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Wherever a musician lives, Salsa Superior will arrive.

International Salsa Magazine and its Miami Correspondent Diana Marie present Richard Román one of the most recognized and respected announcers of Salsa Dura on On-Line Radio in Miami.

His name is Ricardo Román Zapata; he has 40 years as a show promoter, 26 years as producer and host of his Superior Salsa Program in Miami.

As a promoter began in a series of events in Ventanilla Beach in 1981, his activities were known in Lima and Callao, so much so that Dr. Luis Delgado Aparicio came to my place in Ventanilla and made a program of Maestra Vida in which he gave me a plaque with the logo of Channel 9 Television and the name of Dr. Delgado Aparicio. Delgado Aparicio in 1984, in the years 1986 and 1988 I organized the First and Second Festival of Salsa Playa de Ventanilla where Orchestras of Lia and Callao participated with unpublished songs in lyrics and music.

Richard Román says Wherever a Musician Lives, Salsa Superior arrives

The winner in 1986 was Carlos Orozco y La Fragua with the theme “ESTAS LLORANDO” of the authorship of Carlos Orozco in tribute to Chabuca Granda, in 1988 the winner was El Combo Espectáculo Creación with the song “CONVERSEMOS” by Ricky Tosso, in homage to the problem of the Petisos (street children), in 1995 I started the Salsa Superior Program in Ventanilla Estéreo FM.

Wherever a Musician Lives, Salsa Superior will Arrive — His name is Ricardo Román Zapata

In 1997 I moved to Radio Pirata FM del Callao, in 2007 we started transmitting via www. radiosalsasuperior.com to date, in 2015 we started the delivery of plaques of recognition to musicians, composers and personalities of music in Peru, United States, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Cuba, Panama and our motto is “WHERE A MUSICIAN LIVES THERE WILL COME SALSA SUPERIOR”, The particularity of the plates is that in all this our National Flag, highlighting our beloved country and its people.

The District of Ventanilla

It is one of the seven districts that make up the constitutional province of Callao in Peru. It is the largest of them and the second in population.

It has gone through a process of economic, social, cultural, political, and urban changes, mostly unplanned, presenting itself as a district with a mostly poor population, territorially disjointed, disorderly, with worrying levels of environmental pollution and that has grown at rates that have exceeded the capacity of local management.

The District of Ventanilla
It is one of the seven districts that make up the constitutional province of Callao in Peru.

Chimpùn Callao

Callao is a port city located in the constitutional province of Callao, in central-western Peru and in turn on the central coast of the Peruvian coast and in the central-western part of South America. It has the Pacific Ocean to the west and 15 kilometers to the east the Historic Center of Lima.

Most of its territory extends in a wide bay protected by the islands of San Lorenzo, El Frontón, Cavinzas, and the Redondo islet, south of the mouth of the Rímac River, but also reaches the northernmost part of the bay of Lima.

Both bays are separated by a peninsula known as La Punta. It covers an area of 148.57 km², including 17.63 km² of islands. It is located 5 meters above sea level.

Since colonial times, the port of Callao has been the largest seaport, the most important in Peru, and one of the most important in America.

ERMOZO BALENARIO LA PUNTA CALLAO – LIMA — Chipum Callao
Callao is a port city located in the constitutional province of Callao, in central-western Peru.

Today it is the main port of the country and the Jorge Chávez International Airport, making it the main gateway to Peru. These in turn are the ‘natural’ port and airport of the city of Lima.

In terms of population, Callao is the third-largest city in the country, with more than 1 million inhabitants (only behind Lima and Arequipa).

It has a floating population of approximately 500,000 inhabitants who visit daily for family, tourist, educational and business reasons, among others. Callao has always had the privilege of receiving military visitors, especially sailors, merchants, immigrants, tourists, and other types of social currents.

Salsa Superior Radio (Live)

Facebook: Richard Roman

Article of Interest: Ralph Irrizary, a well-known percussionist, is considered one of the most “Swing” timbaleros in the world.

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Long live music! Repeat after me: “Long live the musicians so they can keep making it”. And I add: “Long live SALSA”.

With a full tank, Transition by Tito Rodriguez, Jr.

Bella Martinez, International Salsa Magazine by the hand of www.SalsaGoogle.com presents and highly recommends this formidable and exquisite production of Tito Rodriguez Jr. The firstborn of the unforgettable Pablo “Tito” Rodriguez.

Long live music! Repeat after me: “Long live the musicians so they can keep making it”. And I add: “Long live SALSA”.

