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Johnny Cruz : This month I wanted to dedicate myself to good news, highlighting the work of those who, despite adversity, continue to strive to bring the best to the public. We keep working!

Gilberto Santa Rosa surprises us with his new album Colegas. His most recent phonogram. In this, Santa Rosa invested the last six years and presents 16 collaborations with Cuban artists -Isaac Delgado and Juan Jose Hernandez-Puerto Ricans -Tito Nieves, Tito Rojas, Luisito Carrion, Pirulo, Nino Segarra, Choco Orta among others-, as well as with a Dominican – Jose Alberto “El Canario” -.

The album is preceded by “40… y contando en vivo desde Puerto Rico”, an album recorded in 2018 live at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, to celebrate its 40 years of musical career. The majestic arrangements were the work of Dino Nugent (Apaga La Luz), Marty Sheller (Caminalo, Ban Ban Quere), Ramón Sánchez (Que Se Sepa), Javier Fernández (Tremendo Coco, Masacote), Louis García (Por La Calle Del Medio, Ocana Sordi, El Guateque De Chombo), Ricky González (Vamos a Bailar El Son, Eque Tumba), Manolito Rodríguez (Medley Boleros), José Madera (Bailadores), Rene González (Estoy como Nunca), Isidro Infante (Mario Ague, El Mejor Sonero, Sonerito), James Hernández (La Fonda De Bienvenido).

In good time Santa Rosa presents this production. He positions him on the GRAMMY platform and refreshes him in his role as sonero and incidentally, he extends a helping hand to some who had not recorded Salsa Brava again.

Tracks: La Familia; Caminalo; Que Se Sepa; Mazacote; Apaga La Luz; Sonerito; Por La Calle Del Medio; Nos Vamos A Bailar El Son; Medley Boleros; Ocana Sordi; Bailadores; El Mejor Sonero; Tremendo Coco; Estoy Como Nunca; Mario Ague; Eque Tumbao; La Fonda De Bienvenido; Ban Ban Quere; Guateque De Chombo.

Members: Angie Machado, Jan Duclerc, Jesús Alonso, turbidity Vilchez – trumpet; Charlie Sierra – maracas; Dino Nugent – violín; Johnny Torres, Pedro Perez – bass; Manolito Rodriguez – timbal; Rafy Torres, Toñito Vásquez, Víctor Vázquez, Reynaldo Jorge – trombones – trombone; Richie Bastar – bongo; Sammy García, Jimmie Morales – congas; Sammy Vélez, Josué Urbina; Pedro Méndez, Frankie Pérez, Janice Maysonet – saxophone; Luis Marín, Isidro Infante, Javi Fernández, Ricky González – piano; Orestes Vilató – timpani; Pablo “El Indio” Rosario – percussion; Meñique, Paquito Guzmán, Víctor Manuelle, Luisito Carrion, Justo Betancourt – backing vocals. Guests: Víctor Manuelle, Choco Orta, Juan José Hernández, Isaac Delgado, Yan Collazo, Luisito Carrion, Pirulo, Tito Nieves, Tito Rojas “El Gallo”, Ismael Rivera Jr., José Alberto “El Canario”, Carlitos Ramírez, Michelle Brava, Herman Olivera, Maelo Ruiz.

I take this opportunity to greet my good friend Johnny Rodríguez Jr., better known as Johnny “Dandy” Rodríguez, is an American bongo player. He was Tito Puente’s longtime bongo player, and also played with Tito Rodríguez, Ray Barretto, and Alfredo de la Fe. He belonged to various popular bands of the salsa era such as Tico All-Stars, Fania All-Stars, and Typica 73. He is a proud son of El Barrio (Spanish Harlem), New York, and stickball (street baseball) was more interested than music.

However, influenced by his father, Johnny, 17, earned the position of playing bongos in the Tito Puente Orchestra. Johnny spent more than 30 years with the orchestra, also working with Tito Rodríguez from 1965 to 1968 and with Ray Barretto from 1970 until the end of 1972. Johnny went on to form Tipica 73, of which he remained a member until 1979. He then returned to the band. Tito’s band, playing alongside him until the time of Tito’s death in May 2000.

Johnny “Dandy” Rodríguez Jr. continues to be a Latin jazz and salsa percussionist. Today he works as a percussionist in different Latin music ensembles, He is unstoppable and is very active with the Latin Jazz Giants (alongside his colleagues and Exclusive LP Artists Jose Madera and George Delgado) and that includes the stars from the original Tito Puente Orchestra. The band plays the famous music from the Palladium days of Tito Puente, Tito Rodríguez, and Machito, and also recorded The Giants Play the Music of the Palladium.

