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Poncho Sanchez visited us at the Salsa Museum
Like every month, we are going to dedicate this edition to a very special name in the Latin music scene and it is about the extraordinary percussionist and conguero Poncho Sanchez, who has given us the honor of donating some of his congas and the suit he wore during the Grammy Awards to the Spaha Salsa Gallery Museum.
In gratitude to such a generous act, we want to dedicate the following lines to his brilliant career and everything he has contributed to Latin music with his work and talent.
Poncho’s beginnings in music
Pablo Sanchez, better known as Poncho Sanchez, is currently a percussionist and salsa singer who leads a renowned Latin jazz and Cuban music band. He became such a talented artist after a long journey in the difficult and competitive music industry.
Poncho is the son of two Mexicans from different cities who had eleven children, the musician being the youngest of them all. From a very young age, he developed an intense love for music, which led him to learn to play instruments on his own.
Although Poncho was born in Laredo, Texas, he spent all his childhood in Los Angeles with his family. In that place, he began to have a lot of contact with American jazz, Latin jazz and soul. During his adolescent years, his musical tastes were dominated by artists such as Mongo Santamaría, James Brown, John Coltraine, Miles Davis, among many others.
When he decided he wanted to take music up professionally, he began to teach himself to play the congas, guitar, drums, timbales and flute. This is how he was preparing for what was to come in his professional life later on.
When he reached adulthood in his twenties, he was playing in various dance clubs for a while, until finally he got Cal Tjader and his group to notice his talent and invite him to join them.
Today, Poncho is very grateful to Cal and said that he learned a lot from him during the time he was in the group. In fact, he even recalled in an interview that he gave him some lessons just as he was a teacher and Poncho was a student. This, in order to be on par with his bandmates and be able to put on a good show to the public.
Poncho as a soloist
In 1980, Poncho finally managed to form his own group with which he began to carry out certain projects, although he had not completely departed from Cal’s band. In fact, the conguero worked with the musical director till the end of his days in 1982.
Just a few months later, he signed with the Concord Records label to release his first official solo album, which he titled ”Sonando”, marking the beginning of a partnership that remains intact to this day. So far, Poncho has some two dozen recordings with Concord.
Following decades of starting his career, Poncho saw his dreams become a reality when he won a Grammy for ”Best Latin Album” in 1999 thanks to the Latin soul album he had recorded at the time. That’s when the artist finally felt that everything he had worked for in the previous years had paid off.
As for his latest album called ”Trane’s Delight”, Poncho seeks to pay homage to the artists who have inspired him and helped him develop his own art, as he considers that these personalities have been a fundamental basis for his growth as a music professional.
If you want to listen to Tasty Salsa tune in to Ritmo Sabor y Salsa with Nesmary J. Gómez
Nesmary J. Gómez H. was born in Venezuela, Miranda state, city of Los Teques on January 9, 1995.
Nesmary is a young student of social communication at the Bolivarian University of Venezuela, Announcer of the Ritmo Sabor y Salsa program.
From an early age she felt attracted to the salsa genre and at 3 years old she sang Pedro Simon (dumb things) of the Colón orchestra when she turned 7 she already danced songs by Oscar D’ León and the Latin Dimension.
Afirma Nesmary Gómez que gracias a su abuela materna y quién ha sido fiel seguidora del sonero del mundo “Mi abuela Gloria Hueck a ella le debo todo lo que soy una mujer inigualable una madre para mi luego de la trágica muerte de mi mama, fue mi abuela quien me crío y crecí a su lado escuchando desde Óscar D León hasta un Ismael Rivera, Henry Fiol”.
With 12 Years she fell in love with the radio by being a very active listener of all the radios of the town making herself known by almost all the announcers earning the heart and affection for being the number 1 listener of different programs.
Being in the first year of basic education he had the experience of airing an educational program on the community radio Urquia 97.5FM being this radio the first to open its doors to him.
After 3 years she is taken into account for a new project as co-producer “El baúl de los recuerdos” on the community radio of Carrizal 91.5FM with the physically disappeared Jhonny Tovar, who with his great support was able to highlight the talent of this young woman, said project had a duration of 2 years.
The opportunities remained present and is called by the director of a commercial radio Carlos Daniel Piñango man who fully trusts this young prospect of broadcasting and is included as a second voice in the El Hormiguero RV program where he was nourished every day more when working with The announcer Mario García is a long-distance man who so far is a reference on Altomirandina radio.
When life began to smile at her a hard blow after the death of her second child made that young woman passionate about the voiceover lose the desire to live “I remember that by that moment I felt the desire to die, depression and pain led me to a bad emotional and physical state.
Thanks to our heavenly father who gave me strength to get up” The best way not to be overcome by pain was a radio booth starting as an audio operator in different live programs, in addition to motivating himself to create a project of the salsa genre called Salsa and Control project that lasted 4 years and was interrupted by situations beyond his will.
