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“Big Band Máquina” Latest Production from Angel Meléndez released by Gia Fu

International Salsa Magazine from Silicon Valley presents the album “Big Band Máquina” a production of Angel Melendez and Gia Fu, a real musical gem with 12 melodies of rhythm and flavor dedicated to the dancer, music lover, and collector of the world of Salsa.

Undoubtedly, this record production made between Hong Kong and Puerto Rico will be immortalized as one of the most important albums of the XXI century.

International Salsa Magazine from Silicon Valley presents the album "Big Band Máquina", an authentic musical jewel with 12 melodies of rhythm and flavor dedicated to the dancer, music lover and collector of the Salsa world. Undoubtedly, this record production made between Hong Kong and Puerto Rico will be immortalized as one of the most important albums of the 21st century. — “Big Band Máquina” Latest Production from Angel Meléndez released by Gia Fu

Grammy-nominated Angel Meléndez reappears on the scene with his latest album, Big Band Máquina, which will be available starting Saturday, September 18, 2021.

This production has the particularity of having the talented artist and producer, Gia Fu.

Gia releases this production through the independent label Kong Records Limited.

Angel Meléndez, Latin artist based in the United States, delivers a new and refreshing chapter in his musical career, after the success of his album, Angel Meléndez & the 911 Mambo Orchestra. — Ángel Meléndez y Gia Fu

Angel Melendez, a Latin artist, based in the United States, gives us a new and refreshing chapter in his musical career after his album, Angel Melendez & the 911 Mambo Orchestra. Big Band Máquina album consists of eleven songs and a Bonus Track.

The Big Band Máquina project was directed by Ralph Riley. Ralph, Angel, Gia, and other magnificent professionals such as Juan Picorelli and Rolando Alejandro, completed the complicated feat of organizing the 30 artists’ work collaborated on the project.

The recording of the songs took place in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, at the well-known Rolo’s Studio.

Gia Fu, Ángel Meléndez y Ralph Riley en Rolo’s Studio, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico

The Team of collaborating artists on this album comprises a quite heterogeneous combination of generations of musicians. Some of the excellent members of the Team were: Tito Allen, Primi Cruz, Hermán Olivera, Rico Walker, Carlos García, Willie Otero, Jorge Yadiel Santos, and Gerardo Rivas.

In addition, Big Band Máquina gives us the presence of a group of musical stars such as Richie Bastar, Gilbérto “PULPO” Colón Jr, Jan Duclerc, Sammy García, Luis Marin, Pedro Pérez, and, especially, Angel Meléndez.

Who is Angel Melendez?

Angel Melendez is a Puerto Rican artist based in the city of Chicago, United States. Angel has had an impressive musical career in the world of Latin music, primarily Salsa.

Melendez had the opportunity to study at VanderCook College of Music, which provided the foundation for his experience as a producer, trombonist, arranger, and music director.

His valuable performance has led him to become an artist nominated for the “Best Tropical Music” category at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards. This nomination was due to his previous album, Angel Melendez & the 911 Mambo Orchestra. Later he was honored with the award in “Best Latin Album” 4th Annual Independent Music Awards 2005.

Angel has had the opportunity to collaborate directly with internationally renowned artists such as Tito Puente, Tito Rodriguez, Andy Montañez, Ismael Miranda, Adalberto Santiago, Cheo Feliciano, The Singers of the Apollo Sounds, Frankie Ruiz, Eddie Santiago, Hector Tricoche, Tito Allen, Johnny Rivera and the Fania All Starr Records.

References & Reviews:

“As one of the most recognized musicians in Chicago, he leads the most popular Latin bands locally. The 20 piece 911 Mambo Orchestra and Tributo Lavoe are widely recognized and move people to the dance floor. Angel’s bands play an array of Latin music from the modern tropical sounds of today to the most traditional hard hitting Mambo of the 50’s”.

https://martyrslive.com/

“Whenever a big band can produce great blasts of sound without sacrificing technical detail, audiences are in for a thrilling ride.”

Facebook: Gia Fu(昭盈)

Tito Allen, Gia Fu, Rico Walker, Nino Segarra, Herman Olivera y Primi Cruz

Article of Interest: Ayumi “Azucar” Suzuki, she plays Latin percussion, Classic percussion, Marimba & Vibraphone

Pianist Fadi Gaziri Debuts In Salsa Music With Cuba Classic

A Studio Album That Reflects The Multicultural Sound Of Western Europe And Latin America

Cuba Classic album cover with colored houses and a red car — Cuba Classic was released in August 2021

The son of medical parents and the grandson of a passionate pianist, Fadi Gaziri ventures into the Salsa world with the album Cuba Classic, independent record production in collaboration with his German colleague and great friend Fritz Wengler.

