

1996 Gerardo Rosales “Venezuela Sonora” (CD).

1992 Gerardo Rosales “Salsa Pa’lante de Venezuela” (CD).

1991 Gerardo Rosales “Salsa Pa’Lante de Venezuela” (33 RPM Vinyl).

Algunos discos grabados por Gerardo Rosales con otros Artista:

Orquesta Cafe “Criollisima” 1987 (Fama) Venezuela ( Salsa )

Joe Ruiz – Javier Plaza – Jose Torres – Gerardo Rosales

Bebo Valdes “Rides Again” 1994 ( Messidor) Germany ( Latin Jazz )

Paquito D Rivera – Patato Valdes – Amadito Valdes – Gerardo Rosales

Conexion Latina – “La Conexion” 1996 (Enja) Germany ( Salsa )

Rudi Fuesers – Leslie Lopez- Anthony Martinez – Nicky Marrero – Gerardo Rosales

David Rohschild “Looking Up” 1997 (Via) The Netherlands ( Salsa )

Adalberto Santiago – Banjamin Herman – Gerardo Rosales

Leslie Lopez “Bomba Moderna” 1999 (Buitenkunst) The Netherlands (Latin Jazz)

Ramon Valle – Joe Rivera – Nils Fischer – Gerardo Rosales

The Rosemberg Trio “Suenos Gitanos” 2001 (Polydor) The Netherlands ( Latin )

Toots Thielemans – Leonardo Amuedo – Gerardo Rosales

Ronal Snijders “Bijlmerjazz 2004 (Independent) The Netherlands (Jazz)

Randal Corsen – Jesse van Ruller – Gerardo Rosales

Cubop City Big Band “Arsenio 2004 (Tam Tam) 2004 The Netherlands (Cuban)

Lucas van Merwijjk – Edy Martinez – Nelson Gonzalez – Gerardo Rosales

Drums United “World of Rhythm” 2006 (Tam Tam) 2004 The Netherlands (World Music)

Lucas van Merwijk – Nils Fischer – Aly N ‘ Diaye Rose – Gerardo Rosales

Samba Salad – Metropol Orkest “Live Vredenburg” 2006 The Netherlands (World Music)

Herman Link – Dick Bakker – Maurice Luttikhuis – Rita Iny – Gerardo Rosales

Aquilez Baez “ La Patilla” 2007 (Cacao) Venezuela (Latin Jazz)

Anat Cochen – Huascar Barradas – Diego Alvarez – Gerardo Rosales

Maria Catharina “Obsecion” 2010 (Independent) The Netherlands (Jazz)

Adinda Meertins – Thomas Bottcher – Marc Bischoff – Gerardo Rosales

Masalsa “Resurreccion” 2012 (Independent) The Netherlands (Salsa)

Soeshiel Sharma – Ray de La Paz – Marcos Bermudez – Gerardo Rosales

Izaline Calister “Kandela” 2012 (Coast to Coast) The Netherlands (Latin)

Yumarya – Vernon Chatlein – Larc Alban Lotz – Gerardo Rosales

Africando “Viva Africando” 2013 (Sterms Music) France (Salsa)

Boncana Maiga – Oscar Hernandez – Doug Beavers – Luisito Quintero – Gerardo Rosales

Mezcolanza “Headbanger” 2015 (O.A.P Records) The Netherlands (Jazz)

Peter Wenk – Chistof May – David Barker – Mick Paauwe – Gerardo Rosales

Tango Extremo “ Havana” 2015 (JWA) The Netherlands (Latin)

Ben van den Dungen – Rob van Kreeveld – Tanya Schaap – Gerardo Rosales

Orquesta La Potente “ Potente “ 2018 (Independent) Colombia (Salsa)

Coco Ramirez – Guarnizo – Gerardo Rosales

Barry Hay & JB Meijers (Universal Music Group) 2019 The Netherlands ( Pop)

Barry Hay – JB Meijers – Gerardo Rosales

Estrella Acosta “Noche Cubana” 2020 (Independent) ( Cuban) Grammy Nominated

Carlitos Irarragorri – Pedro Luis Pardo – Gerardo Rosales

ChaChaChalina “Mira Antes de Saltar” 2021 (Independent) (Salsa)

