Search Results for: Trumpet

Son 14 The History of the Orchestra and the Success of “A Bayamo en Coche”

The Son 14 orchestra was founded in Santiago de Cuba in 1977 by vocalist Eduardo “El Tiburón” Morales (born in Cuba in 1935) and pianist and musical director Adalberto Álvarez.

As the name suggests, it is a 14-member ensemble dedicated to performing son, the national musical genre of Cuba. In 1978, Lázaro Rosabal (born in Santiago de Cuba in 1953) joined the group.

They quickly recorded several albums for the local EGREM label, many of which became bestsellers throughout Latin America, allowing them to undertake extensive tours across the Americas and Europe.

In 1992, co-founder Álvarez left the band to form his own group. Nevertheless, Son 14 continued its journey under the musical direction of Rosabal.

In addition to their continued success in the Latin market, the band began to gain international recognition, first with the song “El Son De La Madrugada,” included on the compilation Cuba – Fully Charged (Earthworks Records, 1993), and later with the release of Son – The BIG SOUND (Tumi Records, 1995), a compilation of their material from the Álvarez era.

After introducing a modern, vibrant version of son and its variations (son montuno, bolero son, etc.) to non-Latin audiences, Tumi Records commissioned a new recording at Cuba’s EGREM studios. Released in 1996 as part of the Cuba Explosion series, the album Cubanía proved that the band had not lost an ounce of its musical talent and energy under Rosabal’s direction. Three years later, the group released La Máquina Musical, which incorporated Colombian tropical rhythms into their sound, promoting the album with a European tour that included a performance at the Cuba Presente Festival at the Barbican Centre in London. (Source: AllMusic)

The Milestone of “A Bayamo en Coche”

The album A Bayamo en Coche (A Bayamo by Carriage) was released in 1979, with its biggest hit being the title track itself. The album’s opening song, composed and arranged by Adalberto Álvarez from Camagüey, instantly transformed him into one of the leading figures in popular Cuban dance music from that year on.

The song “A Bayamo en coche” not only revives traditional son and enriches it with new sounds but also artistically recreates a cherished tradition rooted in Bayamo, the cradle of Cuban nationality. In this city, coches (horse-drawn carriages) are used for pleasure rides and recreation, and the song’s lyrics narrate these moments.

The album contained other tracks that were hugely popular in Cuba between 1978 and 1980, such as “Calle Enramada” (a son elegy to that main Santiago street), “El Son De La Madrugada” (with a beautiful later version by Omara Portuondo), “Se quema la trocha,” and “Elena la cumbanchera,” which turned the record into a landmark within this genre of Cuban music. Most of the tracks were performed by Tiburón Morales, the group’s lead vocalist.

Tribute to The Gentleman of Son

Recently, Son 14 founder Adalberto Álvarez, known as “El Caballero del Son” (The Gentleman of Son), was honored with a concert at the Karl Marx Theatre. This event celebrated his 46 years in music and the 35th anniversary of his later orchestra, Adalberto Álvarez y su Son.

The concert was a memorable tribute to the work of the composer of “A Bayamo en coche.” Some of his best songs were performed by notable Cuban musicians:

Septeto Santiaguero (Son para un sonero)
Pancho Amat and Alain Pérez (Tu fiel trovador)
Alexander Abreu (Pura imagen)
Paulo F. G. (Fin de semana)

At other points, Frank Fernández performed a duet accompaniment with the voices of Adalberto Álvarez and Jorge Luis Rojas, “Rojitas,” on Santa Cecilia.

Additionally, Rojitas sang with Tania Pantoja (Vivir lo nuestro) and solo (Y qué tú quieres que te den). Robertón and Lele, vocalists from Van Van, performed Agua que cae del cielo, while the orchestra Adalberto Álvarez y su Son took on De Cuba pa’l mundo entero, Son de la madrugada, and Los caminos de Ifá.

