During our visit to Cuba on April, 2016 we had to opportunity to visit Matanzas, Cuba.We are forever grateful for Los Muñequitos de Matanzas opening their home to us.
rumba
Mayito Rivera y La Tematik at Congahead Studio
Cuban Singer Mayito Rivera performs his single Rio Seco and Rumbeando con La Tematik.
Felipe Luciano presents Afro Cuban rhythms at the Union Theological Seminary, NYC
Puerto Rico. December 2011
Los Muñequitos de Matanzas and Friends in Montvale, NJ
Celebrating Carlos “Patato” Valdez’s birthday.
Born roughly November 4, 1925, Carlos “Patato” Valdez was one of the most influential figures in the development of my career and that of the LP, percussion company I founded in 1964. It was love at first sight for me. He was talented, funny and a bit crazy. He helped me hone my hanging out chops in the after hour clubs in the Bronx and in the parties in his apartment. He was a part of my life for nearly 40 years. With his help I introduced a conga design that has his name and a bata drum set in fiberglass that was a bit oversized. In 1979 he was part of a band I founded that included Tito Puente and Johnny “Dandy” Rodriguez called the Latin Percussion Jazz Ensemble that made 3 European trips and one to Japan. If the trips themselves were costly to me, they helped me develop a global business that became a powerful brand in percussion.
Patato died in a hospital outside of Cleveland, Ohio on November 11, 2007