The perfect combination Tamara and Lou - Artículo Breve

Latin Beat Magazine, Nov, 2001 by Max Salazar

Even since 1930, when Latin music began to flourish in New York City, hundreds of musical aggregations have come and gone. The ones remembered are the ones whose recordings contributed to the development of Latin music in the big apple. Contributing heavily were the "Perfect Combinations" (musicians whose exceptional skills produced bit recordings). A few of the combinations were Pellín Rodríguez and Noro Morales, Bobby Escoto and José Curbelo, Graciella and Machito, Vicentico Valdés and Tito Puente, Vitín Avilés and La Playa Sextet, Willie Torres and Joe Cuba, Santitos Colón and Tito Puente, Andy Montañez and Rafael Ithier, Cheo Feliciano and Joe Cuba, Victor Velásquez and Charlie Palmieri, Pete "El Conde" Rodríguez and Johnny Pacheco, Héctor LaVoe and Willie Colón, Ismael Quintana and Eddie Palmieri, Rubén Blades and Willie Colón, Celia Cruz and Tito Puente, Ismael Miranda and Larry Harlow, Ray De La Paz and Louie Ramirez, and Gilberto Santa Rosa and Willie Rosario.

On August 17, 2001, I heard the unreleased CD Tu Escencia, whose overwhelming melodies and orchestrations ensure its success. Responsible for this high quality album are Tamara Torres and composer Lou Pérez. On the same CD, the track Y Ahora Que is also recorded in English as Without You. Both versions are capable of creating a romantic ambience, a pleasant reminder of the fifties' lush sounds of Lucho Gatica, Vicentico Valdés, Benny Moré and Olga Guillot.

Tamara Torres was reared in New York City by Puerto Rican and Cuban parents. Her music education began as a young teenager who studied classical voice, jazz and show tunes. As an actress, her television and film credits include "Law & Order," "Saturday Night Live" and "Carlito's Way." Torres has sung and danced on twelve off-Broadway shows.

Lou Pérez, a brilliant composer, music arranger, pianist and flutist of Cuban heritage, directed a popular charanga (orchestra of piano, flute and violins) during the '60s. Machito, Tito Puente, Johnny Pacheco, Típica Novel, La Plava Sextet, Julio Gutierrez, René Touzet, Santos Colón and Connie Grossman's Charanga La Pasión have recorded Perez's compositions. Actor Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey danced to his composition De Todo Un Poco in the movie "Dirty Dancing."

In 1976, ASCAP American Society of Composer & Publishers) lauded Pérez for his Tico label recording of Our Heritage, a mini-suite whose music depicts the history of popular Cuban dance music now enjoyed as "salsa." Pérez's Heritage music charts creates visions of an African safari, Spain via a guitar, the son montuno, and the merging of Spanish and African rhythms in Cuba. Pérez's Y Ahora Que is capable of inducing a moment of euphoria. Its erotic sound will get your attention. After you listen to their CD Tu Escencia (with the Oscar Hernández orchestra) you will agree Tamara and Lou Pérez are another of Latin music's Perfect Combinations.