These are pieces which are longer in nature than postcards and tend to explore subjects a little more in depth. Their topics range from general aspects of Latin culture to more specialised facets of music or dance.

Chachacha: Classic cheek, classic chic - Loo Yeo

Loo Yeo talks about PerfectPitch - STC EnClave

External Articles

The following section consists of articles by and about people whose seminal works contributed to the rise of Salsa and Merengue. They are all performers, arrangers, producers and publicists - some famous, some not so. Their articles are actually located on other sites, and we've created and grouped the links broadly according to theme.

Why have we bothered to do this?

Quite simply because there is no shortage of information on salsa or merengue. On the contrary, there is so much material available in the printed word that it's difficult to find your way through. I experienced this as a newcomer first-hand, and it took a little while for me to orient myself in the Latin world.

Apart from providing a literary compass in understanding the importance and nature of their work, I believe it's important to develop a human feeling for the personalities that shaped the world in which we spend so much of our spare time.
 

Big Band Leaders

“Machito” Frank Grillo
Singer and founder of one of the greatest Latin bands ever. It was through his band that Tito Puente rose to prominence.
http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/archives/Profile49
http://www.galegroup.com/free_resources/chh/bio/machito.htm

Dámaso Perez Prado
Pianist and arranger, he set North America alight with “Qué rico el mambo” and “Mambo no.5” sparking off the mambo craze.
http://www.laventure.net/tourist/prez_bio.htm

Tito Puente
The King of Mambo passed away at the age of 77, after recording more than 100 albums and winning four grammys. The legacy of his music, the mambo, lives on in the form of salsa today. Long live “El Rey”.
http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/archives/Profile60
http://www.galegroup.com/free_resources/chh/bio/puente_t.htm

Tito Rodriguez
A discographic profile of the popular Puerto Rican-born sonero and bolero singer, bandleader, percussionist, composer, producer, label boss.
http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/archives/Profile53
 

Fania

Johnny Pacheco
Multi-instrumentalist bandleader and co-founder of the Fania label talks candidly his music. The person whose sound defined salsa of the early 70s.
http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/archives/Interview2

Jerry Masucci
A lawyer with Italian roots, he partnered up with Johnny Pacheco to form Fania; the latter providing musical direction and Jerry, the administrative infrastructure.
http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/archives/Article8

Izzy Sanabria
Graphic Designer, MC, stand-up comedian. It was his idea to use "Salsa" to market Latin music.
http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/archives/Interview15

Ray Barretto
Conguero and cornerstone to Fania's All-Stars. Contributed much in salsa's early years before leaving to enter the jazz arena.
http://www.musicofpuertorico.com/en/ray_barretto.html
http://www.salsasf.com/features/interviews/barretto.html
Biography in Spanish:
http://www.prpop.org/Biografias/Biografias%20QR/ray_barr.html

Larry Harlow
A man who's done everything: multi-instrumentalist performer, bandleader, recording producer; most famously seen playing the keys in the Fania All Stars live at the Cheetah Club, in the film "Nuestra Cosa Latina".
http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/archives/Profile29

Hector Lavoe
His life reads like a tragedy: unique talent, great success, and a life ended prematurely. Here's a posthumous profile of one of the greatest vocal improvisers Latin music has ever seen.
http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/archives/Profile7
 

Influential Artists

José “El Canario” Alberto
Although not quite in the same legendary class as Celia Cruz and Rubén Blades, he's getting there.
http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/archives/Interview24
http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/archives/Profile46

Joe Arroyo
The greatest singer to emerge from Colombia for all time, started out with the legendary artist/producer Fruko, successfully fought drug addiction, formed his own band “La Verdad” (The Truth), and created his own rhythm “joeson”.
http://www.musicweb.uk.net/encyclopaedia/a/A112.HTM
http://www.laweekly.com/ink/02/10/music-lechner.shtml
Photos:
http://www.latinbayarea.com/2002/F-M/joearroyo.htm
Biography in Spanish:
http://www.sonymusic.com.co

