by Jesús M. Corral

There were two salsa concerts that caught the attention of the salseros recently in Venezuela. One was for those salseros that are into the classics and the other was for the newcomer. For those fans of the classic sound the place to be was El Poliedro de Caracas where Richie Ray and Bobby Cruz, Junior González, Pete “El Conde” Rodríguez, Henry Fiol, and Ismael Miranda were performing their hits.

The event was not completely sold-out, and many of those in attendance were left disappointed. For starters, Justo Betancourt was scheduled to perform but never showed up (Ismael Miranda, who always puts on a good show, sang a rousing rendition of “Pa’ Bravo Yo”), and then Pete “El Conde” Rodriguez fainted onstage midway through the classic, “Catalina La O”.

Richie Ray and Bobby Cruz put on the best show. Richie tore up the piano right from the start. They even led the audience in prayer. Richie gave Salpique Latino an exclusive; he’ll record his one hundredth record with Bobby Cruz. He will also feature other singers. The repertoire will include some classic tunes along with some new material that he wants to write just for the occasion. Miranda also gave us an exclusive; he’ll be recording new updated versions of all his hits. Louis Garcia will be the musical director for the project.

The other concert, which was held at the Parque Naciones Unidas during the day, proved to be a better event and included current acts. This concert was also presented in Maracay and Rio Chico. Nino Segarra, Roberto Lugo, Alex D’Castro, Adalberto Santiago and Roberto Roena brought the house down. The younger audience turned out to be the better audience. Contrary to what many believe (artists, fans, critics, djs, etc) the so-called “salsa romantica” crowd are in fact the ones that show-up to these events in large numbers.

The kids sang along to all the songs. Adalberto sang “Dinamita” and “Seguire”; however, his two current hits, “La Noche Mas Linda” and “Alma De Seductor” were the best. He was presented with a Venezuelan flag. Roberto Lugo was the one that stole the show. He was the best received of all the singers. For the finale he jammed on congas and timbales. The best act for the classic salseros was the Apollo Sound, who were a perfect match for the kids. Their playing was impeccable, well organized and hard driving. The audience was singing along to “Marejada Feliz”, “Guaguancó Del Adiós”, “Lamento De Concepción”, “Mi Desengaño” and “Cómo Te Hago Entender”, which was played twice.

*** This month, Richie Ray is coming back with his orchestra for a gig at El Poliedro, which is being sponsored by a religious organization. Also, a tribute to Tito Puente is being planned for September. It will include the participation of El Gran Combo, Domingo Quiñones, Michael Stuart, and Andy Montañez among others. Plans are also in the works for a concert featuring Johnny Pacheco, along with Hector Casanova, Ismael Quintana, Adalberto Santiago, and Pete “El Conde” Rodriguez. The last time Pacheco was in Venezuela was back in 1998.

That’s all for now from Venezuela…


To know more about the Venezuelan Latin music scene visit:
www.seritel.es/salpiquelatino
Venezuela’s first Latin music site!


En Español