Search Results for: Salsa music

Jesus Pagan and his Orchestra Salsa Artist, Singer, Composer and Producer.

He began his musical career in 1991 as a percussionist and backup singer with various tropical music and nueva trova groups in Puerto Rico, being the Andrés Jiménez “El Jibaro”‘s group the best known amont those at that time.

In 1997, Jesús moved to the state of Massachusetts to get on with his life and continue his duties privately until he was invited to share a rehearsal of the Carlos Pabón’s orchestra, brother of salsa singer David Pabón.

That is when he again took the path on music, this time, as a lead singer. His name quickly ran throughout New England letting slip that this little guy was a great singer and sonero. Local orchestras such as The Latin Heartbeat, Komboloko, Ray Gonzalez, Eguie Castrillo and Frankie Rodriguez Y Homenaje A La Salsa immediately opened to him the doors and opened the plate to stand out as a great singer and sonero.

By 2008 Jesus Pagan was counting in a vast experience as a singer, sonero and composer, so he decided to release his first album under the title “Salsa De La Mata” becoming the new sense of the art of soneo in the genre he loves, Salsa. This album immediately became a classic of modern salsa.

Figures such as Hector “Maximo” Rodriguez, Eddie Montalvo, Ray Castro, Luisito Quintero, Joe Fiedler, Ray De La Paz and Lucho Cueto are among the talents in this recording which earned Jesus Pagan a Paoli Award and a U.S. Grammy Award nomination.

After this recording Jesus Pagan has released 3 other albums including one that he considers very special in his career which is “Ya Llego Conjunto Barrio”, “Somos Del Barrio” which he produced locally in the area of Springfield and Holyoke Ma. with musicians of the local salsa scene and internationally renowned figures.

Currently, Jesús Pagan is in the initial phase of what will be his new salsa work and has also recorded with other orchestras and artists in several genres as a guest artist, backup singer and composer.

Currently, Jesús Pagan also works as a chorister and singer for many of the best-known salsa artists in his environment. As a chorist, he has accompanied artists such as: Ismael Miranda, Tony Vega, Johnny Rivera, Adalberto Santiago, NG2, Frankie Negrón, Ray De La Paz, Raulin Rosendo, Wilmer Lozano, Héctor Tricoche, Tito Rojas, Roberto Blades, Willie González, Giro, Michael “El Buenon” and many others. As a singer, he has performed with: Larry Harlow, Richie Ray, George Delgado Y Conjunto Neoyorquino, Conjunto Classico, Alex Torres, Luisito Rey Y La Dinámica, Orquesta Dicupe and many others who have invited him to be part of special performances.

Recently, he returned from a super successful tour in Medellin, Colombia where he was the guest singer for the classic salsa orchestra from New York, the Dicupe orchestra in a sold out concert, over 10,000 people at La Macarena bullring.

His dreams realized include his performance at the most famous concert hall in the world, Carnegie Hall in New York City at a sold out concert with Puerto Rican percussionist Eguie Castrillo’s The Palladium Big Band and “The Gentleman of Salsa” Gilberto Santa Rosa featured as a guest artist by the year 2012.

Jesús Pagan also had the honor of being one of the main singers to salute the memory of Puerto Rican composer Rafael Hernández in a concert in his honour at the Mortenzen River Front Town Square in Hartford Ct and sang together with the son of the celebrated composer Chali Hernández.

Another of his achievements was to open 2 important concerts for renowned figures of the salsa scene. The first one at the UMASS Fine Arts a sold out concert with singer La India and the other one at the Boston City Hall for “Salsa’s bad boy” Willie Colon.

Jesús Pagan Y Su Orquesta Jesús Pagan & Conjunto Barrio

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For booking: 413-297-8937 / 413-505-4745 E-mail: [email protected]

Artist Manager: Damaris Rivera de Pagan

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By: Erika Muñoz

La Mulata Rumbera

“Se Armó la Rumba en México“

International Salsa Magazine Correspondent

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Life and biography

Bobby Cruz is one of those names that definitely does not require much introduction. This tremendous songwriter and Christian pastor has made a dream career in which he has earned all sorts of awards and recognition that demonstrate his value as an artist, including gold records, Grammys, platinum records, among other world-class awards.   

Roberto Cruz Ramos was born on 26 February 26 1937 in Hormigueros, Puerto Rico. He grew up in a very humble family that was dedicated to farm activities for a living. His father was one of those many workers in the town who gathered sugar cane from the fields intended for growing that product and became a labour leader who was highly respected by his co-workers and locals. When the family moved to New York City, USA, he entered school, discovered his passion for music and began to be heavily influenced by performers and groups such as the Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, which he considered a source of inspiration. 

In 1963, he met the man who would become his great musical running mate and with whom he would get many of the most important hits of his career. This was Ricardo Maldonado Morales, artistically known as Richie Ray, who was his neighbor and with whom he gave life to the orquesta de Richie Ray y Bobby Cruz. Even today, this is still considered to be one of the most important groups in the history of salsa, so no one can talk about this genre without mentioning both stars as compulsory references for anyone who wishes to study salsa in depth.   

