Los Angeles, Ca - On November 5, 2009 Nicaraguan salsa singer, Luis Enrique received the Latin Grammy for his album Ciclos at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas. It was a coronation of sorts for Luis Enrique AKA “The Prince of Salsa”. For years many assumed that he had created the Salsa Romantica genre – and single-handedly saved Salsa from pop music’s onslaught. However, in the wake of the 10th Edition of the Latin Grammy’s comes an exposé revealing who created Salsa Romantica in the first place.
According to music expert Nelson Rodriguez, editor of Latin Beat Magazine, the genre was created in Hollywood, not Miami, by Stevie Wonder’s protégé, Cuban musician LA PALABRA and his Orquesta Versalles in 1981. http://www.palabraonline.com
“For many in the Latin music community the 1983 release of Noche Caliente’s self-titled album introduced us all to the sensual style of “Salsa Romantica.”…It turns out that this concept of arranging romantic tunes as salsa tracks actually came from a local LA band’s performance, a Cuban musician known as La Palabra.”
Fito Foster, a.k.a. La Palabra, has the original 45 recording of “Todo Se Derrumbó” (song from Emmanuel) that includes the date created - preceding the K-Tel release.
La Palabra says, “I was the one who brought Luis Enrique to Miami as my bongocero (bongo player). A chain of events led people to believe that what Louie Ramirez and Ray de La Paz produced for K-Tel Records, under the title, Noche Caliente was the birth of this style. It is time to break the silence. It is time I claim my rightful place and acknowledge the contributions of Orquesta Versalles and La Palabra to salsa music. Salsa fans everywhere will know the truth.”
Prior to the K-Tel Recording, La Palabra was approached by K-Tel executive Joni Figueras who had fallen in love with La Palabra’s concept of changing current radio hits into salsa tracks at Club Candilejas. Because he was under contract with Stevie Wonder, La Palabra had to decline the K-Tel proposal that was later given to his friends Louie Ramirez and Ray de la Paz. Noche Caliente was born based on La Palabra’s concept.
La Palabra will be performing to promote his new album Musicholic at The Conga Room on December 17, 2009. The Conga Room is located at 800 West Olympic Boulevard Suites A160- A260 Los Angeles, Ca 90015.
Media access will be provided by calling (818) 521-3807.
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