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Search Results for: Salsa music
Ralph Mercado: The Visionary Who Turned the Rhythm of the Barrio into a Global Phenomenon
The Giant of New York Salsa
Ralph Mercado was a music promoter and an iconic figure of Salsa and Latin music in New York. More than just an entrepreneur, Mercado was the strategist who took Salsa out of local New York clubs and placed it on the world’s most prestigious stages.
Through his vision, the sound of Latin identity found a commercial language without losing its “street” essence, making him the most influential tropical music mogul of the 20th century.
Creator of “The Perfect Combination”; Early Days in the Bronx and Brooklyn
Of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent, Mercado was born on September 29, 1941, in Brooklyn. As a mere teenager, he was already organizing parties and dances as the president of a neighborhood social club.
He later founded the 3 & 1 Club on Atlantic Avenue, which hosted local bands and musicians such as Eddie Palmieri and Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz, among many others. Shortly thereafter, he created his first production and promotion company, Showstoppers, through which he promoted R&B acts of the caliber of James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight & the Pips, The Stylistics, and The Chi-Lites.
Expanding the Empire
He eventually ventured into Manhattan, where he helped expand the legendary Fania All-Stars, promoted dances at the Cheetah Nightclub, and presented Latin Jazz artists at venues like the Red Garter and the Village Gate. In 1972, Mercado established RMM Management, representing Palmieri and Ray Barretto.
He managed the genre’s biggest stars, including Tito Puente and Celia Cruz, with whom he worked for 25 years. “I learned so much from her,” Mercado told the AP in July 2003, following the passing of the “Queen of Salsa.” “I witnessed the impact she had in every country we visited.”
Mercado credited Cruz and Puente with the internationalization of Salsa. “They were two artists with so much talent and such good hearts… something unrepeatable,” he expressed at the time.
The RMM Phenomenon
By 1987, his popular “Latin Tinge” nights at the Palladium attracted hundreds of salseros every Thursday. In 1992, he founded the independent label RMM, which branched into RMM Records, RMM Filmworks, and two publishing houses. With a catalog of over 140 artists, the label sold millions of albums annually.
Mercado brought Salsa to South America and to places as remote as Africa, Asia, and Israel. He personally discovered and launched the careers of talents like Marc Anthony, La India, Domingo Quiñones, Tony Vega, José Alberto “El Canario,” and Tito Nieves. For his work, he received numerous accolades, including the Billboard Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999.
The RMM Label: A Hit Factory
Mercado’s impact was solidified by his ability to adapt tradition to changing times. While others clung to the past, Ralph understood the potential of Salsa Romántica and the power of international collaborations. RMM didn’t just produce records; it produced culture, documenting the history of the rhythm through videos and massive concerts that redefined the concept of Latin entertainment.
His influence extended far beyond recording. As a promoter, he opened markets in Europe, Asia, and throughout Latin America, ensuring the tumbao was heard in every corner of the planet. He was a relentless negotiator and a protector of the legends’ legacies, ensuring that Latin Jazz and Salsa Dura maintained their academic prestige while dominating the pop charts.
An Indelible Legacy
“Without him, I don’t believe the Fania All-Stars would have achieved the success they did,” stated Eddie Palmieri. Meanwhile, promoter Leo Tizol remembered him as someone “accessible and noble” who never refused to share his knowledge with those starting out.
Ralph Mercado passed away on March 10, 2009, surrounded by his wife Cynthia, his five children, his siblings, and his grandchildren. His departure left a void that as the greats of music often say can never be filled.
Source: RMM / Photo: Ralph Mercado Archives
Also Read: Hector Maisonave Manager of the Greatest Salseros in New York
Profile of Raimundo Elpidio Vázquez Lauzurica: The Guardian of the Rhythm in Sonora Matancera
The heir to a musical dynasty that defined the sound of the “Dean of Latin Ensembles”
On March 15, 1934, the Jesús María neighborhood in Havana saw the birth of one of the most solid figures in Cuban syncopation: Raimundo Elpidio Vázquez Lauzurica. Known worldwide as “Elpidio Vázquez,” his destiny was written between the strings of a double bass and the mystique of Cuba’s most iconic musical group.