Chalina Smit – Dani Brands – Gerardo Rosales

Actuaciones realizadas por Gerardo Rosales en diversos lugares del mundo:

Concerts & Events of Gerardo Rosales:

Poliedro de Caracas: Caracas – Venezuela

Centro Cultural BOD: Caracas – Venezuela

Feria de Cali: Cali -Colombia

North Sea Jazz: Rotterdam – The Netherlands

Toros y Salsa: Dax – France

SOBS: New York – USA

Club Babalu: New York – USA

Expo Sevilla 1992 : Sevilla – España

Festival Latinoamericando: Milano-Italia

Accessible Art Festival: Turquia – Mersin

Bimhuis: Amsterdam – The Netherlands

Melkweg: Amsterdam – The Netherlands

Concertgebouw: Amsterdam – The Netherlands

Paradiso: Amsterdam – The Netherlands

Oosterpoort: Groningen – The Netherlands

Glastonbury Festival: Glastonbury – England

Tabarka Jazz Festival: Tunesia

Music Haal: Berlin – Germany

Las Leyendas Vivas de la Salsa: Medellin – Colombia

Exit Festival: Serbia

La Topa Tolondra: Cali – Colombia

Punto Bare: Cali – Colombia

Cafe Libro: Bogota – Colombia

Bird: Rotterdam – The Netherlands

De Doelen: Rotterdam – The Netherlands

Paard van Troje: Den Haag – The Netherlands

Amazonico:Emiratos Arabes-Dubai

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Severino Ramos, the true architect behind the legendary group “Sonora Matancera”

From 1940 to 1957, he was in charge of the arrangements, rehearsals, repertoire, hiring of the vocalists and that very particular sound, so imitated but never equaled that the “Dean of the Conjuntos” possessed.

All that sonority is due to this pianist, composer and arranger born in Matanzas, Cuba, on June 2, 1903.

Severino Ramos Betancourt was born on June 1, 1903 in Matanzas, Cuba. He was a composer, pianist, orchestrator and arranger, one of the great Cuban musicians, he worked as pianist and arranger in the Conjunto Sonora Matancera, later he founded the Sonora Cubana.

Since he was a child, music, musicians and instruments were his passion. In his family, grandparents and uncles, had to do with the bungas of Matanzas (a bunga was a small group that included piano, violin, clarinet and flute). As a child he met Cheo Jiménez and Eduardo Betancourt, trombonist of Miguel Failde’s orchestra.

Later he went to Havana where he worked successively as a tailor’s assistant, insurance collector, doorman in a cabaret, traveling salesman, substitute musician in theaters, radio stations, and a thousand other occupations that appeared along the way before becoming a professional musician, during that time he received lessons from Felix Covarrubias.

Sonora Matancera

Severino Ramos joined the famous Conjunto Sonora Matancera in 1942, as a pianist, after unsuccessful attempts to occupy positions in the Sexteto Mikito (later Conjunto Casino), replacing Enrique Rodriguez, and in other Havana groups.

Severino’s character does not go with the style of intense and nocturnal work of the group, presentations in radio stations, dances (preference of Rogelio Martínez its director), contracts in La Tropical, Cabaret Tropicana, regional Centers: Asturian Center, Galician Center and trips to provinces; so he decides at the request of the director of the Sonora to look for another pianist for the group and he stays to make the arrangements, rehearsals, preparation of repertoire, etc…, From that moment on, the star of the Conjunto Sonora Matancera really began to shine in the firmament of popular acceptance.

He became, in keeping with his calm character, an orchestra man performing all these tasks and some others, such as visiting radio stations, theaters and other places to obtain contracts for the group.

The fruits contributed by Severino Ramos between 1940 and 1957 are of extraordinary value, perhaps what makes his work more visible are his arrangements and the preparation of the regular and guest singers that accompanied the Sonora such as: Bienvenido Granda, Daniel Santos, Myrta Silva, Celia Cruz, Leo Marini, Bobby Capó, Nelson Pinedo, Estanislao Laíto Sureda, Carlos Argentino and Celio González, among others.

