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Noticias Con Sabor with Luis Medina

Noticias Con Sabor in the month of January

We leave this year with the loss of giants in the Latin Music who have joined the ancestors that include the recent loss of the legendary Mexican star Vicente Fernandez, Panamanian powerhouse sonero Meñique and Paquito Guzman who was known for both his boleros and Salsa tunes.  This year we have also lost legends and great musicians such as Johnny Pacheco, Roberto Roena, Chick Corea, Larry Harlow, Adalberto Alvarez, Johnny Ventura, Ralph Irrizary, Tommy Villariny and at the end of 2020, Tito Rojas.  We are lucky that these artists have left us with their legacies of music that will continue to entertain people for years to come.  Rest in Power!

Spanish Harlem Orchestra conquered Monterey with two explosive sets at a special show this past Saturday, Dec. 11th at the Monterey Conference Center. SHO played a few new tunes from their upcoming 2022 release, their repertoire of hits and Christmas salsa music much to the crowd’s delight. I had the pleasure of emceeing the show as well as playing music as the event’s DJ. SHO who were on fire all night and the dance floor was packed all night long. The crowd roared their approval with a standing ovation at the end of the night.  SHO responded with an infectious danceable Christmas song with a crowd sing-a-long which ended the festive evening. Thanks to producer Luis Mendoza and Montuno Productions for inviting me to be a part of this event. Thanks to the great crowd in Monterey who are salseros all the way!

Oscar Hernández playing the piano
Oscar Hernández from Spanish Harlem Orchestra performing at The Monterrey Conference Center

During the COVID19 pandemic, it seemed that all live music stopped being played in public.  However, there were a few places, mostly outdoor cafes, farmer’s markets and restaurants with outdoor dining that offered live Latin Jazz during these dark times.  One of the unsung heroes who continued to play when the pandemic was at its height is veteran pianist-bandleader Gary Flores who formed Salsa Caliente in SF in 1976.  The group has had a lot of prominent musicians including vocalists Paquito Acosta and Angelo Pagan who continued to see their careers thrive in Puerto Rico and Los Angeles.  He disbanded Salsa Caliente in the late 90’s to concentrate on a smaller Latin Jazz group.  Flores along with ex Franco Brothers bassist/vocalist Carlitos Franco and a revolving lineup of all-star percussionists including Santana timbalero Karl Perazo and former Avance bongocero Oscar Soltero kept the live music going during the pandemic at different venues.  Flores was able to continue to play Latin Jazz and Salsa in stripped down format as a trio due to rearranging Salsa tunes as all the members sang coros and vocalized horn lines behind Franco,   Now that live music has made a comeback of sorts and some venues are now booking bigger bands, Flores is revitalizing a bigger version of Salsa Caliente featuring Franco and Perazo.  Flores has been writing new music and plans to record new music with the group.  His last recording “Descarga Caliente: A New Beginning” came out in 2005.  Gary Flores is a veteran and a survivor of the San Francisco Salsa Scene who deserves a big shout out for keeping Latin music alive in the age of COVID!  Pa’lante Gary!!

Reopening will be later

Some scenes are not reopening for 2022 until February or later.  One of those venues affected is Space 550 at 550 Barneveld St. in San Francisco who will reopen in February due to concerns regarding the current surge in COVID cases and the situation with the new variant of the disease.  I also spoke with Adrian Goddard of Jaffe Events who told me that he will continue to book events but later in the first quarter of 2022,  For some event producers, January isn’t a good month to book Latin Music.

People at Space 550
Some people dancing at Space 550

However that’s not stopping Grammy Award winners Pacific Mambo Orchestra who will play their annual January dates at Yoshi’s, Jack London Square on Friday, January 7 and Saturday, January 8th.  Get ready to enjoy and dance to swinging Mambo, Salsa and Latin Jazz from this awesome all-star 20 piece band led by pianist Christian Tumalan and trumpeter Steffen Kuehn. This SF based band is scheduled to play at Europe’s prestigious Tempo Latino Festival in late July. Tickets are now available for these upcoming January dates at Yoshi’s. For more information,  visit www.yoshis.com.

