Orlando Marín: and the band swings on

Latin Beat Magazine, Sept, 1998 by Max Salazar

During the last 50 years, many bandleaders disappeared from the public's view because their orchestras could not add new tunes to their book, could not perform rhythms of a new music trend, and their recordings no longer received radio exposure. Orlando Marín, a slender 5" 10" musician, and one of the top ten bandleaders of the 1960s, faded from the Latin New York music scene but not for any of the above reasons. He was relegated to memory in 1967 and the reasons are what every Latin musician has experienced, the pains and disappointments of life foisted upon them.

Ollie Marín's musical influences carne in steps. As a youngster he was overwhelmed by jazz drummers Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa, considered the most proficient drummers in the world during the 1940s. Rich and Krupa drummed for years and their wars failed to prove who was "number one." The second step were the 78 rpm recordings he would dance to for hours. His neighborhood buddies Charlie and Eddie Palmieri, Sabú Martínez, Chicky Pérez, Tommy García, Lou Goicochea and Héctor Rivera were also influential. They all became musicians. They influenced each other at the High School of Industrial Arts.

"Going to school, "said Marín, "was enjoyable...I ate my lunch in five minutes and spent 55 minutes listening to mambo music in a large room where teachers' meetings were held." In that same room he met Mike Collazo (percussionist for the orchestras of Tito Rodríguez, Tito Puente and Orquesta Broadway) and Joe Quijano (vocalist-bandleader). Marin, conga drum hanging from a strap on his back, followed Collazo around the school asking questions and in the process learned the different cow bell beats and several drumming techniques.

In 1951, Carlos Palmieri, a well-known neighborhood musician, took Ollie with him to New York City's Hotel Diplomat, where Palmieri's conjunto performed for the baptismal party of world welterweight boxing champion Kid Gavilán's daughter. The thrill of being a musician this night inspired a music career. Carlos Palmieri, who later became Charlie Palmieri, "was the most popular person in our neighborhood...whenever Charlie walked along Longwood Avenue, people on the street and looking out of windows would greet him as lf he was a celebrity."

One afternoon during 1952, Ollie was drumming to the Tito Puente recording Tito Timbero when he heard a knock on his door. He opened the door and saw a well dressed salesman who said he was also a musician looking for a drummer for a group he was about to form. Ollie told Gil Calderón, the salesman, he already had a group. Calderón, who three years later became Joe Cuba, wished Ollie well and left.

Marín's professional debut was with "Coco," a guitar trio. After a few months of drumming with Chino Gueits (Palmieri's uncle) y sus Almas Tropicales, Ollie and Eddie Palmieri organized a band. Palmieri, 14 years old at that time, was not permitted to go out at night unless he was accompanied by a guardian. Marín, who was two years older, became his guardian. The band, whose vocalist was Joe Quijano, rehearsed at the Bronx's P.S. 52 on Kelly Street. The first four tunes in the repertoire were Cuban stock arrangements (sheet music) which sold for one dollar. The group's first recording was Abaniquito and Sun Sun Babae.

In 1953, Marín left the band after a misunderstanding with Palmieri. Months later, he was back directing the group after Palmieri joined Johnny Següi's conjunto. The Marín Orchestra gigged at the Sunnyside Garden, Hunts Point Palace, Tropicana and Stardust ballrooms. Quijano, who left Marín to join Alfredito's Levy's band was replaced by Armando "Mandin" Vega, whose vocals on the tune Mi Mambo on the Plus label was Ollie's first recording.

In 1956, Fiesta label president José Morand recorded the Marín orchestra and La Mesa was heard throughout Latin New York. At this time, the mambo and cha cha cha were at the peak of popularity. Federico Pagani, promoter for the Palladium Ballroom, was searching for bands to fill in for the Big Three house bands while Tito Puente, Tito Rodríguez and Machito were on tour. This reporter was at the Palladium on the evening that the orchestras of Moncho Leña and Orlando Marín auditioned. The versatility of vocalist Mon Rivera who performed on every instrument this evening, landed gigs for Leña's band. Marín's fiery drumming to Mi Mambo and vocalist Joe Quijano's rendition of the ballad La Gloria Eres Tu were enough to convince Pagani about the band's potential. Quijano left again and was replaced by Mandín. For months thereafter, the Marín orchestra was on the Palladium bandstand performing its Fiesta 78s of Oye Mi Son Cha-Cha-Cha, El Guayabero, Wildfire and La Mesa.

In May, 1958, while his band was a hot attraction, Ollie was drafted into the U.S. Army. After two months of basic training at Fort Dix, New Jersey and nine months at Fort Smith, Arkansas, there was 13 months of soldiering in Korea. Two years had gone by and Ollie was unaware of the new music trend of charanga. He came back into civilian life in May 1950, when the flute and strings of Charlie Palmieri were creating attention. He formed a Latin jazz septet whose personnel were: vocalist Víctor Velásquez, flutist Bobby Nelson, conguero Nick Ramos, bassist Izzy Feliú, pianist Paquito Pastor, and Tito Jiménez, who sang coro and banged a cow bell. They played every rhythm including the Pachanga, which was the rage at the time, and utilized the scat-singing vocal riffs of Marin, Velásquez and Jiménez. At this time Francisco Fellove, a Cuban vocalist living in Veracruz, Mexico, had already infected a number of musicians with his Afro-Cuban vocal bop riffs, most notably the Mexican conjunto of Lobo y Melon. Marín's orchestra was the only New York orchestra utilizing Fellove's "Chua Chua" scat riffs. Marín's scat sound caught fire and opened the doors to popular ballrooms and the two "in places" in Bayside Queens- The Manor and The Limbo Lounge.