Mambo In The City Salsa Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Concert photographer and Mambo in the City Salsa Podcast host Adrian Montañez sits down with the legendary Joe Bataan for an intimate conversation tracing the extraordinary journey of one of Latin music’s true pioneers. From growing up on the streets of Spanish Harlem and the experiences that shaped him as a young man, Joe takes us inside the beginnings of his musical career and t...

Send us Fan Mail 🎶 Episode 70: Working with Gilberto Santa Rosa, Meeting Journey’s Steve Smith 🥁 + The New York Salsa All Stars Hit NYC 🔥 Episode 70 starts at Birdland Jazz Club , where Adrian Montañez had the opportunity to meet legendary Journey drummer and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Steve Smith . 🥁 From seeing him perform up close to sharing a memorable moment with one of rock’s most res...

Send us Fan Mail Que Clase PIQUE!  In this classic episode, The Late great Legendary, Bongo player, Johnny "Dandy" Rodríguez, talks about his years as the Bongosero with Tito Puente, Tito Rodríguez, Machito, Ray Barretto, Fania All-Stars, Típica 73 and forming the Mambo Legends orchestra! Hear stories of growing up en El Barrio, joining Tito Puente in 1962, and the magic of  Palladium Ba...

Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ EPISODE 68 | ERIC VÉLEZ Latin percussionist Eric Vélez joins host Adrian Montañez on Mambo in the City Salsa Podcast for a special conversation from Las Vegas during Marc Anthony’s “MY WAY” residency . Vélez takes us behind the scenes of rehearsals with Marc Anthony , shares personal memories of legendary late conguero Carlos “Patato” Valdés , and looks back on memorable travel...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 69: Arturo Martínez — From the NYC Salsa Scene to El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico In this episode of Mambo in the City Salsa Podcast , Adrian Montañez sits down with Arturo Martínez for a journey through decades of Latin music, entertainment, and unforgettable behind-the-scenes stories. Arturo takes us back to his beginnings working alongside artists such as Miles Peña, Johnn...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Mambo in the City , we sit down with undefeated rising boxer Alex “El Toro” Vargas —a WBA Champion and 2013 Golden Gloves Champion from Bellport, New York. With a perfect 15-0 record , Vargas has been quietly building momentum in the super lightweight division, and recently stepped onto one of boxing’s biggest stages—fighting on the undercard at Madison Square G...

Send us Fan Mail I was outside! 🔥 In this episode of Mambo in the City Salsa Podcast , host Adrian Montanez breaks down three NYC Latin music events he attended: the Andy González tribute 🙏, Eddie Palmieri’s Unity Fest Tribute 🎹, and Conjunto Imagen at the Atrium  at Linclon Center🎺. Adrian shares the moments that hit, the performances that stood out, and why nights like these keep the culture...

Send us Fan Mail 🔥 NEW EPISODE RECAP — This one is pure salsa history and living legacy. In this episode, I’m joined by special guest Tito Rodriguez Jr , as we dive into his brand-new single “La Ley Del Guaguancó” featuring Gilberto Santa Rosa — and we celebrate Tito Jr’s 50 years en la música : the grind, the moments, and the legacy that continues to grow. We also take a meaningful trip down mem...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode of the Mambo in the City Salsa Podcast , host Adrian Montañez sits down with Luisito Rosario , a dynamic salsa singer with over two decades of experience and a commanding stage presence. Born and raised in New Jersey to Puerto Rican parents, Luisito shares how the sounds of New York’s salsa legends inspired him to pursue a life in music.  He reflects on his journey...

Send us Fan Mail 🎷 Episode 64: Mitch Frohman – Sax, Soul & Salsa Breakdown: Bronx native Mitch Frohman is one of the top saxophonists and flutists in the world, with a career spanning salsa, Latin-jazz, pop, and beyond. In this episode, host Adrian Montanez dives into Mitch’s incredible journey — from his early days in the Bronx, through decades on stage with legends like Tito Puente, Mongo S...

Send us Fan Mail Mario Díaz — Born in NYC of Cuban descent, Mario launched his career at De Witt Clinton High School as a dancer, percussionist, singer, and emcee. Since then, he has become a multifaceted entertainer, choreographer, and host across salsa, boxing, and cultural stages worldwide. He has emceed major events including the Dominican Salsa Congress, SOB’s, Havana Club, the World Salsa Ch...

Send us Fan Mail In this unforgettable episode, host Adrian L. Montañez sits down with salsa legend Rey Sepúlveda , whose voice helped define an entire era of salsa romántica and salsa dura. ✨ Highlights from the Conversation: Rey reflects on his roots, growing up in Williamsburg, Brooklyn , where he shared his formative years and friendship with the future salsa icon Frankie Ruiz . Memories of h...

Send us Fan Mail In this unforgettable episode, host Adrian Montañez welcomes Antonio Hernández , the Puerto Rican sonero whose voice and journey have become part of salsa’s living history. Antonio reflects on his early years with Oro Negro and La Patrulla 15 , before sharing the career-defining moment when he joined Tito Rojas y Su Orquesta in 1995 . For more than 25 years , Antonio traveled the...