The Cigar Bar, 850 Montgomery St. in SF is starting 2022 with a calendar of great acts coming to this fine venue where you can dine, dance and smoke a fine cigar if you choose to do so. The schedule includes Orquesta La Original w/Alexis Jan 7, Josh Jones Latin Jazz Ensemble Jan 8, The Latin Rhythm Boys Jan 14, Edgardo y Candela Jan 15, N’Rumba Jan 21, La Clave Del Blanco Jan 22, Julio Bravo Y Salsabor Jan 28 and Manteca Jan 29

The Seahorse in Sausalito continues to feature explosive music from the following acts in January on Saturday and Sunday including La Clave Del Blanco Jan 2, Gary Flores and Salsa Caliente featuring Karl Perazo of Santana Jan 8, Edgardo Cambon y Candela Jan 9, Carlos Xavier Salsa Band Jan. 15, Louie Romero and Mazacote Jan 16, Braulio Barrera and Somos El Son, Jan 22,  Orquesta Bembe featuring Christian Pepin on Jan. 23 and Rumbache on Jan. 29.  DJ Jose Ruiz from KPOO/KPFA Radio will also be behind the decks for your dancing pleasure. Check out their fine Italian cuisine and selection of beer and wine.

Seahorse at night
Beautiful decoration of Seahorse at night

The Ramp, 855 Terry Francois in SF continues to offer Salsa under their all-weather tent during the month of January.  Their line up includes N’Rumba Jan 8, Louie Romero & Mazacote Jan. 15, Manny Martinez y La Rebeldia, Jan 22 and Orquesta Borinquen on January 29th. DJ Mendy is providing the music in-between sets and from 9 to 11 pm.  The music starts at 5 pm on Saturdays.

Cascal, 400 Castro in Mountain View will be featuring the explosive sounds of Edgardo Cambon and LaTiDo on Fridays, January 7th and 21st starting at 7:30 pm. There is no cover. Cascal continues to offer their tasty menu of Spanish cuisine, Tapas and fine drinks.

The following recordings kept me going during the second year of COVID19: Ruben Blades “Salswing”, El Gran Combo “En Cuarentena” and their Xmas cd “De Trulla Con El Combo”, Gilberto Santa Rosa’s all-star studded “Colegas”, Sonora Ponceña “Hegemonia Musical”, Mel Martinez “Asi Escribe Un Sonero”, Los Generales De La Salsa featuring Van Lester, a 1996 all-star session finally seeing the light of day, Tromboranga “Salsa Terapia”, Los Van Van “Mi Songo”, Various Artists “El Son De Caballero-Homenaje A Adalberto Alvarez and “Son Para Un Sonero”, Sounds Of Cuba “Los Titanes De La Timba”, Alexander Abreu/Havana d’Primera, Various Artists “En Barranquilla Me Quedo-Homenaje a Joe Arroyo, Dorance Lorza’s Sexteto Cafe “20 Aniversario”,  Luis Perico Ortiz “Sigo Entre Amigos”, Charlie Donato’s Son Ideal “De Vuelta Al Barrio, Eduardo Zayas Y Su EZ La Banda “Huerto De Soneros” and his latest “Sabor Y Sandunga”, Alain Perez, Issac Delgado & Orquesta Aragon “Cha Cha Cha: Homenaje A Lo Tradicional”  and Orquesta Failde “Joyas Ineditas”.  There are a flood of singles that did the job as well from Julito Alvarado’s maxi single “Lo Que No Se Escucha (Descarga De Soneros), Don Pergiñon Y La Puertorriqueña, Marc Anthony, Wilito Otero, Josean Rivera, Monsi Y Su Salsa , Mariana Y Su Makynaria, Julito Albino y Secreto De Voces and VibraSON.  These recordings are some of my picks for the Best of 2021.

And…if that wasn’t enough, my program Con Sabor, Saturday nights 9 to 11 PM PST on KPFA 94.1 FM will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary year on January 1, 2022!  Time flies when you’re having fun!!  I’m also on “Sabiduria Con Tumbao” every Wednesday night 5 to 7 PM PST on WorldSalsaRadio.com.

That’s it for this time.  Ciao 4 now!!

The tent at The Ramp!
Inside the tent at The Ramp

This is the report last month: Noticias con Sabor by Luis Medina

BY LUIS MEDINA, PRODUCER AND HOST OF CON SABOR ON KPFA 94.1 FM AND SABIDURIA CON TUMBAO ON WORLD SALSA RADIO.COM

Not-so-well-known Latin percussion instruments

Some lesser-known percussion instruments

After so many centuries of history, Latin music has undergone any number of transformations and mixes that have made it into the wonder that it is today. In the result, percussion instruments play a critical role and many of them are widely known by fans of Latin rhythms, including those who do not have a great deal of expertise on the issue. The thing is that many of these implements are not so well known to people, so let us mention a few of them with their main characteristics.  