As the son of the legendary Pablo Vázquez Gobín (“Bubú”) and the older brother of master pianist Javier Vázquez, Elpidio did not just inherit an instrument he inherited a historical responsibility.
His formal connection with Sonora Matancera began in 1952, when he started subbing for his father. It didn’t take long for his talent to secure him the permanent spot, becoming the rhythmic backbone of the institution until the end of his career.
Legacy and Musical Contributions: Beyond the Double Bass
Elpidio Vázquez was not just a performer; he was a sonic architect. His ability to maintain a precise tumbao allowed Sonora Matancera to preserve that unmistakable harmonic signature that captivated the entire continent.
In addition to his technical prowess, Elpidio shined as a composer, contributing tracks that became essential hits:
- “Le dio con la sartén”: A guaracha recorded by the “Flaco de Oro” (The Golden Thin Man), Celio González, in late 1959.
- “La negrita inteligente”: A gem performed by the Queen herself, Celia Cruz, in 1961.
His versatility led him to explore other musical horizons. He participated in the vibrant Cuban descarga (jam) sessions alongside Osvaldo “Chihuahua” Martínez and collaborated on historic recordings with giants of salsa and bolero, such as Ismael Rivera, Daniel Santos, Johnny Pacheco, Justo Betancourt, and Roberto Torres.
The Double Bass: Unlike many bassists of the salsa era who quickly transitioned to the Baby Bass or the electric bass, Elpidio is remembered for his mastery of the acoustic double bass, maintaining that organic, deep sonority of traditional, evolved Cuban son.
Recognition and Saying Goodbye to the Stage
One of the most memorable chapters of his career took place in 1989, during the 65th-anniversary celebration of Sonora Matancera. Organized by Gilda Mirós, Elpidio rocked world-renowned stages like Carnegie Hall and New York’s Central Park, reaffirming the band’s timeless relevance.
Career with Sonora Matancera
- The Historic Handover: In 1952, Elpidio took on the responsibility of replacing his father on the double bass for Sonora Matancera. This was no small task, as he had to maintain the characteristic tumbao that had defined the group’s sound for decades.
- Sonic Signature: He is credited with imprinting a robust harmonic stamp and a rhythmic stability that allowed Sonora to back the biggest stars of the era (Celia Cruz, Nelson Pinedo, Bienvenido Granda, etc.) with flawless precision.
- Exile and Continuity: Like the rest of the group, he left Cuba in 1960, continuing his career abroad and participating in Sonora’s prolific New York era and their international tours.
A historical footnote: After the death of Rogelio Martínez, it is said that Elpidio was designated as the group’s musical director by public deed. However, in a gesture of humility and after decades of dedication, he preferred to retire in New Jersey, letting his brother Javier take the helm for the orchestra’s new era.
Today, the figure of Elpidio Vázquez remains a symbol of artistic fidelity and musical excellence the bridge between the tradition of “Bubú” and the modernity of New York salsa.
José Mangual Sr. “Buyú”: The Architect of Bongo Sound Defining the Rules of How it Should Sound
In the history of Afro-Latin music, there are names that didn’t just play an instrument they defined the rules of how it should sound. José Mangual Sr., known universally as “Buyú,” is one of those pillars.
An extraordinary and legendary percussionist, José Mangual Sr. was the founder of the prestigious percussive lineage that carries his surname.
Since his childhood in Juana Díaz, he professed a deep love for music; by age ten, he was already playing professionally, and during his youth, he even enjoyed crafting his own bongos.
Over time, he became the musician who endowed the instrument with an extraordinary sonority. He was the father of the equally prominent percussionists José Mangual Jr. and Luis Mangual.
The Architect of Sound on the Bongos defining the rules of how it should sound
Considered by experts as one of the greatest bongo players of all time, his legacy remains the gold standard for meter and tuning in Latin Jazz and Salsa.
