Search Results for: Tito Rodríguez

Jimmy Delgado’s ongoing projects and legacy of Johnny Rodríguez

Salsa news in New York

Hello everybody! As always, we have the latest in the salsa scene for our audience. Today, we will talk about Jimmy Delgado’s ongoing projects and the life and work of Johnny Rodriguez during his career.

Jimmy Delgado and his new album

This is Jimmy Delgado

Jimmy Delgado is an artist born in New York City, United States, on July 29th who has had a very prolific career in the Latin music world. There is not a lot of information about the years in which he became interested in music, but it is known that he started in this world in 1974, that’s when he began working with various orchestras and artists of renown such as Ismael Quintana, La Tipica Novel, the Big Band of Ray Barreto, among others. With this last group, he would perform again in the 1980s and work about five and a half years.

In parallel, he continued to work as a musician for other singers and orchestras, such as Willie Colón on timbales and bongo. At the same time, it is he who replaced one of the most important members of La Típica 73. But his career does not end there, as he also worked with Eddie Palmieri, Tito Puente, Luis Perico Ortiz and many others.

With such a track record, it is not common for him to be so sucessful and for each of his projects to enchant the audience, no matter what time. Today, he has returned to back into the limelight with his most recent phonogram entitled A Mis Mentores…To My Mentors. Timbalero, conguero and bongocero has made these unreleased tracks available to his fans on all music-related digital platforms and are the following:

Si Hecho Palante / La Libertad

Algún Lugar Bajo El Sol

De Qué

Adoración

Alma Con alma

Sin Timbal

Recordando A Barreto

Qué Bonita Es Mi Tierra

Ahora Si Voy A Gozar

(Bolero Medley) La Noche De Anoche / Cada Vez / Sé que volverás

Jimmy´s Descarga

Jimmy being interviewd by Johnny Cruz and El Rubio

Life and work of Johnny Rodriguez

A particularity of Johnny Rodriguez is that he was one of the first artists to create musical trios, which was completely new in the 1930s. That has not stopped him from achieving success with his partners, being the lead voice of the group Johnny Rodríguez Y Su Trío. One of the singles that made him better known was Fichas Negras, which is still remembered by many despite the years that have elapsed since its release.

Johnny traveled throughout Hispanic America and much of Europe to offer his talent to as many fans as possible. One of the countries where he was most successful was Puerto Rico, where he performed constantly on stage and even worked with TV shows on a recurring basis.

In his last years, he hosted a radio show in which he provided advice to young artists who were starting out in the artistic world and talked about his own musical tastes, showing that he believed that past ages were better in that respect. Even after his death many years ago, his legacy is still present in the old and new generations due to the great talent that always characterized him.

Johnny Rodríguez, Manuel Jiménez, Lalo Martínez, and Celso Vega in New York in 1943

History of the Orchestra “La Terrífica” of trumpeter José “Joe” Rodriguez

In the early 70’s, the trumpet player of La Sonora Ponceña, José “Joe” Rodríguez, decided to leave the orchestra led by Papo and Quique Lucca.

Joe had been part of “La Más Sureña” since almost the foundation of the orchestra and was even the lead trumpet player in the successful productions “Hacheros Pa’ Un Palo” (1968), “Fuego En El 23” (1969), “Algo de Locura” (1971), “Desde Puerto Rico a Nueva York” (1972) and “Sonora Ponceña” (1972) with which the orchestra achieved great international recognition; however, this time, the trumpet player had decided to execute an idea that had been in his head for some time.

He was also joined by percussionist Mickey Ortiz and, incredibly, the lead voice of La Sonora Ponceña, Tito Gómez.

In the early 70's, the trumpet player of La Sonora Ponceña, José "Joe" Rodríguez, decided to leave the orchestra led by Papo and Quique Lucca. — La Terrífica 1974

Soon, Joe Rodríguez, with the collaboration of the resigning members and his first cousin, bongos player Francisco “Chalina” Alvarado, who curiously had also been part of La Sonora Ponceña in the past, organized his own orchestra which he called “La Terrífica” and began to travel all over Puerto Rico performing at festivals and patron saint festivals.

La Terrífica ‎"Sabor A Pueblo" 1976 — La Terrífica ‎”Sabor A Pueblo” 1976

Sometime later they signed a contract with the powerful Fania Records label to record with its subsidiary, Internacional Records, their first album under the production of Larry Harlow, titled “Terrífica” (1974), which featured Adalberto Santiago on backing vocals, Héctor Lavoe and Yayo ‘El Indio’, which included the song ‘Hachero Mayor’ written by Francisco Alvarado and vocalized by Tito Gómez as a protest to one of the most popular Sonora Ponceña songs on the island: ‘Hacheros Pa’ Un Palo’ authored by Arsenio Rodríguez.

