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Celso Clemente Torres is considered one of the best sounding bongos in the world.

Percussionist Celso Clemente Torres, was born on January 31, 1965 in San Juan, Puerto Rico his childhood and under the guidance of his father, Celso Clemente Sr., the young man was introduced to the world of music in 1973.

At the age of nine, he made his first big band performance at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in Puerto Rico alongside Giovanni Hidalgo with the Roberto Roena Orchestra.

When he was twelve years old, he participated in his first recording called “Borinquen All-Stars” with the great Puerto Rican trumpet player and band leader Mr. Elias Lopez (R.I.P) with the great Gentleman of Salsa Gilberto Santa Rosa, he was the lead singer of that important project.

At the age of nine, he made his first presentation with a big band at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in Puerto Rico alongside Giovanni Hidalgo with the Roberto Roena Orchestra. — Celso Clemente Torres is considered one of the best sounding bongos in the world.

He has been a percussionist for 40 years. Clemente has mastered the following instruments; bongo, conga, timbal and minor percussion.

With all these instruments he has had the opportunity to be part of countless recordings in the tropical genre which have served as inspiration for new exponents of the genre.

Due to his vast experience in percussion he has been able to spread his knowledge, offering percussion workshops to different groups (children, youth and adults) with excellent results. This has led him to create his own line of bongo bells and timpani sticks with his name.

He has had the opportunity to work in big stages such as; Madison Square Garden, House Of Blues, Coliseo de Puerto Rico “José Miguel Agrelot” Centro De Bellas Artes, among others. He worked in these orchestras; Roberto Angleró, Moliendo Vidrio, Tommy Olivencia, Tony Vega, Tito Rojas with this work 27 years, of which he directed his orchestra in Puerto Rico and outside the Island for 20 years.

With all these instruments he has had the opportunity to be part of countless recordings in the tropical genre, which have served as inspiration for new exponents of the genre. — He has been a percussionist for 40 years. Clemente masters the following instruments; bongo, conga, timbal and minor percussion

He has recorded with Roberto Angleró, Tommy Olivencia, Tony Vega, Tito Rojas, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Willie Rosario, Bobby Valentin, José Alberto “El Canario”, Rey Ruiz, Willie González, Frankie Ruiz, Puerto Rico All Star, Yan Collazo, Bomplenea, Plenarium among others.

He has also had the opportunity to be music producer, “Rompiendo Barreras” with Mario Feliciano, “Independiente” Tito Rojas, “Ritmo Caliente” with Bomplenea by Gary Vera, “Rompe La Rutina” by Del Gonzalez, “Te mando un beso” with Plenarium by Capitol Clemente.

He has also had the opportunity to be a music producer, "Rompiendo Barreras" with Mario Feliciano, "Independiente" Tito Rojas, "Ritmo Caliente" with Gary Vera's Bomplenea, "Rompe La Rutina" by Del Gonzalez, "Te mando un beso" with Plenarium by Capitol Clemente. — Jimmie Morales (R.I.P.), Porfi Baloa and Celso Clemente

He is an endouser of the Pearl Musical Instrument Company also in the line of cymbals “Soultone Cymbals”.

Celso Clemente is considered one of the best sounding bongos, which caught the attention of many record producers. Celso is probably the most recorded bongos player in the history of Puerto Rican salsa discography with more than 220 credited recordings.

The list of salsa legends Celso has recorded with is too long to list.

Celso is currently the timbalero and leader of the band of the famous salsero Tito Rojas (R.I.P) where he toured all over the world.

Celso is probably the most recorded bongo player in the history of Puerto Rican salsa discography with more than 220 accredited recordings. — Celso Clemente & Tito Rojas (R.I.P)

He offers Percussion Workshops to; children, youth and adults, both in person and online, based on his extensive musical experience, which is more than 42 years in the tropical genre (Salsa), bomba and plena.