From Juana Díaz to the Heart of Spanish Harlem
Born on March 18, 1924, in Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico, Mangual discovered his vocation at age 10. However, his musical destiny was sealed in 1938 when he migrated to New York at the age of 14.
Settling in Spanish Harlem (“El Barrio”), he found himself at the epicenter of a cultural explosion that was about to change world music forever.
The Consecration: Machito and his Afro-Cubans
Although he began by filling the timbales position, it was with the Machito and his Afro-Cubans orchestra where “Buyú” made history. Under the direction of Mario Bauzá (who is said to have given him his nickname), Mangual remained with the group for nearly 17 years.
- Rhythmic Innovation: He was part of the “perfect percussion trio” alongside Carlos Vidal (congas) and Machito (maracas).
- Historic Fusion: His performance was key to blending the complexity of Afro-Cuban rhythms with the harmonies of New York Jazz in the 1940s and 50s.
An Unrivaled Session Musician
His technique was so clean and his sound so bright that he became the preferred collaborator for the biggest stars. Throughout his career, he contributed his mastery to projects led by:
- Tito Puente: The “King of the Timbales.”
- Israel López “Cachao”: Participating in historic Afro-Cuban Jazz “descargas” (jam sessions).
- Jazz Greats: His versatility allowed him to navigate fluidly between the world of Big Bands and traditional Salsa ensembles.
Pedagogical Legacy and Solo Career
In the 70s and 80s, Mangual recorded music not only for enjoyment but also for instruction:
- Album “Buyú” (1977): A Latin Jazz gem on the Turnstyle label, featuring tracks like “Black & Brown Boogie.”
- Musical Education: Alongside conguero Carlos “Patato” Valdés, he recorded the volumes of Understanding Latin Rhythms. These LPs became the auditory manual for thousands of percussionists around the globe.
- The Mangual Dynasty: In 1986, he consolidated his family heritage with the album Los Mangual: Una Dinastía, recording alongside his talented sons.
“The sound of his cowbell and his bongo didn’t just mark time; they cemented the foundations of the music we dance to today.”
The Patriarch of a Dynasty
The impact of José Mangual Sr. extends through his sons, who inherited his musical excellence:
- José Mangual Jr. (“El Milamores”): Famous bongo player and singer, a key figure in the orchestras of Willie Colón and Héctor Lavoe.
- Luis Mangual: Renowned percussionist and musical director.
Passing and Recognition: Buyú passed away in 1998, leaving an irreplaceable void. In 2001, he was posthumously inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame a fitting tribute to the man who gave the bongo unprecedented brilliance and elegance.
Also Read: Israel “Cachao” López, a Cuban musician and composer, has been hailed as “the Inventor of Mambo”
Uruguayan composer and multiinstrumentalist Sebastián Natal and his band Grupo Sensación
After having contact for days and overcoming some pitfalls, we could finally get to talking with producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Sebastián Natal, who kindly attended and revealed his views on the path he has followed to become the great artist he is today.
Sebastián Natal’s beginnings
First, Sebastián appreciated our interest in learning a little more about him and began to describe his native country’s musical and cultural context at the time. First of all, the artist was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, where a tropical music movement was established by then, considering many genres from the tropics and the Caribbean, such as salsa, bachata, merengue, cumbia, guaguancó, and many more.
Obviously, these genres did not originate in Uruguay, as bomba is Puerto Rican, salsa is Cuban, and bachata is Dominican. However, there were quite a few groups and musicians who used these tropical roots to create their own identity. Outside of Montevideo, other provinces listened much more to cumbia and charanga.
The orchestras that played these rhythms were dedicated to developing covers of salsa songs, but by bringing them into other genres that were emerging at the time, such as plena, plena danza, and bomba, among others. Sebastián grew up with this sonority in his country, so the whole musical environment he was exposed to abroad became very familiar to him and easy to assimilate. From the early ‘nineties, as a young boy, he began to absorb all the influence from the dawn of romantic salsa and iconic songs such as “Aquel Viejo Motel,” “Cinco Rosas,” “Sin Sentimiento,” “Amores Como El Nuestro,” and many others of its kind.
