Search Results for: Trumpet and Percussion

Meet the Carlos Rodríguez Quintet

Latin America / Venezuela / Caracas

There are many Latin music orchestras worldwide, and our duty is to know and recommend the best orchestras, whether they are known or new talents. On this occasion we had the opportunity to interview Carlos Rodríguez and his orchestra who were playing Jazz, Latin Jazz, Salsa and various mixes of Latin rhythms at the “Café Mi Cosa” located in City Market, Caracas, Venezuela.

At this meeting in the cafe, there was the Carlos Rodríguez Quintet, who make it up: Antonio Davicenzo (Drummer), Darwin Manzi (Trumpet), Pancho Santangelo (Piano), Cesar Bolivar Changu (Percussion) and lastly Carlos himself as soloist.

Carlos mentions that his orchestra has in its themes and/or songs a mixture of Venezuelan music with jazz, Afro-Venezuelan, begin bolero, merengue with a bolerito, among others. Currently for the time they demand the search for new rhythms and stay stuck with the current rhythms, seeking to satisfy and enjoy the public and something that impacts them.

In his first album that was based on Jazz, he made several combinations with various Latin rhythms, such as: Guaguacom, Afro, Bolero, Jazz with Latin rhythm, Jazz with Venezuelan rhythm and other fusions.

It started a long time ago, he tells us that he was with the “National Philharmonic Orchestra”, where he learned and gained experience in the area of music. Of course he not only works with them but with other orchestras and/or artists.

Later he won an international award in Colombia as the best bassist, and his project is to be known as a soloist in his orchestra and not just another accompanist of another orchestra; however, he continues to work with a wide variety of musicians since that is the world of music, living from music not only as his profession but as his greatest passion.

His recommendation for new talents is that there is always a certainty in their musical career, discipline, gain and perseverance to progress and move forward since the road is hard and with obstacles, therefore one should not be discouraged and continue fighting and progressing to so be recognized.

For more information:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlosrodriguezfalcon6/ @carlosrodriguezfalcon6
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: +58 414-2037324

Unstoppable Hollywood Salsa Fest focuses on the importance of Salsa

In the midst of the release of the single in which she collaborated with Edwin “El Calvito” Reyes ‘Dos pa’ lante’, on April 13, 2024; Melina Almodovar performed at the most important salsa festival in South Florida in the U.S. Melina also serves as an entrepreneur, along with her partner Cristina Moinelo, for the past nine years.

“La muñeca de la salsa”, Melina Almodóvar

Each year, the Hollywood Salsa Fest focuses on the importance of salsa music, recognizing that Afro-Latin music fuses us into a culture that draws from diverse roots. This year’s festival – sponsored by the city in a public-private partnership with various businesses – was held at the Artspark at Young Circle.

As masters of ceremony, the festival featured the winning team of “Meca” from Salseo Radio and “El Cacique” from Zeta 93 FM, Puerto Rico’s leading salsa radio station. On the decks was DJ “Boricua loco” with a tremendous selection of salsa, in addition to coordinating from his musical corner the dance exhibitions by the salsa dancers of YC Dance Studios.

The first orchestra in charge of starting the concert, Latin All Stars, counted with the vocal and scenic mastery of Marlon Mendioroz, Yorman Clay, Adrián Marchant, Yomil Rivas and Frank Cróquer, backed by a musical team that did not fall short of the expectations of those who waited patiently for the stage to light up with good salsa. Latin All Stars was followed by “Juano, tu cantante” from Cali, Colombia. The team of musicians of the orchestra with the second shift shined accompanying who for 16 years was part of Orquesta Guayacán.

The trumpet player also performed in the mid-afternoon block, preceding the arrival of the Hollywood Salsa Fest Orchestra in a segment in which they accompanied Hilda Naranjo from Cuba, Fabián Rosales from Chile and Joey Hernández from Puerto Rico.

At around 6:00 p.m., it was the turn of the Cuban sound known as timba, with the Julio Montalvo Orchestra and Miami’s Huracán. Once the hurricane winds that accompanied Julio Montalvo ceased, tribute was paid to the late Venezuelan percussionist Robert Vilera thanks to the staging of Vilera Son. The tribute to Vilera’s legacy featured the talents of Los Gaitanes from Panama, Avelino Romero from Venezuela, El Mola and Braidsman from Cuba, as well as Robert Vilera’s first singer, Felix Argenis.

