Gilberto Miguel Calderon Cardona, familiarly known as "Sonny" was born in New York, USA, April 22, 1931. Miguel Calderon of Puerto Rican parents, in Santurce and Gloria Cardona of San Sebastian.
Until 1946 he attended the Cooper Junior High School where he excelled as a player base ball and basketball. Playing base ball suffers a broken leg, it moves away from the sport for several months. "That accident broke all my dreams of playing in the Major Leagues," said Joe. (1)
Although Cooper was an African-American school and all his friends were black, Latino music had no meaning for him. It all begins when he hears the theme Abaniquito played by the orchestra of Tito Puente, then decides to withdraw from school and sports to devote himself to music.
His first music teacher was the conga player Victor "El Negrito" Pantoja who teaches the basic sounds of the conga. Miranda Santos, Papi Torres and Wilfredo "Chonguito" Vincent also helped in learning the conga. He studied at Benjamin Franklin School and Brooklyn College, but is not considered academic musician, but a natural conguero or street.
In 1950, he debuted with the group musically Alfarona X, a famous group of Puerto Rico who had come to New York August 1945, becoming the first set of horns that established Puerto Rican in the city. Its director was the guitarist and singer Luis Cruz, Luis Cruz Jr's father (who was in turn, pianist and arranger for Ray Barretto). The entry of "Sonny" the orchestra was due to the intervention of his friend Santos Miranda and was caused by the retirement of Louis "Sabu" Martinez, who unexpectedly left the band to move to Los Angeles. His stay in the Alfarona X, only lasted six months. "They needed another conga player with more experience. I was very grateful because at that moment I wanted was to learn and that time was important, "noted Joe. (1)
Outside the conductor, Gilbert "Sonny" Calderón used to meet in the "corner of the drummers, Calle 114 with 5 th Avenue and percussionists of the neighborhood as Willie Bobo, Papi Torres," Chonguito "Vincent," Patato "Valdes," El Negrito "Pantoja and Santos Miranda, and frequented the large dance halls where they played the biggest bands of the era.
In 1951, he joined the orchestra of Elmo Garcia and later passed to Marcelino Guerra. "Working with Marcelino Guerra was an honor for me because he was a great musician and singer," says Joe. (1)
is in the "corner of the drummers" which is known as the bassist Roy Rosa who recruits for PANAMA JOE QUINTET (David PREUDHOMME, pianist Panamanian descent), a group that imitated the Joe Loco Quintet and was based on the Boys Club, located at 114 and Madison Street. The quintet of Panama, he meets Jimmy Sabater, (Ponce, Puerto Rico, April 11, 1936), whom he knew from early 50s at the time of the clashes of stickball on 115th Street between Madison and Park Avenue, and is known by the vibraphonist Tommy Berrios (Ponce, Puerto Rico, December 23, 1932).
Soon Panama withdrew from the group. "The American pop repertoire, and no melody Latino origin led a discussion with Panama and the loss of our jobs, "said the vibraphonist Tommy Berrios. (2) Then Calderon took over the leadership of the group. To replace the pianist Panama (David PREUDHOMME), Calderón invited Nick Jimenez (Santurce, Puerto Rico, June 15, 1929), who led his own band and performed at Club El San Juan, located two blocks from the Street 102, and vocalist Willie Torres (October 30, 1929), thus forming PANAMA JOE's sextet.
In 1953, Panama's former band debuts at Club San Juan with the name of THE CHA CHA BOYS (3), being formed by the following musicians: Willie Torres, vocals, Nick Jimenez, piano, Jimmy Sabater, tom, Victor "El Negrito" Pantoja, bongo, Roy Rose, Bass, Tommy Berrios, vibraphone and Gilbert "Sonny" Calderón, congas.
At this time are invited to perform at the Starlight Lounge, being convinced by the Cuban promoter Catalino Rolon to rename the group by Gilberto Calderón. But the salon owner did not like this name and finally decides to call Rolón JOE CUBA and his sextet.
The use of English lyrics performed at dances and Italian Jews, opened the door to Joe Cuba to play at the Pines Hotel, a Jewish business located in South Fallsburg, New York. It was here that he composed the theme Jiménez Mambo of the Pines, which later became the tremendous success Mambo of the Times, one of the four recordings in 78 rpm format for the Rainbow label in 1956.
died in this year bassist Roy Rosa, who was one of the founders of the group, and his place was taken by Cito Martínez (1957), Luis Barretto (1958), and Bobbie Lynn, an attractive Jewish girl who remains in the group between June and October 1958, before the entry of Jules "Slim" Lamb.
In 1957, just before a presentation at the Grossinger's Resort, Willie Torres told to Cuba for his decision to leave the band to join the orchestra of José Curbelo which replace Santos Colón, who then joined the band of Tito Puente. Following the departure of Torres, 5 October that year he joined José Luis Angel Feliciano Vega "Cheo" (Ponce, Puerto Rico, July 3, 1935), who had been introduced to Cuba by Tito Rodriguez.
In 1965, while recording the album WE MUST BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT!, When the separation of Cheo Feliciano's Sextet, due to personal problems related to substance abuse. "Since I wanted to sing be a star. While I was with Joe Cuba felt I was not getting the recognition it deserved, "said Cheo (2). To replace him, Joe Willie Torres rehired. Cheo said Cuba, "led the group to a high level of popularity ... but if he had been the singer during the era of boogaloo, I doubt we would have got where we were. Willie Torres was tailored to the new rhythm and with the help of Jimmy, Nicky and Hector Rivera sextet reached new levels of popularity, "and in 1975, produces the official withdrawal of another of the pillars of the sextet, the drummer and vocalist Jimmy Sabater.
In late 1976, with the production of Louie Ramirez recorded the album COOKING SAUCE / COOOKIN 'THE SAUCE, (Fania / Tico TSLP 1405), voiced by Mike Guagenti, which were refurbished some old themes and incorporate some new, composed by Guagenti, and for which they receive nomination Grammy
Joe Cuba was one of the architects of the new sound of Latin Boogaloo, which became a popular and influential Latin style in the second half of the 1960's. In 1966, his band which included timbales, congas, bongos sometimes, bass, vibraphone, and piano among its musical instruments, scored a hit in the U.S. with the song "Bang Bang" - which helped boost the popularity against the Boogaloo. He also had a # 1 hit that year on the charts with the song "Sock It to Me Baby."
In April 1999, Joe Cuba was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame. In 2004 he was named the Grand Marshall Day Parade celebrated in Yonkers Puerto Rico, New York. It was also the director of the Museum of La Salsa, located in English Harlem, Manhattan, New York.
Joe Cuba, died on February 15, 2009 in New York City, after being disconnected from medical equipment to support their life. He had been hospitalized by a persistent bacterial infection. His remains were cremated at Woodhaven Cemetery.
Mp3 Download album by clicking the image
portada.jpg)
Album Mp3 Download by clicking the image
HERE TO SEE FULL DISCOGRAPHY Information from
page
http://www.herencialatina.com/
0 comments:
Post a Comment