Cuba Classic fuses the incredible universe of emotions that classical music transmits with the passion, conventional melodies of Jazz, and the rhythmic base of the Caribbean that characterizes Latin culture.

“Arranging classical pieces to fit a Salsa vibe was surprisingly easy… The melodies can be rhythmically changed to suit the Latin vibe while keeping authenticity…” Voiced by the talented British pianist.

This masterpiece with hybrid two-language titles strikes a perfect balance between the original title of a classic work and the sensation of the indicated awakening of a Latin melody. “I always liked Salsa for its quality to make people dance, so naturally and with such confidence.

As for the music itself, I love the colorful brass arrangements and Latin percussion. It’s a lot of fun to listen to and to play… ”. Fadi indicated.

The 13 songs on the album are El Capo (Zarathustra, R. Strauss), 5 Sinfonía De Salsa (Beethoven’s 5th Symphony). “I had a lot of fun with this one. …The Reorganization, the phrasing, using repetitions, increases, and the complete brass arrangement to make it sound like a proper Cuban track”. Fadi added recalling his experience with the production of this theme.

The next track on the album is Mambo Loco Nórdico (Grieg’s Piano Concerto in LA minor), resembling Havana at its turbulent peak and with great determination. Continues, the fourth track Mambo Austriaco (Mozart – Symphony No. 40 and Eine Kleine Nachtmusik), and the exquisite mix of Calipso Alemán (Beethoven’s Symphony 9).

In addition, you will also find in Mambo Classic: G-String Bossa (Air on a G string, JS Bach), Salsa Húngara (Brahms Hungarian Rhapsody) thought for the Latin ballroom dance competition tracks, due to the grace of the exuberant exposure of the horns.

Funeral De Che Guevara (Liszt, Hungarian Rhapsody in C sharp minor), Havanera (Carmen Bizet) is another of the themes that stand out on this album. “It was inspired by the character of Che Guevara and his revolutionary spirit. Along, with a trumpet blast from Mariachi… Fernando’s lyrics and voice also add to the overall feeling”. Gaziri commented to us.

Rumba Rusa (Swan Lake, Tchaikovsky), La Toccata Loca (Bach Toccata in D minor), Green Leaves (traditional Greensleeves), and finally the piece Lambada A La Luz De La Luna (Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven) beginning with the funeral march played with a trumpet solo intervened with a joyous lambada, ending in a Latin urban sound.

Fadi’s main idea with Mambo Classic is to simplify the music on this album for use in schools across the country and have children perform it by simply playing percussion with the backing tracks.

Similarly, Gazziri hopes to present this record production live in 2021 on the big stages of Berlin and the rest of Europe.

Why The Fusion Of Latin Rhythm With Classical Music?

Fadi Gaziri in black and white playing the piano — Fadi Gaziri can handle musical instruments alongside cinematographic elements, folk, and ambient electronic sounds

This talented artist since his return to Hamburg in 2017 has been involved in teaching music to children and teenagers in schools in this port city located in northern Germany.

Gaziri showed signs of concern every day as he observed his students’ reluctance to learn classical music, a feeling already developed as a famed behavior among young people today. But why don’t German students like to learn about their cultural heritage? The main reasons that Fadi realized were that his students were not motivated to continue with their studies due to the complexity of the music and the difficult handling of the instruments that did not allow them to master them quickly.

Realizing this, Gaziri began to devise the fusion of the Latin genre with classical music and thus seek to reverse the discouragement of his students. “I wanted children to learn classical music in a fun and interactive way. Something that would not take long to learn and that could involve all participants, regardless of their age, nationality, or musical ability. Most schools have Latin percussion that sits on the shelves and is rarely used.

So, I thought it would be a great idea to put in some classic melodies and accompany them with this Latin percussion. Wouldn’t it be fun and a good learning experience at the same time? Fadi told us.

Currently, this prodigious pianist is evaluating the possibility of continuing to teach in German schools full-time by 2022.

You Can Also Read: Mozart & Mambo

The Story Of Fadi Gaziri

Fadi Gaziri in his recording studio with pianos around — Fadi Gaziri played the piano first time at the North Pole in August 2021

Fadi Gaziri is a natural music producer and composer for audiovisual media, film, and theater. He was born in Moscow and began his musical studies of piano and violin at the famous Gnessin Music Academy.

