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Celso Clemente Torres is considered one of the best sounding bongos in the world.
Percussionist Celso Clemente Torres, was born on January 31, 1965 in San Juan, Puerto Rico his childhood and under the guidance of his father, Celso Clemente Sr., the young man was introduced to the world of music in 1973.
At the age of nine, he made his first big band performance at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in Puerto Rico alongside Giovanni Hidalgo with the Roberto Roena Orchestra.
When he was twelve years old, he participated in his first recording called “Borinquen All-Stars” with the great Puerto Rican trumpet player and band leader Mr. Elias Lopez (R.I.P) with the great Gentleman of Salsa Gilberto Santa Rosa, he was the lead singer of that important project.
He has been a percussionist for 40 years. Clemente has mastered the following instruments; bongo, conga, timbal and minor percussion.
With all these instruments he has had the opportunity to be part of countless recordings in the tropical genre which have served as inspiration for new exponents of the genre.
Due to his vast experience in percussion he has been able to spread his knowledge, offering percussion workshops to different groups (children, youth and adults) with excellent results. This has led him to create his own line of bongo bells and timpani sticks with his name.
He has had the opportunity to work in big stages such as; Madison Square Garden, House Of Blues, Coliseo de Puerto Rico “José Miguel Agrelot” Centro De Bellas Artes, among others. He worked in these orchestras; Roberto Angleró, Moliendo Vidrio, Tommy Olivencia, Tony Vega, Tito Rojas with this work 27 years, of which he directed his orchestra in Puerto Rico and outside the Island for 20 years.
He has recorded with Roberto Angleró, Tommy Olivencia, Tony Vega, Tito Rojas, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Willie Rosario, Bobby Valentin, José Alberto “El Canario”, Rey Ruiz, Willie González, Frankie Ruiz, Puerto Rico All Star, Yan Collazo, Bomplenea, Plenarium among others.
He has also had the opportunity to be music producer, “Rompiendo Barreras” with Mario Feliciano, “Independiente” Tito Rojas, “Ritmo Caliente” with Bomplenea by Gary Vera, “Rompe La Rutina” by Del Gonzalez, “Te mando un beso” with Plenarium by Capitol Clemente.
He is an endouser of the Pearl Musical Instrument Company also in the line of cymbals “Soultone Cymbals”.
Celso Clemente is considered one of the best sounding bongos, which caught the attention of many record producers. Celso is probably the most recorded bongos player in the history of Puerto Rican salsa discography with more than 220 credited recordings.
The list of salsa legends Celso has recorded with is too long to list.
Celso is currently the timbalero and leader of the band of the famous salsero Tito Rojas (R.I.P) where he toured all over the world.
He offers Percussion Workshops to; children, youth and adults, both in person and online, based on his extensive musical experience, which is more than 42 years in the tropical genre (Salsa), bomba and plena.
Facebook: Celso Clemente Talleres De Percusión
Contact in Puerto Rico: +1 787-429-9971
Email: [email protected]
Source: Pearl Musical Instrument Company https://pearldrum.com/eu/artist/celso-clemente
By: Diana Marie International Salsa Magazine Correspondent
Mel Martinez I come from Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico is Salsero
Totally agree with the premise that Mel Martínez establishes in this song of his authorship. Yes, Puerto Rico is the same as saying: “Yo soy salsero”.
Long live the music! Know that this implies shouting:
“Long live the musicians, so they can keep making it”.
The song starts off timidly and it seems that the arrangement asks the listener for his opinion on what he thinks of what is the first single of what will be his next musical production in a segment that presents a transcript of that “what do you think of Cholito”.
From there it pivots into a melodic design that reminds me of a segment of “I like Christmas that tastes like Puerto Rico” The shyness of the theme lasts approximately ten seconds.
Then the arrangement takes a turn that suggests that in Puerto Rico it’s Christmas all year round.
The lyrics of the song assures that all salsa-loving countries have their flavor and their flag; defined by other rhythms, highlighting the native rhythms of Colombia, Dominican Republic, Argentina and Peru. But Mel comes from Puerto Rico and asserts on behalf of all Puerto Rican salseros that: “In Puerto Rico the sun is boiling and that’s where Caliente salsa comes from”.
Evidently salsa is our pride. We are all Mel in terms of his love for salsa, the shout of pride, the flavor and the flag”.
And speaking of flavor and flag, it is clear that still “Aníbal Vázquez as a dancer, Giovanni Hidalgo hitting a leather, Tite Curet’s songs and Sammy Marrero’s feeling” are as valid as their first day in salsa performances.
New York’s emblematic nightclubs, all of them already disappeared, stand out in the lyric.
The mention of El Corso, Latin Quarter and the unforgettable Copacabana filled me with nostalgia and joy for having been lucky enough to have been part of that history. In Puerto Rico we have also been part of the history of salsa as it was spun in Lomas del Sol, El Coabey -which has been sustained against all odds- and El Tropicana.
The groups of Luis “Perico” Ortiz, El Gran Combo, Willie Rosario, Bobby Valentín, Tommy Olivencia, La Ponceña, Roena, Mulenze and Chaney star in the list of orchestras born in our soil and that Mel includes in the lyrics of the theme. Costa Brava, Puerto Rican Power, Canayón, Mario Ortiz, Don Perignon and La Solución complete the list of outstanding orchestras in sound and category.
The patron saint festivities and the dancers arrive at the theme at the climax of the mambo, through the pregones in the voice of our favorite for several decades.
From Fajardo to Mayaguez, passing through Bayamón and Carolina, Cataño and Dorado Mel assures that our 100 x 35 and its inhabitants are salseros by birth.
The lyrics of Mel’s song are so great that it secured mention of the dancers who every year try out for National Salsa Day, which until 2020 was exclusive to Puerto Rico.
If you haven’t heard this song, I dare you to listen to it without getting stuck to it:
I don’t know where you’re from
But I love my land
I come from Puerto Rico
and Puerto Rico is salsa.
I can tell you that the choruses are deluxe. The coros feature Luisito Carrión, Lalo Rodríguez and Carlos García; the same Carlos García who composes, arranges, sings and dances, all while masterfully dominating behind his piano.
As Mel states in this beautiful composition, which is also patriotically historical: we were born salseros.
I add by way of an intimately personal opinion that no human being is prepared to face the battle of life without the encouragement that music gives us.
I conclude by recommending you not to miss the correspondence between Pedro Perez’s bass and Emanuel Navarro’s timbal at the end of the song.
For those who doubt that musicians give us music even when it seems that the musical theme has already closed.
What is left for me to say? Long live the music! Know that this implies shouting: “Long live the musicians, so that they keep on making it”. Ah! And that we are still salseros.
Facebook: Mel Martinez
By: Bella Martinez “The Irreverent Salsa Writer”
Puerto Rico
Website: Bella Martinez Escribe
