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ISM December 2017
Latin America – December 2017
“Orquesta Zodiac” Its name came about due to the fact that in the early 70’s the ‘Walter Mercado’ program and the Zodiacal Signs were all the rage
In June 1971 what we know today as the Zodiac Orchestra was organized in the town of Loíza. Its name came about due to the fact that in the early 1970’s the Walter Mercado and the Zodiacal Signs program, which was broadcast on Channel 2 in Puerto Rico, was in vogue.
Tony Escobar’s uncle (the orchestra’s declamationist) suggested the name because it was an eye-catching and “new” name.
The Zodiac Orchestra was organized with members of a group called Loíza Power directed at that time by Paquito Pérez, who was 14 years old. In addition, it was nurtured with the best musicians of Loíza Sound of Javier Calcaño.
The idea of recruiting these musicians was Paquito’s, since he grew up with José Luis Vizcarrondo and Tony Escobar.
Through Loiceño composers Carlos José Cirino (Tata) and Floren Ayala, the recording was achieved, as they approached Dario Gonzalez of Borinquen Record who contributed to make possible the release of the first 45 and LP. Tata’s “El Adiós” and José Feliciano’s “Las Costumbres” (1971) were part of this musical proposal that was very well received by the public.
This album became one of the best selling LPs. Other musical proposals of the group that would become hits were: “Panteón de Amor” by Angel Laureano (1973), “Sinceridad” by Samuel Cirino, “Mi Guitarra” by Angel Laureano, among others. These great hits are frequently requested today on the Salsa Z-93 radio station.
After the initial success, many of the musicians dedicated themselves to work and to finish their studies, since they were married and were looking for security and economic stability for their respective families.
The Zodiac had the opportunity to travel to different cities in the United States such as: Boston, Connecticut, Philadelphia, New York, among others. They also traveled to other countries such as Colombia and others.
During these years, several orchestras were at their peak, such as: La Fania, La Selecta, Lebron Brother, La Corporación Latina, El Gran Combo, La Lupe, Chivirico Davila, Bobby Valentín, Tomy Olivencia, Ismael Miranda, Ricardo Rey, Roberto Rohena, Roberto Anglero, Justo Betancourt, among others.
In 1997 Paquito decided to retake and regroup the orchestra, and for some years he dedicated himself to reunite with the musicians and organize them again.
In 1999 he managed to restart La Orquesta Zodiac at the Z-95 festival in Mayagüez. Later they performed at the National Salsa Day dedicated to Cheo Feliciano in 1998.
These two presentations were made at the invitation of Pedro Arroyo (director of Z-93) to Paquito, and were a great success. El Gran Combo, Rubén Blades, Jimmy Zabater, La Solución, among others, also played in the tribute to Cheo.
The members of the current orchestra are young, and most of them were music students of Paquito Pérez, who worked as a music teacher for 30 years in the town of Loíza (before retiring).
José Luis Vizcarrondo, Tony Escobar and Paquito Pérez were schoolmates for years. The director of the orchestra in the beginning was José Luis, also collaborating with him were Tony Escobar (saxophonist and declamation player), Freddy Ayala (conguero) and Paquito Pérez (singer). All of them contributed ideas for the arrangements. Currently Víctor Pérez (Paquito’s brother) is the director of the wind section.
In 2010 the orchestra played in the National Salsa Day and in 2012 the orchestra played again in the same activity, but this time the activity was dedicated to La Orquesta Zodiac and La Corporación Latina. In which Z-93 gave them a well-deserved recognition and Paquito, José L, Tony, Tata, Laureano, and the rest of the new members of the orchestra were present.
Currently the orchestra meets periodically to practice, and are available for all kinds of activities.
Did you know that…! In June 1971 what we know today as the “Zodiac Orchestra” was organized in the town of Loíza in Puerto Rico. Its name came about due to the fact that in the early 70’s the program “Walter Mercado” and the Zodiacal Signs, which was broadcasted on channel 2 in Puerto Rico, was in fashion. Tony Escobar’s uncle (declamationist of the orchestra) suggested the name because it was a striking and “new” name …Referring to the image of the post belongs to the second production of this Puerto Rican group entitled “Spiritual Beauty Vol. II” published in 1973 under the label “Horóscopo Récord” and directed by the founder, arranger, pianist and saxophonist Mr. José Luis Vizcarrondo. It is worth mentioning that this production includes the classics: Montuno de Oriente, Vicio de Amor and Belleza Espiritual”. Another important fact about the group is that it is still in force with musicians of the new generation, but with the same Swing and musical concept.
It is worth mentioning that the main responsible for making Orquesta Zodiac publicly known in Venezuela, Latin America and the Caribbean was Mr. Ali Delgado. Mr. Ali Delgado, for the year 1985 under the record label Performance Records, Delgado comments in detail that for the date of publication of this production the only popular sector (neighborhood) of Caracas where the Zodiac Orchestra was known was in Pinto Salinas.
Delgado is a music producer, music lover, collector, director and founder of the projects Salsa de La Mata and Jazz con Clave in Caracas.
Also Read: Sessions from La Loma brings together salsa fans from all over the world in Puerto Rico
From Cuba El Septeto Son de Nipe come Abriendo Caminos (Opening Paths)
Son de Nipe. A musical septet born in the municipality of Antilla, it burst into the cultural world with an album of the In Situ label of the Colibri Record Production Company.