In 2008, Johhny entrusted LP’s Research and Development Department with the design of the John “Dandy” Rodríguez Jr. bongoes from the Legends series. John is proud that these drums, which bear his name, present such a sound and visual characteristics outstanding. Keep going, Johnny!

A few days ago, En Mi Voz, the solo debut of the Ecuadorian singer Marco Bermúdez, was officially launched on the market. This is a very good selection of ten songs, under the master hand of Oscar Hernández, the prestigious and renowned musician who is making his debut as a record producer with Ovation Records.

Marco has not saved anything for this premiere. He has met with his colleagues from the “Hispánica del Barrio” and the result could not be better: Jerry Madera, Máximo Rodríguez, Maneco Ruiz, Héctor Colón, Doug Beavers, Reynaldo Jorge, Jeremy Bosch, George Delgado, Luisito Quintero and Jorge González give solvency and flavor to En Mi Voz. The album opens with “Amanecer Contigo”, composed with four hands between Hernández and Bermúdez, where the trumpet solos by Maneco Ruiz and flute by Jeremy Bosch stand out.

Jeremy is also heard with his flute in his fine and heartfelt composition “Canto a mi Mamá” and in “Únicamente tú”, making Marco the second voice. The romantic spirit of the singer of the Spanish Harlem Orchestra and Mambo Legends Orchestra is confirmed in songs like “Solo Basta” and “Tu Regreso”. Oscar’s arrangements guarantee the key melody. Highly recommended this album, it has no waste!

I send my greetings and wishes for a reunion with this excellent salsa singer: Hermenegildo Olivera, or Herman Olivera. Born in Newark, New Jersey, the son of Puerto Rican parents and from an early age linked to Latin music. In the 70s, in the middle of the salsa boom, Herman began his love of singing by listening to the interpretations of Chamaco Ramírez, Héctor Lavoe, Cheo Feliciano and Marvin Santiago, among others. These vocalists were primarily his source of inspiration. When he was just 15 years old, Herman began his career as a salsa interpreter with an orchestra called La Justicia.

Later he was part of the band La Sónica, where he met his friend and trombonist Jimmy Bosch. After this he spent time with the Caramelo orchestra to later take the most important leap in his career by being part of the Conjunto Libre in 1978, where he left his voice reflected for the first time in the Incredible LP of 1981 under the direction of percussionist Manolo Oquendo and bassist Andy González, where he stands out with the theme Decídete.

In 1990, he was invited to record on the album Salsa Sudada, from the Valdesa Records label of Víctor Raúl Sánchez “Patillas” and with the musical direction of Isidro Infante, sharing vocalization with Mario Muñoz “Papaíto”, Adalberto Santiago, Eladio Peguero “Yayo El Indio” and Pablo Villanueva Branda “Melcochita”; in this work he interprets the songs La Aguja and a tribute to the city of Cali called Valle Plateado de Salsa. Later, it launched an independent project called Herman Olivera y La Exclusiva. Chequea la Mercancía.

Produced by Fernando Pastrana where the song Me Extraña Araña is one of the most outstanding. For 1997 he participates in the CD of the band Rikoson All Stars, called Evoluciones del Son, where he stands out very well in the romantic theme Aquella Noche. In 1998 he was requested by the piano teacher Eddie Palmieri and together with the vocalist Wichy Camacho they recorded the album El Rumbero del Piano, where he stands out as a singer on the songs Malagueña alerosa and Oiga mi Guaguancó.

That same year he was invited to the recording studios by the trombonist Jimmy Bosch and they released the album titled Soneando Trombón, which contains the hit Otra Oportunidad. Who plays a duet with Frankie Vázquez. On this CD also appears the song Descargarana. That same duo, Olivera and Bosch, meet the following year (1999) and produce Salsa Dura, where Herman shines performing the full Impacto Tendremos. The album also features the participation of singers Frankie “Nene” Morales and Frankie Vázquez. Parallel to this album, the RMM label launches a live CD and DVD titled Eddie Palmieri & Friend’s, where Herman looks excellent in the number Palo pa ’Rumba.

The invitation to tune in to the new Fm / Internet radio station on Live365.com continues: Salsagallery. Good music, interviews with the artists and much more… now with the participation of Felix Villalobos who joins Salsagallery Radio with a segment in which we will be talking about Music.

At the Spanish Harlem Salsa Gallery Museum we are happy to say that we are gradually returning to our activities and we will be opening the gallery sporadically. We do not stop, we continue to work for our music and we will always keep you informed through our social networks. We hope to have more news shortly and that we can return to normal soon.