 |
Tony Vega | |
|---|---|
 Vega in 2020 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | July 13, 1957 Salinas, Puerto Rico |
| Genres | Salsa |
| Occupation(s) | Salsa singer, bandleader. |
| Instrument(s) | bongos and conga |
Tony Vega Cesar (born July 13, 1957) [1] is a Puerto Rican salsa singer.
|
Tony Vega | |
|---|---|
| Vega in 2020 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | July 13, 1957 Salinas, Puerto Rico |
| Genres | Salsa |
| Occupation(s) | Salsa singer, bandleader. |
| Instrument(s) | bongos and conga |
Tony Vega Cesar (born July 13, 1957) [1] is a Puerto Rican salsa singer.
Vega was born in the town of Salinas, Puerto Rico. His family moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania when he was three months old, and remained there until he was 10 years old, before moving to Puerto Rico. [2] He was born into a family of musicians so, therefore, he learned how to play the bongos and conga at an early age. In 1967, when he was 10 years old, he played the conga for a children's band called La Preferida. His family moved to New York City in 1968. In New York, Vega continued to go to school. In his free time however, he played the conga for various local Latin rock bands including City Trash. [3]
Latin music was popular in New York during the 1970s and while Vega played the conga for Latin rock bands, he started to become more and more interested in the afroantillano style of music better known as salsa. He listened to and was influenced by Ismael Rivera, Rafael Cortijo, Rafael Ithier and El Gran Combo. [4]
Vega started as a member of Orquesta La Preferida from 1971 to 1973. [1] He was the primary conga player and sang on their chorus. One year when the school season ended his parents sent him on vacation to the United States for the two months of the school recess. Upon returning to Puerto Rico and back into the band, there was a replacement musician on the conga who had taken his place. It was suggested to Vega to go up front and try singing, as he had done chorus for the band quite well. Thus, his singing career was started. He remained with the band and recorded a 45 rpm record under the supervision of Pijuan (Melon Records), who was the director of Pijuan y su sexteto. He also did come chorus while a member of the Willie Rosario Orquesta with Gilberto Santa Rosa on two songs recorded by the Orquesta La Preferida for the late promotor Ruben Haddock. His voice can be heard on the CD Al fin contra viento y marea by La Preferida.
In 1978, after he graduated from high school, Vega auditioned and was accepted by La Selecta, a well known salsa band directed by Raphy Leavitt. [1] He sang with the band and recorded "Cosquillita" ("Tickle"), "Sheila Taina" and "El Picaflor", which became hits. In 1980, Vega was doing a show with La Selecta and in the audience was another salsa bandleader, Willie Rosario. Rosario was impressed with Vega and invited him to join his band. He did and participated in many recordings, and from 1981 to 1986, he shared credits with a young singer, Gilberto Santa Rosa. [1] Vega also played an essential role in the recording of "La Nueva Cosecha" ("The New Harvest") which was nominated for a Grammy Award. He stayed with Rosario for eight years. [4]
In 1986, Vega joined the Louie Ramirez band before returning to Puerto Rico. [1] In Puerto Rico, he was introduced to Eddie Palmieri, [1] by his friend Giovanni Hidalgo. Palmieri recorded Vega and ended up hiring him. [1] Vega participated in the recording of La Verdad (The Truth), which won a Grammy Award for Palmieri. [1] He traveled with the band to Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, and Yugoslavia. [3]
In 1988, Vega formed his own band and recorded "solo" for the first time. [1] His album Yo Me Quedo! (I Will Stay) became a best seller, and appeared no the Billboard tropical/salsa chart in late 1989. [1] He then followed that with the recording of Lo Mio es Amor (My Thing is Love), [1] which included the songs "Ella" ("She") and an English language track "Love is Forever". [5] This album earned him his first gold record. [5] In 1991, Vega won a platinum record with the success of his album Uno Mismo (Oneself). [1] [5] That year he performed in Venezuela and later went to New York where in Madison Square Garden he participated in Tito Puentes 100th recording The Mambo King. [3] He appeared at the New York Salsa Festival in 1989, 1990 and 1991. [1]
Among his most current productions are Si me mira a los ojos (If You Look into My Eyes), Hoy vine a Cantarte (Today I Came to Sing to You), Tropical Tribute to the Beatles (1996) and La Combinacion Perfecta (The Perfect Combination).
Vega continues to perform but, not as often as before. In 1996 he became a "born again Christian". [3]
In 1992, he was awarded La Husca Award in Panama and in Puerto Rico won the Agüeybaná de Oro Award for Best Orchestra of the Year. [5] That same year Vega and his band performed in Spain, Chile, Colombia and the United States. [5] He was also among a committee sent to Spain by the Government of Puerto Rico to represent the island when it was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award. He performed in the Sports Palace of Madrid. [4]
In 1996, Vega participated with Marc Anthony in the opening ceremonies of the 7th Gymnastics World Championships celebrated in Puerto Rico. [3]
| External audio | |
|---|---|
 You may listen to Tony Vega's "Esa mujer " here. |
El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, commonly known as El Gran Combo, is a Puerto Rican salsa orchestra based in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2012, it was often considered Puerto Rico's most successful musical group. The group received the moniker La Universidad de la 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, or who were occasionally backed up by the band and La India.
