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The Night Hector Lavoe, “The Singer of Singers,” Refused to Please Pablo Escobar

January 1, 1981. The air was thick with the scent of a new year, but for Héctor Lavoe, it was anything but celebratory.

In Medellín, at a New Year’s Eve party hosted by none other than Pablo Escobar, the “El Cantante” himself found himself in a terrifying standoff.

This isn’t just a rumor; it’s a chilling anecdote that has cemented its place in music lore. It was a night when the King of Salsa faced down the King of Cocaine, and lived to tell the tale.

The Escape

The story begins with a frantic encounter recounted by a Colombian chronicler, Juan José Hoyos, who heard it directly from a taxi driver. It was well past midnight when a man, impeccably dressed in a suit but barefoot, suddenly appeared on the side of the road. He was clearly terrified, and the driver, unable to ignore his distress, pulled over.

The man, disheveled and without a dollar to his name, begged for a ride to his hotel. He explained he’d been singing at a “mafioso” party, and things had taken a dark turn. “My name is Héctor Lavoe,” he whispered.

Héctor Lavoe: “El Cantante de los Cantantes”

The taxi driver was skeptical. “You’ll have to sing ‘Yo Soy El Cantante’ if you want me to take you to the hotel,” he challenged.

Héctor, now inside the cab, bristled. “My friend, that’s exactly why I’m in this mess! One of those guys made me repeat that song like ten times, threatening me with a pistol! I got fed up and told the orchestra, ‘I’m not singing anymore, shut off the equipment!'”

The driver insisted, reminding the slight man in the suit that he was doing him a favor. Then, a voice, otherworldly and unmistakable, filled the cab:

“🎵 Yo soy el cantante / que hoy han venido a escuchar / lo mejor del repertorio a ustedes voy a brindar. / Y canto a la vida / de risas y penas / de momentos malos / y de cosas buenas. 🎵”

There was no doubt. It was Héctor Lavoe.

The Ordeal, Corroborated

What might have been dismissed as another tall tale from a taxi driver gained chilling veracity when members of Lavoe’s band corroborated the story.

Eddie Montalvo, the group’s conga player, vividly recalled the night. The gig with Pablo Escobar had been arranged by Larry Landa, a music promoter with deep ties to the drug world. The contract stipulated they’d play until 2 AM, but Escobar had other plans, demanding they continue until six in the morning.

“When it was two in the morning, Héctor told the band to stop,” Montalvo recounted. “The organizer threatened them at gunpoint to force them to keep singing. He wanted Héctor to repeat ‘Yo Soy El Cantante.'”

Amidst the chaos, the legendary salsa singer Ismael Rivera, who was also present, bravely stood up to the aggressors. Even the bodyguards got involved. Eventually, Lavoe and his musicians were herded into a small room and locked in for the rest of the night.

After an hour, in a desperate move, Héctor smashed a window. With the help of the other musicians, they slipped out one by one into the darkness, leaving their instruments behind, consumed by fear. “For thirty minutes they slipped and fell until they reached the highway,” Montalvo revealed.

And that’s how Héctor Lavoe ended up in that taxi, on a cold January morning in 1981.

A Strange Resolution

But the saga didn’t end there. The very next day, a mysterious individual visited Héctor and his band at their hotel. He presented them with a check, returned their confiscated passports and retained instruments, and offered a surprising apology.

This dramatic incident remains a stark reminder of the volatile world Héctor Lavoe navigated, and his unwavering spirit in the face of immense danger.

Also Read: International Salsa Magazine showcases important facts about Héctor Lavoe

By:

1) Los Mejores Salseros del Mundo

2) Dj, Augusto Feliberrtt

3) Hector Lavoe – Fans

Efrain ‘’Junito’’ Davila, Victor Manuelle and Ricardo Arjona’s producer in International Salsa Magazine

Efrain ”Junito” Davila is one of those faces behind the scenes that makes many things the public enjoys possible, which has led him to work with big names in the industry who respect his work and know that having him on their teams is a guarantee of success and quality. The arranger, music producer, composer, orchestrator and pianist has honoured us by talking a little about his life and career, something he himself admits that he does not do very often, so we thank him for his trust in International Salsa Magazine to tell his story.

