Search Results for: Trumpet

Alfredo “Chocolate” Armenteros: The Golden Legacy of the Cuban Trumpet

The history of Latin music cannot be written without mentioning the metallic brilliance and elegant phrasing of Alfredo “Chocolate” Armenteros.

Regarded by musicologists and peers as the “Latin Louis Armstrong,” Armenteros was more than just a trumpet virtuoso; he was a sonic architect who bridged the gap between traditional Cuban son, New York jazz, and the high-energy explosion of salsa.

Chocolate Armenteros🇨🇺fue una leyenda excelsa de la música cubana

Born on April 4, 1928, in Las Villas, Cuba, Armenteros carried the soul of his homeland to the world’s most prestigious stages.

His nickname, which became a hallmark of artistic quality, originated from a curious anecdote the musician shared in 2013: a young woman had mistaken him for the famous boxer “Kid Chocolate.”

What began as a case of mistaken identity ultimately became the name of a legend who would deliver his “knockouts” not with fists, but with perfect notes.

The Forging of a Master: From Arsenio Rodríguez to the “Bárbaro del Ritmo”

The career of Chocolate Armenteros serves as a detailed roadmap of the Golden Age of Cuban music. In 1950, he joined the ensemble of the “Blind Marvel,” Arsenio Rodríguez.

Alfredo Chocolate Armenteros el Legado de Oro de la Trompeta Cubana

Under Rodríguez’s tutelage, he recorded essential pieces of the Caribbean songbook such as “Deuda,” “Tengo que olvidarte,” and the iconic “La vida es un sueño.”

This period was vital in defining his style: a fusion of technical discipline and a gift for organic improvisation.

His rise was meteoric. By 1953, he was already a member of Sonora Matancera, the island’s most influential musical institution. That same year, he participated in a historic milestone: the founding of the band led by his cousin, the great Benny Moré.

Alfredo Chocolate Armenteros, Lino Frias, Carlos Patato Valdez y el Negro Vivar 1973

The sound of Chocolate’s trumpet was a key gear in the machinery of Moré’s “Tribu,” cementing his status as the most sought-after instrumentalist of his generation.

Conquering New York and the Global Stage

In November 1958, Armenteros’ destiny changed forever. He traveled to New York with the Fajardo y sus Estrellas orchestra for a private performance at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

The event carried high-level political weight: it was a gala for the presidential campaign of then-candidate John F. Kennedy. Following this encounter with the Big Apple, the trumpeter decided to settle permanently in the city, becoming an ambassador for Caribbean rhythms at the epicenter of jazz.

In New York, his talent flowed through the most influential groups of the era:

The Machito Orchestra (1963): Where he fused Cubop with Afro-Cuban jazz.
Eddie Palmieri (70s): Contributing his power to the experimental sound of salsa brava.
Tico-Alegre All Stars (1975): Sharing the stage with giants like Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Ismael Rivera, and Cachao.

An Endless and Eternal Style

In the late 70s and early 80s, Armenteros not only returned to collaborate with Sonora Matancera but also took the definitive step as a bandleader.

Under his own direction, he left behind memorable productions such as Chocolate Dice (1982) and Estrellas de Chocolate (1987), proving that his creative well never ran dry.The most admirable aspect of Armenteros was his artistic longevity. He remained active in festivals and concerts well into his 80s, preserving a privileged embouchure and a sense of timing that seemed to defy the laws of physics.

Alfredo Chocolate Armenteros y Eddie Moltalvo

Today, nearly a century after his birth, Alfredo “Chocolate” Armenteros remains the gold standard for trumpeters. His life was a testament to elegance, his music a bridge between nations, and his trumpet an eternal echo of Cuban identity that continues to resonate in every jazz descarga and every salsa step around the world.

Also Read: Larry Harlow and Ismael Miranda: The birth of “Arsenian Salsa,” a tribute to the music of Arsenio Rodríguez the creator of Son Montuno and the “King of Guaguancó.”

Juancito Torres: The National Trumpet of Puerto Rico

We present the musical life of one of the greatest trumpeters in Latin music, the master Juan “Juancito” Torres Vélez, known as “The National Trumpet of Puerto Rico.”