“La muñeca de la salsa”, Melina Almodovar, was backed by Luigi Flores from Costa Rica on piano and musical direction, Johnny Fortunato from Dominican Republic on bass, Pablo Molina from Venezuela on timbales, Juan Pablo Camacho from Venezuela on tumbadoras, Carlos Molina from Venezuela on bongo, Carlos Perez from Cuba on first trombone, Ramon Benitez from Colombia on second trombone, Carlos Frank from Cuba on first trumpet and Julian Cifuentes from Colombia on second trumpet.

On backing vocals, Melina was backed by: Joe Arroyo from Puerto Rico and Freddy Lugo from Cuba. Melina gave us a first class show. As part of Melina’s performance, “El Calvito Reyes” joined her for the first time to perform the recently released single ‘Dos pa`lante’ as a live duet.

During the afternoon, the festival took place under a beautiful blue sky that kept the crowd’s enthusiasm positive. During the night, the clear Floridian skies kept the attendees dancing at full steam. Of course, to that end, the aforementioned talents kept the stage in salsa.

The festival closed with the always remembered for the classic ‘De barrio obrero a la 15’, Chamaco Rivera, who with a stellar salsa career to his credit, not only kept the audience engrossed in his impeccable staging, but also introduced us to his guest artist, his son: Christian Ray.

Melina contó con el respaldo vocal de Joe Arroyo de Puerto Rico y Freddy Lugo de Cuba

Christian delighted us with his repertoire shortly before inviting us to listen to his recently released CD entitled El legado continúa. To bid farewell to the musical day, which lasted nearly ten hours, the grand finale invited the group of singers who had paraded on stage during the day and part of the night to come in and jam with the “papa de los pollitos” (father of the chicks).

We are waiting to enjoy the next ‘Hollywood Salsa Fest’, for which the businesswomen in charge promise to throw the house out of the window. Melina and Cristina have delivered nine festivals in a row. So see you in April 2025 to dance in the tenth edition of the same.

Also Read: A party of dancers at the concert to celebrate Willie Rosario’s 100th birthday

From Parroquia San Agustín del Sur is Son Marín ¡Aquí Empezó la Cosa…!

In order to delve a little into what the group Son Marín was, we must necessarily refer to the late musician Jesús Blanco or “El Pure” as everyone called him.

Jesús Giselo Blanco was his first name, born in Mirandino, but settled in Caracas when he was still a child.

To talk about his musical beginnings is to evoke part of the history of the Son in our country, since “El Pure” before arriving to the San Agustin Parish had already participated with old groups such as Conjunto Rex and the well remembered Sonora Caracas.

Son Marín ¡Aquí Empezó la Cosa...!! — Son Marín ¡Aquí Empezó la Cosa…!!

El Pure Blanco was recognized in San Agustin Marin as a true builder of musicians since, with his work as a musical artisan, besides having created the first music school in Marin, many young people were nurtured and formed with his teachings.

Jesús “el Pure” Blanco was a key character in the formation and integration of several groups in Barrio Marín, among them we remember the aguinaldo group Los Juveniles, Los Gaitetricos, Los Super Cremas, La Nueva Generación and of course his biggest dream, the “Son Marín”.

The group Son Marín had several stages, starting in 1981 when in Barrio Marín an improvised musical group was organized to receive at the International Airport of Maiquetía the Grupo Madera that was arriving from an important presentation in an International Festival in the city of Avignon, France.

That small group was formed by: Eliel Rivero (trombone), Jorge Rondón(flute), Enrique Palacio (Bass), Arnaldo Blanco(tres), Renny Mendoza (Bongó), José Luis Mendoza (Tumbadora) Luciano Reyes (singer), Pablo” Pabloco” Martínez (singer) and Jesús “Pure” Blanco was the director.

As fate would have it, that group, which was only a provisional “vente tú” organized by Pure, later became another of the emblematic groups of San Agustín, SON MARÍN.

In particular we remember pleasantly the participation of Son Marin as a representation of the San Agustin del Sur Parish, in the Afro-Caribbean Music Festival “La 5ta Esencia de la Salsa” held on June 17, 1983 at the Nuevo Circo de Caracas, by then the group had not yet recorded their first album, but we had already had the opportunity to listen to a demo with a couple of numbers that came to promote the announcer Hector Castillo in his radio program on the now defunct Radio Aeropuerto.

Over time the group grew and new instruments were added; and of course the inclusion of other musicians, such is the case of Jesus Guzman the popular “Paicosa” who enters as guitarist to later become the bassist and musical director of the group, it was the idea of “Paicosa” with the support of “Pabloco“, to expand the group’s equipment incorporating Hugo Olivero’s sax, Josue Silva’s trumpet, Randal Monasterio’s piano, while the percussion was reinforced with Juber Ramirez.