Rubén Blades
The man with a most distinctive crystal-clear voice. That he failed to win Presidential Office in Panama is the country's loss and salsa's gain.
http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/archives/Interview6
http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/archives/Interview7
http://www.galegroup.com/free_resources/chh/bio/blades_r.htm

Willie Colón
Labelled “El Malo” or the Bad Boy of salsa; a moniker used to great marketing success when he first began at Fania. Known for his tough and agressive sound in his youth.
http://www.galegroup.com/free_resources/chh/bio/colon_w.htm
http://www.williecolon.com/colonint.htm

Celia Cruz
“Salsa's most celebrated singer” - New York Times. The National Museum of American History honored the undisputed Queen of Salsa, with a lifetime achievement award for excellence in music.
http://www.galegroup.com/free_resources/chh/bio/cruz_c.htm
http://www.lamusica.com/celiacruz/biography.shtml

Oscar D'Leon
“El Sonero Mayor” - Oscar is Venezuela's brightest star, and salsa's most gifted live performer.
http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/archives/Profile17
http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/archives/Profile38
 

Groups

Fania All-Stars
The original salsa supergroup.
http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/archives/Article10
http://www.congahead.com/Archives/Galleries-Archive/Fania/

Grupo Niche
One of Colombia's premier salsa groups, with a long string of hits and a history of exceptional albums.
http://www.utp.edu.co/~mao1/niche/biography.html
http://www.musicweb.uk.net/encyclopaedia/n/N38.HTM
Biography in Spanish:
http://www.utp.edu.co/~mao1/niche/biografias.html
 

Merengue

Juan Luis Guerra
One of the most talented musicians to come out of the Dominican Republic, JLG and his group 4:40 opened the door for the general acceptance of Bachata as a music form across the social divide.
http://musicfinder.yahoo.com/shop?d=hc&id=1802072520&cf=11&intl=us
A better site, but in Spanish:
http://www.htv.com/artists/juan_gr/index.asp
 

Labels, Owners and Producers

Martin Cohen
Started out as an engineer with a passion for Latin music. From the humble beginnings of hand producing bongos to establishing the internationally reknown Latin Percussion company.
http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/archives/Interview5
His personal site:
http://www.congahead.com/

Ernesto “Fruko” Estrada
The Godfather of Colombian salsa, Fruko got his nickname from a television commercial. A prolific producer for the Discos Fuentes label and a talented musician, it's disapppointing that there is so little about him on the net.
http://www.afropop.org/
Photos
http://www.latinbayarea.com/2002/F-M/fruko.htm

Greg Landau
A brief interview with the Grammy-nominated producer/musician, and erstwhile scholar, with a spontaneous approach on recording music.
http://www.latinjazznet.com/interviews/greg_landau.htm
His personal site:
http://www.greglandau.com/index.html

Ralph Mercado
He signed Tito Puente and Celia Cruz; among more than 100 other latin stars. His label RMM Records took up where Fania left off, becoming the most influential force in Latin music in the US.

• Self-promoting (and therefore predictably biased) site
  http://www.ralphmercadopresents.com/biographies/ralphmercado.htm
  
• Music Legacy for Sale - Bankruptcy of RMM Records
  http://www.puertorico-herald.org/issues/2001/vol5n24/4SaleLatinMusic-en.shtml
  
• Universal Music Group acquires RMM assets after Chapter 11
  http://www.umusic.com/static/press/06252001.htm
   

Educators

Rebeca Mauleón-Santana
It is unfair to categorise this self-confessed over-achiever as just an educator. Although she is also a highly sought after keyboardist and arranger, Rebeca's most valuable contribution to Latin music could arguably be her two definitive books on salsa arrangement and piano.
http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/archives/Interview17
http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/archives/Review28

Eddie Torres
Has performed at Carnegie Hall and for President George Bush. A teacher and dancer without equal, Eddie is the credited with developing dancing on "street-two".
http://www.eddietorresstudio.com/biography.htm
http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/archives/Review63
 

Arrangers

Marty Sheller
One of Salsa's most prolific arranger/songwriters, with highly acclaimed albums such as Orquesta Gitano's "Salsa Gitana" to his credit.
http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/archives/Interview4
http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/archives/Review39