This talented young woman continues to prepare herself day by day to be an example of overcoming and show that obstacles can be overcome with perseverance and perseverance “There is no pain that separated us from what we like, on the contrary when you have pain the best thing is to take refuge in what we are so passionate about and mainly in God”.
For 1 year and a half has been airing a proposal that is giving something to talk about Ritmo Sabor y Salsa is Nesmary Gómez’s project on Radio PLENITUD 90.9FM Monday Wednesday and Friday between 2:00 – 4:00pm from where this year 2023.
Has been sharing in exclusive interviews with great exponents of the genre such as Mauricio Silva, Viti Ruiz, Pedro Arroyo, Edgar Joel, Lus “Perico” Ortiz, Gus Colón, Fernando Cancel, Antonio Cartagena, among many other artists.
Who appreciate the existence of this program that gives the audience the opportunity to know their musical trajectory in chronological order.
“I am one of the few people who think and feel that artists must be honored in life, let’s not wait for them to leave this earthly plane to pay tribute and place their songs, let’s give him that great satisfaction that You can enjoy it in life” said space recently premiered the segment “La Clave de la Salsa”.
In honor of that percussion instrument, to those two cylindrical wooden sticks on which many of the music of the Caribbean are built and for this case the salsa known as the key, in this segment the story of 2 songs that sounded insistently and that are still kept in the memories and taste of the public is known.
Nesmary recently received his speech certificate at the Elac of Santa Rosa University. Being one of the few female voices in Los Teques and all the Altos Mirandinos that has the perfect formula to brighten your afternoons in the company of a great audio operator known as Carlos “Lolo” Marrero the duo that is delighting you and dictating catedra quoting those words of the renowned singer Roberto Lugo “If you want to listen to a tasty salsa tune in to Ritmo Sabor y Salsa there is no hay más na”.
Also Read: Lizna Tovar winner in the category Voice Over of the year 2022 in Canary Islands Tenerife
The Cali Fair is the main and most important event in the city.
Get to know the Cali Fair.
It is the biggest event of our city and a cherished symbol of our cultural identity. Every year from December 25th to 30th, Cali residents reaffirm their unwavering passion for life, salsa, and joy.
The Fair’s origins trace back to an exclusively bullfighting event. Historians note that this celebration lasted an entire month. Priorly, festivities were held in the grand halls within hotels and clubs, with Antillean-inspired music.
The Cali Fair in Colombia offers a variety of events, including the Salsódromo parade featuring classic and antique cars, the Superconcert, and the great verbena. This maximum event of the city showcases the folklore and culture of its people.
The Cali Fair has a mythical origin, with its birth rooted in history. Unfortunately, a colossal explosion resulted in the immediate death of nearly 4,000 people and left at least 12,000 injured.
For an entire year, our city experienced a deep depression, compounded by socioeconomic hardships.
Around 1.1 million people attend annually.
The event showcases a historical tour of the city’s streets and the collections of Cali. Participants drive vintage vehicles manufactured during the early 1900s while dressed in period costumes alongside their loved ones.
Symbol of our caleñidad.
Fair exemplifies the unique qualities of our community, transforming and showing resilience.
This fair is a timely invitation to reconstruct socio-affective bonds, safeguard traditions, and strengthen culture.
The Cali Fair is a unique, inclusive and diverse space where, within the framework of the festival, the exercise of a responsible, civic, supportive and respectful citizenship is valued, which as one makes alive the exercise of citizenship with a deep intention to strengthen vital elements for life in citizenship, in a bid to unite the city in purposes that contribute to the common good in a constructive dialogue that recognizes who we are to meet again in the difference, ratifying that the Cali Fair is and will continue to be joy that inspires.
Cali is Salsa.
If you are in Cali during the Feria you will live the best days of your life, where Salsa, dance, gastronomy and the warmth of its people will make you fall in love with La Sucursal del Cielo.
The city where there are more than 100 dance schools and more than 2,000 dancers and where the World Salsa Festival is held every year.
Cali is Gastronomy.
Cali is a universe of flavors, a city with a rich gastronomic offer, invaluable gift
gastronomic offer, a priceless gift from the cultures that converge in the Sultana del Valle, such as the mestizo peoples of the Andes, the indigenous and Afro-Colombian
indigenous and Afro-Colombian peoples.
To enjoy all these wonderful dishes in Cali there are five gastronomic zones: Peñón, Granada, Ciudad Jardín, Parque del Perro and Zona T (Calle 9 between carreras 56 and 66).
Cali is Tourism.
Santiago de Cali is strengthened in tourism to show the world all its virtues in nature, culture, sports, among others.
We are a destination that inspires locals and visitors with the human quality of its inhabitants, the traditional flavors and dozens of tourist resources that you have to know. There are more than 44 festivals and 50 events every year, welcome!