La Trompeta Nacional de Puerto Rico Juan Torres Vélez

Born on January 14, 1936, in Caguas, Puerto Rico, to Justina Vélez Vázquez and Félix Torres Varcárcel, he began his musical journey playing the violin in his hometown. He joined the Municipal Band, where he was taught by Adrián Benjamín and Carlos Julio Bosch, who also taught him the intricacies of the trumpet.

Juancito was a fan of Placido Acevedo, the trumpeter and director of the Mayarí quartet, and Acevedo was his biggest influence for his development as a professional trumpeter. At the age of fourteen, he studied at the Escuela Libre de Música. In 1952, he joined the orchestra of jazz musician Ramón “Moncho” Usera Vives and stayed with him for a year before joining his teacher Miguelito Miranda’s band.

In 1955, he traveled to New York, where he worked with Xavier Cugat, Noro Morales, and the Lecuona Cuban Boys. It is also said that he was part of the orchestras of Pupy Campo and Tito Rodríguez and that he recorded with René Touzet, Dámaso Pérez Prado, and Eddie Cano.

Juancito Torres Primera Trompeta de Fania All Stars

Juancito returned to Puerto Rico in 1960 and enrolled at the Puerto Rico Conservatory to further his musical knowledge. In 1965, he appeared on the list of musicians who recorded the album Bobby Capó and His Orchestra with the great Bobby Capó. In the late 1960s, Juancito joined master Bobby Valentín’s orchestra, recording five albums with them between 1969 and 1975. During the 1970s, he recorded with Frank Ferrer, Justo Betancourt, Puerto Rico All Stars, and Marvin Santiago.

In 1979, Juan began his participation in recordings, concerts, and international tours with the Fania All Stars. He appeared as a member of the Pacheco and Masucci collective on at least ten albums between 1979 and 1997. These include Habana Jam, Commitment, Latin Connection, Lo que Pide la Gente, “Live”, Viva Colombia, and Bravo 97.

Juancito’s extraordinary musical career and great talent also allowed him to participate in recordings for many singers, musicians, and groups such as Cheo Feliciano, Tommy Olivencia y su Orquesta, Adalberto Santiago, Roberto Roena, Sonora Ponceña, Eddie Palmieri, Tito Rojas, Pedro Arroyo, Descarga Boricua, Lalo Rodríguez, and Ray Barreto, among many others. “The National Trumpet of Puerto Rico” also participated in recordings by musicians and singers of other rhythms and musical genres such as Pop, Tropical, Jazz-Rock, Progressive Metal, Rock, Reggae, and Funk/Soul.

Regarding our music, we remember some of the tracks in which our great musician from Caguas recorded immortal trumpet solos: “Cuando Te Vea” with Bobby Valentín, “Dime,” “Menéame La Cuna,” “Quítate La Máscara,” and “Puerto Rico/Adoración” with Fania, “Amada Mía” and “Salí Porque Salí” with Cheo Feliciano. “Pedregal” with Justo Betancourt, “Canto A Borinquen” and “Alianza De Generales” with Puerto Rico All Stars, and “Palo Pa’ Rumba,” “Prohibición de Salida,” and “Solito” with Eddie Palmieri.

Through this work on Juancito Torres’ artistic life, we want to pay a small but well-deserved tribute to one of the ambassadors of Puerto Rican music. Juan Torres Vélez’s musical career spanned half a century, during which he participated in more than a hundred albums in our music alone, which was named Salsa from the beginning of the 1970s. The National Trumpet of Puerto Rico will live forever in the hearts of Salseros around the world.

The trumpeter and producer Charlie Sepúlveda presented his new musical work titled Feeling Good Again, a jazz album released in 2003 on the Metrix label, which included our Juancito Torres on flugelhorn. Los Licenciados is the name of an album published by the Duque Records label and Omar Duque y su Orquesta. The recording year for this album is not specified, but Juancito Torres also participated as a trumpeter.

Charlie Sepulveda Feeling Good Again, Lanzado en 2003

Juancito Torres suffered from high blood pressure and bronchial asthma. Unfortunately, he passed away from a heart attack while sleeping at his home in Carolina on July 26, 2003. We will always remember him.

Long Live Music! Long Live Salsa! Long Live Juancito Torres!

