Search Results for: Trumpet

Los Melódicos

Latinoamerica / Venezuela / Caracas

Among Venezuela’s most famous orchestras are Los Melódicos and Billo’s Caracas Boys; here, we focus on Los Melódicos, a Venezuelan dance orchestra founded on July 15, 1958, by musical director Renato Capriles (who passed away in 2014)—with the support of bandleader Billo Frómeta—in response to the temporary dissolution of the Billo’s Caracas Boys orchestra.

Los Melódicos are composed of: 4 saxophones, 3 trombones, 3 trumpets, a 5-piece rhythm section (piano, bass, drums, and minor percussion), 4 vocalists (always including a female singer), and their conductor—totaling 20 artists on stage.

Their slogan is “THE ORCHESTRA THAT SETS THE RHYTHM IN VENEZUELA,” though abroad they are also known as “LATIN AMERICA’S MOST COMPLETE ORCHESTRA,” “THE ORCHESTRA OF EVERY RHYTHM,” and “THE GIANT ORCHESTRA OF THE AMERICAS,” among other titles.

They are also the only Latin orchestra boasting such an extensive repertoire spanning a wide range of musical trends and styles, including salsa and merengue.

Their versatility is such that, during any given set, one might hear songs in Spanish, English, French, or Italian, alongside the latest popular rhythms—whether tropical, Anglo-American, classical, or modern—in all their variations.

Los Melódicos - Photo — Los Melódicos – Photo

Beyond the impeccable live performances delivered by each member, the group puts on a true “show,” compelling the audience to stop dancing and form a massive semicircle in front of the stage, while actively interacting with the band throughout the performance.

Los Melódicos have garnered the most prestigious awards both within and outside Venezuela, remaining the premier musical choice for major public and private events year after year. It would be an endless task to list the awards and accolades they proudly cherish—bestowed by various entities in countries such as Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Curaçao, and Aruba, as well as in U.S. cities with significant Latino communities (such as Miami, Orlando, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Tampa, Houston, Philadelphia, and—notably—New York). They continue to travel to New York to perform at top venues like the New York Hilton Hotel, where their twice-yearly dances became a must-attend, highly successful event in that major global entertainment hub.

With a history spanning over 50 years, LOS MELÓDICOS boasts a discography of more than 100 albums—a milestone unmatched by any other dance orchestra in the Americas—including the following:

Hits	Songs
The 1960s	· Caballito Relinchón · El Ladrón · El Misterio · Veneración · El pastorcillo
The 1970s	· Cayetano baila · Guitarra española · Apágame la vela · Al que le pique · Dejen de averiguá
The 1980s	· Papachongo · Mi Cocha Pechocha · La Fiesta · Hot Music ¡Oh, mañana! · Tú (éxito original de Juan Luis Guerra) · Ulé-ulé · Fernanda · Mi cacerola · Traca que traca
The 1990s	· Por ti amor · ¡Qué rico! · Diávolo · ¡Ay, Amor! · Sal y Menta · Mi locura · Amiga · No necesito más · Zúmbalo · Mi corazón · Amanecer

Los Melódicos Discography

These Are Los Melódicos (1959)
Fabulous Dance Hits (1963)
Buy the Orchestra (1964)
Great Musical Reserve (1965)
The Most Complete Lineup (1966)
The Orchestra of Hits (1969)
The One and Only (1969)
Guayabo a la Ye (1970)
Catch It by the Tail (1970)
The Los Melódicos Club (1972 – Discomoda)
With All the Works (1974 – LM-Discomoda)
In Action with Los Melódicos (1974)
The Tempting Flavor (1975 LM-Discomoda)
Heavy (1975 LM-Discomoda)
For Whoever It Itches (1976 LM-Discomoda)
Los Melódicos (1977 LM-Discomoda)
And How Are You? (1977)
40 Years of Hits (with Manolo Monterrey) (1978 – LM-Discomoda)
The Swing of Los Melódicos (1979)
Party Night (1970)
Memories 17 (1971)
Congratulations (1972)
I Had My Coffee Plantation (1980)
1. Lyrics and music by the Colombian
2. Álvaro Serrano Calderon
The Musical Emblem of Venezuela (1980)
Welcome (1981)
Tonight (1981)
We Are Sensational! (1982)
The Sheikh (1982 LM-Discomoda)
With Flavor! (1983)
Oh! Tahiti (1984)
Dismelódicos ’85 (1984 LM-Discomoda)
Cada Día Mejor (1985)
Es otra cosa! (1986)
Juntos Los Grandes del Baile
1. (With Billo’s, Side A)
2. (1986 Velvet-Sonográfica)
De Nuevo Juntos Los Grandes del Baile
1. (With Billo’s, Side A) (1988 Velvet-Sonográfica)
Diferentes (1989 – Velvet-Rodven)
Líderes (1990 – Velvet-Rodven)
La Orquesta que impresa el ritmo en América (1991 – Velvet-Rodven)
Melódicos Club Mix (1991 – Velvet-Rodven)
Internacional (1992 – Velvet-Rodven)
Melódicos Club Mix Two (1993 – Velvet-Rodven)
Innovating (1994)
Incomparable (1995)
Los Melódicos Hits Together (1998)
To Dance Non-Stop (1999)
The Boys With The Girls (2000)
Los Melódicos Vs Billos (2002)
Number 100 for the World (2004)
Los Melódicos With Diveana (2005)
These Are The Singers (2009)
Micaela (2010)
Tonight We’ll Wake Up Partying (2011)
My Cumbia (2012)
They Return With The Best And The Newest (2012)
The Melódicos Renato Caprilles (2013)
Christmas with Los Melódicos (2014)
Golden Era (2015)
Golden Classics (2016)