After the Sonora Matancera

The last days of Severino Ramos in favor of Cuban Music were as musical director of Radio Progreso since 1957, when he left the Sonora, simultaneously with the prolific and very important work at the head of the many record labels he created.

After 1959, in that first decade, 1960, many record labels emerged in Havana, plus those that came from before and he multiplied himself making arrangements, forming momentary groups, forming groups to accompany Orlando Contreras, Blanca Rosa Gil, Orlando Vallejo, Ñico Membiela, many more. He formed the Sonora de Severino Ramos and helped create the Conjunto Caney.

The following is a small sample of songs that were arranged by Severino Ramos for the Sonora Matancera:

El Tíbiri Tábara with Daniel Santos

Qué corto es el amor, with Mirtha Silva

Burundanga, Yerbero Moderno, Tu Voz, Luna sobre Matanzas, with Celia Cruz

Who will be? With Nelson Pinedo

Yo no soy guapo with Vicentico Valdes

Sujetate la lengua, with Bienvenido Granda

Aunque me cueste la vida, on the 19th, El negrito del Batey with Alberto Beltrán

El gallo, la gallina y el caballo with Manuel Licea

Piel Canela with Bobby Capó

Maringá, with Leo Marini

Who will it be? With Nelson Pinedo

Las Muchachas, with Carlos Argentino

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

Severino Ramos died in Havana on November 2, 1969.

 

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Danibel Breton “The Barbie of the Accordion in the Dominican Republic”

Danibel Breton was born on November 13, 1997, at the Santiago Rodriguez General Hospital in San Ignacio de Sabaneta.

She is the second daughter of Mr. David Breton and Mrs. Maribel Breton.

When she was a few months old, her family moved to Santo Domingo East in search of better opportunities. She was always a happy child, intelligent and very dedicated to her studies.

Her mother recalls that in her first years of school when Danibel arrived home she immediately took out her school supplies and began to do her homework.

She has always shown a vocation for painting, the arts and she loved to sing and dance. She participated for several years in the dance ministry in her parish.

His interest in typical music was born at the age of thirteen. Accordionist Reyes Pilarte would go to La Barbie’s house to teach her father, David Breton, how to play.

One day after witnessing several accordion lessons Danibel asked her father for the accordion and performed the merengue “El puente seco” much better than her father. After that day she started taking weekly accordion lessons with Reyes Pilarte, a native of Los Bombones, Santiago Rodriguez.

Her first stage performance was at El Rincón Santiago Rodríguez where Bartolo Alvarado El Ciego de Nagua, gave her the opportunity to play for the first time.

Maestro Bartolo Alvarado was very impressed by her playing at such a young age. When he felt Danibel’s face with his hands, El Ciego de Nagua said: “She is a doll”, and from there Danibel Breton’s first artistic name was born: “La Muñeca del acordeón” (The Accordion Doll).

A few weeks later they discovered that there was already an accordionist with the name “La Muñeca”, so Danibel Breton was baptized as “La Barbie del Acordeón” because of her similarity to the popular doll with blonde hair and light eyes.

Other artists that gave her participation on stage before she launched herself professionally were: Narciso El Pavarotti, Manny Jovany, El Prodigio, La Reyna Maria Diaz, Banda Real, among others. These presentations helped her to grow as an artist, to fall in love with the stage and to discover her passion for typical music.

Along with her music, accordion and singing lessons, Danibel Breton studied English, Voiceover and Accounting before working professionally in music. At the present time she continues to receive singing lessons and is studying law, which she started at the Universidad Católica del Este (UCADE) and continued in Santiago at the UAPA University.

Since she wrote her first merengue with the help of her father and older sister, she and her family have dreamed of launching the musical project of Accordion Barbie.

As God’s timing is perfect, the opportunity to start the project professionally presented itself at the beginning of 2018, when David Breton, Barbie’s father and an ensemble of typical music professionals carefully selected each of the musicians and arrangers that are part of La Barbie del Acordeón.

