Search Results for: Tito Rodríguez

Humberto Ramírez

Latin America/ Puerto Rico / San Juan

Humberto Ramírez one of the most innovative musicians on the Island of Enchantment Puerto Rico

Recognized as one of the most innovative musicians of his generation, Humberto Ramírez grew up in a home where the music of Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Lee Morgan, Tito Puente, Tito Rodríguez, Cal Tjader and Machito was heard.

His father, who is a saxophonist and conductor, was the one who inspired him to play the flugelhorn at age 11.

By the age of 14, Humberto was performing professionally with his father’s orchestra and at the same time taking orchestration courses with bassist Inocencio “Chencho” Rivera.

At the age of 18, after graduating from the Escuela Libre de Música de San Juan, his interest in composing and arranging music motivated him to enroll at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in music, then studied composition and orchestration for film and television at the Dick Grove School of Music in Los Angeles, California.

In 1985, and for a period of four years, Humberto worked with the Willie Rosario orchestra, one of the most popular bands in Puerto Rico.

In 1989 he became the musical director of Tony Vega.

His admirable ability as a producer and arranger led him to make important collaborations with great figures in music.

In 1999 he took over the musical direction of merengue and tropical music star Olga Tañón.

His work as a producer, arranger, composer and director for tropical music artists such as Willie Colón, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Marc Anthony, India, Domingo Quiñones, Lourdes Robles, Rubén Blades, Brenda K. Starr, Tito Nieves, Víctor Manuelle and others , has established him as one of the busiest arrangers and producers in the industry.

He has also had the responsibility of directing the concerts of important exponents of reggaeton such as Daddy Yankee, Tito El Bambino and Zion, which undeniably demonstrates his broad musical mastery in various genres.

His great dream was always to develop a career in Jazz. In 1992, Humberto Ramírez debuted as group leader in his first production for the Tropijazz label entitled “Jazz Project”.

Since then he has shared the stage with important jazz musicians such as Freddie Hubbard, Justo Almario, Alex Acuña, Chick Corea, McCoy Tyner, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Tito Puente, Hilton Ruiz, Michel Camilo, Herbie Hancock, Eddie Gómez, Michael Brecker, Paquito D ‘Rivera, Chucho Valdés, Ray Santos, Gato Barbieri, Terence Blanchard and Herb Alpert, with whom he recorded the album “Passion Dance”.

His music has received rave reviews from prestigious publications such as Down Beat, Jazz Times, Jazziz, Latin Beat, CD Review, Hispanic Magazine, New York Daily News, The Plain Dealer, Miami Herald, The Boston Globe, and Austin Chronicle.

From the launch of his first record proposal, Humberto Ramírez has established himself as the most important exponent and promoter of Jazz in Puerto Rico.

He has recorded 26 albums in which he has experimented with all kinds of formats: duets, trios, quartets, quintets, sextets, octets and “Big Bands”.

His collaborations with the group Rumbantela and with the queen of filin, Lucy Fabery have received great praise from specialized critics. In 2005 he founded his own record label, Nilpo Music and last year he began to present his own Jazz festival: Puerto Rico Jazz Jam, marking a new stage in his musical career.

This year 2011 celebrates its 20 years cultivating the difficult expression of Jazz, a career that began with its debut as a leader in the first edition of the Puerto Rico Heineken Jazz Fest in June 1991. This year 2016 celebrates its 25 years.

Humberto Ramírez has received 4 Grammy Award nominations as a producer. His first nomination was for the album “Nueva Cosecha” by Willie Rosario in 1985, then for “Hecho en Puerto Rico” by Willie Colón in 1993, “Tony Vega” in 1996 and “Olga Viva, Viva Olga” by Olga Tañón, which earned him the Grammy Award in 2000.

In 2013 he was nominated for a Latin Grammy for his album Sentimentales with Lucy Fabery.

Among the awards he has received are 6 Platinum records, 12 Gold records, 4 “Visionary Awards” and six “Tu Música” awards. He has received tributes from Ohio State Representative Dennis J. Kucinich and from the Senate of Puerto Rico.

In 1997 he had the honor of entertaining the inauguration of the President of the United States, Bill Clinton in Washington, D.C. In October 2009 he was invited to play at the White House for President Barack Obama.

After having received several awards and nominations, as well as having recorded his own record successes, Humberto Ramírez shows that his creative explosion is still in its infancy.

https://www.humbertoramirez.com/#home-section

https://www.facebook.com/Humberto-Ram%C3%ADrez-Jazz-Project-110525453672/

Israel “Cachao” Lopez Sobrado in fame and respect in the seventies was dedicated to maintain the tradition at the highest level

“Cachao Dos” for the year 1977.