As soon as I got my hands on it I listened to it, many times. Not that I needed an explanation, but I could not stop listening to it and go off to take care of my duties.

So much so that I had to send the radio station of the Puerto Rican salsa singer on vacation for a few days until I finished writing the note that had chosen to write itself. The CD cover – showing the photo of Tito Rodriguez, Jr. settled on my desk for several weeks as if it belonged to the surface in front of which I sit every day. Until one fine day I said to myself: Today I hope to be able to understand the instrumental pairing of everything that happens in this piece.

Here I go…

In the first cut (Bailando con la más fea) there were several bars after the first minute, that transported me to my days of partying in New York during the bravo launch of that orchestra that I haven’t heard for a long time.

Of course, while that orchestra sounded bigger than it was, this one I’m examining today – Tito Rodriguez, Jr.’s – sounds bigger than it is and on steroids; among other reasons because the baritone enhances the personality of this serious sounding arrangement, albeit hand in hand with a jocular lyric.

During the second theme (El vive bien) we experience a very Cuban theme of those that sandungueando the waists of those who follow the leather beats to’ fuete.

Shortly before entering the third minute, the interplay of saxophones and twists in which the baritone and bongo play suggest to me that this song shares the flavorfulness of the pregón that says “Salsa ahí na’ma’ como me gusta a mí…” from one of the tracks on Gilberto Santa Rosa’s production Colegas (2020). In fact, Gilberto collaborates in this production, specifically in the song Volver.

In the third cut (Ándate nena), the trumpet solo stands out within an arrangement for large orchestra and allows the performance to be sprinkled with conga, marking the nostalgia of the memory of those geniuses that the traditional big bands left us as a legacy. The saxophones sound like those of the Palladium orchestras.

The 4th track (Volver) is an arrangement where the influence of Bobby Valentín’s inventions is evident. The track starts like the romantic arrangements of the 1990’s, although with a heavy and dominant piano, prior to the alto saxophone playing that opens the way for the rest of the saxophones in perfect synchrony with the conga, timbal and bongo. This cut features Gilberto Santa Rosa, although the song didn’t need Santa Rosa to shine.

Tito Rodriguez, Jr. gave way to the most prolific salsa singer in commercial salsa to perform a song that was already the polished diamond of this collection.

Tito Rodriguez, Jr. Timbalero, Arranger, Composer, Producer and Bandleader, Tito Rodriguez, Jr is one of the leading

I found it to be a classic big band arrangement with an avant-garde touch where the saxophones give way to a touch of a musical arrangement that wants to be a sonorous orchestra. However, the perfection of the thing doesn’t let the sonorous touch tuck in the modern big band concept. Well, I understand myself. “Afinca y echa pa’ lante…” said Santa Rosa.

In the fifth track (Con el tanque lleno) the orchestra starts off powerful in sound and playfulness. The song is about a “convertible, colorado y con el tanque lleno”. The pregón reads: “Soy soltero y con el tranque lleno” (I’m single and with a full tank). I don’t think you will be surprised when I confess that this is my favorite song in this collection. The lyrics are funny, but the arrangement is a smashing one.

The conga’s correspondence with the melodic trombone solo by Alex Zapata’s blows sets the stage for a masterful closing by the saxophone ensemble under the leadership of Ismael Vergara’s baritone.

The sixth track (No vale la pena) is evidence of the chameleonic capacity of Sammy Gonzalez, Jr.’s voice, which can be used to proclaim, to sound, to become the most romantic rogativo in the middle of a heavy song, all within a romantic lyric full of feeling. Well, rarely does a man play the “victim” of a sentimental breakup.

This is one of those few times, a situation that makes the pregones both jocular and nostalgic at the same time. The contradiction of suffering and laughing is also visited at the end of the mambo, which makes the theme one of general interest in addition to the musical interest it awakens.

The seventh track (Pa ti morena) is a very brave Cuban son. I don’t know if this son is played in that unlikely combination of the style of Tito Puente, Machito and Tito Rodriguez knowingly or if it was pure chance. I felt like I was reaching for heaven while listening to Sammy Gonzalez, Jr.’s vocal performance when the alto saxophone solo brought me back to reality.

The beginning of cut #8 (Para los bailadores) marks the change of tempo to an aggressive one where the bongo is the one telling where the baritone is going. When the vocalist suggests to Tito Rodriguez, Jr. to enter the mambo with an anticipatory “y nos fuimos”, no one doubts the greatness of the orchestra’s sound.