On September 29, 2018 at The New Monte Bar, in Santiago de los Caballeros, the grand Debut of “La Barbie el Acordeón” took place. Danibel Breton narrates that she says she felt very excited to see her dream come true.

For her, playing typical music is an opportunity to represent Dominican women in the new generation of perico ripiao artists, to preserve the merengue derecho or “de línea” and at the same time to make modern songs to captivate a young audience.

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Two Latin Events Will Blow Europe Away In August

A Salsero Festival and Tour will be the stars of the summer in the main cities of Europe

Europe welcomes Latin music events in the last month of summer this year with two impressive Salseras parties. During these events, the safety of the attendees will be guaranteed, will be an unbeatable festive atmosphere and lots of fun. So, don’t miss the opportunity to attend the Salsa Latina Istriana Festival in Croatia and the Cuban artist Maykel Blanco y Su Salsa Mayor’s European Tour, and enjoy the heat of August with your favorite Latin music.

Salsa Latina Istriana Festival 2022

DJ Sergio, DJ Marc “El Mágico” and DJ Julián Duke will be in charge of mixing the greatest Salsa hits during the Festival

Salsa Latina Istrian Festival began in 2004 as a free dance workshop with 100 dancers who love and dance enthusiasts to promote Salsa and other Caribbean dances.

This year the eighteenth edition of this festival with tradition and support for the community of European dancers arrives from August 26th to August 29th with four Bootcamps, workshops (Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba, Semba, and Urban Kiz), international instructors, Masterclasses, night parties, boat and beach parties (the farewell party on Monday will be free), 12 famous DJs, two free social dances on four floors, and much more.

Salsa Latina Istriana Festival 2022 http://www.salsalatinaistriana.com will be held under the precautionary measures agreed for events and dance academies.

The workshops, as well as the night parties, will take place over three days at Dom Hrvatskih Branitelja, Leharova 9, in the center of the coastal city of Pula, Croatia, and the cost of the gold pass is €150.

Maykel Blanco y su Salsa Mayor

The singles Qué Hace Que Te Mueve and Ya Tú No Coronas belong to the “Qué Hace Que Te Mueve” album released in 2019

Cuban artist Maykel Blanco and his orchestra will continue their tour of Europe (Part 2) on Saturday, August 27th, at London’s iconic auditorium Electric Brixton with a special six-hour Cuban Salsa show. Javier La Rosa and Dr. Jim will be the evening’s Cuban DJs, while Osbanis and Anneta (Cuban Salsa Dancers and UK and World Champions) will lead a Cuban Salsa class for all levels.

On Sunday, August 28th, they will visit Glasgow (United Kingdom) at The Garage (nightclub) and will end their tour on September 9th at the Transformatorhuis event venue located in Amsterdam (Netherlands).

Maykel Blanco y Su Salsa Mayor made their way into the Havanera capital’s music scene more than a decade ago. This popular band in Cuba combines catchy lyrics with irresistible arrangements that get dancers, fans, and onlookers moving on the dance floor.

They currently have two great hits playing on the popularity charts of the most important radio stations on the Afro-Caribbean Island, Ya Tú No Coronas (2019) and Qué Hace Que Te Mueve (2019).

“Maykel was born in San Leopoldo, a neighborhood of the Centro Habana municipality in the Cuban capital, on January 21st, 1981, the year that began a decade of splendor for Cuban popular music. With academic training at the Guillermo Tomás Music Schools and the Amadeo Roldán Conservatory, at the age of 17, he joined the orchestra “Abel y la Seducción” and a year later created, “Suprema Ley”, thus starting his outstanding career professional.

At this stage, he arouses the interest of the Spanish record label Envidia Record with which he signed his first international contract. With this record company, he managed to produce more than ten phonograms for his group and various other artists, including Tirso Duarte. He also participated in the recording of 40 albums as a percussionist in various productions and created music for various “Latin Jazz” groups, such as “Havana Express”.

Maykel decides on October 10th, 2004 to make his big debut with his new orchestra “Maykel Blanco y Su Salsa Mayor”, made up of talented musicians, who graduated from various art schools in the nation.