Together with Ray, he reaped unimagined success and won many awards, one of the most important being first place in the Orchestras Festival thanks to the song La Zafra, which conquered the public and the jury by its heartfelt lyrics which referred to the daily struggle of the workers in the sugar cane fields and their experiences. If we take into account the fact that the father of Bobby was a sugarcane worker and someone respected in his trade, this song acquires a far stronger meaning for anyone who has had the fortune of hearing it. 

Within the year, more specifically in 1974, Bobby became an evangelical pastor after Ray invited him to attend the same evangelical church of which he formed part. He did not much like the idea at first, but then changed his mind and became a faithful servant of Jesus, as he defines himself. 

That was how he started a very interesting facet in both his life and his artistic career. In a way, Cruz succeeded in mixing his passion for music with his new religious beliefs. This is how Bobby and Ray began to use a religious approach to their musical works, a decision that unfortunately led to the loss of a large number of their followers. However, that did not stop them and they went on to regain the confidence of their fans and members of their church, who were not very happy with the idea at first. 

Current projects 

Currently, Bobby Cruz is involved in a host of projects that takes up a lot of his time. One of them is the launch of his new book entitled Hubo Una vez un niño, the pages of which tell the story of a group of young inmates and their experiences in prison. The artist used stories he heard during his visits to prisons in Puerto Rico and other countries as part of his work as an evangelical pastor. In those prisons, he discovered stories about boys born into good families and healthy homes, but that did not stop them from ending up in prison for many reasons. 

The fact that many of these boys were sons of pastors really touched him and made him wonder what had led these boys to commit acts so reprehensible having grown up in Christian homes. Moreover, there were many criminals who wanted to join the church and redeem themselves after having broken the law at that time. All of these things inspired Bobby in such a way that he wanted to create a story where he could reflect all of these elements that bothered him. It is now available on Amazon and many other platforms through which those interested can purchase it. 

As additional data, the Puerto Rican let it be known that he is already working on the television version of the book, which will consist of 10 or 12 chapters in total.   

One of the projects that Cruz has in mind is the launch of a film based on the trajectory of the singer with his orchestra fellow Richie Ray. It will be titled Richie Ray y Bobby Cruz, los reyes de la salsa and is expected to be the closest thing to the reality lived by the duo in years of greatest splendor. Although people of any age can enjoy it, it is known that it will be focused on the public that enjoyed their talent in the 70s and the actors are immensely similar to the performers in the time.   

Among other details, it has been revealed that the film is already made and is in the process of being edited for release this year. It is just not clear the name of the platform that will be used to broadcast it, since the artists are waiting for the most attractive proposal possible. It was rumored that there were talks with Netflix to be the streaming service charged with broadcasting the film, but nothing has been confirmed officially.   

Official Facebook page: Bobby Cruz

By: Johnny Cruz correspondent of International Salsa Magazine in New York City, New York

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Johnny Rivera Born in Manhattan and raised in the Bronx, NY.

Better known as El Noble de la Salsa, with more than 40 years of artistic career, a descendant of Puerto Rican parents.

He began his artistic career in New York, thanks to the influence of his uncle Adalberto Santiago, he began to demonstrate a strong inclination towards music and a great desire to prosper as a singer and learn all genres of music and especially Salsa, he continued his studies to improve his technique in singing and in a short time as a singer and chorus singer, he joined his uncle Adalberto Santiago and once he had the backing.

JOHNNY showed his talent, recording in the album Noche caliente, Volume 2, the song “Terciopelo y piedra” with Meñique and Tito Allen.

In 1980 JOHNNY RIVERA, was presented with the opportunity to record with several great orchestras that put him in the spotlight of the Music Industry, including a youth orchestra, Grupo Fascinación.

He recorded three additional albums, later he also received the opportunity to join Conjunto Clasico, standing out as a lead singer, he recorded two albums with Conjunto Clasico before leaving for his solo career, he recorded his first album now for real in his debut as a soloist, he stayed between Puerto Rico and New York.

The songs “Necesito Una Amiga”, “Esa Chica Es Mia” and “Como Fui A Enamorarme de ti” were hits from that production and the salsa singer had already recorded his second album entitled Encuentro Casual.

The first single from this album, “Te Regalare”, became a hit upon its release.

In 1993, Johnny Rivera recorded his third album, Cuando Parara La Lluvia, which featured three hit singles, “Cuando Parara La Lluvia”, “Por Eso está conmigo” and “Voy a Conquistar Tu Amor”.

Cuando Parara La Lluvia earned platinum accolades shortly after its release and made an impact around the world.