We’ve talked with Elizabeth Meeker Howard, one of the members of Las Sabrosas Latin Orchestra

On other occasions, we talked to all-female musical groups to promote the tremendous female talent we have in Latin music. The amazing artist we talked to this time is no exception.

We are very happy to chat with trumpeter Elizabeth Meeker Howard, who told us about her fascinating project, Sabrosas Latin Orchestra, and some other aspects of her career worth mentioning.

Elizabeth posing for the camera — Trumpeter and music teacher Elizabeth Meeker Howard posing for the picture

How Elizabeth started her career

The artist began her story telling us that some members of her family are involved into arts as is the case of her grandmother, who was a professional musician. Similarly, her parents instilled in her a love for music, so the young girl developed an appreciation about this world from an early age to the point that she joined the school band in fourth grade. She and her classmates were given the opportunity to choose their own instrument, so she chose the drums, but she soon discovered that it was not what she wanted to play.

When she was about nine years old, she began playing the trumpet and a little piano, but she would never use the latter professionally.

In adulthood, she began studying classical music, specifically, classical trumpet, at Yale University, but she knew she wanted to do something that would appeal much more to the public and make people dance and have fun, which is when salsa came into play. During her academic training, she experimented with other genres such as pop and its derivatives, but that was not what she was looking for her professional future. Today, she plays salsa, funk, rock, and even mariachi quite skillfully.

She also earned her bachelor of music in the área of classical trumpet from Boston University, and later earned a master’s degree in the same subject from Yale.

The members of Sabrosas Latin orchestra and Manny Cepeda — The members of Sabrosas Latin Orchestra with composer, percussionist, and singer Manny Cepeda

Beginning of her professional career

Elizabeth’s professional career as a musician began in high school, as she was hired for various small events. In college, she played with various bands and on projects of others, but she was not a regular member of any of them, and that situation continued even after she graduated from college. At that time, she was already working with salsa orchestras.

Once in San Diego, he learned everything he knows today about salsa, as this genre unfortunately is not taught in conservatories, as it happens with classical music and jazz. He added that “the only way to know salsa as a musician is to play in salsa bands. That’s how I learned: joining these groups.”

She does not deny that classical music offers a solid musical training to anyone who wants to study it, learn how to read music, transcribe it, and play the trumpet. If someone gives her a score, she is perfectly capable of playing that music, but it is also important for her to learn how to play that specific style. In the case of salsa, the artist says that it has some nuances that cannot be read in a score, so the attention should be paid to many details such as the joints between notes and the quality if the sound, which are only learned by listening to records and playing with musicians who are good at that style.

Elizabeth and the rest of the orchestra — From top to bottom: Elizabeth Meeker Howard, April Leslie, Shirley Coggon, Monica Saenz, Tomo Vida, Justine Dolorfino-Thieman, Mariela Contreras, Alyssa Keene, Monette Moreno, and Janet Thornton Realtor

Las Sabrosas Latin Orchestra

One of the things that spurred the creation of Las Sabrosas Latin Orchestra was the small number of women playing salsa, especially together, so she and other like-minded female artists began meeting up to rehearse and see how they sounded. At first, they were not sure enough how large or small the group would be, but eventually the girls who were already involved invited others to join, which resulted in a large salsa orchestra. Their official debut was scheduled for shortly before the pandemic, so it all got delayed a bit, but once the restrictions of that time fell, they were more than ready to start playing.

Something Elizabeth wanted to emphasize is that people have always been very supportive of them and showed much interest in the project due to the novelty of what they offered and the quality of their performance, which remains even today.

Music teaching

Besides being part of an orchestra, Elizabeth also teaches music at the university level and has led numerous student bands and ensembles, which has given her the experience needed to serve as musical director for various projects. Thanks to what she learned, she knows what can make a group succeed or fail.

