CD cover for Poncho Sanchez's Latin Soul

Poncho Sanchez (born October 30, 1951) is a Latin jazz artist, salsa singer, band leader and conguero (conga player). In 2000, Sanchez and his ensemble won the Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Album for their work on the Concord Picante album Latin Soul. A jazz great in himself, Sanchez has performed with artists Cal Tjader, Mongo Santamaria, and Tower of Power, among others. October 30 is the 303rd day of the year (304th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 62 days remaining. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... Latin jazz is the general term given to music that combines rhythms from African and Latin American countries with jazz harmonies from the United States. ... Look up salsa on Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... Concord Records is well known jazz record label established in 1969 (?) in Concord, California by Carl Jefferson, who also started the Concord Jazz Festival. ... Cal Tjader Cal Tjader (July 16, 1925 – May 4, 1982) has been called the greatest Anglo Latin jazz musician. ... Ramón Mongo Santamaría (April 7, 1922 – February 1, 2003) was an Afro-Cuban drummer. ... Tower of Power is a horn-based funk/soul band from Oakland, California. ...

Early Life

The youngest of eleven children, Poncho Sanchez was born in Laredo, Texas and raised in Norwalk, California. Growing up, Sanchez was exposed to and influenced by two very different styles of music: Afro-Cuban music (mambo, son, cha-cha, rhumba, guaracha, salsa) by greats such as Tito Puente, and bebop jazz, including the works of Charlie Parker. Originally a guitarist, he discovered his talent for singing during an audition for an R&B band that rehearsed across the street from where he lived, becoming the group's lead vocalist. Sanchez would later go on to teach himself the flute, drums, and timbales before finally deciding to persue conga-playing in high school. Laredo redirects here. ... Official language(s) None. ... Norwalk is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. ... See Mambo (CMS) for the Content Management System Mambo is a Cuban musical form and dance style. ... A son is a male offspring; a boy, man, or male animal in relation to his parents. ... For the dance, see Cha-cha-cha (dance). ... Rumba is both a family of music rhythms and a dance style that originated in Africa and traveled via the slave trade to Cuba and the New World. ... Cuban Guaracha Traditionally an early form of peasant street music with satirical lyric content somewhat in the Son rhythm style. ... Look up salsa on Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Tito Puente Tito Puente (April 20, 1923 – May 31, 2000) was an influential Latin jazz and mambo musician. ... Bebop or bop is a form of jazz characterized by fast tempos and improvisation based on harmonic structure rather than melody. ... Jazz is an original American musical art form originating around the early 1920s in New Orleans, rooted in Western music technique and theory, and is marked by the profound cultural contributions of African Americans. ... Charlie Parker Charles Christopher Bird Parker, Jr. ... Rhythm and blues (or R & B) is a musical marketing term introduced in the United States in the late 1940s by Billboard magazine. ... The Flute (Ger. ... For other kinds of drums, see drum (disambiguation). ... Timbales (or tymbales) are shallow cylindrical single-headed drums, similar to single-headed tom-toms. ...

Sanchez's Career

In 1975, at age 23, Sanchez's idol, vibraphonist Cal Tjader, invited him to perform one set with his band. Seeing the young man's talent, Tjader hired Sanchez for a week before officially making him a full member of the ensemble. Sanchez played a crucial role as conguero for several years until Tjader's death in 1982. Before he died, Tjader suggested that Concord Records founder Carl Jefferson sign Sanchez and his soon-to-be-formed group under the Concord Picante label. Tjader's wishes were honored, and Poncho Sanchez went on to produce 18 albums for the label, eventually garnering a Grammy for his work. 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... A musician who plays the vibraphone, typically in the jazz idiom. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Concord Records is well known jazz record label established in 1969 (?) in Concord, California by Carl Jefferson, who also started the Concord Jazz Festival. ... Grammy Award statuette The Grammy Awards, presented by the Recording Academy (an association of Americans professionally involved in the recorded music industry) for outstanding achievements in the recording industry, is one of four major music awards shows held annually in the United States (the Billboard Music Awards, the American Music...

Currently, Sanchez is respected as one of the top American percussionists of our time. He performs frequently in venues varying in size from concert halls to local jazz festivals. His most recent CD, Do It!, features funk icon Tower of Power on two tracks.

Discography

• Poncho at Montreux
• Out of Sight
• Latin Spirits
• Soul of the Conga
• Latin Soul
• Afro-Cuban Fantasy
• Freedom Sound
• Conga Blue
• Soul Sauce
• Para Todos
• Bailar
• El Mejor
• A Night At Kimball's East
• Cambios
• Chile Con Soul
• La Familia
• Fuerte
• Papa Gato
• El Conguero
• Bien Sabroso
• Sonando

References

• DrummerWorld. "Poncho Sanchez". [1]
• Gerber, Lewis. "Poncho Sanchez". [2]
• VH1.com. "VH1.com: Poncho Sanchez". [3]

External Links

• Official Website (Concord Records) [4]