En La Sala Show “El Saraito” Adalberto Álvarez (R.I.P) Fundador, Director. Arreglista y Pianista del Son 14 de Cuba, Dj. Augusto Felibertt y Vicente López

That night, Maestro José Luis Cortés highlighted Álvarez’s musical quality, focusing specifically on “A Bayamo en coche,” the song that, in 1979, announced the existence of a great artist to the public. Álvarez was capable of bringing son to Cuban art schools and has defended Cuban son with grace and artistry, all while staying true to the essence of one of the dance music genres that best represents Cuban identity. (Source: Joel del Río, Cibercuba)

“A Bayamo En Coche” Album Details (1980)

No.	Track	Genre	Composer
01.	A Bayamo En Coche	Son	Adalberto Álvarez
02.	El Son De La Madrugada	Son guaguancó	Adalberto Álvarez
03.	Se Fue Mi Amor Y No Lo Vi Partir	Bolero son	Adalberto Álvarez
04.	Calle Enramada	Son	Pedro Gómez
05.	Elena La Cumbanchera	Son	Gerardo Martínez
06.	Se Quema La Trocha	Bachata-Son	Adalberto Álvarez
07.	Tal Vez Vuelvas A Llamarme	Son montuno	Adalberto Álvarez
08.	Gimen Las Rosas Por Una Triste Ilusión	Bolero	Adalberto Álvarez
09.	Vamos, Háblame Ahora	Bachata-son	Adalberto Álvarez

Musicians who participated in the recording (1979):

Director, Acoustic Piano, Keyboards: Adalberto Álvarez
Vocals, Minor Percussion: Eduardo “El Tiburón” Morales, Héctor Wedderbron, Daniel Carmenates
Bass: Jorge Machado
Guitar: Efisio Barroso
Trumpet: Eduardo Sánchez, Guillermo Femández, José Fernández, Dagoberto Rodríguez
Trombone: Lázaro Rosabal
Tumbadora (Conga Drum): Ubaldo Canes
Bongó, Cowbell: Guillermo Viera

Recorded at: EGREM Studios (1979)

Collaborators:

L’Òstia Latin Jazz

Dj. Augusto Felibertt

Also Read: Luis Conte: The Cuban-American percussionist who fuses Cuban son with global music

Ángel Luis Canales is a renowned Puerto Rican singer and composer known as “El Diferente” (The Different One) for his particular and irreverent style

Angel Canales was born on June 29, 1950, in Santurce, Puerto Rico.

During his childhood, around the age of 8 or 10, he moved with his family to New York City, where he lived in East Harlem (Upper Manhattan). Musical influences indicate that from a young age, he was strongly influenced by the music of Cortijo y su Combo and Ismael Rivera.

Before or concurrently with his musical career, he worked in the jewelry business; he was a messenger and later learned to cut and polish diamonds, a skill that allowed him to self-finance his musical career and pay high salaries to his musicians.

Ángel Luis Canales is a renowned Puerto Rican singer and songwriter known as El Diferente for his unique and irreverent style.

Musical Career

His Beginnings: He started as a timbalero in Ray Jay’s orchestra, where he debuted as a singer, replacing the lead vocalist.

His first album (1970), titled “Brujería,” was released in 1970 and recorded under the Alegre Records label, with musical direction by Mark Dimond. Hits from this production include “El Barrio,” “Yo No Tengo Pena,” and the title track.

Notable Hits: Among his most popular songs are: “Nostalgia,” “Sol de Mi Vida,” “Perico Macoña,” “Lejos de Ti,” “Hace Tiempo,” “El Cantante y la Orquesta,” “Sabor de los Rumberos Nuevos,” “Bomba Carambomba,” and his celebrated rendition of the bolero “Dos Gardenias.”

His Unique Style is recognized for its unorthodox approach and distinctive vocal timbre, which earned him the nickname “El Diferente” (The Different One).

He was a highly independent artist who self-financed his albums and founded his own record label, Celanac Records.

Tours and Retirement

International Tours: He toured internationally, visiting countries such as Panama (his first), Venezuela (where he performed at the Poliedro de Caracas in 1982), Colombia, and Peru. It is said that he never performed with his orchestra in his native Puerto Rico.

He retired in the late 1990s, deciding to leave the stage.

Currently, he is reportedly battling Parkinson’s disease, which has limited him and led him to choose silence and retirement, although he occasionally attends private events. He is currently 75 years old.

Àngel Luis Canales, y el pianista, compositor y arreglista Gilberto el pulpo Colòn

50 Years Since the Launch of “Sabor” (1975)

The Album: The album titled “Sabor” by Angel Canales was released under the Alegre Records label in 1975.

Only a boricua (Puerto Rican) who has been absent from their homeland knows what it’s like to be away from Puerto Rico when winter arrives in New York City. Or when you’re inside a taxi or walking the congested streets of the Bronx or the Latino barrio, and all you see around you are skyscrapers and more skyscrapers. The anxiety and sense of helplessness that overwhelm your spirit in the concrete jungle can only be calmed by memories.