Efrain Junito Davila working — Producer, arranger, and pianist Efrain ”Junito” Davila doing his work. Photo by Gisselle

Efrain’s interest in music from an early age

Efrain begins his story by telling us that his house always had tropical music, in fact, his father Efrain Davila was a musician and his mother was a singer, so they took their young son to their respective orchestras’ rehearsals and constantly exposed him to everything about music. However, he did not show much interest in music until he was about 11 or 11 years old, when he started playing with a little piano he had at home. He found the instrument fascinating and very easy to understand, to the point that his father noticed how easy it was for him to play and bought him a bigger piano, music books and several cassettes so that he could learn about that whole world.

It can be said that at the age of 12, Efrain was already a musician and played in the same orchestra as his father, but it was the following year, at the age of 13, that he made his first tour to Panama, which was the first country he visited for work.

An interesting fact we want to mention about the group in which his father was trombonist, Orquesta Xariz, is that it was one of the first Christian salsa orchestras of the time, because back then, this genre was still seen as something mundane and ordinary, something similar to what we see with urban music today. Therefore, it was not easy for people to identify Christianity with salsa, but Orquesta Xariz did it and Efrain learned a lot from it.

Professional start in music

Although Efrain made his first tour at the age of 12, for him the beginning of his career as such was at the age of 15, age in which he was no longer playing with his father, but with other artists in nightclubs. Although he was still a minor, the fact that he was tall and had a little beard helped him to be allowed to perform in those places. By that time, the artist was already being paid for his work and was performing much more often.

Victor, Efrain, and Jerry — Victor Manuelle, Efrain ”Junito” Davila, and Jerry Rivera

Around the same time, he began to make musical arrangements, first for the Orquesta Xariz and then later for other independent artists in New York City. Efrain himself got involved in this area in a completely self-taught way, since he did not want to be dedicated solely to play piano for the rest of his life, but sought to explore what other areas music could offer him.

Already at 20 or 21 years old, he also became interested in music production, to which he has devoted himself ever since.

Efrain as a producer, arranger and orchestrator

Efrain comments that he began to be recognised for his work for the first time thanks to the group DLG (Dark Latin Groove), which was looking for young musicians to join their ranks at that time. It was then that he met Sergio George, the owner of the group, who was the first to offer him his first major opportunity to arrange music for artists signed to great labels such as Sony. It could be said that this was the moment the young man knew he wanted to remain dedicated to this field and, over the years, he grabbed much more experience to the point of dealing with multinationals and artists of great name.

Grammy and Premios Lo Nuestro nominations

Throughout his career, Efrain has been nominated for a Grammy, a Latin Grammy, and a Premios Lo Nuestro award once in every case, he was nominated due to a work made for Prince Royce because he was doing much bachata at the time and, on another occasion, it was together with his friend and partner Guianko Gomez. In that same year, a couple of projects with the Venezuelan group Guaco were also nominated, indicating that the musical elite had him on its radar and acknowledged his efforts over time.

Victor, Efrain, and Tito — Victor Manuelle, Efrain ”Junito” Davila, and Tito Nieves

Although the artist greatly appreciated that his work is taken into account in this way, he is very clear that obtaining prizes should not be his main goal, so he has to keep working hard and not settle for what he has achieved so far. He comes down to “you must not only look into the past, but also into the future”.

Collaborations with great artists

In the case of Maluma, Efrain clarifies that he did not work directly with him, but covered some of his best-known songs in salsa. However, there have been other great artists whom he does know directly, such as Ricardo Arjona, who coincidentally called him on the day of our conversation to discuss some pending issues.

He has also met and worked directly with Victor Manuelle, with whom he has been friends and worked on his last nine record productions. Efrain says that it is nice working with the Puerto Rican artist because he really knows what he wants. “Many artists today don’t know what they want. They know what they don’t want, but they don’t know what they do want, which makes things a little difficult for me. Artists with long-spanning careers like Victor, Ricardo himself, Servando, and Florentino Primera know exactly what they want, so they are able to tell me what they are looking for in their work,” Efrain said about the topic.

He also mentioned that he usually has trouble with new artists for the same reason, since being inexperienced, he is the one who has to create a sound or wave from where starting. However, he continues to work with them, but he has to use much more creativity in constantly inventing and creating song demos so that they can see what they like.

It should also be mentioned that other important artists he is working with such as La India, Olga Tañón, and Tito Nieves.