Already with a more solid group and with a view to a greater projection within the Venezuelan salsa music scene, the only thing missing was the recording of the album, which began in September 1986, with the collaboration of Mauricio Silva in the arrangements and the inclusion of several guest musicians.

Unfortunately, a month after the recording began and without being finalized, Jesús “el Pure” Blanco died, however his voice and feeling were reflected in this album that was finally released in 1987, quickly gaining strength and penetrating the taste of the music lover public after the composition of Pablo Martínez, AQUÍ EMPEZO LA COSA, a tribute to this neighborhood that has given so many important musicians, a cradle of soneros as Gonzalo Martínez says in the song.

The voice of Pure Blanco was recorded in the song LA CAÑA; all the numbers were original pieces except for the song “Sin Compromiso” by the Brazilian Chico Buarque, but with an excellent adaptation of the lyrics by Pablo Martínez and Joseito Romero.

To end this biographical sketch, I leave here part of the thanks contained in the back cover of the album from Son Marín.

JESUS BLANCO “Pure” every joy lived with this work, makes us feel you more.

SON MARIN… This is where it all began!!! (1987) Mucer International DL-7140

SIDE A

1.- HERE I STARTED THE THING (Pablo Martínez)

2.- SIN COMPROMISO (Chico Buarque) Lyrics Adaptation: Pablo Martínez/Joseito Romero

3.- YOUR HOLY BLESSING (Pablo Martínez)

4.- EL BUHONERO (Pablo Martínez)

SIDE B

1.- LA CAÑA (Rafael Quintero/Pablo Martínez)

2.- RECUERDOS (Rafael Quintero/Pablo Martínez)

3.- VOLVAMOS A EMPEZAR (Rafael Quintero/Pablo Martínez)

4.- BENITO EL CHICHERO (Jorge Rondón)

Members:

Randal Monasterio (Piano)

Arnaldo Blanco (Tres)

Jesús Guzmán (Bass, Conductor)

Josue Silva (Trumpet)

Hugo Salinas (Trombone)

Hugo Olivero (Saxophone)

Jorge Rondón (Flute)

Jimmy Fariñas (Congas)

Fidel Martínez (Bongo/Campana)

Juber Luis Ramírez (Timbales, bongo, bell)

Gonzalo Martínez (Vocal)

Pablo Martínez (Vocal)

Jesús Blanco (Vocal)

Pablo Martínez/Gonzalo Martínez/Arnaldo Blanco/Mauricio Silva/Daniel Silva (Backing Vocals).

Guest Musicians:

José Pepe Vera (Saxophone)

Raúl Agras (Trumpet)

Mauricio Silva (Piano/Trombone)

Felipe Blanco (Conga/Güiro)

José “Cheo” Escobar (Conga)

Douglas Guevara (Tumbadora)

Daniel Silva (Bass)

Other Credits:

Arrangements and Musical Direction: Mauricio Silva

Recording Technician: Fernando Hernández

Sound Engineer: Fernando Hernández and Mauricio Silva

Executive Production: Wolfgang Roldan

General Direction: Mauricio Silva (Cortesía Sonográfica)/Son Marín (Mucer Internacional)

Recording Studio: Sonomatrix

Photos: Pedro Hernández.

Also Read: If you want to listen to Tasty Salsa tune in to Ritmo Sabor y Salsa with Nesmary J. Gómez

Jerry Ferrao says in salsa key: “My life is a drum”.

With a lifetime dedicated to folk music, singer-songwriter Jerry Ferrao has been bringing us some good salsa for some time now. With seven recordings to his credit; Restauración, Esto sí es Navidad, Paisajes de mi Negrura, Puertorican Folkloric Jazz, Tiempo al Tiempo, De Guerreros y Batallas and Desafío, it is clear that the salsa path he decided to take a couple of years ago brought a lot of musical experience, and a very tasty one at that.

Jerry Ferrao afirma en clave de salsa “Mi vida es un tambor”

I invite you to listen to his latest single ‘Mi vida es un tambor’, also available on YouTube:

The track -whose musical arrangement is by Jerry Ferrao and John Rivera Rosa- features the participation of great recording studio musicians, such as: Efraín Hernández on bass; Juan Gómez on piano; Angie Machado, Jaimar Vázquez and Javier Meléndez on trumpets; Benny Marín, Víctor Román and Noel Abel on saxophones; Pedro Dueño on bongo; plus a parade of top-notch guests: Endel Dueño on timbal, Kachiro Thompson on tumbadoras and Luis Aquino, in a masterful trumpet solo. Backing up Jerry Ferrao’s lead vocals, we hear the voices of Flor Angel Guilbe, Wiki Gonzalez and Nandy “El Sinsonte” on backing vocals.

