La Sonora Ponceña

[afrocubarico]

Hola congueros,
This past weekend I had the priviledge of witnessing a live performance of one of the greatest Puerto Rican Salsa bands in all of history, La Sonora Ponceña. To say that this band was elegant, tight-sounding, and truly swinging would be an understatement. These cats ruled!

It was awesome how Papo Lucca's father, Quique Lucca was on stage with them throughout the entire show! And man, at his age, he was was swinging and rockin as he stood there right next to his son. For those of you who are not familiar with Sonora Ponceña, Quique Lucca founded the group more than 60 years ago and then passed the group over to his son, Papo Lucca.

Papo Lucca's son, Luciano, was also in attendance and did a really cool Reggaeton act with the band. The kid had some really tight lyrics! All in all, this band met all of my expectations and then some. They played some of their well known classics like Hachero Pa' Palo, Timbalero, etc., etc., and the house lit up when they played probably their most well-known number, Fuego En El 23.

I personally kept my eye on the conguero's performance, the great Willie Lopez. Willie sounded great and did a beautiful afro-cuban number. The timbalero, of which I missed his name, was a young cat that reminded me of a young Tito Puente. The kid not only had superior chops on the timbales, but he also had some slick dance steps too.

"El Canario", Jose Alberto opened up the show and had special guest, Dave Valentin join him on stage. Canario was great, although the band was overpowering his vocals a bit. This was a great show and worth every penny! I think it's really important that we continue to support live Latin music and show promoters that this music is still alive. Baya!

afrocubarico

[tamboricua]

The timbalero, of which I missed his name, was a young cat that reminded me of a young Tito Puente. The kid not only had superior chops on the timbales, but he also had some slick dance steps too.

afrocubarico,

Ponceña's current timbalero is the very talented Manolito Rodríguez.

Saludos,

Jorge Ginorio

[Raymond]

Since my kid's day, back in the 70s, we had a saying: La Sonora is La Sonora

With all due respect to El Gran Combo, Willie Rosario and the others....La Sonora is La Sonora...

Nothing better to dance with...

Yep...Manolito Rodriguez is the timbalero...know him since he was a little kid. Very talented kid could play, sing and is a great dancer...Hot headed though! (He is considered the biggest "trepa tarima" in Puerto Rico. Trepa tarima is one that regardless if called or not, gets in every stage wherever he is... No problem in me saying this to him because I've told him several times!

Wilito is great and Tito Gutierrez, proud to say a Pearl endorser, make perhaps the best percussion section in salsa today!

Again...La Sonora is La Sonora...My kudos to Papo for keeping this band the tighest band in Salsa (with respect to the others....)

Saludos!

[Omelenko]

I totally agree. When it comes to salsa, La Ponceña es la que manda! Papo is the tastiest Salsa and Latin Jazz pianist there is. Papo es el "rey del sabor" con sus montunos y guajeos, piano con moña !

Saludos, Dario

[afrocubarico]

Jorge,
Thanks for the 411 on the timbalero's name. And Raymond, I agree with you on Sonora Ponceña being one of the "tightest" bands in Salsa.

I'm going to be traveling to Puerto Rico this summer and will try to catch them performing out there as well. Oh, and Omelenko, yes Papo's montunos are hard to beat. Baya! I like to see this music and these bands praised by the congueros of the world.

afrocubarico

[Jongo]

I would love to have the opportunity to see La Sonora Poncena someday. It is pretty amazing to have that longevity and still be able to crank it out and be consistently great. Here in San Antonio on the Sunday Latin Jazz/Classic Salsa radio show Henry Brun always plays some Sonora Poncena. They got it goin' on!

[caballoballo]

Vaya,yes I agreed with you guys about the Sonora been a very tight band but not about that they are the most danceable. Why,beacuse some times I don't know what's gets into Papos head and he start his set with a song named ñaña rica erigo which is too fast and has not afinque for the dancers and others times he may start with de que callada manera which is too slow. I can talk about that because I am also a dancer on clave or most known as on 2. Manolito the Timbalero is really trepa tarima,last time we played at the Criollo he ask me for a break to play Bongó on a theme and as soon as the Conga player got up,he jump into his throne to play the next theme. He is really a Kool guy.



Edited By caballoballo on 1173357184

[Raymond]

Dancing is like some ice cream stores...there are different flavors for people to try and everybody has their favorities and most people like some, etc, etc..

One thing that La Sonora Poncena has is that it does not "speed up" the tunes when they are played them live. Everybody tends to speed up the song. I don't know if you guys have noticed that.