Florentino, Efrain, and Servando — Florentino Primera, Efrain ”Junito” Davila, and Servando Primera

Behind-the-scenes work

Owing to the nature of his work, Efrain’s face is not as well known to the public as is the case of the great singers and musicians who work with him. When questioned about this, he says that he has never liked drawing attention and prefers to stay behind the cameras as a producer. He acknowledges that there are colleagues who do like media attention, but this is not his case. In fact, he does not participate much in interviews like this or podcasts. He believes that being very famous brings problems and prefers to live in peace and retain his privacy.

Azúcar Latin Dance Company

North America / Canada / Ottawa

Ottawa’s premiere dance school specializing in Latin, Street and AfroCaribbean dances. Their mission is to bring the energy, passion and joy of dance to Ottawa and get you dancing to the music in your heart. Teachers expert and friendly instruction will get you dance floor-ready in record time, and the group outings and social events will introduce you to the amazing Ottawa dance community!

They take inspiration from the original Queen of salsa, Celia Cruz. She is famous for her sunny disposition, her warmth and passion, as well as her trademark of shouting “Azúcar!” (“Sugar” in Spanish) in her songs. They are inspired by her positive attitude towards life and her desire to share the joy of dance and music with as many people as possible

Meet The Team

Jeff Huang

Director is passionate about music and dances. He started dancing Latin street dances (salsa, bachata, merengue, and cha cha) in 2005 and has not stopped since – learning from many wonderful and talented instructors across Canada as well as across the globe.

This has made Jeff a well-rounded teacher with an eye for detail, while his easy going attitude makes everybody feels welcome at the studio. Jeff is extremely dedicated to his students, believing that they are the true heart of the company. He hopes to create a loving community where everyone can learn and laugh together, and share their love of dance. CONTACT JEFF [email protected]

Ana Gherasim

Director Ana is definitive proof that anyone can learn to dance. Discouraged from pursuing dance from a young age, she grew up convinced that she had two left feet. Thanks to Jeff’s infinite patience, she took up salsa in 2008 and is now one of our most enthusiastic teachers.

While Jeff is the (clave tempo-ed) heart of Azúcar! Ana is its brain, also dealing with the less artistic aspects of school management and administration. When she’s not teaching or running the studio, you’ll find her in most of our classes, lending a hand as well as honing her own style. CONTACT ANA [email protected]

Salsa Level 1, Instructors: Ana & Brian, Jeff & Ashvini

Take your first salsa steps! Discover the salsa rhythm, basic steps, left and right turns, crossbody leads, inside traveling turns, and simple combinations. You will also learn partnering technique and simple footwork to spice up your dancing! No partners needed!

Salsa Level 2 Instructors: Ana & Jeff

Go beyond the basics! Each 7-week session we introduce a combination of footwork and partnering moves based on common salsa patterns, including double-hand turns, hammerlock holds, wraps, traveling turn variations and more. We also introduce spin technique and body isolation exercises at this level. No partners needed!

Salsa Level 3 Instructors: Ana & Jeff

Once you have mastered ALL the moves we teach in Salsa Level 2, explore the endless combinations salsa has to offer while honing your technique and style. In this class we introduce more complex concepts (such as copas, 360s, multiple spins) and create new footwork and partnering combinations that will make you the star of the dance floor. No partners needed!

Salsa Shines Choreography Instructor: Ashvini

Ever feel like you’re not sure what to do when it comes to salsa shines? This class introduces and breaks down shines footwork, technique and styling through learning a piece of shines choreography. It’s perfect for those who would like to improve their shines repertoire and feel more confident on the social floor! As an added bonus – if you’ve ever been interested in exploring salsa performance, this is a great taster for what it’s like to learn and perfect a piece of choreography, without the pressure to actually perform (unless you really want to!). Open to all levels and genders.

Bachata Level 1 Instructors: Ana & Brian

Take your first Bachata steps! Our Level 1 course introduces you to the bachata rhythm, basic steps, turns and promenades that are the core of this fun and intimate dance, as well as basic styling elements to add sizzle to your dancing! Get dance floor-ready in 7 weeks! No partners needed!

Bachata Level 2 Instructors: Ana & Jeff

Once you are comfortable with the beginner moves covered in Bachata Level 1, this class takes it up a notch and introduces more complex moves. Mix things up with outside turns, cuddles and hammerlocks, fancy footwork, sensual body isolations and lots of turn patterns and combinations to take straight to the dance floor. No partners needed!