Rivera made a name for himself at New York’s Madison Square Garden, during his tenure with the late Ralph Mercado’s RMM label, Johnny Rivera had the opportunity to join another of the most important music star conglomerates of all time, the RMM Salsa Stars or the also renowned Combination Perfecta, where along with salsa artist Ray Sepulveda he earned multiple Gold and Platinum Records for sales in the United States and Latin America, including the Caribbean for the worldwide hit titled “No vale la Pena”.

In 1994 Johnny received the Paoli Award for Newcomer of the Year and the Diplo Award for Best Album of the Year.

Johnny Rivera has also obtained first places in the Billboard charts and has performed in the most important stages of the world such as Madison Square Garden in New York and is one of the most recognized salsa artists worldwide who has traveled with his music and charisma to cities around the world such as Cali, Bogota, Medellin, Venezuela, Lima, Quito, Guayaquil, Panama City, Guadalajara, San Jose, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, London, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, among many others, always enjoying great acceptance and popularity in recent years.

Now Johnny Rivera, a salsa legend hopes to surpass the success of his past and present musical endeavors with a resume that boasts the accomplishments that only a man of his caliber and experience can show.

For this year 2021 El Noble de la Salsa launches his latest album titled “Romántico y Algo Mas” 

Already available on all digital platforms…!

The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson

Antonio “Tony” Succar (Lima, May 18, 1986) is a Peruvian-American percussionist, composer, arranger, band leader and producer.

Succar was born in Lima, Peru. When he was two years old, his family emigrated to the United States and settled in Miami, Florida.

Among his relatives were several musicians who encouraged Succar to develop his own musical interests. The family’s musical tradition began with his paternal great-grandparents, Mexican composer Lauro D. Uranga and Spanish flamenco dancer Adelina Esteve Gregory.

Succar’s father, Antonio F. Succar, is a pianist and his mother Mimy Succar Tayrako Sakaguchi is a singer. Since he was 3 years old Tony started playing in The Peruvian Cajon, when Succar was 13, he started playing drums with his parents’ band when they played at weddings and other private and corporate functions, mainly in Miami, Florida, USA.

Succar attended Miami Sunset Senior High School in Miami-Dade County. At the time his ambition was to be a professional soccer player, and he played on several teams, including his high school team when it won the 2004 state championship. He later tried to earn a soccer scholarship to Florida International University. Unable to get a scholarship, he asked his father for study advice.

The advice he received was to apply to FIU’s School of Music.

Seeking an interview with the school’s drum instructor, he ended up auditioning for the Latin jazz ensemble and was quickly accepted. Succar earned a Bachelor of Arts in Jazz Performance in 2008 and went on to study for a master’s degree, which he earned in 2010.

Succar already had an active musical career while still an undergraduate student. As a junior in college he took over as musical director of the family band, which he renamed Mixtura.

On September 21, 2010, Succar released an album recorded at his graduation recital, a live concert with Mixtura at the Wertheim Performing Arts Center in Miami. This CD/DVD contains a mix of Latin-influenced arrangements of classic jazz numbers and original material. It received numerous positive reviews including from Audiophile Audition5 and JazzChicago.

After graduating from FIU, Succar became artist-in-residence in 2012, and continued to work with the school’s music students on a number of projects. He is the youngest artist to ever hold this appointment at FIU.

Succar has worked with several prominent artists in Latin music genres. These include Tito Nieves, La India, Kevin Ceballo, Michael Stuart, Jon Secada, Jennifer Peña, Jean Rodriguez and Obie Bermudez, who collaborated with him on Unity: The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson.

The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson

Unity: The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson is a collaborative project to produce a musical tribute to Michael Jackson. In addition to live performances, the project plans to release an album consisting of 14 Jackson songs rewritten to include Latin influences, primarily salsa and Latin American rhythms, Succar, who was a long-term fan of Jackson’s work, is the founder and producer of the project. Unity launched in 2015 with a concert at Miami’s Olympia Theater sponsored and broadcast on PBS TV, 360 stations, primetime, Friday night at 9:00 p. m., and also sponsored by Universal Music Classic.

Unity features over 100 musicians, Latin superstars such as Tito Nieves, Jon Secada, La India, Obie Bermudez, Jennifer Pena, Michael Stuward, Angel Lopez, Sheila E., Judith Hill, Jean Rodriguez, Fernando Vargas, Maribel Diaz, Kevin Ceballo, hosted on PBS TV by Gloria Estefan, and the magic of Jackson’s legendary engineer, Bruce Swedien.

Succar’s sound is refined and distinctive. His up-tempo songs have an unmatched explosive energy, while his slower arrangements are soulful and captivate the listener with the intricate nuances that are signatures of his sound.

Tony is currently working on his next album and touring the world with his band.

He has performed at the Caribbean Sea Jazz Festival (Aruba), the Ravinia Festival (Chicago), Auditorio Telmex (Mexico), Vivo Beach (Puerto Rico), Tempo Latino (France) and the 2019 Latin Grammy Awards (MGM Grand Las Vegas ), among others.

Contacts:

Youtube: tonysuccarofficial

www.tonysuccar.com

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