Personally, I like the "swingy" normal speed. As a dancer, I accomodate to the tune....follow the clave all the time...Yep, it could be hard for some people. Some of the songs that are supposedly fast are actually songs that jump into the "clave rumba" that some people tend to try to follow up in regular clave and it tends to feel fast.

Well...regarding the "new trends" of dancing?????? Don't get me started on that because personally I think the new trends of "ballroom dancing"/schools, competition, etc...has actually killed the genre. (It did lift the genre in the late 90s and revived the old bands but it has run its course already).... It has become too complicated to dance that kids don't want to dance salsa...too complicated.

Yes, there are some kids dancing but not as many to keep the genre going.....Eventually the late 30s and 40s and so on...who actually are the ones going to salsa stufff in Puerto Rico....will not be able to go to clubs and the genre...will die What happened to dance for the fun of all????

Regarding Manolito, who is a great guy and like I said I know since he was a "kid wonder", it is still cute for him to do that because he is dealing with guys that like him and most know him since he was a kid. (Yes..he has done the same with me of making a gesture and wanting to play the instrument I am playing....He does that to everybody....Lately, his thing is to get and sing, which he does pretty good...Have to admit that if I am tired, I call Manolito to play). However, he needs to cool down. Everytime I see any band, a top band like El Combo or any other band, and I see Manolito in the club, I know he is going to get on stage. (Cuqui Santos, EGC timbalero, likes to give him the Timbalero solo). It was OK when he was 13 to do that but he is now 20 and an established pro. In my years of playing, the etiquette is that you do not invite yourself into a stage, somebody has to invite you, preferrably the owner or the player of the instrument with permission of the band leader. Eventually, he is going to find somebody who is going to say no and we'll see. He has been able to get away with. The guy is so talented and so eager to show what he can do that despite the fact he has already ranked himself he still doing what he did when he was a kid. Is becoming an industry joke....

Saludos!



Edited By Raymond on 1173367472

[caballoballo]

Raymond for your knowledge, there is a competition going on here on the Island for the salsa championship, started in Mayaguez then Ponce, Arecibo and this weekend is in Carolina, this competition is sponsor by the department of recreacion y deportes. The competition is every year. From children to masters they will compete, all the ones who qualify will compete in the Finals, so the genre is not dead. Every sport has a technic (we may call Salsa a sport because if you are not in shape you are not going to be able to handle it ). All the pubs where I play have an hour of salsa dance training prior to the party and I see many people participating in those classes. In L.A they dance on 1,in N.Y & P.R is on 2 . Also the Salsa congress is held here during the month of July every year with dancers from all over the world.

I have dance with Europeans who dance on 3 ,strange way to count the clave but they do. Still there are some people who dance like you said for fun but dancing with proper technic and knowledge is really a beautiful art. Como dijo Barreto,note quedes sin bailar.

I am not saying La sonora plays up tempo se corre el tiempo, I am saying, sometimes Papo selects the wrong song which IMO is not the best one to start a set. Ñaña rica erigo is really fast some others are too slow or mongas. Como dijo Ulises,arriba el Son



Edited By caballoballo on 1173539518

[Raymond]

Caballoballo,

The genre is not dead. At least not yet. I am aware there is interest. Yes..the competitions are alive and well...Yes...theres is still people participating in dances, etc, etc. However, is not the same...believe me and is not getting better.

For the genre to grow we need new stuff to come out which is not happening. (I know there is but radio is not playing and/or people not sponsoring. Can't be like for the genre to continue to grow).

Dancing??? I am old school. Have to admit I've taken classes and you don't know how much I have fought and discuss with my teachers. But is OK!

The song you mentioned, yes, maybe is not the best to start a set but still saying La Sonora is the best to dance, at least for me. Take them before any other band....

(Apparently, me and you, tend to hang in the same places.....Have we met? If not, maybe we should meet). Take care.

Saludos!

[caballoballo]

Raymond, what's cooking.

Yes,in the pass also I got into some friendly disccusions with Salsa dance intructors,mainly about the clave. Even though I understant their point of view of the clave and dancing,some of them do not understant the clave from a musician point of view. It is kind of hard to talk about the same but with a different meaning.

I am old school too and took some classes in 1999 to upgrade and to understant the way they integrate the clave to the dance. One thing that came out as a by product is that having that knowledge of dancing in clave really improve the way I play the Campana.

No,we have never meet and maybe we have been in the same club many times. Debemos juntarnos un dia para hablar sobre musica y darnos un par de palos de Caña.

[Raymond]

Caballoballo,

I will send you a private message with my number so we could arrange to meet. Cuidese!