Joe Arroyo

Álvaro José Arroyo González (also known as Joe Arroyo or El Joe; 1 November 1955 – 26 July 2011) was a Colombian salsa and tropical music singer, composer and songwriter. He was considered one of the greatest performers of Caribbean music in his country.

Life and career

1955-1971: Early life

Joe Arroyo was born and raised in the neighborhood Nariño in Cartagena. Arroyo's singing career began very early, when at the age of eight he sang in brothels in Tesco, a red-light zone in his hometown. In the beginning he sang with groups like "Los Caporales del Magdalena", "Manuel Villanueva y su Orquesta", "La Protesta" and "Super Combo Los Diamantes", in 1971 he recorded with "La Promiscua". As is mentioned, pronounced, remarked, and showed by him in some of his songs "...En la Plaza de Majagual, Sincelejo..." Joe, did it concerts as young singer in this city, place, downtown.

1971-2000: Early career

In 1971 Arroyo had his biggest opportunity of becoming a nationally known artist. He was discovered by Julio Ernesto Estrada, the bass player and director of the band Fruko y sus Tesos and signed up with Colombian record label Discos Fuentes. He performed with the band for ten years until 1981 when he began his solo career leading his band, named "La Verdad" (The truth).

Dimensión Latina

The Dimensión Latina is one of the more famous and representative Salsa music and Latin bands from Venezuela, and one of the remarkable names in the early history of Salsa in the American continent. It was founded on March 15, 1972 in Caracas, Venezuela, by six young musicians: Jose “Joseíto” Rodríguez (musical director and timbales player), pianist Jesus Narvaez, the trombonists César “Albóndiga” Monjes and José Antonio “Rojitas” Rojas, the congas player Elio Pacheco and a vocalist that would soon become one of the most popular and influential singers and musicians in the history of Latin music in the American continent: the singer and bass player Oscar D'León.

Two years after its foundation, singer Wladimir Lozano joins the group. Bearer of a singularly sweet voice, naturally talented for singing Boleros, Wladimir would form with Oscar D'León one of the most memorable duets in Latin music. The singers Argenis Carrullo, Rodrigo Mendoza and Andy Montañez were also notable members of Dimensión Latina.

El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico

El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, commonly known as El Gran Combo, is a Puerto Rican Salsa music orchestra based in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2012, it is Puerto Rico's most successful musical group, and is considered "the most popular Salsa group that has ever existed". The group received the moniker La Universidad de la Salsa (The University of Salsa) in Colombia, due to the sheer number of famous salsa musicians and singers who developed their careers with it, who started with the group (particularly Andy Montañez), or who were occasionally backed up by the band (including Celia Cruz, Héctor Lavoe and La India).

The Salsa Orchestra was founded in May 1962, by Rafael Ithier. Ithier is still nominally its musical director, and is the only remaining members from the band's original lineup. As of 2010, Willie Sotelo, who joined the group in 2006 as pianist, has become the band's de facto musical director on tours, with Ithier conducting the group and playing occasionally in select live performances. They are still actively performing after 50 years together. The group was scheduled to celebrate its 50th anniversary on 11 November 2012 at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico. The group started its celebration with a grand world tour that took them to five continents.

Ismael Rivera

Ismael Rivera a.k.a. "Maelo" (October 5, 1931 – May 13, 1987), was a Puerto Rican composer and singer of Puerto Rican music.

Early life

Rivera was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, a sector of San Juan, Puerto Rico. He was the first of five children born to Luis and Margarita Rivera. His father, Luis, was a carpenter and his mother a housewife. As a child, Rivera was always singing and banging on cans with sticks. He received his primary education at the Pedro G. Goyco Elementary School and then went on to learn carpentry at a vocational school. He also shined shoes to help his family financially and when he was 16 years old, he worked as a carpenter. During his free time he would hang around the corner with his best friend Rafael Cortijo and sing songs. La Fundacion Ismael Rivera In 1948, Rivera and Cortijo joined El Conjunto Monterrey, where Rivera played the conga and Cortijo the bongos. Rivera was unable to work full-time as a musician because of his work as a carpenter.

Musical career

Arroyo

Arroyo is a Spanish word that may refer to:

Places

United States

Spain

Other

See also