Back To The 80’s: El Concierto February 6, 2010

LEHMAN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS presents
A NIGHT OF ELECTRIFYING SALSA DANCE HITS!

BACK TO THE 80’S: EL CONCIERTO

Featuring José Alberto “El Canario,” Raulín Rosendo, Nino Zegarra & Paquito Guzmán

Lehman Center for the Performing Arts presents a musical time machine as four of salsa’s finest soneros – Dominican-born JOSÉ ALBERTO “EL CANARIO” and RAULÍN ROSENDO, and Puerto Rican-born NINO ZEGARRA and PAQUITO GUZMÁN -- take the stage to perform their dance hit classics for “BACK TO THE 80’s: EL CONCIERTO” on Saturday, February 6, 2010 at 8pm. The evening’s steamy repertoire will include El Canario’s “Sueño contigo,” “Luna de miel” and “Quiero salsa;” Guzmán’s “25 rosas” and “Cinco noches;” Zegarra’s “Porque te amo,” “Entre la espada y la pared” and “Como amigos si, como amantes no” and Rosendo’s “Rebelión (no le pegue a la negra)” and “Barranquillo arrebatao.”

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 BACK TO THE 80’s: EL CONCIERTO on Saturday, February 6, 2010 at 8pm, are: $50, $45, $40 and $35 and can be purchased by calling the Lehman Center box office at 718.960.8833 (Mon. through Fri., 10am–5pm; Tues. 10am-7pm, 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.
José Alberto, nicknamed “El Canario” because of his exquisite voice and melodious whistling skills, is one of Latin music's most influential and respected vocalists. He released his first single in 1974 and appeared as lead vocalist on Tito Rodriguez, Jr.’s 1976 album Curious and was lead vocalist of Típica '73 from 1977 through the early ‘80s. He has recorded a dozen solo albums, many gold and platinum, and performed at festivals world-wide with his New York-based band José Alberto ”El Canario” Y Su Orquestra. The Dominican-born Alberto moved with his family to Puerto Rico at the age of seven, and sharpened his vocal skills at Las Antillas Military Academy. Moving to New York in the early ‘70s, he became a master improviser singing with an extensive list of orchestras. He formed his own band in 1983 and in 1987 was the first artist signed to the Tropical division of Ralph Mercado’s RMM label, recording the international smash hit “Sueño contigo.” 1991’s Dance with Me was a salsa romántica hit. Alberto toured with the late Celia Cruz.
Raulín Rosendo who began performing at age 12 in his native Dominican Republic, joined the band of Cuco Valoy at age 13, and at 14 began a five-year stint with Fernandito Villalona. He later sang with Conjunto Clásico and Los Vecinos. Rosendo made his solo debut with 1991's Salsa, solamente salsa and by 1993 was recording in New York with producer Ricky Gonzalez, scoring the hits “Amor en secreto” and “Santo Domingo.” The success of his late ‘90s albums ¡Lo máximo!, Dominicano para el mundo, ¡Contrólate! and Llegó la ley established him as one of salsa’s biggest stars.
Nino Zegarra was born in Maricao, Puerto Rico into a family of musicians and learned to play a variety of instruments. After earning a Bachelor’s degree in music at the Inter-American University in San German, Puerto Rico, he began arranging for theater productions and symphony orchestras. By the late ‘80s he was arranging for numerous salsa singers, including Andy Montañez, Marvin and Eddie Santiago and Oscar de Leon. Zegarra also produced and arranged his own songs, including “Con la música por dentro,” “Solo por tí,” and “Porque te amo”, which became a number one hit in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Latin America. In 1998, he released the hit album Romántico salsero. He was nominated for a 2007 Latin GRAMMY Award for Best Contemporary Tropical Album for De Nino a Nino: Homenaje a Nino Bravo.
Paquito Guzmán, who was co-lead singer on six of Tommy Olivencia’s albums between 1972 and 1979, issued several solo albums during that time on Inca Records, including Paquito Guzmán (1972), Escucha mi canción (1975) and Mintiendo se gana más (1977). He signed as a solo performer with TH Records, and after releasing El caballero de la salsa (1983) and Paquito Guzmán con trio (1985) became one of the first artists to record in the salsa romántica style on his major 1986 hit Las mejores baladas en salsa followed by Tu amante romántico (1987) and Aquí conmigo (1989). In 1990 he moved to Capitol/EMI Latin for El mismo romántico. Guzmán, who has recorded a dozen albums as a leader, also recorded with the Puerto Rico All-Stars in the ‘70s.
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.