Send us Fan Mail This week on Mambo in the City Salsa Podcast , host Adrian Montañez sits down with a true legend of Latin music: José Madera . With over 31 years performing with Tito Puente , José’s career spans decades of salsa, mambo, and Latin jazz history. 🌟 Highlights of the Episode: Machito Orchestra Days – José recalls his time playing in one of the most influential Afro-Cuban jazz ensemb...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Description: In this episode of Mambo in the City Salsa Podcast , host Adrian Montanez sits down with Hilton Bonilla — one of New York’s most respected salsa DJs and percussionists. Hilton opens up about: His years perfor ming with Tony Vega, La India, and Tito Rojas 🎶 What it’s like to go from being a band percussionist to becoming a salsa DJ Why he launched his YouTube...

Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Los Cuentos de Oro : Legendary Conguero Sammy García with Special Guest Tito Nieves! Get ready for a golden session of salsa history! Sammy García—renowned conguero and musical director for Charlie Aponte—joins us live from Puerto Rico with surprise guest Tito Nieves! 🎶 They dive deep into:  ✨ The legacy of El Conjunto Clásico 🏙️ Wild nights in NYC salsa clubs 🎵 The RMM era...

Send us Fan Mail 🎙 Mambo in the City Salsa Podcast — Episode 59 Get ready for an action-packed episode! Host Adrian Montanez sits down for an exclusive interview with legendary actor Luis Guzmán to discuss his role in the highly anticipated Netflix thriller Havoc , starring Tom Hardy and Forest Whitaker. Also in this episode:  ✨ A full review of Grupo Niche’s unforgettable night at Carnegie Hall...

Send us Fan Mail Podcast Episode Summary: Mambo in the City Salsa Podcast“ A Journey with Edgar Joel In this salsa-packed episode of Mambo in the City Salsa, host Adrian Montanez sits down with the legendary Edgar Joel, one of the most recognizable figures in the golden era of salsa. Known for timeless hits like “Hasta el Sol de “and Hechizo de Luna, Edgar Joel takes us on an unforgettable journey...

Send us Fan Mail Join me for Episode 57 of the Mambo In the City Salsa Podcast with special guest Izzy Rodriguez ! We’re talking:  His years with the Eddie Torres Mambo King Dance Company  Unforgettable Tito Puente memories   The legendary Monday Night Salsa Party at El Flamingo night club   The iconic Wild Palm Nightclub and hiring the Legend Cheo Feliciano  Plus, the upcoming "Baile De Los...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 56: Luisito Ayala l   In this captivating episode of Mambo in the City , host Adrian Montanez sits down with the legendary Luisito Ayala, the musical powerhouse behind The Puerto Rican Power. Established in the 1970s, this iconic orchestra has shaped the salsa landscape, especially under Ayala's direction as trumpeter and musical director. Join us as Luisito reflects...

Send us Fan Mail Eric Velez is one of the most respected Latino percussionists of his generation. He is of Puerto Rican descent, and was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. Eric learned to play congas, bongos, and timbales at the young age of three with the assistance of his brother. His first musical performance was with Grupo Fascinacion at the age of fifteen.  At the age of seventeen, Eric...

Send us Fan Mail Ready to get lost in the rhythm of Latin percussion? Legendary Latin percussionist Eric Velez steps into the spotlight in this Part 2 episode, taking us back in time to his early days with Marc Anthony's band, the thrill of performing at iconic clubs, and ultimately making the life-changing decision that would change his life musically forever. Listen in as  Eric paints  a vi...

Send us Fan Mail It’s 6:30 p.m. on a beautiful Thursday evening in New York City, moments away from El Rumbero del Piano, Eddie Palmieri, taking the stage to perform at Bryant Park. I run into my friend, longtime promoter and music aficionado Manny Soba, and we chat about his years in the industry. Soon after, we are joined by fellow promoter Izzy Rodriguez, "Pequeño Johnny" Rivero, and...

Send us Fan Mail ¡Bienvenidos! En este episodio el legendario timbalero David Rosado Cuba nos habla de sus 50 años en la música además de historias de viajes como parte de la primera orquesta de Gilberto Santa Rosa por más de 10 años! ¡David habla sobre conocer los años de Tito Puente con Tommy Olivencia y crecer con el ícono de percusión Giovanni Hidalgo! ¡Bienvenidos al Podcast de Salsa de Mambo...

Send us Fan Mail The stories of Salsa Continue.. In this episode of Mambo in the City Salsa Podcast: El Cantante Frankie Morales stops bye to shares stories of Joe Bataan , growing up around Ismael Miranda, Pete El Conde Rodriguez and the Club Corso,  where he began singing coro for "El Cantante de Los Cantantes" Hector Lavoe ! Frankie talks about growing up in El Barrio in New York City...