It will be enough to mention the name of this celebrity to open a whole range of creativity and genius embodied in what is considered a cult discography.

Since 1931, the year in which he started musically as a member of the Havana Philharmonic Orchestra, the precocious Israel would give a foretaste of the talent he had and that, as time went by, would be consummated hand in hand with his right-hand man and musical accomplice, Orestes “Macho” López, his older brother.

Certainly, music was impregnated in the DNA of the López family, a generating machine of musicians by tradition, something that Lázara Cachao, Israel’s niece and daughter of his deceased younger brother Orlando “Cachaito” Lopez, reaffirms: “The tradition of being musicians comes from the grandparents and great-great-grandparents, all the Cachao are musicians”.

Regarding his transcendence, he and his older brother Orestes are said to be the creators of the Mambo, a rhythmic variation of the Danzón and a genuine musical expression that would mark a before and after in Latin music.

However, and as it is known, this contribution would change its clothing and would reach worldwide popularity when it reached the hands of another “inventor” born in Matanzas, Cuba, named Dámaso Pérez Prado, who as it is known, gave it another treatment and musical twist reaching surprising popularity.

“Cachao”, after a 31-year stay with the Havana Philharmonic Orchestra, decided to leave Cuba, settling for many years in New York City.

As it is understandable, his presence in this city was more than important for the musical guild and music fans.

He was nothing less than one of the managers and protagonist of the famous Jam Sessions recorded by the Panart whose presence was capitalized among many others by Tito Puente, Tito Rodríguez and Eddie Palmieri.

From the first one we could say, a whole school, a musician with a deep knowledge of his double bass and creator of his own style, bow in hand, and as a prolific composer, with approximately three thousand compositions together with his brother “Macho” López.

The years in New York were musically very good for Israel Lopez as well as in Las Vegas and finally Miami, where he lived until his last days.

Making a discography of him is quite a task and a challenge. However, after his arrival, I remember with great pleasure his collaboration for the album Latin Explosion by Joe Cain and his orchestra in 1964, where among others, Listen dos Trompetas and Mungo, Mungo Baby stand out.

Esta es mi Orquesta, theme/performance of Tito Rodriguez’s musicians emulating what Stan Kent and his Big Band did, or those performances as special guest in the famous Descargas at The Village Gate Live and Tico All Stars, among many others.

In the seventies, Cachao, with his fame and respect, dedicated himself to maintain the tradition at a supreme level, and from that period, punctually 1977, Cachao will present two epic works, the first one entitled Cachao y su Descarga Vol. 1 and then Cachao Dos, both recorded for Salsoul Records under the production of René López and Andy Kaufman.

The latter contains only a total of five tracks, but they are well fulfilled in their purpose of maintaining a fierce defense of the rhythms that Gran Cachao has been proclaiming for years.

This album, like everything else recorded by the double bass player, is genuine and of supreme quality, something that is due to Israel’s responsible and dynamic character, something that the leader Julio Castro can attest to, having not only known him personally but also having worked with his orchestra La Única, which arrived in NYC for a prolonged stay of a little more than half a year.

Repertory

Ko Wo Ko Wo: (Guiro): Julito Collazo

Israel “Cachao” López: Contrabajo

Julito Collazo: Vocal, Chekere, Conga

Mario Muñoz “Papaito”: Campana

Diane Cardona: Coro

Marcelino Guerra: Coro

Héctor “El flaco” Hernández: Coro

Zunny López: Coro

Frankie Rodríguez: Coro

Fela Wiles: Coro

Jóvenes del Ritmo: (Danzón): Israel López

Israel “Cachao” López: Contrabajo

Julián Cabrera: Congas

Gonzalo Fernández: Flauta de Madera

Oswaldo “Chihuahua” Martínez: Timbales

Charlie Palmieri: Piano

Rolando Valdés: Guiro

Cuerdas:

“Pupi” Legarreta: Violín

Alfredo de la Fe: Violín

Eddie Drenon: Violín

Yoko Matsuo: Violín

Carl Héctor: Violín

Patricia Dixon: Cello

Centro San Agustín: (Danzón-Cha): Israel López

Israel “Cachao” López: Contrabajo

Carlos “Patato” Valdés: Congas

Gonzalo Fernández: Flauta de Madera

Lino Frío: Piano

Rolando Valdés: Guiro

Nelson González: Tres

Mario Muñoz “Papaito”: Percusión

Alejandro “El negro” Vivar: Trompeta

Alfredo “Chocolate” Armenteros: Trompeta

Rafael “Felo” Barrios: Coro

Roberto Torres: Coro

Trombón Melancólico: (Descarga): Israel López

Israel “Cachao” López: Contrabajo

Manny Oquendo: Timbales

Charlie Palmieri: Piano

Barry Rogers: Trombón

José Rodríguez: Trombón

Andy González: Campana

Frankie Rodríguez: Percusión

Gene Golden: Percusión

Milton Cardona: Percusión

Rafael “Felo” Barrios: Coro

Roberto Torres: Coro

Chambelona (Popurrí de Congas): Neri Cabrera

Israel “Cachao” López: Contrabajo

Julito Collazo: Bombo

Lino Frías: Piano

Mario “Papaito” Muñoz: Percusión

Oswaldo “Chihuahua” Martínez: Percusión

Virgilio Martí: Percusión

Eugenio “Totico” Arango: Coro

Rafael “Felo” Barrios: Coro

Cachao

La Candela Salsa Orchestra

Europe / Spain / Tenerife

La Candela Salsa Orchestra

The band is made up of eight musicians settled in Tenerife Canary Islands

La Candela is a small independent orchestra that in recent years has made a place for itself among the preferences of salsa dancers.

Her proposal is aimed at “hooking” the dancer with the original rhythms of salsa such as son montuno, guaguancó, mambo or chachachá, recovering the sound of the era in which what is known today as Salsa was forged.

The band is made up of eight musicians based in Tenerife (Canary Islands).

Its target audience is the salsa dancer on1 & on2, a great consumer of this type of music.

However, they have also conquered the hearts of the salsa music lovers who are staunch consumers of hard sauce.

The live La Candela show is a roller coaster of sensations that aims to spread joy and good vibes with a varied repertoire in terms of the danceable rhythms that are included within the salsa genre.

With him they have been presented in Spain and in other European countries such as Germany or Switzerland throughout these five years of activity.

La Candela’s style is inspired by the repertoire and execution style of the master Joe Cuba and his Sextet.

They have brought back to life some of their best classic songs that are still a reference for the dancer today.

With this spirit, her first musical project was born: On Fire, which was released in November 2015 and was a very good business card.

The album includes some classic songs by maestro Joe Cuba, such as “La Palomilla”, “Clave Mambo” or “El Ritmo de Joe Cuba”, along with self-written songs such as our first two singles, entitled “Es Guaguancó” and “For her”.

In 2017 and thanks to the executive production of Batlei Productions, a new project by La Candela was born with a closer sound and with many new features, without leaving behind our essence, headed by the first single titled “Se Prentó”, On Time moves between the primitive and the new, rescuing jewels and offering deserved tributes to some of the great pioneers of Afro-Cuban danceable music, like Tito Rodríguez or Frank Grillo “Machito”.

They are currently preparing what will be their third studio album with a new line-up of Musicians

We are also in the process of reserving the album “On Time” with a crowdfounding project, in which 300 LPs of this production have been put on sale in a limited edition: https://qrates.com/projects/20837- on-time In addition, we have launched a merchandising store where you can find all kinds of products with the unmistakable seal of La Candela Salsa Orchestra: https://lacandelasalsa.threadless.com/

Video clip of “Sin Ti”: https://youtu.be/WkV2hvCeXhE
Switzerland summary video: https://youtu.be/whUDfAx0Fwc
Benidorm video summary: https://youtu.be/j3puMxehsQk
Website: http://lacandelasalsa.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lacandelasalsa
Instagram: http://instagram.com/lacandelasalsa

José Madera

North America/ United State / New York

José Madera, Percussion & Arranger of Machito, Tito Rodriguez and Tito Puente

One would think that a job with the world famous Tito Puente

Band keep busy a percussionist.

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

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

As an arranger for Fania Records Plant, played in several comerciales successes, and through the years has composed music for the Fania All- Stars, Larry Harlow , Johnny Pacheco , Willie Colón, and Celia Cruz .

Although he has recorded some 75 albums in 20 years, as well as numerous radio jingles and film soundtracks, Madera still had time for his other career for 15 years he had worked as a teacher and conductor in a high school for the performing arts with private funds, in the city of New York.

Jose has written many arrangements for countless commercial Latin artists and has recorded or worked with many of them as well. 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 Bauza, Willie Rosario, Earl Klughand Eddie Palmieri, just to name a few.

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

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¨.

José Madera continues his musical direction with the Mambo Legends Orchestra, a band comprised of former members of the Tito Puente Orchestra, which is dedicated to performing new creative Latin and Latin jazz concepts, as well as some of the music of Machito, Tito Rodriguez and Tito Puente.