50 years ago, on Monday, November 10, 1975, the unique voice of Puerto Rican singer Ángel Luis Canales consoled the thousands of boricuas oppressed by nostalgia with his composition “Lejos De Ti” (Far From You). It was a confession and affirmation of his Puerto Rican identity, in which he asserts that his love for his homeland will never die, even though he was raised in New York.

The song is a guaguancó with lyrics that evoke images of old San Juan, Villa Palmeras and its rich bomba heritage, Boca de Cangrejos, fried fritters on the grill, and the river that crosses through the old Ancón de Loíza Aldea, where his grandmother lived. “Lejos De Ti” remains the most remembered track from “Sabor,” an album produced by Joe Cain, recorded in late 1974, and released by Alegre Records on Monday, November 10, 1975.

Angle Canales Sabor 1975 Photography By Dominique

This album is considered one of the best salsa releases of the 1970s.

Canales’ Style: Canales favored a different style of interpreting Afro-Caribbean rhythms, combining elements from Héctor Lavoe, Ismael Rivera, Vicentico Valdés, and Paquito Pérez (the singer of the Orquesta Zodiac of Loíza). He extended the melodies with his nasal voice, challenging the poetry of the montunos, but going off-key and mispronouncing some words. His diction was far from perfect.

Production: The architect of Canales’ success was Colombian pianist Edy Martínez, who arranged seven of the eight tracks on this session, from cut #2 to #8. Due to a prior commitment with Mongo Santamaría’s band, he left his compatriot José Madrid in charge of the piano performance on this record.

Under Martínez’s direction, Canales embraced fame. “Sabor” was his second album between 1970 and 1971, he had recorded the “Brujería” session with pianist Mark Alexander “Markolino” Dimond, who founded Conjunto Sabor after spending several years with Willie Colón’s band.

Canales reappeared four years later with the Orquesta Sabor los Rumberos Nuevos with an arrangement by Louie Cruz. That same year, 1975, Larry Harlow produced Mark Dimond’s classic “Beethoven’s V” featuring vocalists Frankie Dante and Chivirico Dávila. “Sabor” was a huge hit.

Tours and Artistic Choices: The singer toured Europe, the United States, and South America, where Colombians, Panamanians, and Peruvians remember him fondly to this day, despite health issues forcing him to retire from the stage.

During the golden age of salsa, singers were expected to master all genres, and boleros were no exception. His vocalization on “La Hiedra” (a track written by Saverio Saratini and Vincenzo D’Acquisto) and “No Te Acostumbres” (a track belonging to Doris Aghian’s catalog) is notable for its theatricality, a trick Canales employed to mask the limitations of his voice.

Salsa dancers who thrive on piano, trombone, and percussion solos will be delighted with “Sabor Los Rumberos Nuevos,” “Sol De Mi Vida” (dedicated to his wife Brunilda), “El Cantante y La Orquesta,” and the hit “Hace Tiempo” (with its memorable chorus: ay, ay, ay, no me hagas padecer así – oh, oh, oh, don’t make me suffer like this).

Legacy: Before becoming a professional singer, Canales worked as a jeweler. A look at the covers of his first two albums is enough to conclude that he was a pioneer in the use of bling-bling in salsa. As a composer, Canales was a solid chronicler of barrio life. The story told in “Perico Macoña” is a good example: a man who smokes a joint and loses all self-control, insulting his own friends with his abrupt comments.

The re-issue of “Sabor” is a fitting tribute to the memory of the late Joe Cain.

Credits

Trombone: Juan Torres, Ricardo Montañez
Trumpet: Tom Malone
Baritone Saxophone, Flute: Emérito Benítez
Piano: José Madrid
Bass: Eddie Testo
Congas: Antonio Tapia
Timbales: Gadier Quiñones
Bongo: Aldemaro Luis Rivera
Producer: Joe Cain
Musical Director: Juan Torres
Recorded at: LE Studio NYC, December 1974
Engineer: Sandy Sina
Arrangements: Edy Martínez (except “Sabor Los Rumberos Nuevos” by Louie Cruz)

Torres, Montañez, Tapia, and Quiñones had previously collaborated with Canales on Markolino Dimond’s “Brujería” album.

Collaboration:

Angel Canales «El Diferente» recibiendo la produccion de Danilo Cajiao Titulada»Mi Perdicion» año 2020

Also Read: Angel Canales «El Diferente» receiving the production from Danilo Cajiao titled »Mi Perdicion» year 2020.

Alberto Crespo and Carlos Santos Release Their Latest Single “Narci” with Grupo Bacheo to the Latin Market

On November 7, 2025, the vibrant Latin music scene celebrates a stellar collaboration that promises to ignite dance floors.

