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Israel “Cachao” López, a Cuban musician and composer, has been hailed as “the Inventor of Mambo”

Born in Havana on September 14, 1918, and passing away in Coral Gables, Miami, on March 22, 2008, Israel “Cachao” López, often known simply as “Cachao,” was a Cuban musician and composer.

Israel Cachao López musico y compositor cubano, ha sido definido como el Inventor del Mambo

He became a legend in Cuban music with his masterful handling of the double bass and was renowned for his performances in mambo and Latin jazz.

His talent earned him two Grammy Awards (in 1995 and 2005), a Latin Grammy in 2003, an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

He has been described as “the inventor of mambo” and is considered a master of descarga (live improvisations).

He began by playing various instruments until he settled on the double bass, which allowed him, as a teenager, to join the Havana Philharmonic Orchestra, where his father and older brother also played.

“Cachao” left Cuba in 1962 with a long list of successes and stated in a 2007 interview that if it weren’t for his compatriot and colleague Dámaso Pérez Prado, “mambo would not have been heard worldwide.”

Israel Cachao López nacido en La Habana, un 14 de septiembre de 1918 y falleció en Coral Gables un 22 de marzo de 2008 en Miami

His first stop was Madrid, where he stayed for a year before emigrating to the United States. In the U.S., he resided in New York City, Las Vegas, and Miami.

López also played acoustic bass with his brother, the multi-instrumentalist Orestes López. They literally composed over 3,000 songs together and were highly influential in Cuban music from the 1930s to the 1950s.

They created the “nuevo ritmo” (new rhythm) in the late 1930s, which transformed the danzón by introducing African rhythms into Cuban music, ultimately leading to mambo.

He won several Grammy Awards for both his own work and his contributions to albums by Latin music stars, including Gloria Estefan. In 1995, he won a Grammy for Master Sessions Volume 1.

In 2003, he won a Latin Grammy for Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album alongside Bebo Valdés and Patato for El Arte Del Sabor. He won another Grammy in 2005 for his work ¡Ahora Sí!

His nephew, Orlando “Cachaíto” López, became one of the pillars of the famous Buena Vista Social Club.

Cachao performed with artists such as Tito Puente, and his music has been featured in films like The Birdcage and the soundtrack of the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

The Actor Andy Garcia produced a documentary titled Cachao… “Como Su Ritmo No Hay Dos” in 1993 about his music. He also shared stages with Celia Cruz and her husband Pedro Knight, as well as with trombonist Generoso Jiménez.

Leyendas de Nuestra Musica Latina Pacheco, Puente y Cachao

His last musical collaboration was with Gloria and Emilio Estefan on the singer’s album titled 90 Millas.

López passed away on the morning of March 22, 2008, in Coral Gables, Florida, at the age of 89, due to complications following kidney failure.

Cachao y Su Ritmo Caliente – Monte Adentro (2000)

Tracks:

Monte Adentro (Cógele el golpe) (A. Castillo Jr.)
Goza Mi Trompeta (O. Estivill)
Guajeo de Saxos (E. Peñaver)
Estudio en Trompeta (I. López)
Gozar Timbero (O. Estivill)
Trombón Criollo (O. Portillo)
Malanga Amarilla (S. Contreras)
Controversia de Metales (I. López)
Descarga Cubana (O. Estivill)
Pamparana (A. López)
Sorpresa de Flauta (O. Estivill)
Oye Mi Tres Montuno (A. Echevarria)
La Floresta (O. López)
Avance Juvenil (B. López)
Redención (O. López)
Descarga Mambo (D.P.)

Musicians:

Israel López “Cachao” (Double Bass)
Guillermo Barreto (Timbales)
Tata Güines (Tumbadora)
Rojelio “Yeyo” Iglesias (Bongos)
Gustavo Tamayo (Güiro)
Alejandro “El Negro” Vivar (Trumpet)
Armando Armenteros (Trumpet)
Generoso “El Tojo” Jiménez (Trombone)
Oreste López (Piano)
Enemelio Jiménez (Alto Sax)
Emilio Peñalver (Tenor Sax)
Virgilio Lisama (Baritone Sax)
Richard Egües (Flute)
Niño Rivera (Tres)
Roliyo y Reyes (Chorus)

Recorded in Havana, 1957-1958

Cachao y Su Ritmo Caliente - Monte Adentro (2000) — Cachao y Su Ritmo Caliente – Monte Adentro (2000)

The tradition of being musicians comes from grandparents and great-grandparents, all the Cachaos are musicians.

By:

Dj. Augusto Felibertt

L’Òstia Latin Jazz

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

Eduardo Tancredi is a renowned Uruguayan pianist and composer specializing in Latin Jazz

Eduardo was a distinguished student at Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Eduardo was an outstanding student at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Musical Style: His music fuses a wide variety of Afro-Latin rhythms (such as Uruguayan candombe, Brazilian samba, Cuban son, Peruvian landó, and Venezuelan joropo) with the harmonies and melodies of modern jazz.