“Yo traigo el hacha mayor, De aquella 72 Arsenio me la dejó la, con doble filo la traigo yo.

I come to chop down a stick, which they call ‘palo mayor’ because I’m the brave one here, I’m the axeman, I bring the axe, from that 72 Arsenio left it to me, I bring it with a double edge.

I come from the mountains and I bring a lot of firewood,

Gentlemen, I come waving, I am the main axeman.

Seventy-two axes for one stick, with my two-edged axe,

Now I cut it.

I bring the biggest axe, with a double edge I bring it.

Gentlemen, I went to the mountain and I come very tasty, to distribute to the whole world, I’m the biggest axe man.

Double-edged, double-edged gentleman.

With double edge I bring it.

Careful, jump out of the way, gentlemen, so that they will know, I’m coming with “La Terrífica”.

If you don’t get out of the way, I’ll run over you with my truck.

I’ll bring it with a double edge”.

The new orchestra was doing well, they enjoyed the public’s acceptance.

The contracts began to arrive by themselves and they had a good future, however, Tito Gómez would surprise everyone when he announced that he was resigning from “La Terrífica” because he had received an interesting proposal from New York to join the powerful band of conguero Ray Barretto who, after the sudden departure of his singer Tito Allen, was looking for a new vocalist to accompany the young Panamanian Rubén Blades at the front of his orchestra.

The following year, La Sonora Ponceña records in “Tiene Pimienta” (1975), its next production, the song “Hachero Sin Hacha” in the voice of Miguelito Ortiz (who arrives to the orchestra replacing Tito Gómez to accompany Luigui Texidor), written by Papo Lucca himself, in which he responds harshly about the alleged awarding of the axe to “La Terrífica” and even makes fun of the resignation of Tito Gómez with the pregón “una gallina que no pone porque ya no tiene gallo” (a hen that doesn’t lay because she no longer has a rooster).

“Where is that great hatchet man who advertises himself out therethe one who remembered Arsenio for a triumph to get.

You are nothing more than a parrot a head without brains a hen that does not lay because it no longer has a rooster.

That axe that you have looked for cardboard teeth that was that the great Arsenio, a joke played on you.

Search well in your memory the year sixty-nine when in your presence Arsenio with Lucia sent me an axe as a reward the sign of the woodcutter.

Axemen without an axe, they are.

Your axe does not break skulls, your axe is made of cardboard.

Arsenio mistook you, Arsenio misled you, your time is long gone Ay, I’m telling you, where is that great axeman?

Maybe he died, maybe he died, you have to put your head in it, you have to put inspiration in it”.

Orquesta La Terrífica Casa Pobre, Casa Grande 1980

Incredibly, when a strong response was expected from “La Terrífica”, its director Joe Rodríguez decided to concentrate his energy on finding a replacement for Tito Gómez and to reinforce his orchestra. Thus, Yolandita Rivera from New York and a 16-year-old teenager named Héctor “Pichie” Pérez joined the group and recorded “Sabor A Pueblo” (1976), their next LP under the production of pianist Jorge Millet.

The differences between both orchestras seemed to vanish as if by magic after a supposed private meeting between the founders of both groups, a situation that allowed them to have a peaceful party.

This fact would be verified later with the recording of two songs by La Terrífica: “Humo En La Cabeza” and ‘”Vida Se Llama Mujer” both authored by Luigui Texidor, the vocalist of La Sonora Ponceña; and the linking to Quique Lucca’s orchestra of vocalist Yolanda Rivera (the main voice of La Terrífica), who, besides other hits, recorded the merengue “Si No Me Meto” composed by Francisco Alvarado, co-founder and bongos player of La Terrífica in the album “El Gigante Del Sur” (1977).

The result of this determination gave great and good results for all, to the extent that Tito Gómez returned to La Sonora Ponceña to record several songs written by Francisco Alvarado, among them “Moreno Soy” included in the album “Explorando” (1978) and eventually Joe Rodríguez participated with Quique Lucca’s orchestra as a guest trumpet player for some trips.

From this moment on, “La Terrífica” would act as a kind of quarry of vocalists and musicians that would provide La Sonora Ponceña with salsa talents, this is the case of Manuel ‘Mannix’ Martínez, Héctor ‘Pichie’ Pérez, Yolanda Rivera, Luisito Carrión, Wito Colón, Luis ‘Cuchy’ Castro (trumpet), Efraín ‘Frao’ Hernández (bass), Freddie Del Valle (trumpet), Japhet Rodríguez (timbal), Jorge Miranda (bongo), among many others.