“I do it first out of a desire to explore new horizons. I’ve been in the bomba and plena for many years. I was with La Familia Cepeda for more than 20 years and with Los Hermanos Ayala from the town of Loíza for six to seven years. I was a disciple of the great masters: Don Rafael Cepeda Atiles, Marcial Reyes Arvelo and Tomás Flores, among others. The time has come for me, I am a composer! I have composed songs for several orchestras and folklore groups, it was time to write for myself! I said to myself, I am a composer and singer and I am going to design my own music,” he said.

He lived in Buenos Aires, Argentina while studying cinematography. There, Ferrao sang with the salsa orchestra La Clave Genética. It may have been there that the definitive leap to salsa was conceived.

Following the scourge of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico (2017), Jerry dedicated a salsa track titled ‘Retoñando’ (available on YouTube) to the memory of all his compueblanos who left in the aftermath of the hurricane.

Jerry Ferrao relates that he began receiving suggestions for him to record salsa because his voice excelled in that sound. “That must be because I have been listening to salsa, enjoying and appreciating it since I was a child. I have a family of well-known musicians, particularly because they are percussionists, timbaleros, congueros, bongoseros,” he said.

Con toda una vida dedicada a la música folclórica, el cantautor Jerry Ferrao ha estado trayéndonos salsa de la buena

In 2012 he published what could be considered the most important documentary on the history of the Puerto Rican bomba, Ayeres de la Bomba. This document has been praised by prestigious ethnomusicologists, anthropologists, sociologists and researchers specializing in Puerto Rico’s black history. I add with certainty, that our Jerry Ferrao must be considered as the authority on our folkloric rhythms.

Since he was a child, he was influenced by the art of Afro-Antillean roots music, especially salsa and guaguancó. With uncles like percussionists Pedro Dueño, Ángel Dueño and Endel Dueño, nicknamed “Los Hermanos Dueño” in the popular artistic scene, who have been recognized in different parts of the world, mainly by salsa and Latin jazz lovers, it should come as no surprise that Ferrao has grown up immersed in the rhythm and flavor that continues to dictate his creativity.

Determined to focus on salsa, he affirms that his contribution to Borikua folklore was also his musical foundation. “Yes, it is something that lives with me and I will continue to cultivate it in some way. Who knows if in the future I will do my own little things for the public, that I will sneak in some bomba or plena between salsa and salsa. I have been in folklore since I was about eight years old”, Ferrao said shortly before affirming that with the album Desafío (2022), which contains 12 songs of his inspiration, he made his formal entry into salsa. Jerry Ferrao bets on salsa, and salsa fans bet on Jerry. His efforts have not gone unnoticed and as a salsa artist, the excellence with which he has produced his musical deliveries is striking. “I swear it was a tremendous challenge to do all this. For different reasons, the production took about three or four years. All the songs and arrangements are my own, and I don’t even play guitar, although I would love to!” he shared.

The images are by Kali Torres

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Yilian Cañizares, an excellent Cuban musician, studied in her hometown in the strictest tradition of the Russian school of violin

Yilian Cañizares is a Cuban and Swiss musician. She has lived in Switzerland since 2000.

Born in Havana, Yilian Cañizares began studying violin in her hometown, in the strictest tradition of the Russian violin school.

At the age of 14 she obtained a scholarship in Caracas and in 2000 she moved to Switzerland to complete her studies at the Freiburg Conservatory.

Soon after, the main orchestras in the area began to contact her and once settled in Lausanne, she collaborated for six years with different ensembles.

Yilian Cañizares excellent Cuban musician

In Switzerland, she opened up to jazz and decided to embark on a new musical path, including singing in her career as a professional artist.

It was during this period that the artist decided to form a quartet with musicians from Germany, Venezuela and Switzerland (and later Cuba), and the group “Ochumare” was born, with which, just six months after its creation, in 2008, she won the prize of the Montreux Jazz Festival Competition.

From that moment on, his career has been growing steadily. In recent years, she has shared the stage with Ibrahim Maalouf, Omar Sosa, Youn Sun Nah, Richard Bona, Chucho Valdés, Roberto Fonseca, Dhafer Youssef, the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra and El Comité.

She also teaches violin at the Ecole de jazz et de musique actuelle de Lausanne (EJMA).

The success of her albums “Ochumare”, an independent production released in 2013, followed by “Invocación”, under the direction of Alê Siqueira (who has collaborated with Roberto Fonseca, Omara Portuondo), has consolidated her notoriety as an innovative artist, capable of venturing and transcending musical boundaries.

Yilian Cañizares, an excellent Cuban musician, studied in her hometown in the strictest tradition of the Russian school of violin.