The acclaimed Venezuelan pianist, arranger, and music producer Alberto Crespo joins legendary Puerto Rican sonero Carlos Santos and the talented Grupo Bacheo to present their latest musical track titled “Narci.”

Alberto Crespo and Carlos Santos release their latest song, titled Narci, to the Latin market with Grupo Bacheo

This original composition by Ali Delgado and José Granados, featuring arrangements by Alberto Crespo himself, fuses a modern sound with the unmistakable rhythm of salsa, guaranteeing a musical experience that will delight dancers.

Alberto Crespo: A Piano Master with an International Career.

From his beginnings at the “José Ángel Lamas” Music Conservatory in Caracas, Alberto Crespo demonstrated exceptional passion and talent. His deep immersion in harmony, counterpoint, orchestration, and improvisation has established him as a versatile and well-rounded musician.

By age seventeen, he was already touring with renowned orchestras, sharing the stage with icons such as Naty y Su Orquesta, Celia Cruz, Bobby Capó, Carmen Delia Depini, Carlos Cano Estremera, Andy Montañés, Ismael Miranda, Pete Conde Rodríguez, and José Mangual Jr., among many others.

Alberto Crespo A Piano Master with an International Career

With over three decades of experience in salsa and Latin Jazz, Crespo has consolidated his reputation as a highly prestigious producer, arranger, and pianist. His impressive list of collaborations includes national and international artists such as Maikel Stuart, Frankie Morales (former singer for Tito Puente), Orquesta Bailatino, Grupo Mango, Herman Olivera, Rumberos de Callejón, Gilberto Santa Rosa, and Naty y Su Orquesta. His versatility has led him to be part of the most prominent musical groups in Venezuela.

Carlos Santos: A Classy Sonero with a Legendary Trajectory.

Born on March 13, 1946, in Cataño, Puerto Rico, Carlos Santos is a true sonero whose career took off with Joey Pastrana’s band. His powerful voice and unmistakable salsa flair led him to perform and record with emblematic salsa orchestras, including “Kako y su Trabuco,” “Los Kimbos,” “Conjunto Candela,” and Roberto Roena’s “El Apollo Sound,” in addition to special performances with Ray Barreto and El Conjunto Libre.

Santos has left classics for posterity such as “Chacaboom,” “Las cosas de la vida” and “Amor verdadero” with Joey Pastrana, as well as “Flores para tu altar” and “Me imagino” with Conjunto Candela. His voice also enriched productions by Eddie Palmieri and Los Kimbos with tracks like “Caridad” and “Todo el mundo.” During his time with El Apollo Sound, he garnered hits such as “El Progreso” and “Háblame ahora.”

Carlos Santos Un Sonero con Clase y una Trayectoria Legendaria

Carlos Santos currently resides in Florida, United States, and continues to delight audiences with his international and local performances.

The union of these two pillars of salsa, under the production of Chongo Producción (from New York) and Juancho Producción (in Cali), promises to be a memorable event for Latin music.

Ali Delgado (Caracas) y Juancho Producción (Cali)

Note: “45 RPM is for sale in Cali by Juancho Producción, and will be presented with great fanfare on December 30 at 10:00 a.m. at the Meeting of Music Lovers and Collectors (Encuentro de Melómanos y Coleccionistas) of the Cali Fair, Colombia. 2025.”

Production Credits

General Production

Production: Alberto Crespo & Chongo Productions LLC

Musical Team

Composer: Ali Delgado / José Granados
Vocalist: Carlos Santos
Arrangements: Alberto Crespo

Musicians

Timbal: Carlitos Padrón
Tumbadoras (Congas): Manuel “Manny” Márquez
Bongó / Bell: Carlitos Padrón
Trumpets: Jorge Maestre “Pitufo”
Baritone Saxophone: José Antonio Fariñas
Bass: José Soto “Mortadelo”
Percussion: Carlitos Padrón, Carlos Crespo
Chorus / Background Vocals: Heyzer Cabrera & José Soto “Mortadelo”

Recording and Post-Production

Recording Studios:
- Chongo Estudios (New York)
- A Tempo Estudios (Caracas)
- París Recording Estudios (USA)
Mixing: Heyzer Cabrera / Alberto Crespo
Mastering: Heyzer Cabrera

Important Note by Alberto Crespo:

I was working on the arrangement for the song NARCI, and when I reached the chorus, I wanted to find a beautiful melody with a different harmony, like a chorus of angels singing from heaven. I was pacing around my workspace and the areas near my house, searching for ideas.