Antilla is the smallest municipality of the province of Holguin in Cuba and one of the smallest of Cuba, it was founded on January 21, 1925, it is famous from distant times for its beauty, legends and original aspect.
The group is formed by former musicians of the orchestra Brisas de Nipe of this municipality.
This project was born from the hands of Porfirio Núñez Cruz (Firo) who as Art Instructor at the Casa de Cultura Adelaida del Mármol of Antilla had experimented with other amateur groups, but not with the same results, because the members did not have the necessary musical training.
The album Abriendo Caminos includes 14 songs, 10 of which belong to Antillean authors.
“The value of Abriendo Caminos also lies in the fact that it helps Antillean composers and arrangers to open up to the recognition of their work and ways of doing things”.
From the singer and percussionist of the septet Son de Nipe, Alejandro Arencibia appears the guaracha Esa muchacha quiere bailar and the son, Honor al Guayabero; from Edalio Espinosa Alayo (Pupi), former member of the Brisas de Nipe orchestra, the son, Es caliente como el sol (It’s hot like the sun).
The songs A mi Antilla (bolero-son) and, Y no me niegues el beso (son) by José James Pinder, singer of the septet. By Oscar Fernández, former singer of the Brisas de Nipe Orchestra, the disc offers the themes Rebozo de amor (guaracha) and the son Que lástima.
From the director of the septet Son de Nipe Porfirio Núñez Cruz, Mi son tradicional.
And the guaracha Olvídate de esa nena by the Antillean composer Nemesio Palacio.
The remaining four musical numbers are; De que callada manera by Nicolás Guillén and Pablo Milanes, Culpable by Pepe Delgado, Rabo de nube by Silvio Rodríguez and Una alborada de amor by Ariel Dotres Zaldivar, these songs were arranged by Porfirio Núñez Cruz.
In the septet’s album Son de Nipe Abriendo Caminos “the guaracha, the bolero, the bolero-son and the genuine son are retaken with originality and revalued”.
The latter is due to the fact that the musical criteria followed by its director was the respect for traditional music, its deep knowledge, but imbuing it with very contemporary nuances, which results in a seal that distinguishes the septet Son de Nipe.
“We use the son, but more updated because we make innovations, harmonizing it in a more modern way, without losing its roots”.
The selection of the songs that made up the album Abriendo Caminos was in charge of the septet’s management, since the Casa Discográfica Colibrí wanted originality and the authentic exhibition of the work that has been developed with traditional music in the eastern part of the country.
The graphic image of the disc, worked in sepia and black colors fundamentally manage to set the atmosphere that is offered to us with a vintage flavor and invites us to listen to these 14 songs full of tradition and contemporaneity.
“It will be a delight for the listener and the dancer, the good function of the tres in its solos and “entregas”, the beautiful and ingenious introductions, the exquisite mixture between text and music of the boleros, the harmonic patterns of the soneros that not for conventional reasons give up a significant finish, without neglecting, on occasions, the voices replacing wind instruments”.
The selection of the members was meticulous. Porfirio had in his favor the prestige he possessed and the convening power among his former colleagues of the Orquesta Brisas de Nipe, so much so that in the list of his group he planned to include Reyes Cástulo Urgellés Fáez, better known as Lulú as bassist and José James Pinder (Joseíto) as singer, both retired from the Orquesta Brisas de Nipe and linked to the Casa de Cultura in occasional activities.
The septet still needed to be completed with a key piece, the tres, for which the prestigious Mario Arencibia Rodríguez, one of the best tres players in Antilla, was summoned.
In the Arencibia family, musicians abound, that is why the group was completed with them: Alejandro, singer and Rafael on the tumbadora.
Alejandro and Mario had been part of an amateur group called Renovación Antillana for more than 20 years, which was very famous in its time and where a great number of aficionados were formed.
Alejandro sometimes played the tres in other groups, but in Son de Nipe he remained as a singer, he also had a work relationship that did not allow him to devote himself entirely to music; His nephew, trained at the Casa de Cultura and under the musical influence of the family, had taken over the tumbadoras, so Rafael Arencibia was the youngest of the group, he was barely 25 years old and at this young age he had already played in several amateur groups and got the Brisa de Nipe orchestra out of trouble, due to the unexpected absence of its percussionist.
Rafael Arencibia Rodríguez joined the project with enthusiasm despite the fact that the genre and style of the repertoire were not those used by the amateur groups of his contemporaries.
Iro had obtained the desired musicians, but he still had a big step to climb, his musicians were not professionals, they all had work commitments and he needed to prepare the project for the right day…(ecured).
Septeto Son De Nipe – Abriendo Caminos (2006)
Temas:
- Esa Muchacha Quiere Bailar (Alejandro Arencibia)
- Es Caliente Como El Sol (Edalio Espinosa Adayo)
- A Mi Antilla (José James Pinder)
- Rebozo De Amor (Oscar Fernández Paz)
- De Qué Callada Manera (N. Gillén / Pablo Milanés)
- Honor Al Guayabero (Alejandro Arencibia)
- Culpable (Pepe Delgado)
- Mi Son Tradicional (Porfirio Núñez Cruz)
- Y No Me Niegues el Beso (José James Pinder)
- Clodomiro (Oscar Fernández Paz)
- Rabo De Nube (Silvio Rodríguez)
- Qué Lástima (Oscar Fernández Paz)
- Una Alborada De Amor (Ariel Dotres Zaldívar)
- Olvídate De Esa Nena (Nemecio Palacio)
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