Lehman Center for the Performing Arts opens its 32nd season with an incredible night of the best Salsa and Latin jazz performed by some of the world’s most extraordinary musicians. Latin jazz piano sensation Michel Camilo brings his “Mano A Mano” Trio, featuring Giovanni Hidalgo on percussion and Lincoln Goines on bass, hot off tours of Europe and South America and a self-titled new album, to Lehman Center on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012 at 8:00 p.m.
Legendary Salsa band Tipica ’73 will perform that evening in celebration of their 40th Anniversary. Originally formed in New York by some of the city’s leading Latin musicians, the band became one of the world’s foremost Latin outfits. Tipica ’73 40th Anniversary features Salseros Adalberto Santiago, Tito Allen and Camilo Azuquita, under the direction of Johnny Rodriguez and Sonny Bravo. Special guests include Giovanni Hidalgo, Orestes Vilató, Nicky Marrero, Alfredo De La Fe, Nelson Gonzalez, José Grajales, Frankie Vasquez, Jimmy Delgado, George Delgado, Gerry Madera, Ali Bello, and David Santiago. The finale of this concert will feature a “Timbal Jam Session” with Orestes Vilató, Nicky Marrero, Jimmy Delgado and Giovanni Hidalgo.
Lehman Center for the Performing Arts is on the campus of Lehman College/CUNY at 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Bronx, N.Y. 10468. Lehman Center is accessible by #4 or D train to Bedford Park Blvd. and is off the Saw Mill River Parkway and the Major Deegan Expressway. Low-cost on-site parking is available.
Michel Camilo, Dominican-born, studied for 13 years at the National Conservatory, earning a Professorship in Music degree, and at 16 joined the Dominican Republic’s National Symphony Orchestra. Moving to New York in 1979, he studied at Mannes and the Juilliard School. Since his 1985 Carnegie Hall debut he has become a prominent figure at festivals throughout the world. With 22 recordings to date, his latest “Mano a Mano,” he has received a GRAMMY, an Emmy, two Latin GRAMMYs and numerous international awards.
Tipica ’73 was formed in late ‘72 by five of the original lineup split from Ray Barretto’s band at height of its popularity: Adalberto Santiago, lead singer; Cuban Orestes Vilató on timbales, doubling on bongo; bongo player Johnny “Dandy” Rodríguez, who had also done stints with Tito Puente and Tito Rodríguez, now moving to congas and presiding over the Típica ‘73 cooperative; trumpeter René López; and bassist Dave Pérez. The five were joined by pianist/arranger Sonny Bravo, born in NYC of Cuban parentage, who became Típica’s musical director; trombonist Leopoldo Pineda; and trumpeter/pianist/arranger Joe Mannozzi.
Releasing their debut album, Tipica ’73, on the Inca label, the group hit upon a fresh and intoxicating sound, as they combined the conjunto percussive style (congas, timbales and bongos) with a horn section, and, in the process, became one of the Salsa movement’s leading outfits to hail from New York. A second album, also titled Tipica ‘73, spawned the hit single “Amalia Batista,” a cover tune that was originally made famous by Rolando La Serie. But more importantly, the album signaled the debut of a new member, tres player Nelson Gonzalez, who would become an integral member of the group. The group released several more albums including La Candela in 1975, Rumba Caliente in 1976 and The Two Sides of Tipica ‘73 and then disbanded in the ‘80s. A reunion concert in 1995 in San Juan led to a series of concerts in 1999, including a concert at Lehman Center, where they return to celebrate their 40th anniversary.
