Andy Montañez - Salsa
Born on 7 May, 1942, in Santurce, Puerto Rico, Montañez's rich and
powerful voice was an essential part of
El Gran Combo's trademark sound and
salsa
legend. In 1977 Dimensión Latina, based in then oil wealthy Venezuela, made
him a lucrative offer he could not refuse, and he joined them as a co-lead
singer until 1980, when he left to go solo.
He released a string of albums during the 80s and in 1990. His 1983
Hoy ... Y Ayer (Today and Yesterday), contained a medley of El Gran Combo
hits to mark their 20th anniversary. Mirroring El Gran Combo, Montañez uses
a line-up that contains two trumpets, two saxophones and a trombone, plus a
rhythm section (conga,
bongo,
timbales, cowbell,
maracas, bass, piano) and coro (chorus).
The 1985 chart-topper, Andy Montañez, was one of his best. It
contained the superb Catalino Curet Alonso composition "Genio y Figura".
Ernesto Rivera wrote all the arrangements and Montañez's sons, Andy Jnr. and
Harold, sang coro. The sons became members of Andy's band, led by flamboyant
timbales player Don Perignon, whom backed him on the hit Mejor Acompañado
Que Nunca ( Better Accompanied Than Ever ), 1986. This was another fine
album and contained the outstanding
Me
Lo Estas Poniendo Dificil (You Are Making It Difficult For Me), arranged
by Rivera. Andy and the band won awards in Colombia and Puerto Rico and made
one more album together in 1988.
Andy Jr. and Harold began recording as a duo in 1987 with El Comienzo Del
Camino ..., followed by Siguiendo El Camino in 1989. Both albums were
produced by bandleader, trombonist, arranger, composer
Julio
"Gunda" Merced. Don Perignon went solo as a bandleader and debuted on La
Buena Vida! in 1989. His trio of lead vocalists included Luisito Carrión,
who previously worked with "Gunda' Merced"s Salsa Fever, La Terrifica, and
Bobby Valentín.
In 1990, Carrión became a member of
Sonora
Ponceña. Andy became the centre of controversy in early 1989 when the
Kiwanis Club, which organize Miami's Calle Ocho Festival, vetoed his
appearance because he had visited Cuba in 1979 while still a member of
Dimensión Latina. Paradoxically, he had been allowed to perform at the
festival during the previous four years. Andy retorted that his political
views were private, and added that he was not a communist. The same year,
Montañez and El Gran Combo appeared on the same bill at the New Orleans Jazz
and Heritage Festival.
Montañez returned in 1990 with Todo Nuevo; recorded with some of
Puerto Rico's finest session musicians. "Fantasma", arranged by trumpeter
Tommy Villariny, was the first hit from the album. In the tradition of the
70s Puerto Rico All Stars albums, which Andy participated in, Don Perignon
assembled a mini-galaxy of Puerto Rico's current stars under the banner of
La Puertorriqueña for Festival De Soneros in 1990. Besides Montañez, other
artists involved were:
Gilberto Santa Rosa, Pedro Brull (from Mulenze ), Luisito Carrión, Primi
Cruz (from
Willie Rosario's band), lead vocals were by
Tony Vega,
Alex D'Castro, coro; Mario Ortiz, trumpet; Humberto Ramírez, arranger,
co-musical director and trumpet; Andy Guzmán, piano and arranger. Leading
Puerto Rican composers
Catalino Curet Alonso and Johnny Ortiz, were amongst those contributing
songs.