Accolades: He has recorded several CDs with his own compositions and has received awards for his outstanding performance in the Latin jazz scene. His album “Ongoing Dreams” was chosen as the best album in its category in 2002 by “The Boston Globe.”

Teaching Experience: During his time in the United States, he was a piano and harmony professor at Berklee College of Music. Since 2003, he has resided in Barcelona and teaches at ESMUC (Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya).

Collaborations: He has collaborated with numerous musical groups as a pianist and is a significant figure in the jazz scene in Spain.

Eduardo Tancredi is a prominent figure in Latin Jazz, known for his ability to integrate diverse Latin American rhythmic influences with the harmonic sophistication of modern jazz.

Latin accents took some time to establish themselves in jazz music. Very few composers ventured into that genre in the early decades of the last century, to the point that their timid attempts were considered exotic and trivial.

Initially, one recalls passages from William C. Handy’s “St. Louis Blues,” some Scott Joplin ragtimes, Jelly Roll Morton’s references to the “Spanish tinge,” or, shortly after, the themes performed by Duke Ellington’s orchestra.

It was in the 1940s that the Latin touch gained relevance. Cuban Mario Bauzá, who had played trumpet in Chick Webb’s and Cab Calloway’s orchestras, propelled the success of Machito’s band and convinced Dizzy Gillespie to hire conga player Chano Pozo.

Afro-Cuban influence became powerful in the following decades through sones, charangas, rumba, mambo, and salsa. Names like Chico O’Farrill, Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaría, Ray Barretto, and Chucho Valdés became highly regarded, and their works inspired a legion of jazz musicians.

Eduardo Tancredi es un reconocido pianista y compositor uruguayo, especializado en Jazz Latino

Latin jazz today has a strong presence in popular music, and Uruguayan Eduardo “Edú” Tancredi is a brilliant exponent of that style. He was an outstanding student at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he won awards such as the Quincy Jones Award and the Outstanding Latin Act Award.

After his acclaimed “Ongoing Dreams” from 2002, this CD, “Venimos Tumbando,” recorded in 2007, now arrives with ten formidable compositions and his own arrangements. His background in Latin American folklore plus his jazz studies have achieved a splendid confluence that is enjoyed from beginning to end on this album.

His versatility as a composer is evident in candombes (“La mama vieja” and “Montevideo”), a baião (“Baialona”), a chorinho (“El germen”), a zamba (“Zamba del aire”), and the obvious references to Afro-Caribbean rhythms that unite their exciting cadences with jazz elements. Edú’s works are incisive, stimulating, possess an overflowing swing, and it’s easy to imagine the musicians’ pleasure during their performance.

The arrangements contrast the different orchestral sections, highlighting their diverse sound textures, suggestive harmonizations, and enhancing the dynamics and fiery percussion instruments. Three saxophones, piano, guitar, bass, and drums alternate with ten other guest musicians (vocals, sax, harmonica, two basses, two drum sets, and three percussionists), generating a sonic turbine that captivates the listener from the first note.

This doesn’t mean that all tracks propose an overwhelming rhythm. There are passages of beautiful lyricism, as in the two versions sung by Ana Finger, or the pleasant harmonica of Antonio Serrano, or the director’s piano in “Como un blues.”

The soloists perform at a high level, with special mention of Miguel Zenón’s alto sax, an improviser of fresh ideas, clean musicality, and great inspiration and fervor. The interventions of guitarist Alejandro Luzardo, trumpeter Matthew Simon, tenor saxophonist Eladio Reinón, and baritone saxophonist Xavi Figuerola are also noteworthy.

“Venimos Tumbando” confirms Tancredi’s talent as a composer and pianist and his skill as an orchestra conductor. Abilities he generously demonstrated during his acclaimed performance at the Teatro Solís last December. Thomas Werner

Edu Tancredi & Bandon 33 – Venimos Tumbando (2007)

Tracks:

El Subibaja
Hocus Pocus
Montevideo
El Germen
La Mama Vieja
Baialona
Mapa Del Mundo
Venimos Tumbando
Como Un Blues
Zamba Del Aire

Musicians: Edu Tancredi (Piano) Ana Finger (Vocals) Antonio Serrano (Harmonica) Mathew Simón (Trumpet) Pere Grau (Soprano sax, alto sax) Miguel Zenón (Alto sax) Eladio Reinón (Tenor sax) Juajo Arrom (Trombone) Xavi Figuerola (Baritone sax) Alejandro Luzardo (Guitar) Matías Migues, Paco Weht, Javier Gómez (Double Bass) Santiago Blanco, Salvador Toscano (Drums) Carlos Reyes “Compota”, Alejandro Luzardo, Santiago Blanco, Alexis Liden, Sandro Lustosa, Salvador Toscano (Percussion)