Linda Bell Viera Caballero, known professionally as La India, is a Puerto Rican singer and songwriter of salsa, house music and Latin pop. La India has been nominated for both Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards, winning the Latin Grammy Award for Best Salsa Album for the Intensamente La India Con Canciones De Juan Gabriel album.
Raphy Leavitt was a Puerto Rican composer and founder of the salsa orchestra, La Selecta.
Carlos Manuel "Charlie" Palmieri was a Puerto Rican bandleader and musical director of salsa music. He was known as the "Giant of the Keyboards".
Eddie Palmieri is an American Grammy Award-winning pianist, bandleader, musician, and composer of Corsican and Puerto Rican ancestry. He is the founder of the bands La Perfecta, La Perfecta II, and Harlem River Drive.
Cheo Feliciano was a Puerto Rican singer and composer of salsa and bolero music. Feliciano was the owner of a recording company called "Coche Records". He was the first tropical singer to perform at the "Amira de la Rosa Theater" in Barranquilla, Colombia, and in 1987 he played the role of Roberto Clemente's father in the musical Clemente.
Ismael Quintana was a Puerto Rican singer and composer of salsa music.
Ismael Miranda, also known as El Niño Bonito de la Salsa is a Puerto Rican singer and songwriter.
Willie Rosario, is a musician, composer and bandleader of salsa music. He is also known as Mr. Afinque.
Roberto "Bobby" Valentín Fret, is a musician and salsa bandleader. He is known as "El Rey del Bajo".
Juan Pablo Knipping Pacheco, known as Johnny Pacheco, was a Dominican musician, arranger, composer, bandleader, and record producer. Born in the Dominican Republic, Pacheco became a leading figure in the New York salsa scene in the 1960s and 1970s as the founder and musical director of Fania Records.
Pedro Juan Rodríguez Ferrer, better known as Pete "El Conde" Rodríguez, was a salsa singer born in Barrio Cantera, Ponce, Puerto Rico. His son, also named Pete Rodriguez, is also a salsa and jazz musician. His daughter, Cita Rodriguez, is also an accomplished salsa singer.
RMM Records, also known as RMM Records & Video Corp, was an independent Latin music record label established in 1987 and based in New York City. The label was most active during the late 1980s and early 1990s and produced primarily salsa, Latin jazz, and merengue music. At its peak, RMM Records employed 55 staff members and had distribution deals in 42 cities around the world, occupying 9,000 square feet in two floors at its Soho headquarters. The label was established by Fania Records promoter Ralph Mercado, who had established RMM Management in 1972 as an artist management and booking agency, providing bookings for Latin artists Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, and Ray Barretto.
Jimmy Bosch, also known as "El Trombon Criollo", is a jazz and salsa music trombonist, composer, and bandleader of Puerto Rican descent born in Jersey City, New Jersey. He was raised in Hoboken, New Jersey, and graduated from Hoboken High School in 1975.
Salsa Big Band is the fourth studio album by Rubén Blades and Roberto Delgado & Orquesta, released on 29 April 2017 by Rubén Blades Productions. After the release of Son de Panamá in 2015, also recorded with Delgado & Orquesta, Blades decided to record another album with them, on which included eleven songs. He had previously recorded nine on the songs, and two were covers of songs written by Luis Demetrio and Rene Touzet. Delgado was the producer for the álbum. Blades' principal inspiration for the album was his admiration for the work of Puerto Ricans performers such as Tito Puente, Tito Rodríguez and Willie Rosario, and the big band sounds of the 1950s.
This article includes an overview of the major events and trends in Latin music in the 1980s, namely in Ibero-America. This includes recordings, festivals, award ceremonies, births and deaths of Latin music artists, and the rise and fall of various subgenres in Latin music from 1980 to 1989.
This article includes an overview of the major events and trends in Latin music in the 1970s, namely in Ibero-America. This includes recordings, festivals, award ceremonies, births and deaths of Latin music artists, and the rise and fall of various subgenres in Latin music from 1970 to 1979.
Edwin "Eddie" Montalvo is an American percussionist and bandleader of Puerto Rican descent. Born and raised in the Bronx, he best known for playing the Congas for Hector Lavoe, Rubén Blades as well as with the Fania All-Stars.
Jon Evan Fausty was an American multiple Grammy Award-winning sound and recording engineer best known for his work on some of the most successful Latin albums ever recorded.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