Teaching and her work with Sabrosas complement each other perfectly, and one helps her be better every day at the other, which is why she speaks about both activities as a whole in her career.

Enjoy the Tempo Latino 31st edition with the best of Latin music in Europe

That has been a very long year waiting a new edition of the biggest Latin music event in Europe! This July, fans of our music will finally be able to enjoy the 31st edition of Tempo Latino, which is one of the largest international festivals of Afro-Cuban, Afro-Caribbean, and Latin music. During the four days of the festival, the audience can enjoy the best of salsa, Latin jazz, mambo, timba, and fused rhythms every year.

This festival is usually held in the small village of Vic-Fezensac in southwestern France, since 1994, which is when its first edition took place. Nowadays, the event is typically held during the last days of July and the first days of August.

A little of the history of Tempo Latino

As mentioned previously, the festival began, and is still held, in Vic-Fezensac, a small village of around 3,700 inhabitants located in the Gers, which is well known for its bullfighting tradition. This association was founded in 1993 by music lover and Latin music DJ Eric Duffau, an artist who sought a different alternative to traditional commercial communities and aimed to bring traditional musical roots to the heart of Europe.

The first edition, which took place in the summer of 1994, aimed to transform the small French village into the mecca of salsa, Cuban son, and Afro-Latin jazz for four days a year.

An initiative that began as a small project has grown into one of the biggest salsa festivals of the world, which already enjoys the support of 500 local volunteers who organize into neighborhoods and homes. To this day, Tempo Latino has achieved a perfect balance between an ambitious production and a local and friendly atmosphere. It should also be stressed that it has been held on a regular basis since 1994, except for 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Evolution and golden age

The festival expanded so much thanks to its authenticity and freshness that it has come to be known as “The One” and has established itself as a mandatory stop for the greatest Latin music glories, including Celia Cruz, Eddie Palmieri, Rubén Blades, Willie Colón, Tito Puente, Los Van Van, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, La Sonora Ponceña, Oscar D’León, Cheo Feliciano, Ismael Miranda, Johnny Pacheco, and many others.

Similarly, since its foundation, the festival has also served as a springboard for new musical talent, including solo artists and groups performing salsa brava, Latin hip-hop, Afro-Cuban funk, and other genres from places such as Cuba, Colombia, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and New York.

Activities beyond the concerts

Tempo Latino has come to a point where it is no limited only to stage performances, which are still the main attractions for attendees. They also offer dance workshops, which are designed for both amateurs and professional dancers interested in learning more about the roots and evolution of Latin rhythms.

Similarly, the festival also offers music and percussion workshops, introducing both amateur and professional musicians to important topics such as the clave, rhythm, and a bit of the history of Latin and Afro-Cuban music. In the case of percussion workshops, instructors teach students how to play the congas, timbales, bongos, and campana. As for wind instruments and musical combos, classes are given in trombone, trumpet, and saxophone.

We also cannot fail to mention the international market, where attendees can buy all sorts of things from our countries, such as instruments, clothing, traditional cuisine, handicrafts, souvenirs, and more.

Orquesta Akokan, which is going to perform in this edition

Stages and structuring of the festival

Another of the great attractions of Tempo Latino is its “geo-rhythmic” network of locations, where you can find both concerts and peripheral activities that can be enjoyed simultaneously. Below are some of those that will be available for the 2026 edition:

Tempo Arena: This stage is located in the Vic-Fezensac bullring, known for its open acoustics and intense energy every night of the festival. Among the top artists that will perform there are Maïté Hontelé Y La Novia, Orquesta Akokán (Friday, July 31), Matt Bianco, Rogê (Saturday, August 1), Alfredo Rodríguez, and Tony Succar (Sunday, August 2).
La Conga (Tempo Social Club): This other stage is also very popular because it has a beachy vibe with real sand and operates from early morning until late into the night. As for the artists who will be performing, we can mention the queen of Argentine electronic cumbia, La Yegros, DJ Çarava, and DJ Lafuriosa.
Camp Tempo: This open-air format is packed every year with new musical proposals, alternative fusions, brass bands, and street groups that give life to the village during the day. In the 2026 edition, some of the alternative bands will include Chicos y Méndez, Chicharrón, Pixvae, and Aguanomas.
Saint-Pierre Church: This venue is solely and exclusively reserved to small, intimate acoustic concerts where, as a general rule, only pianists and Latin jazz artists perform in the festival’s most solemn format.

Fernando Lavoy The Montunero of Salsa and Son

The Indelible Footprint of a Masterful Voice in the Golden Era of SAR Productions.

Introduction and Musical Legacy, Fernando Lavoy was one of the best-kept and most dazzling secrets of 20th-century Afro-Cuban music.

