 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Composer & Arranger
Timbale,Conga Drums
Bongoes & Perc.
Drum Set
Piano,Vibraphone
Lead Vocalist
dancing in our home. My sister would wakeup early Saturday morning
to pursue her ballet and tap dance classes. My brother and I would stay
behind practicing our public school issued instruments. My mother and
father would go dancing at the famous Palladium Ballroom,The
Manhattan Ctr,Tropicana and other famous dancing nightclubs. My
mother would talk about the bands and the music all week long, because
I was the oldest child I remember very well those conversations. I
believe that these conversations and those moment in life is what
molded me in becoming the musician I have become. All this tranquility
ended when my young fathers's life came abruptly to an end. Life
became surrealistic. The reality of the tragedy almost destroyed and
fragmented our family. My father always expressed his desire that we
return to Puerto Rico. He wanted his children to understand the pride,
richness and beauty of their heritage,and so it came to be his children
return to Puerto Rico".
In the late fifties and early sixties as a teen, along with his brothers and
sister they lived in Puerto Rico. There he learned native Puerto Rican
and Spanish history, languege and poetry. He learned more about the
Island, the music and the heritage. He quotes," I listened to the music,
enjoyed the native sounds of the rain,wind, the surf and the haunting
melodies of the songs of the Coqui-the little frog that is the treasure of
our island. These early experiences still today influence my lyrics and
compositions. Going to school at Intermedia Central in Ponce help me
with my spanish language, this is why I can compose the song with the
charracter of a puro jibaro. In Puerto Rico as a teen I began to learn
how to play timbales. After watching Tito Puente and Tito Rodriguez on
seperate occations, I began to imulate them as good as I could. When I
return to New York I began to play with bands at various nightclubs. I
was so busy that I decided to get my High School Equivallency Diploma
instead of going to high school for four years. My style was further
influence by the Latin Greats such as Tito Puente ,Tito Rodriguez,
Machito, Benny More, Sonora Matancera, El Gran Combo and the great
Arsenio Rodriguez which I had the pleasure of sitting in and playing with
at the Palladium as a young teen. I work with many bands in New York
City, not bad for a selt taught timbalero that learned how to play and how
to read music on my own. I fine tuned my God given talent while a
student at Bronx Community College, were I learn music theory, harmony
and composition.
For years I coasted through life content in the passion of playing music,
but not totally fulfilled because of the desire I felt to share the sounds
and rhythms of my life and experiences through my own music.
I realized that it is never too late to live out ones dream, ones passion.
Now just having enter my fifth decade of life, I have been able to bring
together the most talented, seasoned and individually successfull
musicians in an Orchestra that will get it's merits as original, classy and
professionalism in the true art of music".
in 1967
at the
Bronx Casino
NYC