The timbal solo by Tito Rodríguez, Jr. declines when the performer requests “mambo otra vez”. It is in this track that the distinctive sound of this orchestra is most noticeable, one inspired by the traditional big bands, although influenced by the advanced currents. In short, this is real salsa and it is salsa to enjoy. As promised in the lyrics, this song brings to the arena a very cool rhythm that is not to be confused with charanga.

After I finished writing this note, having already listened to the complete production, I was tempted to ask Tito for an audience and ask him “a couple of questions” according to me. That brief call went on and on and I asked him everything I could, taking advantage of the nobility of the timbalero heir to the musicality and name of one of our greatest musical glories….

During the “cañona” that I wanted to call an organic interview, Tito confirmed that Transición is his fourth album and the first to be titled in Spanish. Let’s go well, Tito.

This album was preceded by Curious? (1978), which featured José Alberto “El Canario” and Rubén Blades; Eclipse (1995) and The Big Three Palladium Orchestra live at the Blue Note (2004).

Why the title Transición? I’ll tell you about it next time. Obviously, Tito deserves another chapter in my salsa journey. Talk to you soon and I’ll tell you about his 2009 adventure when he was in Puerto Rico fulfilling one of his musical dreams.

Tito Rodríguez, Jr. Transición

By: Bella Martinez “La Escritora Irreverente de La Salsa”

Puerto Rico

As soon as I got my hands on this album, I listened to it many times. Not that I owed an explanation, but I couldn't stop listening to it and go off to take care of my duties. So much so that I had to send the radio station of the Puerto Rican salsa singer on vacation for a few days until I finished writing the note that I had chosen to write itself. — Bella Martinez “The Irreverent Salsa Writer”.

WebSite: Bella Martinez

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COVID-19 affects the world of salsa (Music)

COVID-19 in 2020:

Through time we have faced different challenges that life has given us but this 2020 was the strongest for many years, where several negative things hit us worldwide but the one that affected us the most was COVID-19 .

Before the end of 2019, Asian countries began to have suspected cases of a new disease related to pneumonia, which to date is very deadly for humans, but the seriousness of the situation was not known until In December, Hubei province in Wuhan, China became the epicenter of an outbreak of pneumonia of unknown causes.

Patient zero so far is unknown where he was located, but a group of patients presented to different hospitals in Wuhan, all with pneumonia of unknown and very aggressive origin, they were hospitalized for presenting acute respiratory distress syndrome, then one of these patients died being the beginning of deaths from this disease in the country, and later increased the number of positive cases of this disease determining the epidemic in the province and other sectors of China.

As of January 7, the Chinese authorities announced that they had identified a new type of coronavirus (New Coronavirus, 2019-nCoV), where simultaneously, other possible pathogens were ruled out, including the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), the Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), influenza virus, avian influenza virus, and adenovirus.

From that moment the authorities worldwide knew that they were facing a new threat that would affect the entire population worldwide, after the epidemic it became a pandemic in a few months, since the virus first spread through Asia and Oceania, then through Europe and finally throughout America, currently being the second pandemic with the highest consumption of human lives in the history of humanity to date, being in the first place the Black Death or Black Death.

COVID-19 :

It is an infectious disease of the coronavirus family (which can make animals and humans sick); Its name is derived from the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), it was announced as a pandemic as of March 2020 by the World Health Organization (WHO).

COVID-19 can be similar to or confused with the common cold, so one must be vigilant and isolate oneself when the following symptoms appear: Cough, Fever and Tiredness being the most common symptoms, they can also present more serious symptoms such as shortness of breath or shortness of breath, muscle pain, chills, sore throat, runny nose, headache, chest pain, loss of smell, and conjunctivitis.

To determine if the person is positive for this disease, the corresponding tests must be carried out in the COVID-19 care centers (hospitals, clinics or COVID-19 screening tents).

Where 2 tests will be performed, the quick so-called Rapid Test “AC” (which consists of a blood sample to see if there are antibodies), however if it is negative, the other test called PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) must be performed, which detects the RNA of the virus and The antigen test which detects certain proteins in the virus, both tests consist of taking a sample of fluid from behind the nose and / or throat; If the person tests positive, they must stay there to see if the disease occurs or is cured in a period of 14 days or more, depending on their next tests, they can go home or not.

Currently, people are tired of being in isolation, so many leave their homes with their provisions (masks, gloves, alcohol or disinfectants, glasses or masks) and others without much concern about taking care of themselves using only their masks without covering their nose or taking them off on the street, whether they do not mind getting sick or do not believe in it, which is a mistake since, everyone has the right but they have a duty not to contaminate their peers since it can infect others or be infected since the virus They are transmitted through the respiratory droplets that one produces when speaking, breathing, sneezing or coughing and the virus can stay for a time in each place depending on the material where the virus is, however in the air it does not last almost at all since the virus is It is very heavy and remains on the ground, however you have to prevent removing the mask at all times and less if you are in a very crowded place.