She was listed by the French weekly Le Nouvel Observateur as “revelation artist of the year” for her great virtuosity and charisma with which she is able to sing and play the violin.

“My sound reflects the richness and mix of cultures that I carry with me to this day and represents who I am: woman, Cuban, musician and citizen of the world”, said the artist.

Her second album “Invocación” reached the top of the Qobuz – World Music chart and was re-released in a Deluxe edition.

“Aguas”, the album produced in collaboration with Omar Sosa, saw the light of day in October 2018.

Accompanied by another compatriot, Inor Sotolongo on percussion, the duo created an intimate and personal album that reflects the views of two generations of Cuban artists living far from their homeland.

This album is a mix of energetic rhythms and emotional ballads that clearly reflect the unparalleled musical chemistry that exists between the two artists.

It constitutes a powerful and unique fusion of Afro-Cuban roots, classical music and jazz.

On November 15, 2019 was released the new album “Erzulie”, with its new formation Yilian Cañizares & The Maroons and dedicated to the Haitian deity of love and freedom.

This album was recorded in New Orleans and features the participation of numerous guests such as Christian Scott (trumpet), Michael League (double bass), Bill Laurance (piano), Bobby Sparks (organ) and Justin Stanton (keyboards).

Yilian Cañizares es una música cubana y suiza. Vive en Suiza desde 2000.

His style reflects the variety of his influences, with touches of jazz, classical music, Cuban music, with a large space left to improvisation.

The French magazine Les Inrockuptibles speaks of a jazz orchestration mixed with Yoruba ritual percussions.

She sings in Spanish, Yoruba and French and one of her distinctive features is that she sings and plays the violin at the same time.

There are so many influences on this album; Cuban, jazz, Venezuelan, Swiss, that it is difficult to pinpoint in each song which track falls into which category. In fact, they don’t.

Today it is too easy to want to pigeonhole music into one category: this is jazz; this is soul; this is funk. Yilian Canizares, in this wonderful album, breaks the stereotypes and that is why it is a pleasure to listen to it.

Sweet musical outbursts, explosions of improvisation that jump all over the place. He even finds a place to rap on “Iya Mi” and, obviously, it’s brilliant!

If we had to put a label on it, which I’m not thrilled about, I’d say this is a warm jazz album with Latin infused touches and tricks.

The meandering melody of “Beroni Abebe Osun”, the first track on the album, is a good indicator of this.

The throbbing bass, the heartbeat of the track, with its plucked violin, the blood pumping through his veins.

Cañizares is also a linguist, in case that wasn’t enough for us all to admire her.

The way he transitions from Spanish to perfect syllable-perfect French in his version of Edith Piaf’s “Je Ne Regrette Rien” (a beautiful version, by the way) is seamless and you could be forgiven for thinking it’s his first language.

It’s not easy to cover songs as big as Piaf’s classic, but Cañizares does it with style, class and, most importantly, grace.

Anything less than grace in a song like this makes it a bad version. It could be its own track, the strings perfectly light to complement the calmness of the voice and the ease with which Piaf’s lyrics take the weight of the world off our shoulders. I don’t regret a thing.” So simple. Yilian Canizares, we salute you.

And we’ll be on the lookout for the next album.

(kreolmagazine)

Yilian Cañizares – Invocación (2015).

Musicians:

Yilian Cañizares (Violin and vocals).

Daniel Stawinski (Piano)

David Brito (Double bass and electric bass)

Cyril Regamey (Drums and percussion).

Guests:

Akua Naru on Iya Mi

Gabi Guedes Gã & atabaques Rum, Pi, lé

Blaise Lambelet English horn on Laïla

Caxeiras do Divino da Família Menezes, Graça Re Reis & Bartira Menezes Caxeiras & Bartira Menezes &

Brazilian choir in Beroni

Julia Stuller, Gàbor Barta, Ivan Zerpa strings in Non je ne regrette rien

Luis Carbonell Voice in Canciòn de cuna para dormir a un negrito (Lullaby to put a little black boy to sleep)

Juan Carlos Toca Voice in Mapucha

All the songs by Yilian Cañizares except Beroni Abebe Osun (traditional/ Y. Cañizares) and

Non je ne regrette rien (Vaucaire/Dumont)

String arrangement (Non je ne regrette rien ) by André Mehmari

Cyril Regamey uses exclusively Istambul cymbals, Vater drumsticks and Aquarian drumheads.

Information provided (December 30, 2023)

Yilian Cañizares

Also Read: José Alberto “El Canario” and his orchestra enjoy a great international reputation in the Latin music scene.