Richie Blondet
Son Montuno
Wow! Great topic!
One of the people who I don't see mentioned on here [although I have yet to check out that link to that other thread that was posted] was the late, but great DIORIS VALLADARES. Early on in his career he was known as 'El Rey Del Merengue' but, much like Joseito Mateo, Luis Kalaaf, and Damiron y Chapuseaux, he was also interpreting Sones, Guarachas, Boleros and other Cuban dance genres. I met this man some years ago via the late Vitin Aviles and, if memory serves me correctly, he was living in the Port Chester section of NY. He had shown me a stack of papers that detailed a history of Dominican music in New York City that he had personally written decades ago. I'm afraid I didn't truly appreciate it at the time as I should have. But I do recall seeing some names of people I had never ever heard of before and probably most folks haven't either. The Dominican Presence was very strong here in NYC very early on and not just a recent phenomenon in the 70s and 80s to the present day. That historical account by Dioris Valladares was something that should really be in a place like the Schomburg or in a book detailing the subject. Or perhaps in some cultural center or association like La Alianza Dominicana so that everyone, but especially the Dominican population in NYC, can see how far back their roots go in our city and their contribution to it.
Dioris was slated to appear live and in concert in a venue in Washington Heights called the United Palace Theater along with Nelson Pinedo, Raul Azpiazu, Gloria Mirabal, Paquitin Soto, Alberto Beltran, Roberto Ledesma, Vitin Aviles and other vocal greats of the past entitled 100 ANOS DE BOLERO. Two or three weeks prior to the night of the concert, Dioris Valladares passed away.
Some other Dominicans I can think of are Leopoldo Pineda [trombone], Jose Rodrigues [half brasilian and Dominican trombonist], The Rivera family [Dionis-sax, Phoenix-drum/percussion and Mario-everything], Ricky Gonzalez [piano], CUCO VALOY [Vocalist and one of my favorites!], Wesley Reynoso [piano], Willy Rodriguez [piano], Charlie Dilone [percussion], A.J. Diaz [percussion] and so many more that just don't come to mind at this time.
There was a vocalist who used to sing with Cuco Valoy and others in the 70s and he eventually emerged in the 80s as a top Merengue star. His first name was Henry but I can't remember his last name.
Another guy like Joseito, Dioris and Johnny Ventura who played Merengues and a bunch of other stuff was Angel Viloria.
Dominican have always been present in all facets of latin music, but especially Caribbean. In Rafael Hernandez's Grupo Victoria, a Dominican was a member whose last name was Mesa.
A little known or acknowledged fact was that among the first big band jazz orchestras to experiment with latin rhythms before Machito and the Afrocubans, and Augusto Coen's or Alberto Socarras' Orchestra before them, was a big band called the San Domingan Serenaders. Obviously, the 'San Domingan' part was what seems to be an anglicized version of SANTO DOMINGO. The leader was a Dominican whose name escapes me at the moment. But the band consisted of many 'black' nationalities. Panamanian, Puerto Rican, Cuban, West Indian, African American and, yes, Dominican.
The Dominican Republic today seems to be going through a renaissance of Salsa artists. I was dating a Dominican woman in 2011 and throughout the entire summer to the fall we were hitting the Dominican spots uptown or in the Bronx and I was being exposed to all these artists that sang Salsa. Many of whom were pretty darn good. As well as re-discovering a lot of the Merengue that was being produced today and finding myself enjoying it. I found a fresh take on Caribbean music that just wasn;t being produced on the same level within the local Salsa scene. The Dominicans had it more together. They were more organized and seemed more willing to work together and not bring each other down the way it goes in the Salsa musical community. I found myself digging Tono Rosario's "El BB Pin" whose subject matter revolved around a Black berry. Some sophisticate would probably hold their nose regarding the content but the fact was it was a very contemporary song that a contemporary [aka "youthful"] audience would be able to relate to. In the Salsa scene? Local bands are still playing and singing about El MANICERO.
Okay, I went off topic. Sorry...