At age 12, he moved to Sweden with his family and later to England (1998) where he continued his musical training.

This extraordinary producer studied Music Composition, Piano, and Languages at Durham University in 2004 graduating with great honors and passing his ABRSM piano exams with distinction. Two years later he entered Bournemouth University to study for a Master’s in Film Composition.

That same year (2006) Fadi moved to Hamburg and started working on music for commercials, films, and sound branding. At the same time, he began touring the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Germany accelerating his musical career.

In 2014 Fadi released his first solo album titled Northern Lights, a mix of cinematic and folk sounds that he combines with electronic texture. He used his technological knowledge to loop while playing piano, violin, and adding subtle voices that he performed himself.

Over the next three years, Gaziri released his second EP “The Jump”, founded a music supervision company, and has been dealing with song placement, and licensing for film and television ever since. He assumed a permanent position as an in-house music producer at TUi Cruises in Berlin and composed, and arranged music for more than ten theatrical productions performed on board the ships.

Now You Can Enjoy Tromboranga In Concert

The Orchestra With The Purest Essence Of Hard Salsa Performs Live On October 11th-12th In Valencia (Spain)

The members of Tromboranga with black shirts — Their world tour began in 2019 with almost 20,000 people at their first concert in Ecuador.

As part of the reactivation of local events in Spain, Tromboranga continues with the series of concerts scheduled for 2021. Two will be the concerts that will take place this October 11^th and 12^th at the Sala Madison Massanassa located in the port city of Valencia on the southeast coast of the European country.

This Concert Hall is located on the outskirts of the city and is less than 10 minutes from the center in the town of Massanassa. You can access it through public transport: train with a nearby stop of 400 meters and by bus (800 meters).

This orchestra made up of ten Latin and European musicians residing in Barcelona will present their unmistakable rhythm of the Salsa brava, which maintains the influences of the 60s – 70s and mixes them with the original sound and danceable discharge to the sound of their trombones, the solid percussion, and the rescue of the soneo (voice improvisation between choirs).

Tromboranga cataloged as one of the new generations of independent Salsero artists will perform their greatest hits such as Humildad, Palo Pa’ La Campana, Ah Caraj, and Mi China Colombiana that have positioned themselves as number one on the main radio and Latin dance charts in the world for the current plot of his lyrics with which surely anyone feels identified.

Black and white African American woman illustration from Tromboranga album cover — Songs like “Un Extraterrestre” and “La Moda” are now very popular with Salsa dancers and DJs in Europe

Also, in this celebration of the tenth anniversary of Tromboranga, you will sing along to the songs from his most recent album Te Voy a Contar recorded between Barcelona, Puerto Rico, and Japan.

This record production was released to the music market in March 2019 and contains nine tracks including Te Perdono in collaboration with Jimmy Bosch performing the Trombone solo, Un Extraterrestre to the rhythm of guaracha, and Huracán No Me Tumbas whose special guest is Ismael Miranda.

Start Time: 9:00 PM

End Time: 3:00 AM

Capacity: 816 people

General Ticket: 25 €

You Can Keep Reading: Don’t Think About Not Attend The Alocubano Salsa Festival

Learn More About Tromboranga

The members of Tromboranga taking a selfie on stage — Joaquín Arteaga (Director, Timbal, and Composer-Venezuela), Diego Coppinger (Sonero-Cuba), Freddy Ramos (Singer-Venezuela), Rafael “Madagascar” Arciniegas (Piano and Arrangements-Colombia), Lorenzo “El diablo” Barriendos (Bass-Venezuela), Trombone Section: Vladimir Peña (Venezuela), Albert Costa (Catalunya), and Miguel Moises (Spain), Oriol Martínez (Conga), and Climent Campa (Bongo)

Tromboranga released their first studio album in April 2012 titled “Salsa Dura” ranked by DJs, dancers, and bloggers specialized in Salsa among the top ten record productions of that year.

In 2013, they recorded “Al Mal Tiempo Buena Salsa” rewarding them with the first international tour that took them to visit France, Belgium, Switzerland, Holland, Tunisia, Germany, and Colombia. That same year (November 2013) they released a Special Edition Vinyl for only 300 people called “Solo para coleccionistas Vol. 1”.

Likewise, they were invited to the biggest Salsa festivals including the Cali Fair with sold-out crowds and in the following years. Since then, they have created a community known as the “Salseros Tromborangueros”.

The orchestra has recorded six albums in consecutive years: Como La Marea (2014), Sangre, Sudor Y Salsa (2015), Golpe Con Melodía (2015), Tumbando fronteras (2017), Una Noche En Bankok (2018), and Te Voy a Contar (2019).

