Lehman Center for the Performing Arts is proud to present The Godfather of Salsa, the legendary ANDY MONTAÑEZ: 50 Plus Una Historia En Concierto as he celebrates more than fifty years of performances on Saturday, April 18th, 2015 at 8pm. Produced by Lehman Center and José Raposo.
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 ANDY MONTAÑEZ: 50 Plus Una Historia En Concierto on Saturday, April 18th, 2015 at 8pm are $50, $45, $40 and can be purchased by calling the Lehman Center box office at 718-960-8833 (Monday through Friday, 10am–5pm, and beginning at 12 noon on the day of the concert), or through 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. Low-cost on-site parking available for $5.
ANDY MONTAÑEZ, nicknamed “El Godfather de la Salsa” and known for his rich, powerful vocals, was the first-born of 17 children in the Tras Talleres area of Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico. He gained international popularity during his 15-year tenure (1962-1976) as lead vocalist of the legendary salsa group El Gran Combo, producing 37 albums that included such hit songs as “Hojas Blancas”, “Un Verano en Nueva York”, “El Barbero Loco”, “Ponme el Alcoholado Juana”, “El Swing”, “Julia” and “Vagabundo”. In 1977 he replaced Oscar D’León in the popular Venezuelan orchestra La Dimension Latina, recording eight albums in three and a half years that included hits like “El Eco del Tambor”, “Ave María Lola”, “Mi Bambolaye”, “Mi Son Oriental“. “Rumberos de Ayer“, “Cuban Rhythms“and “Son Del Bohio“. During this same period, Montañez contributed vocals to the three superb Puerto Rico All Stars salsa albums Puerto Rico All Stars (1977), Los Profesionales (1978) which included his soulful rendition of “Aqui En Mi Pueblo”, and 1979’s Tribute to Messiah which was dedicated to Eddie Palmieri.
Returning to Puerto Rico in 1980, Montañez formed his own orchestra and released the popular album Salsa Con Caché. 1981 to 1984 was a very prolific period that saw five new album releases including 1984’s Versátil with hits like “Qui, Qui” and “Villaran Cuenca”. 1985’s Andy Montañez was a game changer not only because it was on the Billboard Tropical chart for 30 weeks, reaching number 2 with hits like “Genio y Figura”, “Payaso” and “Dulce Veneno”, but because it was the first of many albums that would featured Andy’s sons Andy Jr. and Harold singing coro. Following up with two additional chart topping albums 1987’s Mejor Acompañado Que Nunca (#2) and 1988’s El Eterno Enamorado (#4), Montañez secured his place amongst the legends of Salsa. Throughout the 90’s he continued to record one successful album after another, earning his orchestra the nickname “Dynasty Montañez” when his daughter Ednaliz joined the chorus. During this period, he also recorded three albums of boleros and Bohemian songs with fellow Salsa great Ismael Miranda: Al Son del Bolero (1996), Romantics de Nuevo (1997) and Con Alma de Niño (1998). In 2005, he again joined up with Ismael Miranda to record the hit song “Se Fue Y Me Dejo”.
A pioneer of the blend of Salsa and Reggaetón called Salsatón, Montañez has collaborated with rappers Daddy Yankee and Julio Voltio. Montañez, and along with Pablo Milanes, won the 2006 Latin GRAMMY Award for Best Traditional Tropical Album for AM/PM Lineas Paralelas. In 2006, he released Salsa Con Reggaeton hitting #2 on both the Tropical and Latin Tropical album charts. 2007’s hard hitting salsa album El Godfather De La Salsa was also a success. The 2010 El Gran Combo tribute album, De Andy Montañez Al Combo that featured new arrangements of the hit songs “Brujeria”, “No Hago Más Ná” and “Carbonerito” rose to number 5 on the Billboard Latin Tropical chart. In 2014, Andy, with the roots group Viento de Agua, contributed the song “Cortaron a Elena/Santa María” to the album and film Que Lindo es Puerto Rico that highlights the natural beauty and musical heritage of the island of his birth.
Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. is supported, in part, with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the New York City Council. The 2014-2015 season is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, and through corporations, foundations and private donations.