One of the people who I don't see mentioned on here [although I have yet to check out that link to that other thread that was posted] was the late, but great DIORIS VALLADARES. Early on in his career he was known as 'El Rey Del Merengue' but, much like Joseito Mateo, Luis Kalaaf, and Damiron y Chapuseaux, he was also interpreting Sones, Guarachas, Boleros and other Cuban dance genres. I met this man some years ago via the late Vitin Aviles and, if memory serves me correctly, he was living in the Port Chester section of NY. He had shown me a stack of papers that detailed a history of Dominican music in New York City that he had personally written decades ago. I'm afraid I didn't truly appreciate it at the time as I should have. But I do recall seeing some names of people I had never ever heard of before and probably most folks haven't either. The Dominican Presence was very strong here in NYC very early on and not just a recent phenomenon in the 70s and 80s to the present day. That historical account by Dioris Valladares was something that should really be in a place like the Schomburg or in a book detailing the subject. Or perhaps in some cultural center or association like La Alianza Dominicana so that everyone, but especially the Dominican population in NYC, can see how far back their roots go in our city and their contribution to it.
Dioris was slated to appear live and in concert in a venue in Washington Heights called the United Palace Theater along with Nelson Pinedo, Raul Azpiazu, Gloria Mirabal, Paquitin Soto, Alberto Beltran, Roberto Ledesma, Vitin Aviles and other vocal greats of the past entitled 100 ANOS DE BOLERO. Two or three weeks prior to the night of the concert, Dioris Valladares passed away.
Some other Dominicans I can think of are Leopoldo Pineda [trombone], Jose Rodrigues [half brasilian and Dominican trombonist], The Rivera family [Dionis-sax, Phoenix-drum/percussion and Mario-everything], Ricky Gonzalez [piano], CUCO VALOY [Vocalist and one of my favorites!], Wesley Reynoso [piano], Willy Rodriguez [piano], Charlie Dilone [percussion], A.J. Diaz [percussion] and so many more that just don't come to mind at this time.
There was a vocalist who used to sing with Cuco Valoy and others in the 70s and he eventually emerged in the 80s as a top Merengue star. His first name was Henry but I can't remember his last name.
Another guy like Joseito, Dioris and Johnny Ventura who played Merengues and a bunch of other stuff was Angel Viloria.
Dominican have always been present in all facets of latin music, but especially Caribbean. In Rafael Hernandez's Grupo Victoria, a Dominican was a member whose last name was Mesa.
A little known or acknowledged fact was that among the first big band jazz orchestras to experiment with latin rhythms before Machito and the Afrocubans, and Augusto Coen's or Alberto Socarras' Orchestra before them, was a big band called the San Domingan Serenaders. Obviously, the 'San Domingan' part was what seems to be an anglicized version of SANTO DOMINGO. The leader was a Dominican whose name escapes me at the moment. But the band consisted of many 'black' nationalities. Panamanian, Puerto Rican, Cuban, West Indian, African American and, yes, Dominican.
The Dominican Republic today seems to be going through a renaissance of Salsa artists. I was dating a Dominican woman in 2011 and throughout the entire summer to the fall we were hitting the Dominican spots uptown or in the Bronx and I was being exposed to all these artists that sang Salsa. Many of whom were pretty darn good. As well as re-discovering a lot of the Merengue that was being produced today and finding myself enjoying it. I found a fresh take on Caribbean music that just wasn;t being produced on the same level within the local Salsa scene. The Dominicans had it more together. They were more organized and seemed more willing to work together and not bring each other down the way it goes in the Salsa musical community. I found myself digging Tono Rosario's "El BB Pin" whose subject matter revolved around a Black berry. Some sophisticate would probably hold their nose regarding the content but the fact was it was a very contemporary song that a contemporary [aka "youthful"] audience would be able to relate to. In the Salsa scene? Local bands are still playing and singing about El MANICERO.
Okay, I went off topic. Sorry...
A blondie who was "thick in the ankles," if you know what I mean, and whose hair was frizzed like Shakira the colombian singer's used to be. Another one named Yvette and a crowd favorite named Ashley. These girls were obviously surgically treated to some capacity. There's no way in human history that a girl could have such a slim waist and such a round ... well you know...