By:

The Best Salseros in the World

Dj. Augusto Felibertt

Trumpeter Davián Raúl Launches Solo Career with “Despierta Salsero” Album

Davián Raúl has released his debut production, Despierta Salsero, available now in digital format and on CD. The young Puerto Rican salsa artist is currently on a promotional tour for the album.

Davián Raúl is no stranger to the salsa scene. He’s been playing the trumpet since he was ten years old, starting with the Banda Sinfónica de Toa Baja. He eventually became a trumpeter for Sonora Ponceña, thanks to the support of Papo Lucca, director of “Los Gigantes del Sur.” To reach his current position, Davián Raúl pursued an education in Music Education and Performance, with the trumpet as his primary instrument. He is a graduate of the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico and is currently a music teacher at a school in Comerío, Puerto Rico, where he mentors students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade.

Trumpeter Davián Raúl launches his solo career with the album Despierta Salsero.

Before joining one of the most important and iconic salsa orchestras—one that heavily emphasizes the trumpet’s sound—Davián was a trumpeter for the orchestras of Nino Segarra, Primi Cruz, Osvaldo Román, and Anthony Cruz, to name a few. He was also part of Conjunto Chaney shortly before auditioning for La Ponceña. During his time as a backing musician, he traveled the world, playing his instrument in major venues and gaining the experience necessary to make his leap. Davián Raúl makes his debut as a solo singer with Despierta Salsero, bringing a solid hard salsa proposal aimed at satisfying the taste of true salsa aficionados.

Album Details

The album features 10 tracks encompassing hard salsa, romantic salsa, rumba, bolero, and son. The recording includes: ‘Al que nace pa’ salsero,’ ‘Tengo que marcharme,’ ‘La campana’ (a song dedicated to Cali, Colombia, known as “the salsa capital of the world”), ‘Ahora me extrañas,’ ‘Coño, despierta salsero,’ ‘Mientras me sigas necesitando,’ ‘Mi salsa no muere,’ ‘La pachanga,’ ‘Te traigo el son,’ and ‘Ten compasión.’ The orchestration was arranged by Raúl Berríos Raymundí, with arrangements by talented musicians such as Ramón Sánchez, Ernesto “Tito” Rivera, Ángel “Pajay” Torres, and Andy Guzmán. Nine of the ten compositions are original works by Raúl Berríos Raymundí and Irvin Raúl Berríos López. The tenth track, ‘Mientras me sigas necesitando,’ is a renowned song by the celebrated Camilo Sesto.

Musical Production and Guest Artists

The musical execution was handled by a carefully selected group of great Puerto Rican and international musicians. The congas feature “Pequeño” Johnny Rivero, Kachiro Thompson, Gadwin Vargas, Charlie Padilla, and Sammy García. Japhet Rodríguez, Pete Perignon, Edwin Clemente, Pablo Padín, and Diego Camacho play the timbal. Alexandra Albán, Luisier Rivera, Javier Oquendo, and Richard Carrasco perform on the bongos. Richard Bravo is on drums, while Raúl Berríos Raymundí, Sergio Múnera, Ricardo Lugo, Ramón Vázquez, and Pedro Pérez provide the rhythm on bass. Andy Guzmán, Ramón Sánchez, and Carlos García play the piano. The trumpet section showcases David “Piro” Rodríguez, Angie Machado, Jesús Alonso, Marito Ortiz, Dante Vargas, Pedro Marcano, Yoandy Vera, and Davián Raúl himself. José Berríos Raymundí and Irvin Raúl Berríos López contribute on trombones. For the choruses, the voices of Carlos García and Jorge Yadiel Santos alternate with those of Raúl, Irvin, and Davián himself. The sound engineering team responsible for mixing and mastering included Papo Sánchez, Andy Guzmán, and Rolando Alejandro. With this impressive lineup, Davián Raúl, one of the youngest members of the Berríos dynasty, makes his debut, confidently declaring that “salsa is still in control.”

Davián Raúl released his first production available in digital format and on compact disc, Despierta Salsero.

Endorsements

Recently, “El Caballero de la Salsa,” Gilberto Santa Rosa, endorsed Davián Raúl’s debut production via a video clip shared on social media. Santa Rosa stated, “Davián Raúl is a tremendous young talent whom you must listen to… so that true salseros know there’s plenty of salsa for a long time to come. Davián Raúl: Go for it!” In response, Davián Raúl commented on his Facebook page, “Infinite thanks (…) for making this dream possible. You didn’t just give me space, you gave me an opportunity worth gold! This is just the beginning… and may the salsero awaken throughout the world!”