COVID-19 prevention techniques — Steps to avoid COVID-19

In the world of music, many of us have been affected by quarantine, since social isolation to prevent the spread of the disease affecting our jobs, shows and / or events but despite everything it is something we have to do and look for the way to work without putting yourself at risk since, just as prevention has been done to everyone, this has not prevented many neglects on the part of other people who do not believe in the disease or simply do not care about their health and the safety of the rest , causing the displacement of the disease to other places and / or people.

We must be conscientious, set an example if we want to get out of this pandemic and return to the life we had before, or rather have more freedom starting a new lifestyle since life will not be the same as before since the changes already made They contributed new ideas towards progress, the only thing that is needed is the freedom to go out and not be afraid of getting sick.

We take the opportunity to remember and commemorate the deceased artists who lost their fight against COVID-19 or another disease this 2020, Armando Manzanero known as the king of romanticism, Victor Cuica the great teacher of teachers in the music of Jazz Latin-Jazz with his most notable talent of the saxophone, Óscar Chávez singer, actor, composer, music researcher, theater director and poet, Gustavo Nakatani Ávila, known as Yoshio, Mexican singer of the 70’s and 80’s, Overt Elena singer of the Chaney orchestra of Puerto Rico and the Gallero Salero Tito Rojas, which we and his followers will always have in our hearts.

deceased artists 2020 — Colash of deceased artists

The world of music, many of us have been affected by quarantine, as social isolation to prevent the spread of the disease. Take care, there are many talents killed by the COVID-19 , we do not want one more talent like you.

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Steel pan percussionist Brad Shores shows us the best of Caribbean music in Florida

Brad Shores is an American musician whose love for tropical music has led him to undertake some truly interesting and successful projects, so we know this article will be of our readers’ liking, so they cannot miss it.

Brad at a church — Percussionist Brad Shores at a church in Newton, KS

How Brad got his start in music

Brad began his story by explaining that his parents were musicians. His mother taught music, while his father loved playing the drums and had been in various bands throughout his life, which caused the boy to be exposed to that world from the earliest age and end up falling in love with it just as his parents did.

He tells that one day his mother used to lend him the sticks she used to play the drums and teach him to read and understand music when he was just in third grade, so from an early age, it was made easier for him to learn everything regarding music. Around the same time, he understood that music would quite possibly have a very special place in his life, since he had always enjoyed playing and loved it so much.

He was studying music theory in high school, and in college, he earned his degree in music education at Fort Hays State University in Kansas. He focused primarily on drums and percussion, but thanks to all the professional experience he has gained over the years, he plays almost all instruments competently. He also had the opportunity to teach others to play from very early in his own bands and now in a little more formal way, so he had to learn to play everything up to a certain level.

Previous experience to his current group Tropical Shores Steel Drum Band

Before starting his own project, Brad had the opportunity to play with groups in all genres and sizes, so he has a not inconsiderable background.

He remembers a jazz trio he was able to be part of in high school, which could be considered one of his first significant professional experiences, but that was just the beginning. He also remembers being part of many projects in college, such as an opportunity in which he played for some Germans and another in which he was in a rock band, showing that the artist was not limited to anything and was perfectly capable of crossing into all genres and adapting to them as it suited him.

Once he moved to Phoenix, he also played with many other bands and continued to experiment until he finally tried steel drums, which is primary instrument to this day and for which he is best known.

Contact with tropical and Latin music

Being already in Phoenix, Brad told us that he was in a band where there was a steel pan percussionist who played a kind of music Brad had never heard before in his life. It was Caribbean music that had really caught Brad’s attention, and he definitely wanted to learn to play it as skillfully as that guy, so he listened carefully to every note that came from his instrument. With his lack of training in those genres, it was a bit difficult for him, but he finally succeeded and got very good.

In the case of Erica, his current wife, her mother played the organ at a church in Chicago, where she grew up. Before he met Brad, she was a salsa, merengue, and cha-cha-cha dancer, so she had a very different background from her husband’s with regard to rhythms. She also had a master’s degree in music, so her education in this discipline was wide, even if she had not had plenty of practice yet. It is worth mentioning that she is his second wife, since Linda, his first wife and mother of his three children, died from lung cancer in 2014.