José Madera has personally re-created and re-arranged much of the music that the ban ds performed during the heyday of the Mambo at the Palladium Ballroom in New York City, which is considered by many critics to be the “Greatest and Mostinnovative Era” in the history of Latin music.

Madera’s saxophonist father Jose “Pin ” Madera, was one of the original members of the Afro -Cuban Orchestra Machito .

Young Joseph was influenced by drummer Machito (The best Latin Big Band drummer I’ve ever heard).

Later I was influenced by José Mangual and the same Tito Puente. The LP Timbale bell (circa 1966) was the first instrument Wood LP , today plays a variety of congas , bongos , guiro and bells LP.

Compared with the instruments that were used years ago , the sounds I get from the LP instruments are very authentic.

As an arranger, it is very gratifying to know that whatever you write will be accompanied by instruments LP, which only improve the quality of interpretation.

In 2008, Madera was entrusted to the Department of Research and Development LP designing the Signature Series José Madera Congas .

José Madera is proud that these drums, bearing his name, present a sound and a visual such outstanding features.

“My best inspiration and my best teacher is my dad.” Inheritance, discipline and academic training forged the Padilla dynasty that empowers salsa.

Robert and Ricardo Padilla have a fundamental importance within the musical movement we know as salsa. The father is a historian, curator and consultant. The son is a journalist, producer and broadcaster.

The role of Robert Padilla, who tropical music connoisseurs consider the most important salsa collector in the world, is unrepeatable, as he weaves together history, characters, facts and archives; delivering a holistic approach to salsa as a concept. His motivation is pure interest in preserving and spreading the culture.

The relevance of the museum that he conceived and guarded is unquestionable. He acquired the property and fitted out the building with the required specifications and ambience with the purpose of having a repository that keeps the salsa memory alive and in force.

When Ricardo was asked if his father influenced his training in the preservation of the musical archive, his successor answered: “That’s right. My dad and I have many things in common; among them, we love salsa. I grew up watching my dad play records and listen to music. But, my grandfather also had an influence because during the 1940s and 1950s, (the golden era of the Palladium, with Tito Rodriguez) Don Hector Padilla Rosado (RIP) had bodegas in New York.

My grandfather was part of what was happening there and danced mambo in that environment. My grandfather told me all that story and my father repeated it to me (…) the Padilla family would not be the Padilla family if we did not talk about my grandfather, Don Héctor. So we are three generations that in one way or another have dedicated ourselves to supporting music because it has changed our lives for the better.”

Robert Ricardo — My best inspiration and my best teacher is my dad.” Inheritance, discipline and academic training forged the Padilla dynasty.

Ricardo considers his father the biggest fan of salsa. “Beyond being a historian, he is the number one salsa fan. My dad has the largest collection of tropical music in existence.” That collection includes records in different formats, photographs, memorabilia, videos and audios of live shows, all documented and classified. Recently to his already incalculable collection was added that of Don Mariano Artau (RIP), who was collecting and curating unique musical treasures for more than seventy years.

In Ricardo’s case, he studied Journalism at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus. What the father began as a hobby, the son saw as a profession. The gratitude and admiration he has for his father is evident when he says: “I thank my dad (…) all those concerts he took me to as a child formed me. And all those people he connected me with, later became mentors for what I do today as a Salsoul programmer.” And he adds: “my greatest inspiration and my best teacher is my dad; and he will continue to be so in every sense of the word”.

Speaking of orchestras, the salsa sound that Robert favors is that of the duo that popularized Willie Colón and Héctor Lavoe. For his part Ricardo affirms: “I say that Willie Rosario doesn’t have a bad album. He is a role model; being true to himself, molding a sound supported by great arrangers that he himself chose to refine that style.

He is so special in so many areas (…) So much so that even his life has been compiled in a book, and at 99 years of age, without having the need to play, he continues to do so because music is not necessarily something that only generates money for him; it is something that generates motivation to continue living. Without detracting from Don Rafael Ithier with his mulatos, or Don Papo Lucca with that southern giant, or the orchestra of the King of the bass, Don Willie transcends music and is an example of how to live”.

The Padilla’s, organically; to the succession they added a good dose of discipline and polished themselves with the commitment to take their musical training -which has not yet culminated- seriously, becoming the most admired influencers of salsa.

This dynasty is committed to their self-imposed mission of excellence. They say goodbye as a team and almost in unison affirm: “we are at your service”. I responded gratefully with “we’re still in salsa”, knowing that neither Puerto Rico nor the salsa world can repay this dynasty for the monumental contribution to the culture and musical history of this archipelago that has been the cradle of the greatest exponents of salsa, which the Padillas empower by sharing these stories of Puerto Rico with the world.

Bella Martinez ISM correspondent – Puerto Rico