Forward by Rudolph Mangual Publisher/Editor of Latin Beat Magazine

From the Beginning

The City of Los Angeles has nourished numerous musical acts throughout the decades from all

the different musical genres. In the field of Latin music and other rhythms related to Latin

and Caribbean , there are acts that are more familiar to the masses than others. In the realm

of tropical dance music (Salsa) the latest addition to the list is Orquesta La Palabra

(Orchestra La Palabra), led by Cuban native bandleader / composer / pianist / vocalist

”La Palabra” (The Word). A musician whose career dates back to New York City’s decade

of the sixties, where, at the age of fifteen, performed with the Hector Casanova Orchestra

and many others, during the seventies; was discovered by the legendary R&B superstar Stevie

Wonder who commissioned him to lead several of his R&B productions in Detroit for over four

years; worked the Miami Latin scene for several years, and was a member of the pioneering

L.A. band Orquesta Versailles. During his association with Orquesta Versailles in the mid-eighties, Palabra created what was to become the first “Salsa Romantica” tune, (a tropical dance tendency

of the period that took North American pop hits and rearranged them to a more sensual tropical

beat, keeping the lyrics in English). He wrote an arrangement for the then popular Lionel Richie composition “Lady,” set to a sexy tropical beat which blew the lid off the Latin charts from coast

to coast. He then followed by doing the same to the hit composition “Never Gonna Let You Go,” establishing a musical trend which lasted throughout most of the eighties. The popularity

of Orquesta Versailles drove them to relocate to the city of Miami , Florida , and so did La Palabra.

At the end of the nineties, Palabra returned to Los Angeles.

A New Beginning

Upon arriving in the City of Angels , La Palabra researched the Latin dance scene of the city’s

diverse LA club and dance scene and came to the conclusion that he needed to assemble a band

that not only played tropical dance music (Salsa), but also produced original dance music

with a wider perspective geared towards a hipper, more global audience. In his search to achieve

this goal, he came upon two Latin vocalists who were working with one of the city’s top salsa

bands, George “Babaloo” Balmaseda and Angelo Pagan. Cuban born Balmaseda, is a seasoned

tropical vocalist with a credit list that includes performances with the orchestras of Tito Puente,

Eddie Palmieri, several local LA bands and even the legendary rock superstars the Rolling Stones. Angelo Pagan is a young Puerto Rican actor and singer who has made Los Angeles his home,

working on both the music scene and his acting career. After listening to La Palabra’s goals for assembling a new band, they both agreed with his vision and became co-founders of the group.

To complete the ensemble they recruited master percussionist Humberto “Nengue” Hernandez. Nengue’s musical career spans from playing with Latin jazz superstar Mongo Santamaria,

and Puerto Rico ’s popular band Batacumbele, among many others. His approach as the band’s drummer and timbalero is to perform with a timbal set with the addition of a bass drum, a piccolo

snare drum, and a few cowbells and cymbals (a Cuban drum set). Heading the brass section

are Lazaro Gonzalez on the trombone (an ex-member of the famous Cuban band Los Van Van), Raymundo “Nini” Olivera on trumpet, and Rodolfo “Fofi” Gomez on sax and flute. Also on percussion

are Arnie Silva and Bobby Pena, two excellent local players and Rami Yanni on the bass. Complementing the band is the female presence of the beautiful young Asian violinist

Tylana Enomoto, who swings on and off stage to the rhythms of Latin and world music.

Together they form LA’s most eclectic new tropical dance band, Orquesta La Palabra.