Bachata Level 3 Instructors: Ana & Jeff

Take your bachata to new heights! Once you have mastered Bachata Level 2, join this intermediate-level class. Learn how to get comfortable with your partner, develop great bachata leading and following technique, and make your dancing stand out from the crowd! No partners needed!

Salsaton Instructor: Emilie

Spice it up with Salsa & Reggaeton! This class is about adding spice to how you dance, whether you dance as your workout, to build up your confidence on the dance floor or just to have fun! Emilie will be giving lots of options for everyone to feel comfortable.

Dancehall Funk Instructor: Emilie

Dancehall is a Jamaican dance that includes elements of Reggae, African, Hip Hop, House and Latin. It’s all about confidence, creativity, expression, attitude, and FUN. Come learn a combination of hot moves and an energetic routine full of street smart choreography, dancing to the hottest music. Get ready for an energetic and challenging class!

Heels Instructor: Emilie

Strut your stuff! Celebrate creativity, individuality, uniqueness and fierceness! Dance styles such as Vogue, Sass and Jazz to get you moving to great music in heels. Learn a sexy routine and find new confidence on and off the dance floor! You won’t want to miss this class with Emilie!

Afro-Beats Level 1 Instructor: Natalie

Learn the basics of African dance and movement groove to great music, and get your sweat on with fun choreography! We’ll explore styles such as Azonto, Coupé Decalé, Afro House, and Dancehall. You will sweat and laugh, make new friends and improve your stamina as you learn fun combinations, technique and routines. Personal expression is encouraged!

Samba Instructor: Natalie

Join the carnival vibe! Experience the pulsating rhythms and energetic moves of Samba. Learn exhilarating dance combinations and routines as we travel across the floor and venture into some of the liveliest dances of Brazilian culture. This exciting class is certain to empower, energize, lift your spirits….and your booty too!

Sunday Workshop Series

Come explore a different dance, or aspect of dancing, the first and third Sunday of each month!

Don’t forget to know more about Azucar! in their website, so you can sing up and shop. Natalie http://www.azucarottawa.com/

5th Annual Tricities Salsa Congress 2017

North America / USA / Washington

Come and enjoy the 5th Annual Tricities Salsa Congress at the Kennewick Red Lion, this September 22 – 24. This is one of the largest Latin events in eastern Washington with instructors from D.C., L.A. and Portland. Discounted passes are on sale now. Prices will be higher at the door. Friday and Saturday Nights Social passes will be sold at the door.

Dancing in 5th Annual Tricities Salsa Congress 2017- Photo 2

Don’t miss out on this spectacular event!!!!

2 full days of workshops on Saturday and Sunday.
2 workshop tracks to choose from each hour.
Social dancing Friday and Saturday night. 3 separate party rooms: a Salsa/Bachata ballroom, a Kizomba ballroom, and the Cumbia Party Room

Tickets: Full Pass $99.00 + $3.47 FEE (Including access to all workshop, performances and socials)

Hotel The Red Lion Hotel at Columbia Center is located within walking distance of Columbia Center Mall and numerous restaurants in Kennewick, WA Venue 1101 North Columbia Center Boulevard, Kennewick,WA 99336.

Instructors

Eddy vents (Portland, or):

Eddy Vents was born in Guinea – Bissau and raised in Portugal. Growing up part of the Palop Community, Eddy always felt electrified by Kizomba. In 1998, he began his career as a promoter in Lisbon which he continued after moving to London in October 2009.

Eddy Vents - 5° Congreso Anual de Salsa Tricities 2017 Flyer 2 — Eddy Vents – 5° Congreso Anual de Salsa Tricities 2017 Flyer 2

Eddy’s immense love, passion, and knowledge of Kizomba were recognized by respected Kizomba teacher Norma Facey and Eddy humbly credits her for starting his teaching career around March 2010.

Eddy is known for a teaching style submerged in history and musicality which he believes are fundamental in producing top quality dancers and he is condent the success of his method is demonstrated each time his students take the dance floor

Erica Saucillo (Los Angeles, CA):

Erika Saucillo was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She started dancing at the young age of four. Throughout the years, she trained in various dances such as folkloric, jazz, and hip-hop.