La Terrífica ‎"Mas Terrífica" 1992 — La Terrífica ‎”Mas Terrífica” 1992

La Terrífica, from its creation until 1992, recorded ten incredible productions, saying goodbye to the Salsa market with the hit “Corazón Fracturado”.

For his part, Joe Rodriguez, the founder of La Terrifica, has been retired from music for quite some time and devoted to his religion; while Francisco “Chalina” Alvarado founded El Conjunto La Perla and is still immersed in the world of salsa.

Facebook: Orquesta “La Terrífica”

Source: Frank Manuel Orellana

Article of Interest: Where the idea of the name of the Fania Record label came from

Johnny “Dandy” Rodríguez Jr. Growing Up in Latin Dance Music and Jazz

Johnny “Dandy” Rodriguez Jr. is a salsa legend and world-renown, pioneering bongocero.

His “Dream Team” is currently regarded as the hottest salsa “conjunto” performing In New York City.

It is rare, and ever increasingly so, that a musician would spend a lifetime in a band. But percussionist Johnny “Dandy” Rodríguez Jr. who was a teenager when he was allowed to sit in with the Tito Puente Orchestra and be an apprentice for a few months before earning a place in its rhythm section, was also there at the end, playing alongside Puente until his death, after a concert on May 31^st, 2000.

“I went from being a kid, coming into the band as a 16-year-old to being the man running the band at the end,” said Rodríguez, 70, in a conversation from his home in Las Vegas.

Johnny "Dandy" Rodriguez Jr. Growing up in Latin dance and jazz music — Johnny “Dandy” Rodríguez Jr.

Between that beginning and end, Rodríguez also contributed, in prolonged stints, to the sound of the Tito Rodríguez Orchestra, Ray Barretto, his own band, Típica ‘73, and more.

The son of Johnny “La Vaca” Rodríguez Sr., a respected percussionist who also played with the Puente and Rodríguez orchestras, “Dandy” Rodríguez is one of those essential musicians who have created and shaped the sound of contemporary Latin Jazz yet are little known by the public at large.

"When they called me to talk about the concert I thought it was a great idea," Rodriguez says. — Johnny “Dandy” Rodríguez Jr. y Pedro Bermúdez en New York

While some of the great players in Duke Ellington or Count Basie bands have long been recognized for their contributions, their counterparts in the Latin orchestras, for the most part, have not. Rodriguez will be honored by Arturo O’Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra in their concert “Tribute to the Great Sidemen of Latin Jazz” alongside Sonny Bravo, Ray Santos, Papo Vázquez, Reynaldo Jorge, José Madera, Joe González, and Bobby Porcelli at Symphony Space, in New York City, January 29^th and 30^th.

“When they called me about the concert I thought it was such a great idea,” says Rodriguez.

Johnny Rodríguez — Johnny “Dandy” Rodriguez Jr. is a salsa legend and a world-renowned pioneer bongocero.

“Usually people just know the name of the bandleader and it’s fine,” he says. “But they must remember that there is a good team behind that leader which makes him look so much better.

There’s a way of playing that music that makes it sound the way they wrote it and the way they wanted it and these guys knew it and they knew how to do it.”

Rodríguez grew up in Spanish Harlem, Manhattan, in a house with “a great music collection, a good, what was then called, hi-fi system and always full of musicians,” he recalls.

“It was great but I was interested in baseball, in stickball. I didn’t get involved with music until later, but the music was always in the background, in my house.” By the time he was in junior high, Rodríguez played bongos, congas, timbales, and set drums and, as he puts it, “started to get into it.”

“Remember, I lived in El Barrio and back in those days, in that area, there was a lot of music in the air.

There would be speakers outside the furniture store or the bodega or the record shop, and music would be playing. This shop would be playing this radio station, the butcher would have another, so walking one block you’d be hearing three different pieces of music. It was an environment full of music.”

During the first two decades of the new century, the musical work of maestro Johnny Rodriguez continued; thus, his musical imprint has remained in other publications with The Latin-Jazz Coalition, Frankie Morales, Eddie Palmieri, Gilberto Santa Rosa, George Delgado, Victor Manuelle, Rick Arroyo, Orestes Vilató, Mitch Frohman, Cita Rodriguez, Doug Beaver, Adalberto Santiago and Jeremy Bosch.

In addition, special mention must be made of the participation of maestro Johnny Rodríguez with a group called The Latin Giants Of Jazz, in the best style of the classic Big Bands, made up of great teachers, among them, some of the former members of the band of maestro Tito Puente; with this group they have released four albums; this project gave rise to another band called The Mambo Legends, who recorded the album titled: Watch Out! ¡Ten Cuidao!