This is Indiana composer, arranger, music teacher, and trumpet player David Hardiman

Our interviewee today is very special because of the talent and the enormous academic background he has, so we are very pleased to have been able to talk with him. We are talking about the arranger, composer, trumpeter, pianist and music teacher David Hardiman, whom we welcome to International Salsa Magazine.

This is David Hardiman — Music teacher and musician David Hardiman holding his trumpet

A little bit of David’s story

The artist from Indianapolis, Indiana, began his tale telling us a little bit about how he started getting interested in music, which was when he was in fourth grade. That is when he started learning to play the trumpet and piano, taking advantage of the fact that he had one at home.

Unlike other children and young people who find other interests and hobbies besides music, David never stopped and kept playing the trumpet until high school, during which time he played in the marching band, the orchestra, the jazz band and the concert band of the institution.

Years later, he attended Indiana University where he also played in the marching band and concert band. He received his bachelor of music education through which he obtained a lot of classical training that he would later apply to his artistic career, but he did not stop there, as he also began to participate in ensembles with which he played R&B and jazz.

When he returned to his hometown Indianapolis, he was hired by a band with which he started playing blues, tap and jazz at parties, weddings and other events of this type.

In addition to that, he also taught instrumental music for over 11 years at the elementary level. He also taught flute at the fourth grade level and prepared children of those ages to be introduced to instruments until their formation in high school, something very similar to his case when he got started in this world.

The young musician already wanted to expand his horizons and thought about leaving the nest and moving from his home state to try his luck elsewhere, but first he obtained his master’s degree in music education in 1970. This was the final step that would make him realize that he was ready to take flight farther away from home.

David playing the trumpet — David Hardiman playing the trumpet live

Berkeley

In 1971, David went to Berkeley, California, where he began to teach at King Junior High School, which he describes as an excellent experience that taught him a lot about music at the educational and practical level. His teaching specialized in the orchestral and symphonic part of classical-oriented music. At the same time, he spent much of his time playing for clubs and private parties with various orchestras and bands.

One of his fellow teachers at King Junior High School named Grey Gomez taught at the elementary level and was a trombone player. Gomez told David that he needed a trumpet player for a group called ‘’The Aliens’’, so he proposed him to join the band and play with him at The New Yorker club. This would be the first time the musician played Latin music, more specifically salsa.

Introduction to Latin music in San Francisco

By then, David was looking for new challenges, so he decided that he could not teach at low levels at King Junior High School for life, so he began working part-time at the City College of San Francisco. Parallel to this, he played with another band for various basketball and soccer games during breaks.

Soon after, the musician began directing the big band in the aforementioned institution and teaching at the middle college level outside of San Francisco. When he became a full-time professor at the City College, he was much more exposed to Latin music and genres, which was contrasted with his hometown, as Indiana is not known for its large number of Latin orchestras and musicians.

David at 12 years old — Young David Hardiman playing the trumpet at 12 years old

In the Bay Area, he began to have much more contact with people from other nationalities and cultures, especially Latinos, which made him listen to various Latin music groups and play with others. He even opened up for great artists such as Celia Cruz and the Fania All Stars.

He also played with the group Café Canela, whose genres are a very interesting combination of salsa, chá chá chá and many more.

San Francisco All Star Big Band

About 50 years ago, parallel to what he did with other orchestras, he created his own big band named San Francisco All Star Big Band, with which he has played for all kinds of events such as festivals, university parties, religious services, weddings, birthdays, charity balls, nightclubs, among others.

With this orchestra, he has a few albums which can be found on YouTube and other similar platforms and they are ‘’It’ll be alright’’, ‘’Portrait of David Hardiman’’, and ‘’Music Around The World’’.

Cover of the album ”Portrait of David Hardiman”

Latin jazz and mambo trumpeter Jonathan Powell and his great collaborations

Trumpeter Jonathan Powell is one of the many examples that show how much so many American artists have looked at Latin music over the last few years, so this is a great opportunity to know one of the many stories about what our heritage has achieved in this country.