Also Read: Arabella la Sonera Mayor de Colombia in her Callejón on a Sunday in Barrio with Chico Matanza
Gato Barbieri was an excellent and virtuoso Argentine saxophonist par excellence
The Argentine musician takes us on a journey through his illustrious career.
Gato Barbieri
Editor’s note: Famed saxophonist Leandro “Gato” Barbieri passed away on Saturday, April 2, 2016, in New York City. He was 83 years old.
In 2015, the Latin Grammy Award for Musical Excellence was presented to Argentine composer Gato Barbieri, one of the most deserving musicians to be honored for his extensive career, throughout which he created a bridge between Latin music and an international audience.
In love with jazz since his formative years in the city of Rosario, Barbieri trained playing with great figures of American jazz during the 1960s.
But his heart never left his Latin American sensibility. When he came to fame as a soloist and leader of his own group, he sold millions of records, forging a personal language that draws inspiration from tango, Brazilian cadences, the sounds of the Andes and South American folklore.
Over the past few years, Barbieri, who turns 83 on November 28, has suffered several health complications. From his home in New York, the musician spoke with remarkable sincerity about this new stage of his life, now far from his youth, but full of acceptance and hope.
You recently performed at the Blue Note club in New York and sold out. How does it feel to be a jazz legend at the age of 80-something?
When I play here at the Blue Note, people come from Russia, from Europe, from everywhere, because people identify with what Gato has done.
Now, I’m a little sick and it’s hard for me to walk. I don’t like that. I have to do exercises and things like that. I’m going to be 83 years old and it’s necessary to do these things that put me in a horrendous mood [laughs].
Life is like that, it has nice things and ugly things, and you have to keep walking, walking, walking…It’s like a tango. If you pay attention, tango talks about beautiful things: people, siblings, loves, the sweet details of existence. To this day, there are some tango songs that I find incredible.
What memories do you cherish from the beginning of your career?
When I started playing with the Casablanca orchestra, when I was 17. We played bebop music, which for me was something incredible. We used to perform at carnivals in the provinces of Argentina.
I also have fond memories of playing in Europe with trumpeter Don Cherry, because I learned so much. He never said anything; he didn’t talk to us or explain anything about the music we were going to play. When we played together, we improvised, and he never stopped changing his compositions. It was a great thing.
And then, in 1972, came the music for Last Tango in Paris, which brought you international fame. What was it like to write the soundtrack for such a controversial film?
It was a magical thing, because Bernardo [Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci] is an incredible guy, an incredibly talented director. I was in good spirits, but it wasn’t an easy job because there were 50 moments in the film that needed music.
I remember we took a piano up to Pepito Pignatelli’s [owner of a legendary jazz club in Rome] house, which was on the fifth floor. Doing something like that 50 years ago was not easy, but when we recorded it, it was a beautiful thing. Sometimes the difficult things are the most beautiful.
And that unforgettable main theme, which is repeated throughout the film, how did it come about?
Bernardo called me and asked me to present him with several melodies, and that they should be as beautiful as possible. We had just gone to Italy to play some concerts, and we met Bernardo. I played him three or four tunes, and he immediately chose one and said: “This is the theme from The Last Tango in Paris”.
What do you think has been the secret of your success?
From 1970 onwards, I recorded about 45 records. That’s a lot. I was a guy who was always doing something, for me that lifestyle was a great satisfaction. As for the sax, I never knew much about chords. I make up my own chords, put one thing on top of them… and that’s it.
It’s hard to explain why I made the artistic choices I did. I wanted to do a little bit of everything, play an Argentine chacarera, or record with an Italian singer like Antonello Venditti [the hit ballad “Modena”, in 1979]. I always chose to play music from many different countries, and people identify with that.
Undoubtedly, you have lived a privileged life….
Yes, in a certain way, yes. Michelle [his first wife, who died in 1995] helped me a lot. She’s always in my heart, because she was incredible. She knew about film, art, so many things. In that sense, I learned a lot from her. And now I am living with Laura, my wife, who is a great person.
She has given me my only son, who is now 17 years old. He is tall and very intelligent, although a bit lazy, as I was myself at his age. It must be hereditary [laughs].
EL PAMPERO (1971)
After El Gato left his native Argentina, but before becoming a Latin jazz star, Gato Barbieri spent the second half of the 1960s collaborating with great, avant-garde musicians: trumpeter Don Cherry, vibraphonist Gary Burton and bassist Charlie Haden, among others. Capping a career for Barbieri as the leader of his own group, El pampero is an album recorded live at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Four tracks with extensive improvisations, steeped in South American nostalgia.
Gato Barbieri: Latin ‘jazz’ with a touch of pop and South American folklore.
By: Ernesto Lechner