My wife, Adriangela, was listening to what I was developing to achieve a final connection, and all of a sudden, she sang that beautiful melody to me. I immediately copied it and added the chords, and honestly, it was something magical, very spiritual… “Ya no estás más a mi lado, cómo te extraño, mi amor, cómo te extraño…” (You are no longer by my side, how I miss you, my love, how I miss you…) That final unison of the chorus is very subtle and sentimental.

Video

Video: Chongo Productions LLC

Carlitos Padron Director de Chongo Producción (desde New York)

Listen to “Narci” on YouTube:

Alberto Crespo y Bacheo

[email protected]

+58 4142521642

Also Read: The Conjunto Bailatino “La Resistencia Salsera” again “Antes los ojos del Mundo” and here, “No hay quinto malo”

Brian Lynch is known for his versatility, excelling in Jazz (primarily post-bop and hard bop) and notably in Latin Jazz

Brian Lynch is a top-tier jazz trumpet, flugelhorn player, and arranger, highly respected for his work in both traditional jazz and his fusion with Afro-Cuban and Latin rhythms.

Lynch has been on the jazz scene for the better part of the last three decades. He is known primarily for his work as a sideman for many of the top musicians in jazz and as co-leader of a major Latin ensemble alongside Eddie Palmieri. For a long time, he has championed the music of the great trumpet players who preceded him.

Brian Lynch is a top-notch jazz trumpeter, flugelhorn player, and arranger

On this album, which is a natural follow-up to his 2000 album, Tribute to the Trumpet Masters, Lynch pays homage to the works of some of the most prominent, yet undeservedly unknown, jazz trumpeters, such as Joe Gordon, Claudio Roditi, Tommy Turrentine, Louis Smith, Idrees Sulieman, Charles Tolliver, and Kamal Adilifu (also known as Charles Sullivan).

Some of the tributes consist of performing compositions by these artists. In other cases, Lynch performs a tune he composed in the artist’s honor. In all cases, Lynch and his team, which includes Vincent Herring and Alex Hoffman on saxes and Rob Schneiderman on piano, are more than up to the task. They make each of the honorees proud.

Lynch ha estado en la escena del jazz durante la mayor parte de las últimas tres décadas

While there isn’t a single bad track on the album, standouts include Gordon’s “Terra Firma Irma,” which moves along to the potent beat of Pete Van Nostrand, along with excellent solos from all three horn players; Turrentine’s “Big Red” and Sulieman’s “Saturday Afternoon at Four,” both part of a treasure trove of unreleased compositions that were part of the Turrentine and Sulieman estates and that Lynch was able to tap into for these sessions; the hard bop of Tolliver’s “Household of Saud” (again, Van Nostrand’s drumming blew me away) and Lynch’s “RoditiSamba,” a tribute to the Brazilian master.

In short, Unsung Heroes is Brian Lynch’s best album as a leader in his long career. The musical mastery is top-notch, the compositions are always interesting, and the backstory of the whole project is a compelling history lesson for jazz trumpet fans who want to dig deeper than Miles, Diz, and Satchmo. The best news is that there’s more where that came from: this is only Volume 1 of the project; Volumes 2 and 3 are currently available online as downloads.

Paying tribute to the unsung masters of the jazz trumpet is a natural project for trumpeter and flugelhorn player Brian Lynch (the original text mentioned “Bryan Lynch” in this section, it is assumed to be a typo), who has been immersed in the hard-bop lineage since he was part of Horace Silver’s band in the 1980s.

He is accompanied by a mid-sized group that includes Vincent Herring on alto saxophone, Alex Hoffman on tenor saxophone, Rob Schneiderman on piano, David Wong on bass, Pete Van Nostrand on drums, and Vicente “Little Johnny” Rivero on congas.

Herman Olivera El Sonero del Siglo XXI voz líder de La Perfecta II de Eddie Palmieri, Dj. Augusto Felibertt y Brian Lynch un trompetista de jazz ganador de varios premios Grammy.

Moving through rhythms ranging from ballads to riffs and Latin jazz, the band masterfully navigates the material with solo and ensemble passages executed with great fluidity. The title suggests that there may be more installments in this series, and hard-bop fans will certainly hope so. Lynch has a wealth of material to draw inspiration from and a talented band with which to make an indelible mark.