Erica Saucillo (Los Ángeles, CA): - 5° Congreso Anual de Salsa Tricities 2017 Flyer 1 — Erica Saucillo (Los Ángeles, CA): – 5° Congreso Anual de Salsa Tricities 2017 Flyer 1

Erika began her Latin dance journey at the age of 21 when she first trained with “Alma Latina Los Angeles” directed by the world renown Sergio Jasso and Gaby Equiz. Erika quickly became the director of one of the largest Salsa/Bachata team in Los Angeles, “Quest Salchata Crew”. She is currently one of today’s top rising instructor & performer. Erika is a champion and top finalists at some of the world’s most important Latin dance competitions. She won the 3rd place in the World Latin Dance Cup Cha Cha Cha division, 2nd in the Top Female Bachata Social Dancer, and won first place at the 2016 LA top Female Salsa Social Dancer.

Oscar B.A. (Washington DC):

Oscar B.A is one of the pioneer ambassadors of Kizomba in the US. Currently based in the Washington, DC area, he has taught Kizomba workshops in some of the biggest Latin Dance festivals including The DC Bachata Festival, Flirt Seattle, and Reno Winter Bachata Festival. A sought after nonpareil dance instructor, he has been invited to run Kizomba boot camps by dance companies in Los Angeles, CA, Seattle, WA, Reno, NV and more.

Oscar currently teaches the longest running Kizomba dance classes in the DC, MD and VA Metropolitan area. Oscar’s career spans over 16 years of dancing, choreographing and instructing several dance disciplines. With roots in African dance, hip-hop, and Latin movement, Oscar founded the premier dance company Ollover!

Mario Vargas (Seattle, WA):

Mario was born in Nicaragua and raised in Miami. After moving to Seattle in 2012, Mario began dancing salsa and bachata and performed in various dance teams. After immersing himself in dance, Mario started teaching in 2013 and is currently teaching salsa and kizomba at the Salsa N Seattle studio. He has taught at numerous dance events including Vancouver (Canada), D.F. (Mexico), LA, and Washington DC. In addition to teaching, he hosts a weekly kizomba social on Wednesdays at the SNS studio. Mario will be teaching Kizomba at the 2016 Tri-Cities Salsa Congress with Shannon Urza.

And much more will be there…

DJS 5 Djs in scenes featuring during the weekend…

Mary Lyons (DJ Farenj) – Seattle, WA

Originally from the Boston area, Mary was exposed to “Kizomba” music by her Cape Verdean brother-in-law before it was popular in the United States dance community. Attending family gatherings in the 1990’s first introduced her to the music and culture of the Cape Verdean islands.

Not until 2011, did she discover the Angolan dances, kizomba, and Semba, which accompanied some of the beautiful music, she was already in love with. Further investigation and immersion into this music genre, extended her love and interest to the roots and culture of Angolan Kizomba and Semba. Mary regularly DJ’s at Century Ballroom in Seattle, as well as festivals including The White House Kizomba/Zouk Summit, Only Dance Seattle Festival, Seattle Salsa Congress, Seattle Bachata Kizomba Festival, and Tri-Cities Salsa Congress.

Dancing in 5th Annual Tricities Salsa Congress 2017- Photo 3

Sonido Marakero Tri-Cities, Wa

Sergio Luna Rocha aka Sonido Marakero is from Mexico City and lives currently in Pasco, WA with his family. Sonido Marakero loves to dance to cumbia, bachata and salsa music. He has enjoyed playing music since he was a young kid and has perfected his talent. He plays music around the area of Tri-Cities, Seattle, Yakima and Walla Walla. Sonido Marakero is a happy individual who loves to make other people dance on the dance floor. Come out and have a wonderful night and dance to the music played by Sonido Marakero. Look forward to seeing everyone having a wonderful time.

5th Annual Tricities Salsa Congress 2017 Flyer 3

To get more information about 5TH ANNUAL TRI-CITIES SALSA CONGRESS 2017 in Kennewick – Washington, visit: http://www.tricitiessalsacongress.com

The composer and singer Carlos Xavier reveals unpublished details of his career

The composer and singer with Nicaraguan roots Carlos Xavier is a very good friend of the house due to his collaboration with the Editor of International Salsa Magazine Eduardo Guilarte and we are extremely pleased to have invited him to this edition and to know him in a more personal way. The artist born in San Francisco talked to us about his musical career, his facet as a composer, his great inspirations, among other relevant topics.