Edu Tancredi & Bandon 33 - Venimos Tumbando (2007) — Edu Tancredi & Bandon 33 – Venimos Tumbando (2007)

Information By:

Ostia Latin Jazz

DJ, Augusto Felibertt

Also Read: Arturo “Chico” O’Farrill. “The Architect of Afro-Cuban Jazz”

Trombone player Lindsey McMurray from the women’s orchestra Las Chikas

Lindsey McMurray, bandleader of the group Las Chikas, has graciously accepted our invitation to talk about the women’s orchestra she is leading, which makes us very happy and pleased, so we invite our readers to enjoy this interview from beginning to end and learn about the musical journey of this young artist.

Lindsay from Las Chikas singing — Lindsey McMurray singing during a concert with Las Chikas

How Lindsey got started in music

Lindsey’s journey to become an artist began very soon at school, when she was just 10 years old and started learning to play the trombone. Prior to this, she had already studied other instruments such as the keyboard and the recorder, but she ended up trying the trombone.

Soon after, at the age of 11, she joined the school jazz band, but it was not until college that she began experimenting with salsa in orchestras that played this genre. Until then, Lindsey had had virtually no contact with Latin music, as she had only listened to typical U.S. rhythms. However, once she discovered Latin American music, she could not escape her love for it and continues to play it to this very day.

It should be noted that the musician does not have any family member who is too. So she would be the first one to make music her profession and, of course, one of the most important areas of her life.

Professional experiences prior to Las Chikas

Before even getting to know of the existence of Las Chikas, Lindsey was on a TV show called ‘’Noches Con Platanito’’ in the musical side, but she did not really lead anything until the bandleaders of the groups who were there left. Her big break came in 2017, when she finally managed to become a bandleader herself and, in turn, started two groups at the same time.

This is because Lindsey did not want to depend on anyone be called whenever she was required, but, on the contrary, she wanted to go on developing her autonomy to the point of being the one to create jobs for others instead of looking for them somewhere else.

Las Chikas

It is important to clarify that Lindsey is not the founder of Las Chikas, but that the group already existed before she joined during the pandemic. The idea of Las Chikas was born during “Noches Con Platanito” as part of the show, but Lindsey and the other members wanted to have activities outside of the show and what the production asked them to do. At that time, the leader and founder of the group was Eliana Rose who during the pandemic wanted to settle in Southern California, so she asked the artist to take her place, which she accepted.

This posed a significant challenge for her, as she had never led a Latin music orchestra in her life. However, the novelty did not make him get cold feet, but on the contrary, it was an experience she wanted to live in order to learn from it.

The current members joined the group thanks to recommendations from friends and other people in the industry. Already at this point, it can be said that they all are her friends, to the extent that they have shared all kinds of special occasions such as birthdays, trips, and much more.

Why only women in the orchestra

What catches the attention about Las Chikas is that, as its name suggests, it is only composed of women. One of the reasons is that the industry, despite of the recent social changes, continues to be dominated by men, so these young female talents find support between themselves.

What the original founder wanted was to promote the idea that a group of girls could play Latin music without it being perceived as strange. Lindsey shares this vision with hundred percent and hopes new generations of women never think for a moment that their gender is a limitation to achieve what they want in music.

Las Chikas with its certificate — Marina Panzetta, Shirly Ace, Lindsey Murray, Whitney Hernadez, Gabby Tamez, Maria Vega, Mayelin Vazquez, Alisha Ard Vazquez, Dolores Duran-Cefalu, and Anitta Garay from Las Chikas posing for the camera with its certificate from the City of Los Angeles. Photo taken by Craig Cochrane

While acknowledging that there have been positive changes in recent decades, she thinks there are areas that do not have enough female representation such as percussion, bass, production, arranging, among others. It is very common for women to be vocalists in a band, but it is still unusual to see them in other areas of the project.

Las Chikas as a mix of cultures and ethnicities

On the band’s website, it can be read that the group is a mix of diverse cultures and ethnicities. In this regard, Lindsey pointed out that, while it is true that she is not a Latina, she has always sought to create something as authentic as possible that is rooted in Latin culture, of course with great respect. “Latin music is so joyful, intelligent, and capable of being beautiful to the eyes of any human being who hears it. I also want in a certain way to make non-Latinos enjoy this beautiful music as much as I do,” Lindsey added on the subject.

She also said that diversity plays a very important role, as non-Latino audiences tend to feel that they have permission to be part of the joy emanating from this music. In addition to that, the fact that the members have diverse backgrounds helps the band have different perspectives on what they want to do.