Brian Lynch – Unsung Heroes Vol. 1 (2011)

Tracks:

Terra Firma Irma
I Could Never Forget You
Further Arrivals
Saturday Afternoon At Four
Household Of Saud
Roditisamba
Big Red
Unsung Blues
Wetu

Musicians: Brian Lynch (Trumpet, Flugelhorn) Vincent Herring (Alto Sax) Alex Hoffman (Tenor Sax) Rob Schneiderman (Piano) David Wong (Bass) Pete Van Nostrand (Drums) Little Johnny Rivero (Congas 1-3, 1-6, 3-5)

Recorded October 12-13, 2008 and December 22, 2009 at Knoop.

Also Read: Oskar Cartaya “My Music, My Friends, My Time” Featured collaborations with illustrious friends such as Eddie Palmieri, Giovanni Hidalgo, Dave Valentin, and Justo Almario

Dominican bandleader and singer Papo Ross is triumphing in Montreal

Canada continues to give us something to talk about when it comes to Latin music, and our daring guest is firm proof of this. Dominican bandleader and singer Jorge “Papo” Ross has given us the great honor of talking about his interesting career both in his native country and Montreal, where he currently resides and moves forward with his musical projects.

Papo Ross with his saxophone — Dominican bandleader, singer, and musician Papo Ross posing with his saxophone

Papo’s beginnings in the Dominican Republic

Papo’s musical beginnings were in his hometown of San Pedro de Macorís by playing instruments made of tin or wicker that he and his friends themselves created so they could play, which led him to learn to play percussion, albeit in a very crude manner. Among the first instruments he played were the guiro, the tambora, and the conga.

Seeing his interest in music, his late brother, who was a saxophonist and led a band at the time, took him along to play with him so he could learn the trade through practice. However, the young man did not want to stop there and also began creating his own bands, such as Grupo Enriquillo, in which he and the rest of the members used homemade instruments and a marimba, which doubled as the bass.

He also played with La Moderna de San Pedro, with which he served as the musical director during rehearsals and earned two percent of the orchestra’s contracts. In addition, he founded the group Sui Generis, played with the late merengue musician July Mateo “Rasputín,” and, before leaving the country, played with the recently deceased Rubby Pérez in the 1990s.

Academic training prior to his trip to Canada

After having played with several orchestras, Papo realized that, while it is true that he had gained some experience and knowledge, it was not enough and he needed to train more. That is why he was admitted to study at the Escuela de Música Patria Logroño at the elementary level and the Conservatorio Nacional de Música in Santo Domingo.

Papo Ross & Pambiche — Papo Ross & Orquesta Pambiche as a whole

At the academy, he learned spoken and sung solfeggio and took some saxophone lessons there in the same place. As for the conservatory, he studied percussion, but did not finish his training in this area, as he was also studying law at the Universidad Central del Este in San Pedro de Macorís. Then when the time came for him to choose one or the other, he obviously opted against university, although he did not get to exercise this career either because he missed a few semesters to complete it.

Moving to Canada

Before arriving in Canada, Papo had already traveled to other places such as Puerto Rico and New York as part of his work and had the opportunity to live there for a few seasons, but the Orquesta Tambora invited him to go to Canada to lead the group, which the artist accepted.

Although it was the best decision, it certainly was not easy, as he had to deal with language barriers and the process of adapting to a music scene completely different from that of his native country.

The latter and the fact that he belonged to a minority like the Latino community, limited him a lot at first, but he says he keeps no regrets about his decisions and does not complaint about what he has already accomplished.

Rafael Ithier and Papo Ross — Rafael Ithier from El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico and Papo Ross

Papo Ross & Orquesta Pambiche

In 1992, he finally decided to break through his own and create his own orchestra, Papo Ross & Orquesta Pambiche, thanks to all the skills he had developed so far. After having learned to lead an orchestra, compose, arrange, and sing, he felt more than ready to carry out his own project consisting of 13 members, including two trumpeters, a trombonist, two saxophonists, a percussionist, and three singers, among others. None of the original group remain, and Papo practically does not use the big band, but a slightly smaller format called Papo Ross Meren Latin Jazz Approach.

This band offers its services for private parties and drinks receptions, where Papo sometimes sings with a minus-one and even includes dancers in his shows.

Together with his orchestra, he has played at the Montreal International Jazz Festival on a few occasions, but they have also played in several other cities like Toronto, Regina, Saskatchewan, Victoria, Saint Pierre, Saint John, and many more. He has also collaborated with several other groups and musicians such as Pablo Ramos and the group Calipso.

Outside of Canada, they have played in various places in the United States such as Detroit, Wellington, and Vermont.