Carlos Xavier is a friend — Composer and singer Carlos Xavier is a great friend of the house

Carlos’ beginnings in music

From a very young age, Carlos was already in close contact with music thanks to his father and older brother, since they always sang, played the radio or listened to records they bought. At home, he listened to all kinds of music in both English and Spanish, but it was not until he was 16 years old that he became really interested in singing in a more serious way. He was not accompanied by a teacher to tell him exactly what to do, so he had to start practicing alone and be guided by what he saw in professional singers like Christian Castro, Luis Miguel and Marc Anthony when it was his turn.

As for his musical debut, in 1999, Carlos ventured to look for an orchestra to sing with once he felt ready to prove his vocal skills on stage in front of a crowd. Then, he found Orquesta Caché, which had just been created and was looking for a singer, a post for which he was finally selected and made his first performance with the group that same year. This concert took place at the well known Café Cocomo and, since then, the artist has not stopped.

Interest in Latin music

Although Carlos states that he likes English music and has recorded several songs in English, he also clarifies that his focus is and always has been Latin music. He has worked on other people’s projects in which English is the base, but whenever he releases something of his, he always tries to base it on Latin or salsa music and always in Spanish. It’s a matter of preference.

This is partially thanks to his parents, who always made sure that their children had as much contact as possible with their Nicaraguan roots through the rest of his family, music, food and Nicaraguan culture in general.

In addition, most of his family also went to live in the United States, so he always spent time with them, which helped Carlos to know much more about Nicaragua and the way of life in that country. They always instilled in him the pride of being Latino and he still keeps that feeling intact.

Solo debut

Although Carlos spent many, many years playing with orchestras, he says that becoming a soloist at some point was always his greatest goal. That moment came in 2010 when the singer released his first single as a soloist called ‘’Mientes’’, which was the piece that gave him the confidence to know he could have a solo career and write his own music.

When we wanted to know the biggest challenges faced by him, he replied that he never thought of his solo career that way, but that he was working for a purpose, drawing inspiration from his greatest idols who had already achieved what he wanted. He simply saw his goal as something he had to achieve at some point, not as a challenge that would make the path more difficult for him.

Vive Todo Ahora

‘’Vive Todo Ahora’’ was the representation of the dream of Carlos, who always wanted to be able to release an album of the same quality as those of Marc Anthony, La India, and Frankie Negrón. The fact that it was his first album did not mean that the singer was going to let his first album reveal his inexperience in this field, so he hit the deck and contacted producer Efrain Davila. At that time, Davila was working with Victor Manuelle, Marc Anthony and Carlos Vives, so Carlos decided to send him a message and show him his song ‘’Mientes’’ to cover it in salsa.

The producer responded enthusiastically that he liked the song and accepted the proposal, leading ‘’Mientes’’ to be released as a single in 2014 and the rest of the album was made and released in the same way. Fortunately, Carlos succeeded in including some of Marc Anthony’s musicians such as bassist Ruben Rodriguez, percussionist Luisito Quintero, backing vocalist Guianko Gomez, among others.

Carlos Xavier and Luis Enrique — Luis Enrique and Carlos Xavier posing for the camera

His facet as a composer

Another facet that has been of vital importance to Carlos’ growth as an artist has been composition and, of course, he has his own creative process, although it is not extremely complex. He simply sits down at the piano and looks for the most beautiful melody he can think of, but it is a creation that is born from the inside of him.

n the year 2000, together with the Orquesta Caché, he had the opportunity to record a cover in Peru, but he told the members of the group that he wanted to write that song in his own hand and they agreed. That is when he created ‘‘Marchate’’ and it was the material they recorded in the aforementioned country.

Even then Carlos showed that he wanted to be original and follow his own ideas, which he finally achieved thanks to his perseverance.

Clubs where he currently plays

As mentioned above, Carlos worked closely with Eduardo Guilarte at Charley’s LG Club in Los Gatos, California for some time a few years ago. Of that time, Carlos recalls that Guilarte was one of the few people who truly praised him for his talent on stage, which he appreciated today. He mentioned that he always offered him nice words and advice regarding the way the industry works, so he has the best memories of his collaboration with the editor of International Salsa Magazine.

For the time being, he keeps playing at other clubs such as Building 43, Vino Godfather Winery, The Dawn Club, among others.