John Rodriguez is, without any doubt, one of the most prolific percussionists in the world of Latin music called Salsa; the nickname “Dandy” goes back to his childhood, when the car in which he was taken was bought in a warehouse or a store called “Dandy”, and people said: look how cute the “Dandy”, and from there he kept that nickname. In music he is better known as Johnny instead of John.

In the (year 2022) the experienced Johnny Rodriguez had three or four groups with which he is playing, among them Dandy Rodriguez and his Dream Team, and at the same time he teaches percussion classes over the Internet. He is part of the true legends of Latin music, not to mention that his talent has also been reflected in recordings for other musical genres such as: Electronic, Folk Rock, Folk, World & Country, Funk / Soul, Heavy Metal, Jazz, Stage & Screen, Jazz-Funk, Merengue and Pop.

In his very extensive artistic career, the master Johnny Rodriguez took part in historical and iconic recordings of our musical culture, some of these albums have been worthy of awards such as the Grammy Award, among which are:

Homenaje a Beny Moré – Year 1978.
On Broadway – 1983
El Rey: Tito Puente & His Latin Ensemble – Year 1984
Mambo Diablo – 1985
Goza Mi Timbal – Year 1990
Mambo Birdland – Year 1999
Masterpiece / Masterpiece Tito Puente & Eddie Palmieri – Year 2000.

“In 2008, Johhny entrusted LP’s Research and Development Department with the design of the John “Dandy” Rodriguez Jr. bongoes in the Legends series. John is proud that these drums, which bear his name, feature such outstanding sound and visual characteristics.”

He died on August 17, 2024 in New York City of a stroke.

Facebook: John Rodriguez(Dandy)

Article of Interest: José Madera Timbal de Machito and his Afro-Cubans, Tito Puente, Mambo Legends Orchestra and Fania Record Co.

Johnny "Dandy" Rodríguez Jr. y Frankie "El Sonero del Barrio" Vázquez — Johnny “Dandy” Rodríguez Jr. y Frankie “El Sonero del Barrio” Vázquez

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José Madera Timbal de Machito and his Afro-Cubans, Tito Puente, Mambo Legends Orchestra and Fania Record Co.

The musician, arranger and composer who has yet to find the time to record and write music for some of the most influential bands in existence.

José Madera, Timbal of Machito and his Afro-Cubans, Tito Puente & Fania All-Stars — osé Madera, born on September 30th

One might think that working for Tito Puente’s famous band can keep a percussionist busy enough.

But musician, arranger and composer Jose Madera had found time to record and write music for some of the most influential bands in the world.

Before joining Tito Puente over 35 years ago, Madera played for four years with the famous Machito Orchestra and recorded with many R&B artists (including James Brown, Diana Ross, David Sanborn and Aztec Two – Step).

Jose musical director of Mambo Legends Orchestra

As an arranger for Fania Records, he participated in several commercial hits, and over the years has composed music for Fania All-Stars, Larry Harlow, Johnny Pacheco, Willie Colón and Celia Cruz.

Despite having recorded some 75 albums in 20 years, as well as numerous radio jingles and movie soundtracks, Madera still had time for his other career: for 15 years he worked as a teacher and director at a privately funded performing arts high school in New York City.

Jose has written many arrangements for countless commercial Latino artists and has also recorded or worked with many of them.

Some of them include: Larry Harlow, Johnny Pacheco, Chico O’Farill, the Lincoln Center Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra, Celia Cruz, Tito Rodriguez, Fania All-Stars, Willie Colon, Joe Farrell, Machito, Graciela, Mario Bauzá, Willie Rosario, Earl Klughand, Eddie Palmieri, to name a few. Jose also worked and recorded with many pop, R&B and jazz artists.

Some of them include Diana Ross, James Brown, Dizzy Gillespie, Paquito D’Rivera, George Benson and Lionel Hampton, among others.

Jose has participated in over 250 recordings. He has worked on several television show soundtracks, including The Simpsons, and several film soundtracks, including The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love, where he was the musical arranger and conductor for the Tito Puente film segment.

Jose also taught the art of playing Latin percussion instruments at BOYS HARBOR in New York City for 28 years.

Jose has done and continues to do musical clinics around the country at various schools.

He was the musical director of the Latin Giants of Jazz from 2001 to 2009.

Jose continues his musical direction with Mambo Legends Orchestra, a band composed of former members of the Tito Puente Orchestra, which is dedicated to the execution of new and creative Latin and Latin Jazz concepts, as well as some of the music of Machito, Tito Rodriguez and Tito Puente.