Arará 

The Arará drums are named after a Cuban ethnic group that is mainly based in Havana and the province of Matanzas. In turn, they descend from other ethnic groups that had similar practices and today almost all their temples are located in Matanzas. 

At present, these drums are still used in the rituals of these cults. They are of various sizes and types, but a common characteristic they share is that they are all unimenbranophone and open without exception. One of the things that most identifies them is the presence of ritual marks made to differentiate them.  

This is an arará drum
One of the many types of arará drum

Rain stick 

This percussion instrument consists of a long tube inside which you can find seeds and bamboo sticks, which form a helicoid extended throughout the whole instrument. When this stick is moved, the seeds hit its walls and the sound produced is very similar to that of the falling rain, a characteristic of which it receives its name. 

It is believed that it originated during the age of indigenous peoples in South America such as the Panatahuas, the Quitos, the Mexicas, among many others. On the other hand, it is worth noting the appearance of evidence to suggest that they may have come from pre-Inca cultures originating in the Peruvian coast and the Andes Mountain Range. 

Although the tools used in its manufacture vary from one cultural tradition to another, the most common material is cactus, whose spines must be dried, ground and reintroduced.  

This is a rain stick
A wooden rain stick

 

Güira 

This is a Dominican percussion instrument that is part of the idiophones. Although it has come to be popular in other places, it is in the Dominican Republic where it originated and became so famous that it is even considered as a national heritage. For many, it has a strong resemblance to the bangaño, but it is very different from this one, since it has a manufacturing process in which metal predominates. 

In these times, it is very common to see it being used as an important part of musical genres such as bachata and merengue, although it is most likely fans have no idea about its existence.  

This is a güira
Here is a güira

Marimbula 

The marimbula consists of a set of metal plates that attach to a resonance box and whose main purpose is to produce sounds. It is an idiophone instrument that holds a striking resemblance to the sanza, which originated in Africa many centuries ago and arrived to the American continent from the hand of the slaves, who already brought their own traditions from their places of origin. 

As to its current use, it serves as an accompaniment to all kinds of musical groups in their shows, whether we are talking about rural or urban environments. However, it should be noted that its use has also spread to religious ceremonies and cults of various kinds. 

This is a marimbula
A marimbula

If you want more info about this topic: The seeds of capacho give the sound to maracas

How Birdland began operating and its role in Latin music

What is Birdland?

Birdland has been the place in which many of the most important New York’s stars of the show were born and has represented the beginning of many artistic careers that have achieved worldwide fame, so this spectacular venue deserves all the recognition and fame that it has accumulated over the years. 

This is a jazz club that began operations in December 1949 in Manhattan and was closed for a few years until its reopening in 1986. What happened was that a second location of the same name was opened in Manhattan and was not too far from the land on which the original club operated. Today, Birdland operates at the same facility as the headquarters of the famous local newspaper The New York Observer in the past. 

Stage at Birdland
Stage of the jazz club Birdland

Story about how the idea to create Birdland was born  

During the 1920s, there were a lot of musicians who had to move to New York City because it was there that the biggest jazz movement of the moment was being produced. It could be said that the birthplace of the most famous jazz styles of the last decades was the Big Apple and its surroundings. 

It was there where and when the musical career of Charlie Parker, affectionately known as Bird by most of his fans, emerged. Some time later, it would be this brilliant artist and talented saxophonist who would get one of the most popular jazz clubs in the city and the country in general named after him. This would be one of the many tributes received by Parker before and after his death in 1955. 

Once Birdland was opened in the late 1940s, the saxophonist began performing there on a regular basis along with many other music legends of the moment such as Dizzy Gillespie, Lester Young, Lennie Tristano, Maxie Kaminsky and many more. Although Birdland was named to honour Charlie, that did not keep the artist from having some friction with Oscar Goodstein, one of the founders of the venue, who said that Parker was constantly asking for too much money. As the story goes, this was the reason why the musician did not perform as many times as expected. 

On the facade of the club, a neon sign could read Birdland, Jazz Corner of the World, making it clear what its customers would find once they entered the facility. Once inside, there was space for approximately 500 visitors and a full orchestra to lighten the mood that night. Birdland included a very long bar, spacious tables, stands with a wide variety of products, folding chairs, among other things. At that time, customers only had to pay a $1.50 fee to enjoy everything that the nightclub had to offer.   