Jonathan playing — Musician Jonathan Powell playing the trumpet live

Instruments that caught Jonathan’s attention

An important fact to remember is that Jonathan’s parents were musicians. His father played the electric bass and his mother played the cello, so he obviously has a lot of talent to get from. However, his interest in music turned to a slightly different way.

The instrument through which the artist is best known today is the trumpet due to his great skill at handling it, but it is not the only instrument he has learned to play. He also plays the trombone, the tuba and other bass instruments, but does not have the same fascination with them as with the trumpet.

His interest in music began when he was in high school and became part of a few student bands, resulting in more than 30 years of musical career.

Jonathan’s academic training

Most of what Jonathan has got to learn comes from the experience he has gained through his work, although he does not devalue formal music education. In fact, he attended the North Carolina School of the Arts and studied with that institution’s best teachers in the area of classical music.

When he turned 19, he made the decision to move to New York, where he has lived ever since. While there, he did not care as much about further studying music, but gaining as much experience as he could through practice.

Jonathan recording — Jonathan Powell recording music for his album ”Mambo Jazz Party”

Interest in Latin music

Although Jonathan’s interest in music began with the classical genre, his move to Florida made him seek other horizons. In Florida, he and his brother Jeremy began to make contact with radio stations that played Latin genres and this led them to meet the Garcia-Herreros brothers, Juan and Victor, who are two very experienced musicians in Latin jazz, but also in Latin music in general. The boys returned to Florida after studying at Berklee College of Music and started a band with Jonathan and Jeremy until they had to move to New York.

When Jonathan graduated from high school and also moved to New York, he was reunited with Juan and Victor who offered him to join their orchestra La Creación, with which he played every weekend for several years. This would be what the young musician would describe as his first real experience in the world of music, leading him to participate in the orchestra La Excelencia and to play with Arturo O’Farrill and Eddie Palmieri.

Learning from other great artists

Just as Jonathan has played with O’Farrill and Palmieri, he has also been able to share the stage with Miguel Zenón, Tito Puente Jr, Oscar Hernández from the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Israel Tanenbaum and many others.

Despite not having received much academic training, the opportunity to have played with the aforementioned music stars and many more really taught him many things that he would not have learnt in any educational institution. He assures that from whom he learned the most was Maestro Palmieri, since the legendary pianist is very generous when it comes to sharing his knowledge with whoever needs it, thanks to his extensive experience in this rich world.

‘‘Palmieri has been around since the fifties and sixties and has played with the most important artists of his generation, so he has a lot to teach. People have no idea how much he knows and how deep his knowledge on music is,” said the trumpeter about one of his great living inspirations.

However, as a trumpet player, another of his great inspirations was Puerto Rican arranger, composer and producer Juancito Torres for the way he played, since he considers it very special and unique compared to many other musicians.

Jonathan and Palmieri — Maestro Eddie Palmieri and Jonathan Powell smiling for the camera

Nu Shanga

Eager to manage his own musical group, Jonathan gives the public a very interesting proposal which he baptized Nu Sangha, inspired by Tibetan language, since these two words together mean ”new community”. With this group, he had much more freedom when choosing how he wanted to address each rhythm and wanted to give a much more modern approach to the type of jazz he had been playing through electronic elements few times used before.

In the case of Nu Sangha, he enjoyed everything he did professionally and was able to experiment with everything he had learned so far in creative ways, leading him to release the albums ”Transcend” and ”Beacons of Light”.

Mambo Jazz Party

In Jonathan’s own words, Mambo Jazz Party, the artist’s most recent musical work, the entire process of recording it took more than 10 years, since that was the time taken to create all the music that appears in the record material. He started the creation in 2014 and it was not until 2022 that Jonathan added the final details such as some missing vocals, but he assures that all the time spent on the album was worth it.

On the album, we can find Jimmy Bosch, guitarist Nir Felder, flutist Itai Kriss, pianist Manuel Valera, vocalist Ariadne Trujillo, singer Anthony Almonte and many other great artists who embellish this creation.

In other interviews, Jonathan has described this album as a mix of traditional salsa and Latin jazz elements, electronic sounds and a lot of spiritualism, which can summarize very well what this musical work represents for Jonathan Powell.