San Juan, April 27 (EFE).- The legendary artist Willie Rosario made the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum, in Puerto Rico, vibrate to the rhythm of the clave this Saturday night, in a salsa party celebrating his centenary, along with two of the illustrious performers who made up his orchestra, Gilberto Santa Rosa and Tony Vega.
“Thank you very much for coming this far. For the years we are doing what we can,” Rosario said, visibly moved at 99 years old and after being applauded by those in attendance.
Fernando Luis Rosario Marín, the artist’s first name, continued to thank “the Latin salseros who are here and the European salseros,” since flags of various countries such as Colombia, Peru or Mexico were flying in the pavilion.
In front of the crowded most important concert hall in Puerto Rico, after selling all the tickets, Chamaco Rivera started the concert with the famous song ‘De Barrio Obrero a la 15’ and Rosario began to reverberate on his timpani, which made everyone move their hips. the public.
The veteran salsero delighted everyone present at his birthday party with his timbale, an instrument that he was inspired to play when he was delighted by the show that Tito Puente gave in the famous New York dance hall El Palladium.
For his part, Puerto Rican trumpeter Humberto Ramírez remarked when he went on stage to present ‘Mr. He stated that he did not know “any other musician who turns 100 and celebrates it by playing on stage.”
Also participating in the show was the boy timbalero Gerardo Gabriel, son of the singer Gerardo Rivas and grandson of Jerry Rivas, vocalist of El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, who impressed the audience with his skills as a percussionist.
Santa Rosa and Vega, who constituted one of the great duets of the Rosario orchestra, made their long-awaited appearance at the concert singing the song ‘Babarabatiri’ and recounted anecdotes that they experienced in their beginnings in the musical group.
“There are many stories and experiences that we have lived together,” Santa Rosa recalled.
Rosario, known as ‘Mister Afinque’ or ‘Mister Ritmo’, for his style of making dance songs, was also accompanied at the celebration by Puerto Rican salseros Erick Robles, Manolito Rodríguez and José de Jesús known as ‘Papachú’.
‘El Caballero de la Salsa’ and Vega, 61 years old and 66 years old respectively, performed successful songs such as ‘Mi Friend El Payaso’, ‘La Medio’, ‘Flamboyán’, ‘El Timbal de Carlitos’ or ‘Busca el Rhythm’, in a presentation in which all the songs were danced in the auditorium.
Santa Rosa thanked all the artists of the salsa musical genre who were present in the room and mentioned the Puerto Rican singer and percussionist Choco Orta, Domingo Quiñones, Moncho Rivera, Tito Nieves, Luisito Carrión, Chucho Avellanet, Bobby Valentín, Jerry Rivas and Ismael Miranda.
“Willie, we are here to celebrate your first 100, your life and your career,” said Santa Rosa.
The final culmination of the celebration that brought together the great Puerto Rican salseros came with the songs ‘Botaron la pelota’ and ‘Lluvia’.
The author of hits like ‘The Apartment’, ‘Yambú’, ‘La Cuesta de la Fame’ and ‘Lluvia’ will turn 100 on May 6.
In 1958, after being a percussionist in orchestras such as Noro Morales, Joe Quijano and Aldemaro Romero, Rosario started his own group, once the musician Johnnie Seguí, with whom he had worked since 1953, decided to dissolve his group to return to Puerto Rico.
The incorporation of the baritone saxophone to his proposal was what led Rosario to have hits such as ‘El street’, ‘Maina’ and ‘Announcement classified’.
In 1987 his orchestra became the first salsa group to be nominated for an Anglo-Saxon Grammy.
Furthermore, his career has been recognized on other occasions, such as when they named the street where he was born and raised in the municipality of Coamo (south) after him, as well as the city’s Music School.
Rosario was awarded an honorary doctorate in Music by the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico on Thursday. EFE
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