It went on to have so much prestige that it had among its visitors Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Gary Cooper, among other personalities from the entertainment world. It has taken so much popularity in those years that composer George Shearing dedicated one of his greatest creations entitled Lullaby of Birdland to it, which was also inspired by Charlie Parker as well as the name of the place.  

Tommy Potter, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and John Coltrane at Birdland
Tommy Potter, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and John Coltrane performing at Birdland in 1951

The role of Birdland in Latin music 

Just as Birdland contributed to the emergence of important careers in the jazz music scene, it also did the same with a good number of Latin music singers who saw this corner of New York as an opportunity to make their art known to other audiences. One of them was world-famous bandleader, composer and musician Tito Puente, who performed at the venue on several occasions and improvised many sets with Dizzy Gillespie and Lionel Hampton. 

There is also the case of Tito Rodríguez, who made use of his great talent to record a spectacular live album entirely dedicated to Birdland and whose name was Live at Birdland. In addition, he featured incredible collaborations with great musicians such as Clark Terry, Al Conh, Zoot Sims, among others. 

Another of the great Latin music artists who came to perform at this venue was Cuban bandleader, arranger and trumpet player Chico O’Farrill. The artist played and recorded at the club on a wekly basis about the time he already had his own orchestra called Afrocuban Jazz Orchestra. Arturo O’Farrill, worthy son of his father, also performs regularly at Birdland with his orchestra The Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble. 

Announcement about Tito Puente's concert
Announcement of Tito Puente’s show at Birdland in 1999

Music programming in January at Cascal Restaurant

What Cascal Restaurant has to offer

Cascal is a colorful and lively restaurant that has become one of the best culinary options that people of the State of California can choose when it comes to enjoying an exquisite meal in good company. When we check the official website of the establishment, we can clearly see the wide variety of cuisine that its friendly staff strives to offer its diners, one of the reasons why they are so popular in these times of pandemic. 

One of the reasons why this restaurant stands out from the rest is that it strives to mix the delicious Spanish flavors with the exotic Latin American culture, something that has been very well received by those who have had the opportunity to attend its facilities and see for themselves how good this place they have heard about is. 

In addition to offering spectacular dishes, they always have very special guests who ensure that visitors spent a pleasant time and pair their meal with good music and entertainment for the whole family. Next up, we will talk a little bit about what Cascal Restaurant has to offer to its visitors musically speaking. 

This is Cascal
The facade of Cascal Restaurant

Music programming throughout the month of January 

The first month of the year is reputed to be boring and lean in many ways, but this is not the case with Cascal, as it has a very special schedule for all Fridays and Saturdays in January. 

Edgardo Cambón y Su Conjunto LaTIDo will be one of the groups to be presented at the venue just as they did during 2021 on a recurring basis. It is a Latin music group based in Oakland, California, and was created by Edgardo Cambón, who has a long history as a bandleader, vocalist, conguero and other things. The group has been shown to have a vast repertoire that can mix the classic salsa style of the 80s and 90s with much more recent rhythms without ever falling into monotony.   

Edgardo Cambón playing
Edgardo Cambón performing at Cascal

According to information provided by Brad Daley, who is part of Cascal’s staff, Edgardo and LaTIDo will be performing at the establishment on 7 and 21 January between 7:30 and 10:00 P.M. 

Another artist performing is acclaimed guitarist and music teacher Daniel Yarritú, who has been performing at Cascal since some years ago. On this occasion, he will not be alone, as he will be joined by fellow guitarist Gary Carpenter and master percussionist Luis Carranza. It is expected that the trio will perform on Saturday 8, Friday 14 and Friday 28 during this month.   

The third and final group that will be at Cascal will be Gypsy Tribe, which will perform on Saturdays 15, 22 and 29 of this month. The band consists of Nesser Babolmoradi (founder of the band, musician and composer), Nicolas Adams (lead guitar), Jack Marshall (bass guitar), Willie Garza (percussion), Dany Cobo (violin), Ardie Salem (percussion). 

This is Daniel Yarritú
Daniel Yarritú

Acknowledgements  

We want to give special thanks to Brad Daley, Cascal’s general manager who was the one who provided us with all information related to events and shows at the venue for the month of January. 