Today, Las Chikas is composed of Cuban singer Mayelin Vázquez, Cuban singer Whitney Hernández, American pianist Dolores Duran-Cefalu, bassist María Vega, Mexican timbalera Anita Garay, Mexican conga player Diana Teixeira, American trumpet player Anne King, Mexican saxophonist Marina Panzetta, and Lindsay herself on trombone.

Latin America / August 2025

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

Caesar Vera Y Su Sexteto NuevoSon, traditional Cuban music with a touch of modernity

It is very important for us to show and provide coverage to the most important Latin music artists of today in the United States and now it is the turn of Chicagoan musician Caesar Vera, who very kindly accompanied us in this edition of International Salsa Magazine.

Caesar is the current director of Caesar Vera Y Su Sexteto NuevoSon, which we will talk about later along with other equally important issues for the musician’s career.

Caesar with a bongo — Caesar Vera with his bongos some years ago

How Caesar began his journey in music

Although Caesar has developed his professional life in Miami and currently lives there, he was actually born in Chicago and spent the early years of his life there. His parents arrived from Cuba in 1966 in the freedom flights and, once in the United States, the Catholic Church helped them and placed them in Chicago, where he was born and lived until 1978. Later, the couple divorced and his father went to live in Miami, so Caesar spent long holiday periods together with him in that city.

The path with music for Caesar began in high school, when he became very interested in rock music, to the point of creating a band with some of his classmates. He played the drums and was a huge fan of Led Zeppelin, Kiss, Van Halen, and other groups of that style.

The only connection the young man had with Latin music was his grandfather, who loved to dance danzón and always played Orquesta Aragón records so that they could both move to the beat music in the living room of his house. Although these moments with his grandfather were very pleasant, he did not yet like this kind of music, but that would change over the years.

In Miami, there was a time when there were many Latin bands playing, and every corner had a nightclub with orchestras playing. Caesar and his friends used to attend these places a lot, which led the young man to finally become interested in these genres. This coincided with the arrival from Cuba of his uncle who was a musician and had a band there, which they talked about constantly, and he even taught his nephew to play instruments such as the tumbadora, bongos, timbales, and all minor percussion.

In 1987, what happened was a turning point for Caesar musically speaking, as he finally decided to take Cuban music more seriously and study its history to understand it better.

Caesar Vera and Luis Bofill — Singer and bandleader Luis Bofill and Caesar Vera

Groups prior to Caesar Vera Y Su Sexteto Nuevo Son

Before creating his own group, the wife of a friend who had a group invited him to play percussion with them, a proposal Caesar accepted, and he started playing the tumbadora with the orchestra. Something new in this case was that he had never played with an established band in formal performances, so it was something new for him.

By 1992, he had met the famous Cuban bongo player Juan Méndez, who had played with the Roberto Faz Orchestra, Roberto Torres, and Luis Santi Y Su Conjunto. Méndez told him that he needed a bongo player in an orchestra he was forming at the time and asked Caesar to fill the vacancy, to which he answered yes and remained in the group until 2003, that is, for around 11 years.

In addition to that, he was a replacement in various orchestras in Miami for a while, one of which was Gilberto Díaz Y Su Conjunto Los Profesionales. He was with them for two years, but by then traditional Cuban music, more specifically Cuban son, had captured his full attention. It just so happens that one of his orchestra fellows told him that Norberto from the group Norberto Y Marcela Y El Septeto Caribe called him because they needed a bongo player and asked if he was interested in the vacancy. Caesar did not think twice and went to play with the orchestra even though he did not have much experience with the bongos, but he took the risk anyway. It was with this group that he started playing traditional Cuban music and prepared to do the same once he became independent.

Caesar and his bandmates — These are the band members from left to right: bongo player Caesar Vera, singer Billy Velazquez, tres player Roberto Acosta, bassist Arturo Senti, conga player Hebert Garcia, and trumpet player Orlando Fraga

Foundation of Caesar Vera Y Su Sexteto NuevoSon

Still playing with Norberto and Marcela, Caesar started having his own creative ideas on how to lead an orchestra, but he could not carry them out because he was only a musician who collaborated with the orchestra, which started to bother him and cause him enormous dissatisfaction. One day, his wife saw him stressed and frustrated by the situation, leading her to ask him why he did not become independent and create his own project.

That is when he started thinking about it seriously until, in early 2007, he finally founded the group Fusión 4 with Carlos Alberto “El Flaco”, who had previously sung with Fajardo Y Sus Estrellas, Larry Harlow, and La Fania. They managed to play every Saturday at the Deauville Jazz Club for a year.

However, the sextet as we know it today was created just two years ago because it was costing to Caesar much to find work for such a large orchestra, especially after the pandemic when much of the live music scene fell off a cliff.

Today, some of its members are tres player Roberto Acosta, bassist Arturo Santi, conga player Hebert García, trumpeter Orlando Fraga, and singer Billy Velázquez.