Facebook: Celso Clemente Talleres De Percusión

Contact in Puerto Rico: +1 787-429-9971

Email: [email protected]

Source: Pearl Musical Instrument Company https://pearldrum.com/eu/artist/celso-clemente

By: Diana Marie International Salsa Magazine Correspondent

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Mel Martinez I come from Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico is Salsero

Totally agree with the premise that Mel Martínez establishes in this song of his authorship. Yes, Puerto Rico is the same as saying: “Yo soy salsero”.

Long live the music! Know that this implies shouting:

“Long live the musicians, so they can keep making it”.

The song starts off timidly and it seems that the arrangement asks the listener for his opinion on what he thinks of what is the first single of what will be his next musical production in a segment that presents a transcript of that “what do you think of Cholito”.

From there it pivots into a melodic design that reminds me of a segment of “I like Christmas that tastes like Puerto Rico” The shyness of the theme lasts approximately ten seconds.

Then the arrangement takes a turn that suggests that in Puerto Rico it’s Christmas all year round.

The lyrics of the song assures that all salsa-loving countries have their flavor and their flag; defined by other rhythms, highlighting the native rhythms of Colombia, Dominican Republic, Argentina and Peru. But Mel comes from Puerto Rico and asserts on behalf of all Puerto Rican salseros that: “In Puerto Rico the sun is boiling and that’s where Caliente salsa comes from”.

The song starts off timidly and it seems that the arrangement asks the listener for his opinion on what he thinks of what is the first single of what will be his next musical production in a segment that presents a transposition of that "what do you think of Cholito". — Mel Martinez The essence of family and Music

Evidently salsa is our pride. We are all Mel in terms of his love for salsa, the shout of pride, the flavor and the flag”.

And speaking of flavor and flag, it is clear that still “Aníbal Vázquez as a dancer, Giovanni Hidalgo hitting a leather, Tite Curet’s songs and Sammy Marrero’s feeling” are as valid as their first day in salsa performances.

New York’s emblematic nightclubs, all of them already disappeared, stand out in the lyric.

The mention of El Corso, Latin Quarter and the unforgettable Copacabana filled me with nostalgia and joy for having been lucky enough to have been part of that history. In Puerto Rico we have also been part of the history of salsa as it was spun in Lomas del Sol, El Coabey -which has been sustained against all odds- and El Tropicana.

The groups of Luis “Perico” Ortiz, El Gran Combo, Willie Rosario, Bobby Valentín, Tommy Olivencia, La Ponceña, Roena, Mulenze and Chaney star in the list of orchestras born in our soil and that Mel includes in the lyrics of the theme. Costa Brava, Puerto Rican Power, Canayón, Mario Ortiz, Don Perignon and La Solución complete the list of outstanding orchestras in sound and category.

The patron saint festivities and the dancers arrive at the theme at the climax of the mambo, through the pregones in the voice of our favorite for several decades.

From Fajardo to Mayaguez, passing through Bayamón and Carolina, Cataño and Dorado Mel assures that our 100 x 35 and its inhabitants are salseros by birth.

The lyrics of Mel’s song are so great that it secured mention of the dancers who every year try out for National Salsa Day, which until 2020 was exclusive to Puerto Rico.

If you haven’t heard this song, I dare you to listen to it without getting stuck to it:

I don’t know where you’re from

But I love my land

I come from Puerto Rico

and Puerto Rico is salsa.

I can tell you that the choruses are deluxe. The coros feature Luisito Carrión, Lalo Rodríguez and Carlos García; the same Carlos García who composes, arranges, sings and dances, all while masterfully dominating behind his piano.

As Mel states in this beautiful composition, which is also patriotically historical: we were born salseros.

I add by way of an intimately personal opinion that no human being is prepared to face the battle of life without the encouragement that music gives us.

I conclude by recommending you not to miss the correspondence between Pedro Perez’s bass and Emanuel Navarro’s timbal at the end of the song.