Julio Bravo Y Su Orquesta Salsabor conquer the SF Bay Area

Julio Bravo and his amazing orchestra

The San Francisco Bay Area is fortunate to have many musical talents who have made left this corner of the United States of America at the top. Acclaimed Julio Bravo is one of them and there are many reasons for stating that. Julio Bravo is a famous singer and musician who has been performing with his orchestra in many nightclubs and salsa festivals for quite some time now. He is the leader of the Orquesta Salsabor, which is composed of 12 members whose place of residence is the East Bay. 

This Peruvian says that they are a hard-working group with many decades of experience. He has also said at times that playing with the same people for so long makes a huge difference in terms of sound. In that sense, Salsabor is not unlike other orchestras of its type and time. 

As a child, Bravo already showed a big vocation by the world of music and this is reflected in his appearance on children’s television programmes, school plays and some more formal projects. At the end of the 80s, he came to the United States and it would not be long before he started walking the path still to be followed today. One of his first projects was his incorporation into the Trio Los Chalanes, which led him to become more and more known in the Latin community of his new country of residence. 

One of the events that projected the most his image as an artist was his brilliant participation on the TV show Buscando Estrellas, a contest in which he reached the final and became much more recognized than he already was thanks to his hard work. With the amount of fame he had earned so far, he started taking part in La Orquesta Internacional, with which he performed on countless occasions in various venues in California and had a heavy demand from places that wanted him to perform there. 

A few years later, he made the difficult decision to create his own orchestra which he named Salsabor and with which he remains active to this day. All this time, both Julio and his musicians have earned a reputation for professionalism and quality that would guarantee them the confidence of many festival organizers in night clubs and private events. 

His hard work has made his orchestra one of the most important salsa groups in the San Francisco Bay Area.   

Julio and his orchestra
Julio Bravo Y Su Orquesta Salsabor

Interview 

We are talking with Julio Bravo, Peruvian artist and leader of Orquesta Salsabor. Good afternoon, Julio. How are you?  

Very good afternoon, Karina. I am delighted to be here. Thank you for the invitation. 

Julio, you had your first contact with music when you were very young in your country. At what age did you know you wanted to dedicate yourself to the musical world?  

I think you are born with that. I think it all started when I was in school. In elementary school, I was always involved in the performances or the school theater. That’s how I think it all started. 

So, from schooling age, you already expressed this interest in the world of music and the arts.   

Exactly. I did not necessarily sing, but we acted and did skits. In my neighborhood, musical manifestations were very frequent. My parents always organized meetings at home and my friends came, and they loved to bring their guitars and the acoustic cajón. There were always meetings at my house or at a neighbor’s. 

Do you think there was something that inspired you?  

In Peru, we have the Creole music genre. Since I was a small child I listened to it at home with my parents. In order to play it, you only need the cajón accompanied by a guitar. In neighborhoods, when there are no guitarists, children have a cajon or they make one in wood. In the 70s and 80s, there was a strong influence from Creole music on radio and television in my country, plus my parents and neighbors liked it. So, seeing all that up close was one of the things that inspired me. 

Julio Bravo smiling
Peruvian bandleader, singer and musician Julio Bravo

In 1991, you were on the TV show Buscando Estrellas, since your career took off in many ways. Do you consider that this project changed your professional future?  

That helped me a lot, but it happened when I had barely two years here. When I came from Peru, I did not want to be a great musician or look for work in that field. I came to seek a future in whatever God put in my way and I was fortunate to have music as an instrument to generate work. When I started singing here, on my first week here, I went to sing at a restaurant because some friends took me over there. It was called ”El Chalán” and that’s where I met a group that performed that night and started playing with them, but I would recently arrived, so I had to get a revenue-generating job to pay the rent. I worked construction for about 10 years, but I was finally starting to work in music only on weekends. In 1994, I formed my orchestra after singing in several groups. I did not have such a plan, but the conditions were right and doing what you love does not take much effort because the thing leaves naturally. 

You mean, when you arrived in the United States, you were ready to do other activities and the music thing just came naturally.   

Exactly, I did not come with the desire to become an artist. I studied journalism at university in Peru, but I knew that it would be tough to practice my profession here because of language and immigration status. There were many obstacles that, like every immigrant, I had to learn how to overcome. I came with a degree in Communication Sciences, but I worked construction and did it with pride. 30 years later everything I worked in construction also helped me become a real estate and loan officer. However, I have not been able to leave music as a passion. I can quit jobs that have come my way, but music never. 