Nowadays, the songs “Agua Que Va Caer”, “Te Provoca”, “Mama Calunga”, “Amigo El Ratón”, and “Boogaloo Marilu” among others, are being danced on the dance floors of Salsoteca, dance schools, parties, and festivals Salsa worldwide.

The All Stars Festival Will Be like This In Budapest

The Event Will Take Place From October 29th To November 1st

Couple dancing dressed in white upper body — The All Stars Festival started from being a small Hungarian-only Bachata event to an international festival of Salsa, Bachata, and other danceable rhythms

Everything is ready to celebrate the Latin heritage in the capital of Hungary, Budapest. Thousands of people have enjoyed the All Stars Festival for eight years, and this 2021 they bring workshops, Latin parties, and the novelty of this year will be the master classes taught by professionals specialized in each Latin rhythm.

In this eighth edition, you will be able to update and improve your dance techniques from Friday to Sunday with the different workshops and master classes taught by national and international instructors trained in Bachata, Cuban Salsa, Cross Body Salsa, and other rhythms. You’ll have fun with late-night Latin parties and social dances to practice the recently learned steps, ending with the afterparty on Monday (November 1^st) with the best local and foreign DJs.

The All Stars Festival In Budapest Is An International Mixed Event!

The festival started in 2013 based on the prestigious international Bachata competition (BachataStars International). As time went by, they ventured into different Latin dance styles, involving a greater number of international artists each year, and at the same time, they continued to organize contests to serve as a platform for new talents.

In the last 3 years the amazing Salsa and Zouk rooms at the festival are very nice, every year they manage to gather a great mix of Hungarian dancers and visitors of different levels. Likewise, the Bachata and Urban Kiz / Kizomba spaces have grown enormously, bringing together a great variety of traditional and new dance steps on the floor.

Full Pass: € 90 (Does not include preparties and afterparties)

You Can Also Read: Don’t Think About Not Attend The Alocubano Salsa Festival

In Case Of…

DJ dressed in black at the All Stars Festival in Budapest — Enjoy quality workshops, parties with a good atmosphere, and fun teachers in an incredible place in the “Heart of Europe”

If the event is canceled due to the organizers, you will receive a full refund for your purchased ticket. But, if the festival must be postponed for climatic reasons or government regulation, the tickets will be automatically transferred to the following year according to the conditions and circumstances of the moment.
Do you have the 2020 event ticket? You can use it for this event or transfer it before September 30th, 2021.
Remember to bring your vaccination card or PCR-Negative.
You should be aware that photos and videos will be taken at the All Stars Festival for use on the website and social media, as well as to be featured in event marketing materials.
Private drones will not be allowed during the festival. If you use one, your pass will be revoked immediately.
In the spirit of providing a safe space for all dancers, a Zero Tolerance Policy towards inappropriate behavior will be maintained. Whoever violates this regulation will be penalized for current and future events.

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Chain Bridge at dusk in Budapest — Chain Bridge in Budapest

If you plan to spend more days in the capital of Hungary, you can take a tour of the Jewish quarter. There you will discover the great secrets of the dark period, and you can visit the Great Synagogue. In addition, the splendid neo-Renaissance building, the Budapest Opera House, is also very close. The duration of this tour is two hours approximately.
You can also visit Széll Kálmán Square and appreciate the symbolic Buda Castle fortress, declared a World Heritage Site.
Or enjoy a cruise that crosses the Danube River passing through the five representative bridges of the city: Chain Bridge, Elizabeth Bridge, Liberty Bridge, and the two Margaret bridges.

El barrio where it all began continues to welcome us with good salsa

Bella Martinez and International Salsa Magazine by the hand of www.SalsaGoogle.com. “Salsa has always been that rainbow that shines immediately at the end of the storm”.

During my most recent visit to the north, after the fury of the flooding associated with storm Ida allowed me to arrive in New York, I made my way to El Barrio’s ArtSpace to enjoy a night of salsa. Salsa has always been that rainbow that shimmers immediately when the storm subsides.

I entered the venue with the artist who is the subject of my upcoming book: Henry Knowles, also known as the “World Salsa DJ”. We identified ourselves to the checkpoint girl at the entrance, not before presenting our COVID 19 vaccination card and after receiving a good amount of hand sanitizer. Henry had to fulfill his artistic commitment for the evening, so I put my belongings away to free myself a little and be able to socialize with the crowd behind my mask.