Brad teaching mini pans to grade school students

Tropical Shores Steel Drum Band

A handicap Brad and all the musicians of the day had to face was the impossibility of finding and repeating a lot of music, since there was still no internet. Therefore, he could only pay attention to what their peers and colleagues were doing at the time to be able to imitate them and learn how to play the steel drums.

When Brad and Linda moved from Phoenix to Kansas, they had to start looking for local musicians who could suit the project they were making and finding places to play, since many people in Kansas were not used to hearing the type of music they played. For this reason, they would start their sets by playing other genres to which the audience was accustomed to, so that they would be more open to their tropical songs.

Tropical Shores Steel Drums and Teaching

In addition to playing, the Tropical Shores Steel Drums Band has a very important component: teaching. Brad decided it was not enough just to learn to play steel drums and many other instruments, but rather had to share his knowledge with others, especially children. They love music and enjoy the challenge of learning to play an instrument they may never have heard before.

He has also taught at the university level. After having taught for a time at Collier County Schools in Naples, he accepted the assistant band director position at Ave Maria University in Florida, where he currently resides with his family.

Gafieira Rio Miami brings the best of Brazilian music to Miami

In this space, we have interviewed artists and groups from different countries of Latin America, but there have been a few times we had the opportunity to connect with talent from Brazil and not only that. They also sing and play typical music of their country, which makes them even more interesting, so we could not fail to speak with Diogo Brown and Isabelle Duarte.

Both have been very kind and shared with us some of their most significant experiences as Brazilian musicians in the United States and how that has shaped their way of making music.

Diogo playing live — Diogo Brown from Gafieira Rio Miami playing live

How Diogo and Isabelle got into music

The first to take the floor was Isabelle, who informed us that she started singing at a church in her home country, Brazil, when she was just six years old. Over time, she also got to sing at weddings, quinceañeras, local festivals, and events of all kinds.

About 10 years ago, she fell in love and married an American man, with whom she moved to the United States, where she met Diogo, a compatriot of hers who was born and raised in a city far from her own. However, their “Brazilianness” and love for music brought them together in the project they now share with other musicians, Gafieira Rio Miami.

In Diogo’s case, his passion for music awoke at 15, the age at which he knew he wanted to be a professional musician. His mother convinced him to enroll in a music school and an English academy, as she suspected that English would be extremely useful for his future career and this was indeed the case. His arrival to the United States was very similar to Isabelle’s, as he also met an American woman online; they eventually fell in love and moved there together. He attended a screening of a Brazilian film in which he had appeared, where he met her and finally live their relationship in person. That was over 20 years ago.

Since then, Diogo has worked with countless artists and companies such as Sony Music, Univision, and Warner. Among the stars he has collaborated with are Gloria Estefan, Ricky Martin, Lara Pausini, and many others.

Isabelle singing live — Isabelle Duarte singing at the Lincoln Cemter

How was the connection with Spanish and Latin Music

Something interesting that Diogo tells us is that, in his early years as a musician in Brazil, he spent listening to Latin music, and some of his favorite artists were Buena Vista Social Club, Cachao, Jimmy Bosch, and many others of this kind. By his own admission, this is uncommon for a Brazilian resident in Brazil, who usually only listens to music of their own country. Both he and Isabelle agree that, in Brazil, very little music in Spanish is consumed, among other factors, due to the language barrier.

Isa tells us that her connection to Hispanic music began to form in the United States, and her husband contributed a lot to that, since he is of Hispanic origen. In addition, they settled in Miami, where there is a mix of cultures of each country, so she started to be exposed to genres like salsa, cumbia, merengue, and other rhythms that are not usually heard in Brazil. For her, Gafieira Rio Miami is a golden opportunity to demonstrate that Brazil is not separate from the rest of the Americas.

In addition, he noted that globalization and major musical phenomena in Portuguese and Spanish have managed to break that language barrier over the years.

Gafieira Rio Miami

Gafieira Rio Miami was born from a much smaller idea that began with just seven musicians. As the project grew, the group managed to have a total of 11 members, including five brass players, the rhythmic part, and a singer. There are 10 musicians and one vocalist, Isabelle. The members include Brazilians, Venezuelans, and Americans, but they are all united by the passion for Brazilian music.

Diogo and Laura — Diogo Brown and Laura Pausini

In a music scene that pushes bands and orchestras to make themselves smaller, Gafieira Rio Miami has always chosen to remain intact despite the circumstances. Diogo has been perfectly clear that if he’s offered a gig with fewer musicians, he prefers to say no. He says there are 11 members and all are needed for every performance, since otherwise, the impact of the live music would not be the same.