For those who doubt that musicians give us music even when it seems that the musical theme has already closed.

What is left for me to say? Long live the music! Know that this implies shouting: “Long live the musicians, so that they keep on making it”. Ah! And that we are still salseros.

Facebook: Mel Martinez

By: Bella Martinez “The Irreverent Salsa Writer”

Puerto Rico

Website: Bella Martinez Escribe

Bella Martinez present

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International Area – June 2021

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Legendary and Unavoidable Cheo Navarro Bravo Rumbero and his Orchestra de Moda

The first name of the great “Cheo” is José Natalio Navarro Barreto

José “Cheo” Navarro was born in San Agustín parish, Caracas, Venezuela on April 19, 1952. While still a child, his family moved to La Cañada de Jesús and later the 23 de Enero parish, the family Navarro Barreto settled in block 6 of the Monte Piedad sector where he spent his adolescence. The first name of the great “Cheo” is José Natalio Navarro Barreto.

The name and the musical activity of “Cheo Navarro” is substantial and unavoidable for salsa made in Caracas. This percussionist and bandleader has always been at the heart of Caribbean music in such a manner that we will always find a reference to him in various salsa phenomena of the country.

The name and musical activity of "Cheo Navarro" substantial and inevitable for salsa made in Caracas. — Cheo Navarro Legendary and Inevitable Bravo Rumbero and his Fashionable Orchestra

It was from the year 1971 when he got involved with the orchestra of Tito Rodriguez in such a way that he never wanted to do anything else but play like those folks (since he did it by beating every book, container and pot lid he could find at home with pencils and sticks), eventually joining other fans of music to found the group Mango (he was 21 years old at the time). He won the respect of those in the know by performing with that group, where he contended with the best in Caribbean music at that time.

In addition to founding orchestras that are already part of our musical and sentimental history (Mango, Sensación, Bailatino and now Cheo Navarro and his Orquesta Tributo), he played and composed for other leading orchestras such as the Sexteto Juventud, Federico y su Combo Latino, El Trabuco Venezolano, La Crítica de Oscar de León, the Orquesta Renovación, Coco y su Sabor Matancero, and Naty y su Orquesta; He has also collaborated with the orchestras of Orlando Castillo “Orlando Watussi””, Alfredo Naranjo Carvajal and his Guafeo, and “Pavo” Frank. As for the international soneo, he has played with Jhonny Pacheco, Ismael Miranda Carrero, Andy Montañez, Cheo Feliciano, Héctor Lavoe, Daniel Santos, Pete “Conde” Rodríguez and a plethora that is no longer necessary and, maybe, impossible to list in full.

“Bravo Rumbero“

Is probably his most important composition and the song the salseros of lineage and also those who were not necessarily salseros remember the most, but they had their sense of hearing working just fine, during the 70s and 80s.

The music industry has not been as generous as it should have been with this gentleman. Precisely with him, who has made an effort to pay homage to the gods of his musical devotion. — Cheo Navarro in Block 6 of January 23 appreciates it with reverent generosity.

He is much loved in Block 6 of the 23 de Enero parish they appreciate him with the same reverent generosity

with which the poor towns pay tribute to their genuine icons: He is the illustrious neighbor who has made and makes them dance and, in time, he is the simple man of the people whose stature is found in the work and not in vanity.

The music industry has not been as generous as it should have been with this gentleman. With him, who has been making great efforts to pay homage to the gods of his musical devotion. The sonorities of his orchestral works are a lasting tribute to the giants of flavor.

He is the illustrious neighbor who has put them and puts them to dance and in passing, is the simple man of the people whose stature is in the work and not in vanity — Cheo Navarro Bravo Rumbero and his Orquesta de Moda

The fame that, using payola and other resources, has managed to raise up other names in this business and in history. But being face to face, musician to musician, with anyone, Cheo Navarro qualifies to be one of those fundamental icons who are worthy of being pleasantly remembered, rooted in his people and in urban culture.

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