It is worth adding that Sebastián comes from a family of musicians, starting with his own father, Yeneca Natal, who was the musical director and pianist for Grupo Sensación. Music always surrounded him, so it can be said that he was meant to follow this path.
When and why Sebastián left Uruguay and moved to New York
In 2005, at just 21 years old, Sebastián joined the Sonora Borinquen, which was the most popular orchestra at the time. Thanks to them, he had the opportunity to tour the United States and Canada, where he could see environments and ways of working that were completely different from what he was used to. Two years later, he toured the United States again, but by then he already saw the country as a new destination to advance his career.
Unfortunately, Uruguay was becoming too small for the plans he had for his development in salsa, which sparked his curiosity about the Big Apple and all it had to offer him musically speaking.
By 2008, he decided to move to New York for a few months, but so many doors opened for him that he never left and continues to live there to this very day.
Sebastián, the multi-instrumentalist
The first instrument Sebastián came in contact with was the piano, which he started playing it at age four and from which he graduated at age 11. Since he had not attended high school yet, he could not study a master’s degree to continue his musical education. In addition, he was a child who wanted to play football and do the usual things for his age, so a few years later, his father made him join an Afro-Uruguayan music group. In that orchestra Sebastián played piano and bass, which allowed him to further develop his skills with those instruments.
After that, he began to create his own tropical music band, inspired by the Venezuelan orchestra Los Adolescentes. All the members were minors, and, as well as in the previous group, Sebastián also played piano and bass.
Sebastián as a producer and composer
Regarding his role as a producer and composer, Sebastián confessed that he has no idea how he came to learn these areas of music. He did emphasize that he always lets his music and his feelings flow to deliver the message he wants to convey in each of his pieces. After that, he defines the ideas and adds the music.
He says he greatly admires professional lyricists and composers. He admits he is neither the best nor the worst composer, but he always tries to reach his own heart to convey what he feels.
Sebastián Natal Y Grupo Sensación
The idea of Grupo Sensación started with the orchestra of the same name where his father worked in 1982, but unfortunately the group did not have much impact due to how closed that environment was at the time. There were a number of orchestras that got the best contracts, and it was very difficult for the rest to achieve. Over time, Yeneca left Grupo Sensación and managed to join several of these more established orchestras to gain more reputation.
Soon after, when Sebastián moved to the United States, he almost immediately noted that the Uruguayan community needed a tropical orchestra, but he did not know what name give it. With the passing of his father on October 19, 2010, he chose to use the name “Grupo Sensación” as a way to continue the legacy of his father and the tropical movement born in his country so many years ago.
Artists he has collaborated with
Sebastián has had the opportunity to collaborate with artists of the stature of Nino Cegarra, Oscar D’León, José Alberto “El Canario,” Domingo Quiñones, Tony Vega, Roberto Blades, Cheo Feliciano, Tito Nieves, Viti Ruiz, and many more. However, few were the ones with whom he has truly been able to have a conversation or a close connection beyond purely profesional relationships.
“You can only say you played with someone if you’ve had a connection with that person. I’ve been able to play with great artists, but many times they don’t even know who I am. That’s why I don’t include them on my resume. Now if they call you back, then you can say you did things very well and that there’s someone really interested in you,” said Sebastián on this interesting subject.
The cases of Bill Murray and Camila Cabello were completely different, as he managed to record songs with them through his friend and fellow musician, Pedrito Martínez, whom he describes as “the best percussionist in the world”. It was also Martínez who connected him with the world-famous composer and guitarist Eric Clapton, with whom he performed at the American Airlines Center in Dallas—one of the most beautiful experiences he has had in his career and his life in general.
Read also: Bandleader and conga player Tony Rosa tells us how he built his career