Salsa Palooza @ Lehman Center October 16, 2010

LEHMAN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS presents
THREE SALSA GIANTS FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY!
SALSA PALOOZA

TITO ROJAS, JERRY RIVERA and EDDIE SANTIAGO

Lehman Center for the Performing Arts presents, as part of its 30th Anniversary Season, a Salsa extravaganza with three Salsa superstars – TITO ROJAS, “El Gallo de la Salsa;†JERRY RIVERA, Tropical music heartthrob; and EDDIE SANTIAGO, an icon of Salsa romántica – who take Lehman Center’s stage for one noche caliente on Saturday, October 16, 2010 at 8pm.

Lehman Center for the Performing Arts is on the campus of Lehman College/CUNY at 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Bronx, NY 10468. Tickets for SALSA PALOOZA featuring TITO ROJAS, JERRY RIVERA & EDDIE SANTIAGO on Saturday, October 16, 2010 at 8pm are: $55, $50, $45 and $40 and can be purchased by calling the Lehman Center box office at 718.960.8833 (Mon. through Fri., 10am–5pm, and beginning at 12 noon on the day of the concert), or through 24-hour online access at www.LehmanCenter.org. 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. Free on-site parking is available.

Tito Rojas, born in 1955 in Humacao, Puerto Rico, began his music career in the 1970s recording with Pedro Conga y su Orquesta Internacional. He became lead vocalist with Justo Betancourt’s Conjunto Borincuba, releasing “Con amor†in 1978. Embarking on a solo career that year, Rojas recorded with the Fania All-Stars and released two solo albums and the hit song “El campesino†before forming his own band, Conjunto Borincano. As lead vocalist for Luis Ayala’s Puerto Rican Power, he scored hits with salsa versions of “Noche de bodas†and “Quiéreme tal como soy.†In 1990 Rojas resumed his solo career and released the salsa romántica album Sensual, followed by Condéname (‘92) and A mi estilo (‘94). He reached superstardom in 1995 when Por derecho propio went double platinum, and he won Puerto Rico’s Paoli for “Best Salsa Artist†and New York’s ACE Award from entertainment critics. His ‘96 hit album Humildemente included a track in memory of his friend, musical director Sammy Torres, and ‘97’s Pal’ pueblo featured the hit song “Lloro.†In 2002 Rojas recorded Tito Rojas Live: Autenticamente En Vivo in Las Vegas with special guest Roberto Roena on bongos. His latest albums are 2007’s Sin comentarios and 2009’s Vida.

Jerry Rivera grew up in Puerto Rico, son of singer Edwin “Pino" Rivera, who made a demo of 14-year-old Jerry and presented it to CBS, who signed him. He became known as "El Bebé de la Salsa" with the release of Abriendo puertas (1990) when he was only fifteen. Over the past 20 years Rivera has had 26 #1 hits and 43 Top 40 hits and has sold over twelve million records worldwide, making him the best-selling Tropical music artist of all time. His 1992 triple-platinum Cuenta conmigo one of Salsa’s top-selling albums spawned two major hits -- the title track and "Casi un hechizo." Rivera’s 18 albums range from Latin Pop to the bolero album Rivera (2001) and his popular tribute to Frankie Ruíz, Canto a mi ídolo...Frankie Ruíz (2003), which garnered a Latin GRAMMY nomination. He appeared in the film "I Like It Like That," featuring Jon Seda, Rita Moreno and the Barrio Boyzz. In 2007, he released Caribe Gardel, a tribute to Argentine singer Carlos Gardel that featured Gardel's “Cuesta abajo,†one of that year’s major salsa hits. His latest releases are 2008’s Amores como el Nuestro: Los éxitos, 2009’s DOS Clásicos and 2010’s Mis favoritas.

Eddie Santiago, born in 1955 in Puerto Rico, demonstrated a talent for Salsa at a young age. He performed with Generación 2000, Orquesta La Potente, Orquesta Opus, Orquesta Saragüey and Conjunto Chaney. His career took off in 1984 in Puerto Rico and Latin America when he formed his own band and recorded such songs as “Tú me quemas,†“Qué locura enamorarme de ti,†“Me fallaste,†“Antídoto y veneno,†“Tu me haces falta†and his best-known hit “Lluvia.†His 1988 concert in Mexico City's Palacio de los Deportes propelled the then-unknown singer to international superstardom, and his fame soon spread to Europe and the U.S. He became one of the most popular Salsa singers of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s and one of the main singers of “Salsa romántica.†Santiago’s first major recording on an international label was with Sony Music in 1999 when he released Celebration: Epic Duets. The album, which featured duets with such Latin music stars as Víctor Manuelle, Huey Dunbar and Elvis Crespo, was named one of the best recordings of 1999 by the National Foundation for Popular Culture. Santiago has earned numerous awards and gold and platinum records. In 2005 he released Después del silencio, which received a GRAMMY nomination for Best Salsa/Merengue Album.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council. Lehman Center also receives support from the New York State Council on the Arts.