Orlando Marín: and the band swings on

Latin Beat Magazine, Sept, 1998 by Max Salazar

"It is so difficult to explain the pain I felt when I lost China," said Marín in a dispirited tone, "dying would have been easier for me at the time...nothing mattered...all I thought about was her...I just wanted her back." During the year of their parting, Ollie's hit recordings of the tunes Mi Jevita and Aprende A Querer (from his Fiesta LP Esta En Algo), kept his band among the top ten. His problems immensely accumulated by the end of the year, and like dust in the wind, his popularity began its voyage to memoryland. China and Ollie were divorced in 1970.

In 1972, an idea of Al Santiago (Alegre Records fame) resulted in the album La Saxofónica, a group of five saxophones and a rhythm section. The LP's outstanding tracks, Louie's Saxophobia, Orlando's Saxophobia and La Mesa, make it one of the most arousing Latin jazz albums ever recorded. On May 22, 1997, the Orlando Marín orchestra was feted for being the third oldest active orchestra after Tito Puente's and Machito's. Tony Rodríguez, promoter of La Maganette Lounge, honored Marín with a plaque which reads: "In recognition of a musical legend. You started in 1951, making it 46 years and still counting. A timbalero, composer and bandleader. We have benefited from your contribution to Latin music. On behalf of your friends and fellow musicians, from the bottom of our hearts, we wish to say Thank You."

For almost half a century The Orlando Marin Orchestra has brightened the lives of New York City's salsa dancers. At the moment, he is appearing at Tito Puente's Bronx restaurant once a month and his band still SWINGS. Just recently his sextet, with Connie Grossman on flute, blew a lot of mind fuses with a fiery Peanut Vendor at the Bronx's Willie's Steakhouse. There is a belief that Buddy Rich's skills were just a bit better than Gene Krupa's. For those who witnessed the Puente-Marín timbal exhibition's at Club Virginia's and the Hollywood Palladium in June, 1965, Puente was Buddy Rich and Orlando Marín proved he was Gene Krupa.