‘RETROSPECTIVE CELEBRATION’
One of the hottest salsa bands in town celebrates its silver anniversary
When Cuban-born Cesar Bauvallet moved to Albuquerque in 1992, he discovered a music scene that wasn’t playing his kind of salsa.
“It was mainly Puerto Rican salsa and Nuyorican style of salsa,” Bauvallet said. “It wasn’t what I was writing music for.”
That propelled him to gathered up some local musicians he said were “very humble people who wanted to learn something different.”
That gathering blossomed into Son Como Son, which has long been one of the hottest salsa bands in town. Bauvallet is its dynamic bandleader/lead trombonist/vocalist/ composer.
On Saturday, April 21, the band will be in concert at the National Hispanic Cultural Center to celebrate its 25th anniversary.
Two musicians — keyboardist Mary Womack and bassist Janet Harman — were there at the beginning. And drummer Tomás White, conga player/vocalist Victor Rodriguez, trumpeter/ vocalist Paul Gonzales and trombonist/vocalist Jim Firkins joined a short time later.
All six are still with Son Como Son. “About 10 years ago, the band added a young man named Lester Rodriguez who was taking singing lessons with Bauvallet; he’s remained with the ensemble.
“We have been able to learn and grow together. We keep developing forward.”
The concert will be packed with guest artists. They include conga singers Ivón Ulibarri, Rosie Encinias, Annette Bisconte and Jackie Zamora, bongo player Tony Quiñones, tres player Frank Leto, guitarist Randy Sanchez, tenor saxophonist Kanoa Kaluhiwa, dancer Pilar Leto, and the OffBroadway Dancers.
Returning to Son Como Son for this concert is retired trumpeter/vocalist Martin Carlucci.
Bauvallet described the concert as “a retrospective celebration. We will go back and play tunes that we have played since the first day. We play mostly original compositions by me. But also some traditional son. And the guest artists will be playing arrangements of covers that we made especially for this concert.”
Bauvallet said he’s grateful for the constant support of Albuquerque’s salsa community. He noted that there will be space for dancers at the concert.