cortijo

Salsa and Latin music legend Roberto Roena turned 80 years old this month, so here are some highlights of Mr. Bongo. The Legend of Roberto Roena Ten years ago I wrote a 2-blog series following the musical career of Roberto Roena. It was…

As "Bomba" turned into the 20th century, it only survived in the backyards of the black neighborhoods in Puerto Rico. The free, but still marginalized, negro population in Puerto Rico began to listen to and experience other types of…

This week I read an excellent newspaper article about the involvement of legendary bandleader Rafael Cortijo with Calypso music. In this blog I'll provide a historical framework to it. Cortijo, the Calypso, and the Antillean Connection…

Para seguir con el tema de Ismael Rivera Jr., aqui les traigo un video de Ismaelito cuando estaba con la orquesta de Rafael Cortijo cantando una "bomba" bien sabrosa titulada "Estanislao". Rafael Cortijo fue un estandarte de la Bomba y…

The news of Eddie "La Bala" Perez death saddened me as it did the Latin music world. "La Bala", a nickname he got since a young kid for being a thin and a fast runner, was a dedicated musician. "La Bala" was part of two of the most…

I have to say that I was both fascinated and disappointed with Eddie "La Bala" Perez's book "1 Bala, 2 Combos, y 1 Vida". The disappointment comes from reading a book of under 200 pages written by a Puerto Rican musician that was part of…

Salsa music lost one of its most legendary chorus voices with the passing of Sammy Ayala this week. Sammy Ayala was founder-member of Cortijo y Su Combo, making a great 2nd voice to its charismatic singer, Ismael Rivera. He was a steady…

Why did El Gran Combo earn the nickname of "the musical institution of Puerto Rico", when there were so many other music groups? On their 50th anniversary I want to highlight the impact they've had in Latin music and Puerto Rico's musical…

I had the fortune to witness the peak years of legendary Puerto Rican bongo player Roberto Roena. His Apollo Sound of the '70s and '80s made a profound impact on Salsa music. One of my highlights regarding Roberto Roena was a concert he…