Since then and up to the present, he has devoted his energy, creation, and musical talent to this interesting project. Thus, allowing his professional career to continue on the rise, as a pianist, percussionist, composer, music producer, arranger, and cultural promoter reaching a high level of popularity and prestige, in Cuba and the world”. Fragments extracted from Maykel Blanco biography. http://www.maykelblanco.com/

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Jazz, soul and rap singer Danay Suárez has an incredible talent

Cuban talent for the world

Danay Suárez (https://www.facebook.com/danaysuarezoficial) is a Cuban jazz, soul and rap singer who has achieved a lot of international notoriety in recent years thanks to her talent and dedication in each of her musical works. We are honored to talk to her and this is what we asked her:

Danay Suárez has given concerts in many cities of the United States and Europe

Questions for Danay Suarez

I have been able to see that you are a self-taught artist. Would you say that your musical progress was to do with ear or do you already have any formal education related to music?

I was trained as a lyric singer by one of the most important musical theater companies in Cuba (Opera de la Calle). My training involved rhythm, harmony, music theory and acting classes. Most of my musical progress is to do with living my career, improving my thoughts, stage, recording studios, reaching culture, entering various musical genres and meeting and collaborating with musicians from around the world.

You’ve gone into jazz, soul, reggae, traditional Cuban music and hip hop. However, it can be said that you started with socially conscious rap and were even called “The queen of Latin rap”. Did you experiment with all these rhythms and genres at the same time or in stages during your career?

I sing several genres because I am not static or orthodox, creativity inspires me, I need to move my ideas and explaining them with rhythm is a great and good challenge. Which is why I combine the freedom delivered by jazz gives to move the words and the possibility afforded by rap to create a speech with creating pleasant and danceable moments, perhaps alluding to reggae because this genre allows you to intellectualize while dancing. I listen to a lot of music and think I might go to new places and be inspired by new sounds.

Danay Suárez has been known as The Queen of Latin Rap

We saw a spectacular video of you singing your song “Yo Aprendí” with The Kennedy Center Orchestra. How can two seemingly different genres join in something so special? Tell us how was that experience, how they became interested in you for that project and how these musical elements came together. 

I don’t think two different genres came together, my arrangement for the symphony was very similar in its harmonic and melodic base. Making art and taking all the things we do to a level of excellence is what makes the worlds integrate and complement each other without being forced. For me the symphony is the complete picture, I place a high value on my words and I think many of them are divinely inspired, visual, parables, timeless most of the time. Sometimes I feel that only a symphony can support them at the highest level. Living my lyrics as I have imagined them is a dream come true, a dream fulfilled I want to repeat many times.

You have made music for Netflix and already some video games. How did they come to you? Why do you think they became interested in your music?

Together with my publishing company Kobalt Music, I was given proposals on synchronizing such as these video games, series, and some offers I’ve refused because I belive that they do not build anything of value that can be linked to the message of my songs. You never know what makes people connect with my music, but they can be the rhythm, the word, or the artist.

This Cuban singer has made music for Netflix and video games

Last year, you released your album “Vive”, which is very different from what you have been doing and come any closer to Christian music.

“Vive” is a thoroughly evangelical album because it was born in a period of deeped intimacy with the Lord, all my work is partly biographical and a portrait of the moment I’m living or I got over it, so I can already it. Those who know my work can see the sincerity through the music of each stage I’ve lived. At the end, the most honest approach I can offer to my music is my own testimony.

You have been in the United States and several European countries. How has been the responses of your music been in all these places? How are you perceived there?

The reception has always been extraordinary, people cry at my concerts and I know it’s because they listen to any advice that can transform their lives, they have a vivid and real moment, which is sealed with values that make good. That motivates me to always bring life to my people with the songs, I know that there is a thirsty world from which I’ve been part and that’s why I do not take lightly to make music, I do not even treat it strictly as a business. What I do is I finance my music through other businesses to allow me do things correctly. In the case of the non-Spanish speaking public, my answer is that music is a universal language that is felt and enjoyed in the same way when it’s genuine.

Danay Suárez next to Colombian singer Juanes

 

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