Never got to practice journalism in the United States?  

I could never practice journalism, but there were a couple of magazines run by some friends from the Peruvian community and I collaborated with them writing about show business. I also got to interview a couple of artists at that time. When La Orquesta de La Luz came to the San Francisco Bay Area, I interviewed them for that newspaper. I have not worked as a journalist, but I have done many things related to that environment. I have worked in radio and looked for a job at a television channel in my youth. Unfortunately, I did not have migration documents, the Green Card as people call it here. 

Julio looking at the camera
Julio Bravo posing for the camera

How do you think language made things difficult for you at the beginning?  

I always liked English, although I did not know how to speak it. Whenever I listened to songs in my country. We tried to imitate what artists said, but we could not (laugh). Before coming to this country, I decided to have as a priority booking intensive English classes a year before. I mean, every day, I had a two-hour class during the year my departure. That helped me a lot. When I came here, there were some barriers and I did not understand what people were saying, but I managed to learn a lot of vocabulary. Here, each working branch has its own vocabulary. If you work cleaning houses, you are not going to use the same vocabulary as if you work construction or in a store. I do not feel that language was an obstacle for me. I met people who discriminate in the early years, but that has not stopped me from moving forward. I do not think it is a barrier that prevents you from growing. 

What were your favorite bands in English?  

The Bee Gees and I also liked the Beatles. When the Bee Gees and the ”Saturday Night Fever” movie with John Travolta came out, I was about 13 years old and was working on a children’s television programme. On Wednesdays, we sang Peruvian music and played the cajón, but on Fridays, we did dance shows in the clothes of that time with large collars. I worked there for five years and that helped me a lot in my artistic training because it was a wonderful experience. The programme was called ”Villa Juguete”, which had music and dance. That helped me a lot to overcome stage fright. 

What makes Orquesta Salsabor different from other groups in the San Francisco Bay Area?  

I do not know what the main difference is. I think I like to play my original music, but I also know the importance of playing what people want to hear. You can’t just play my original music because I am no longer famous enough for people to know my numbers from beginning to end. For example, Oscar D’ León has more than 50 years in the artistic life and still plays ”Llorarás” every time he comes to the Bay. When people listen to one of those songs, they come out to dance immediately. I think I have the good sense to know when to play the hit songs that I have chosen over the years. I think that is what has differentiated me from other orchestras. 

Julio Bravo and his musicians
Julio Bravo, Martin Villamizar, Evelio Llamas and Alberto Palomino (three of his musicians)

What do you think has been your best professional decision in your career?  

The best decision I have made was to form my orchestra and it has taught me many things. I was taught to be a manager, a soundman, among other things. If someone new in this world wants to know what steps to take, I can gladly say what not to do to not make any mistakes. I do not think we have made mistakes as an orchestra, since we have always tried to do our best. We have had to travel in a van, in a plane or each in his own vehicle to go to play. The musician moves by the desire and motivation to show the gift which the Lord gave us. The restaurant and record label owners move by the economic benefit, but the case of the musician is different. I think the best decision I have made was to form my orchestra. I think that, if you talk to the musicians I have worked with, they know that, as the leader of the orchestra, I have done the best I could to offer them a good, fun and healthy working environment. 

And the worst one?  

When I started with the orchestra, I wanted to make studio recordings here and I lost a lot of money because the musicians I called to record did not arrive after I paid for the studio. The desire to to record here made me lose a lot of money. And by the way, this was money I was saving for the project, but it was gone away soon enough. That’s where I was recommended to talk to a producer and musician named Oscar Pitín Sanchez. I only knew him by his music, but I struck up a friendship with him. He helped me produce two of my salsa records. Sadly he passed away last year. Then I started getting some experience in the recording studios because experience is needed for everything. In the studios, the thing is cooler because there is no audience to applaud you. On the contrary, you do not want to make any mistakes because everything will be recorded. After being wrong in producing my own album without the required experience, I found a light on the way after a very long tunnel (laugh).  

Your website and social networks to follow you  

Website: juliobravo.com  

Instagram: @juliobravo_oficial  

Facebook: Julio Bravo Y Su Orquesta Salsabor 

Bravissimo
Cover of the album Bravissimo, one of his most recent records
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International Salsa Magazine (ISM) is a monthly publication about Salsa activities around the world, that has been publishing since 2007. It is a world network of volunteers coordinated by ISM Magazine. We are working to strengthen all the events by working together.