Born on May 6, 1950, in Havana, Cuba, he possessed an exceptional mastery and vocal quality that quickly caught the attention of the era’s biggest icons.

It was the legendary trumpeter Alfredo “Chocolate” Armenteros who, blown away by Lavoy’s innate gift for traditional phrasing and improvisation, affectionately dubbed him “El Montunero” (The Montuno Master).

Fernando Lavoy El Montunero de la Salsa y el Son

Throughout his career, Lavoy showcased his talent as both a singer and songwriter in heavyweight ensembles, including:

The celebrated Sonora Matancera
Chocolate Armenteros’ orchestra
Conjunto Dinastía Diez
Roberto Torres’ mythical SAR All Stars

He also led his own group, “Los Soneros.” His tragic murder in 1992 in Miami, United States, cut short the life of a brilliant artist, but left an indelible mark on the heritage of tropical music.

The Rise in New York and the Alliance with SAR Productions

After emigrating to the United States in 1980 in search of new artistic horizons, Lavoy immediately immersed himself in New York’s effervescent Salsa and Son scene.

His first big break came courtesy of Chocolate Armenteros, contributing masterfully to the album “Y sigo con mi...” under the SAR Productions record label.

Sar All Stars La India de Oriente,Jorge Maldonado Y Fernando Lavoy y en el tres Charlie Rodriguez

Founded by Roberto Torres, this record label was characterized by a unique musical aesthetic: it championed the classic texture of Cuban son, extending song lengths to allow generous space for instrumental solos and pure improvisation.

In 1981, Lavoy solidified his place as a member of the SAR All Stars, catapulting his voice into the spotlight of the most demanding music lovers.

Unlike other commercial acts of the era (such as Fania Records) that leaned heavily into crossovers with the English-speaking market, SAR Productions stood firm in direct Cuban roots. While they injected subtle nuances of jazz, they preserved that traditional, deep, and organic cadence that captivated Hispanic audiences.

Fernando Lavoy y Los Soneros: A Distinct Identity

Between 1981 and 1982, Fernando Lavoy recorded two foundational albums under his own name: “Los Soneros” (1981) and “Fernando Lavoy y Los Soneros” (1982).

Although the norm at SAR was to use the talented house band to back soloists, Los Soneros presented themselves as an autonomous group with their own identity, produced by the infallible Roberto Torres.

The ensemble stood out for its solid instrumentation led by trumpeter Juan González, who served as director and arranger, accompanied by his son Juan González Jr. on piano and the virtuoso Juan Méndez on bongo.

The band was formally structured as a classic, old-school conjunto: four powerful trumpets, bass, conga, bongo, and three backing vocalists stylishly led by Norman Rodríguez.

Analysis of a Masterpiece: The 1982 Album

The 1982 record is absolute proof of Lavoy’s musical maturity; he composed 50% of the repertoire.

“No voy a dormir”: The album opens electrifyingly, where a powerful trumpet introduction gives way to Fernando’s entrance, followed by a masterful trumpet solo by Juan González and an explosive bongo breakdown by Juan Méndez that builds into a montuno climax.
“Cóquela suave”: A son montuno penned by Lavoy that, true to its name, begins with a smooth, gentle cadence before transforming into a hard-hitting, danceable son, enriched by a sublime piano solo from Juan González Jr.
“Pegaditos”: A famous composition by Miguel Matamoros who, along with Arsenio Rodríguez, stands as one of the pillars of son is reinterpreted while respecting the purity of its traditional structure. The track shines with a high, piercing trumpet that floats above the Cuban singer’s vocals, experimenting with tempo variations that gradually increase the rhythmic intensity alongside flawless backing vocals.
“Juana la sin goma” & “No vuelo contigo”: The album closes with the former, a track packed with playfulness, dance energy, and high-octane lyrics, and the latter, a more laid-back son that, without quite becoming a bolero, maintains the majestic structure of Cuban son with a vibrant closing montuno.

Ultimately, Fernando Lavoy’s work remains a foundational pillar that vindicates the sabor, rhythm, and eternal essence of son montuno.

Text courtesy of Maida Lorena Lavoy.

Foto Museo De La Salsa, en Barrio Obrero, en su visita en 1991 junto al gran cantante puertorriqueño Yayo El Indio y Carlos Molina Castellanos, actual director del Museo De La Salsa

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

Latin America / July 2026

DIRECTORY OF NIGHTCLUBS
ARGENTINA	ARUBA	BELIZE
BOLIVIA	BRAZIL	CHILE
COLOMBIA	COSTA RICA	CUBA
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC	ECUADOR	GUATEMALA
MEXICO	PANAMA	PERU
PUERTO RICO	VENEZUELA