A bite from the apple—New York - Columna

Latin Beat Magazine, August, 2002 by Vicki Solá

April 10, 2002 marked the International Latin Music Hall of Fame's 4th Annual Induction & Awards. The ceremony and concert, which took place at Hostos Center for the Arts and Culture in the Bronx, opened with performances by three winners of NJN New Jersey public television's 17th Annual "Hispanic Youth Showcase." International Latin Music Hall of Fame (ILMHF) President and founder, Joe Hernández is committed to ushering in the future by presenting these youngsters at his ILMHF ceremonies, alongside the honored legends who perform each year. This year's roster of young artists--singer Sky-Lyn, pianist Christian Beliz, and conguero Ernesto Medina--wowed Hostos' packed auditorium.

"The Hispanic Youth Showcase," says Hernández, "is the show that started the career of Frankie Negrón. Many of the winners go on to singing careers in Hollywood, and Broadway."

The audience, which included a virtual "who's who" of Latin music, was treated to performances by the ILMHF Ensemble, and all-star line-up including Alfredito Valdés, Jr., Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros, Ralph Irizarry, Nelson González, José Mangual, Jr., Eddie Montalvo, Rubén Rodríguez, Steve Pouchie, and Edmar Castenada, plus vintage film from ILMHF archives. Avenol Franco and Touch Design's studios produced the montages, picturing inductees and honorees.

Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco were awarded ILMHF Lifetime Achievement Awards. Pacheco received a thunderous standing ovation, and onlookers enjoyed watching vocalist India and Joe Hernández present Celia Cruz with her award. The children of posthumous inductees Noro Morales and Santitos Colón were present. On hand were Cuco Valoy, Ray Barretto, Larry Harlow, Candido, Yomo Toro, Orlando Marín, Armando Fajardo, Bobby Sanabria and the evening's emcee, WADO 1280 AM's Miguel Pérez. Antonia Bennett, Tony Bennett's daughter, came to witness the playing of Candido, who performed with her father for fifteen years.

Inductee Roberto "El Caminante" Torres, who flew in from Miami, turned in a stellar performance. Latin R&B Group "Q" performed, and Ray Barretto, Orlando Marín, and Bobby Sanabria thrilled the crowd by jamming with the band during the descarga at the end of the evening.

Pleased with the increasing recognition that the ILMHF is receiving, Hernández's sights are set on the future, and he expressed great gratitude to the community and to his sponsors. "It's extremely encouraging to see such mainstream corporate support for the Hall of Fame," says Hernández, citing corporate funding from Kraft/Nabisco, White Rose Foods, Nestle's USA, Pioneer Supermarkets, Met Food Markets, Good Humor, General Mills, Agrilink, Aurora Foods, Hennessy V.S.O.P., and Tito Puente's Restaurant. Speaking of recognition, Hernández and the ILMHF also received a letter from President George Bush, congratulating all of the year's inductees. Hernández reports that several institutions, including Hostos Center for the Arts and Culture, have expressed interest in providing the ILMHF with a permanent home. There is also ongoing dialogue with several corporations to create a national tour of the ILMHF. Photos from this year's event may be seen in Latin Beat's June/July 2002 "East Coast Beat" page and on latinfame.com.

It is with sadness that I report the death of vocalist/composer/ arranger Rudy Calzado on May 11. Calzado, composer of the classic La Malanga, was born November 27, 1929, in Santiago, Oriente de Cuba. He worked with many greats throughout his long career--José Fajardo, Enrique Jorrín, Joe Loco, Mongo Santamaría, Johnny Pacheco, Charlie Palmieri and the Alegre All-Stars, Machito, Tito Puente, Tito Rodríguez, Louie Ramírez, Ray Barretto, and Mario Bauzá and his Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra. When Bauzá passed away in 1993, Calzado and Victor Paz led Bauzá's orchestra under the name of Cubarama.

Louis Laffitte, who wrote an article about Calzado (Rudy Calzado: Afro-Cuban Legend, Latin Beat Magazine, August 1992), said of him, "Rudy was not only a good friend, but a valuable talent ... he sang with the big three."

DJ Jeff's "Hot Pick" of the Month: Edwin Bonilla's ¿Dónde Estarás Metida?

This past April 4-6, as part of Jazz Appreciation Month, Jazz at Lincoln Center (J@LC) presented "Jazz at the Penthouse: Habaneras, Blues, and Tangos," featuring three pianists with diverse styles--Cuban Paquito Hechavarria, Argentinean Adrian Iaies, and New York's own Arturo O'Farrill. When I asked O'Farrill what he'd play during each of his nightly 35-minute solo sets, he replied, "I'm going to just do what I do, which is [to] take a little Cuba, a little Argentina, a little Brazil, a little Puerto Rico, a little Bronx, a little Brooklyn, and mix it up."

O'Farrill was very excited about the fact that Jazz at Lincoln Center had recently "made a real commitment ... on an unparalleled level, to Latin music ..." According to him, Wynton Marsalis and J@LC have decided to start an Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra. "It's unprecedented," he said, "for an organization of this nature to give us the recognition we so richly deserve, and create a repertory orchestra for our music, for our composers, for our soloists, and for our interpreters." J@LC has also asked O'Farrill to write a mission statement and to come up with five programming ideas. "I had to edit five out of hundreds," he laughed.