A bite from the Apple—New York

Latin Beat Magazine, Dec, 2002 by Vicki Sola

Recently, La Maganette nightclub marked the third anniversary of the passing of its beloved promoter Tony Rodríguez with a special tribute featuring Hermán Olivera and his orchestra. Rodríguez [profiled in my April 1999 column] began presenting Latin bands such as El Gran Combo, Eddie Palmieri, Roberto Roena, Héctor Lavoe, Pete "El Conde" Rodríguez and Johnny Pacheco at the club, back in 1973. He became well known for his "Super Sundays" and "Wednesday Afterwork Parties," and especially for featuring the charangas Orchestra Broadway, Fajardo y Sus Estrellas, Charanga America, Siglo "20," the Charanga All Stars, and others.

Friends and club patrons came together on September 25th to celebrate Rodríguez's life and spirit. Guest speakers spoke of Rodríguez's integrity, enthusiasm, hearty laugh, and intense dedication not only to the music, but also to his public. He was known for giving new talent an opportunity to play in his midtown Manhattan venue, and for his willingness to take risks and losses in stride. When it was my turn to step up to the microphone, I recalled one such time, when he presented a band that was not a "sure thing."

The night started out badly. Club patrons had become more than restless when the band scheduled for that evening arrived over an hour late and took even longer to set up on stage under the watchful eye of a temperamental manager. Things became exponentially worse.

At the very instant that the pianist's fingers finally made contact with the keyboard, the conguero's palms finally smacked the skins, the bassist finally plucked a string and the singers stood in front of the mikes and opened their mouths, about 90 percent of the club's clientele rose in unison and made a mad dash for the door.

Rodríguez and I stood together in the midst of the mass exodus, shrugging our shoulders. I looked at him. He looked at me, smiled, and just let out his customary deep laugh. Rodrlguez always said that "... along the way, failures are a necessary component, not only for learning's sake, but necessary in order to realize the actual difference between failure and success." Despite the nightmare he experienced that evening, he never stopped helping deserving artists, because for him the bottom line was not the dollar but the music.

No one raced to the door to leave at his tribute when Hermán Olivera and his orchestra and many guest artists raised La Maganette's roof in Rodríguez's honor with sizzling "salsa dura." Those packing the house included musicians Andy Gonzfilez, Orchestra Broadway leader Eddie Zervigón, La Compañia's Bobby Rodróguez, Alfredo De La Fé, José Alberto "El Canario", José Grajales (of Típica '73 fame), SonSublime's Jesse Herrero and Connie Grossman, Armando Fajardo, Frankie Morales, Wayne Gorbea, Juan Rodríguez, Frankie Otero, promoters Ralph Mercado, El Flamingo's Henry Knowles, Le Bar Bat's Francisco Navarro and Frankie Maldonado, "Salsa Profiles" cable TV producer Chester Rosario, and longtime Orchard Beach DJ and archivist Ernie Ensley.

One young man who seems omni-present these days is percussionist Tony Rosa. In addition to setting the pace for dancers in clubs all over the Big Apple, Rosa plays and tours with Manny Oquendo and Libre, and Grammy nominee Nelson González and his group.

The Nuyorican Rosa began honing his craft early on, participating, at the age of eight, in rumbas in Philadelphia's Fairmont Park, and engaging in persistent practice sessions in his basement at home. At a very tender age he became part of the Los Angeles club scene. Rosa's talent did not remain hidden. He began his professional career at age 17 and has played with Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Francisco Aguabella, Israel "Cachao" López, the Xavier Cugat Orchestra, Poncho Sánchez, Iris Chacón, Rey Ruiz, Roberto Torres, Miles Peña and Susie Hansen. His versatility in cumbia, merengue, comparsa, samba, bomba, plena, jazz, pop, funk, fusion, rock, R&B and rap keeps him employed. He has recorded with Kenny Loggins, Kid Frost and Rhythm Tribe. His motion picture recording credits include "Salsa," "Mambo Kings," "Dance With Me," HBO's "Florida Straits" and Eddie Murphy's "Boomerang." Rosa also recorded on Israel "Cachao" López's Cachao Master Sessions Volumes I & II, Candi Sosa's Cuba Mi Corazón Te Llama, Gerardo's Así Es, and Susie Hansen's Solo Flight. I look forward to hearing Rosa play next time he's in New York.

New record label Latin Cool has signed legendary pianist Larry Harlow, the Latin-Jazz Coalition bandleader/trombonist Demetrios Kastaris, and vocalist Deborah Resto. Latin Cool, which specializes in Latin jazz, is releasing Larry Harlow's Latin Jazz Encounter, a live recording done at New York City's Birdland, featuring Harlow, Eddie "Gua Gua" Rivera, Bobby Sanabria, Ronnie Cuber, Mac Gollehon, and Wilson "Chembo" Corniel. Favorites are Fried Neckbones (with a nice Harlow solo), and a new version of La Cartera. The new label will also be re-releasing Kastaris and his Latin Jazz Coalition's CD, Trombone Con Sazón, which features many guest artists including Dave Valentín, Claudio Roditi, Oscar Hernández and Edy Martínez.