Jose has personally recreated and re-arranged much of the music that the bands performed during the heyday of the mambo at the Palladium Ballroom in New York City, which many critics consider to be the “Greatest and Most Innovative Era” in the history of Latin music.

Madera’s father, Jose “Pin” Madera, a saxophonist, was one of the original members of the Machito Afrocubans.

The young Jose was influenced by Machito’s drummer (“the best Latin Big Band drummer I’ve ever heard”). He was later influenced by José Mangual and Tito Puente himself.

Madera's father, Jose "Pin" Madera, saxophonist, was one of the original members of the Machito Afrocubans — José Madera was influenced by José Mangual Padre and Tito Puente himself

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Rudy Regalado. The legend of percussion

North America / USA / California

Rudy Regalado was a composer/ educator and one of the top Latin Rock Timbaleros based in the area of East Los Angeles, California during the 1970s and the second more famous Latin percussionist after Tito Puente. His legacy has been exceptional, 23 recorded albums, participated in big Festivals from USA and shared the best platforms with the best in the world. This artist was well known for his style, his contagious rhythm and eccentric presence.

Rudy Regalado was a genuine and outstanding timbales maestro; he was inspired as a child by big bands Machito and Tito Rodriguez, who were two of favorites he became interested in playing music and the Timbales.

His beginnings in this instrument go back at the end of the 1950s. During that period as s teenager, he learned to play the drum and timbales in home town (Caracas-Venezuela). For 1963 and with desire to eat the world with his music he moved to Puerto Rico and started playing in hotels and clubs in the San Juan area with Julio y su combo, the first house bands he played with in Puerto Rico’s at Hotel Caribe Hilton. They were the backup house band for all the famous musicians that performed in the Island in 1965; at the same time he studied harmony and percussion at Pablo Casals Conservatory of music.

A decade later the restless Venezuelan timbalero migrated to Southern California, where he joined playing with local jazz and Latin groups before joining with the extremely popular Latin Rock Band called El Chicano.

The timbalero of timbaleros spent twelve years with El Chicano, singing and playing the timbales in 5 albums, which was included in Top 40 hits during the 1970s with the songs “Viva Tirado” and “Tell Her She’s Lovely”. El Chicano also created the theme song for the television series Baretta, which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1978.

After, Rudy formed his own Latin Jazz All-Star / Salsa Band in 1983, which included a selected group of musician from Los Angeles. Initially known as Todos Estrellas, the band eventually became known as Chévere (aan expression of Venezuelan popular slang) and appeared at the PlayBoy Jazz Festival, Disneyland and Fiesta Broadway, among other engagements. The band also performed overseas in summer festivals in Canada, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and throughout the European continent.

As part of an El Chicano reunion in 2009, the Timbales maestro performed during the 40th anniversary of Woodstock festival at the Golden Gate Park Music Concourse in San Francisco, where the group actually celebrated their own 40th Anniversary, and last played with them at the Greek Theatre of Los Angeles in front of over a 100,000 screaming fans.

In addition, he participated in a variety of sessions with the Zawinul Syndicate, Quincy Jones, Alphonse Mouzon, Caravana Cubana.

Rudy also toured with Aretha Franklin in charge of her percussion section, was a drummer for Los Melódicos in its 1980 tour of United States, and performed on the Tonight Show, the Nancy Wilson Show and American Bandstand. His film credits include The Skeleton Key (2005), as well as the television series Pepe Plata (1990) and Clubhouse (2004).

Héctor José Regalado better known as Rudy Regalado passed away on November 4th, 2010, in Las Vegas – Nevada, where he died from complications of pneumonia at the age of 67.

Currently, his daughter Norka Tibisay Regalado founded in 2013, the Rudy Regalado Foundation. The goal of the foundation is to provide inner city music programs with instruments and financial support. “Let no child be left behind due to lack of funds”. In February, 2014, they donated over 2500 instruments and donated $2000.00 to help with cost for instructors. Her goal is to get financial support from big companies and the community in order to reach many more music programs; she is also working on bringing music programs inside children´s hospital to help the healing process to their mentally ill children and burned survivors.

Rudy Regalado will be forever remembered as one of the greatest Latin exponents of Salsa / Jazz sound of all time, undoubtedly, The Legend of Timbales (January 29, 1943 (Caracas – Venezuela) – Covember 4, 2010 (Las Vegas – Nevada).

For additional information or to make a donation, please contac Norka Regalado at 323.270.8176 or go to website www.rudysfoundation.org/