Once admitted to the venue, I completed the regulatory round of recognition, which I took the opportunity to say hello to several acquaintances I had not seen for a long time. I realized that I am honing my skills to recognize my people just by identifying their eyes. I reflected on this detail while I was making the rounds, at the same time that the music caught my attention because of the tasty repertoire. To my surprise, the song “Mejor Que la medicine” by my beloved Víctor García y su Sonora Sanjuanera was playing, which I never imagined I would hear outside of Puerto Rico, in that environment full of connoisseurs. I registered the DJ in front of the dance floor. I realized it was my first time listening to the musical selection of Joe Gonzalez, better known as DJ Paz. I approached him and let him know that his repertoire was “bravo”.

During my most recent visit to the north, after the fury of the flooding associated with storm Ida allowed me to arrive in New York, I made my way to El Barrio's Art Space to enjoy a night of salsa. Salsa has always been that rainbow that shimmers immediately when the storm subsides. — Bella Martinez and Henry Knowles, also known as the “World Salsa DJ”.

I had gone to listen to Henry Knowles, whom I admire beyond his ability as a DJ, for his musical management and cultural diligence. Henry has been a promoter of our Afro-Antillean culture since 1977. During his artistic career, in addition to DJing, he has been a promoter, producer, and artist manager; successfully working with Ralph Mercado Management (RMM), Sony BMG Music, and Dave Maldonado Entertainment.

The purpose of my visit that night at El Barrio’s Art Space was to set the scene with Henry in the neighborhood, where Knowles himself began the story that I am transforming into my next book. The idea of this next literary proposal is to share it with anyone who wants to read a story of self-improvement and a lot of salsa. It is guaranteed that these lyrics will catch the interest of all Afro-Antillean music lovers.

While I was discovering details, which you will be able to read, later on, I had several surprises. But that’s another story, which I’ll tell you later.

We identified ourselves to the control girl at the entrance, but not before presenting our COVID 19 vaccination card and after receiving a good amount of hand sanitizer. Henry had to fulfill his artistic commitment for the night, so I put my belongings away to free myself a bit and be able to socialize with the crowd behind my mask. — Henry Knowles, also known as the “World Salsa DJ”.

Since 1999, Izzy Rodriguez has focused on the promotion of events where salsa stars, and early on in what was his recently launched event promotion career, Izzy became the most loyal promoter of salsa events on New York soil. As a relevant fact, Izzy had started in salsa long before committing himself to event promotion. Let’s just say that he fell in love with salsa through dancing, becoming one of the most outstanding artists of the great Eddie Torres’ corps de ballet. At the age of 16, Izzy managed to apply his formal training in ballet and jazz to combine it with his love for salsa. While still a teenager, he achieved professional dancer status in the highly competitive Nuyorican salsa scene. That fact, in fact, should not come as a surprise since Izzy is the son of a dancer from the Palladium era: Vivian Saldaña. In his case, one could say that dancing comes to Izzy from the salsa genes he inherited from his progenitor and his maternal grandmother.

Since 1980, when Henry Knowles and Izzy Rodriguez met at Club Epoca, this dynamic duo has been a winning duo. I attribute the success of this duo to the passion they share for the salsa sound, which they both support from their own spaces.

As a bonus, I managed to give a bear hug to my dear Luisito Salgado, better known as DJ Louie Love. As a curious fact, DJ Louie Love was the DJ that several years ago I hired and moved from New York to Puerto Rico to entertain the agape on the occasion of the nuptials of my princess, not only because he is a great DJ. He is also one of my favorite people.

I affirm that the turnout depends on the quality of the artists who share their talent. And this night in reference could be summarized in a meeting of salsa connoisseurs, where DJs had no room to invent; a meeting of DJs in the New York neighborhood where Henry began his successful career as a disseminator of our culture around the world, plus a dance floor adorned with celebrities, among which I managed to highlight Debbie Mercado, daughter of salsa manager and creator of Ralph Mercado Management; Denisse, daughter of the ever-remembered mambo dancer Cuban Pete; Gucci designer Dapper Dan and New York-based Puerto Rican politician Adam Clayton Powel, Jr: Adam Clayton Powel, Jr.

I conclude that we are still in salsa. Fortunately, the alchemy that was given to gestate what is still known today as salsa is still alive and well in the same neighborhood where it all began.

Long live Salsa!

By: Bella Martinez “The Irreverent Salsa Writer”
Puerto Rico

Bella Martinez led a pretty fun life — Bella Martinez,

WebSite: Bella Martinez

Article of Interest: Mel Martinez I come from Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico is Salsero