JOSE ALBERTO “EL CANARIO”
Lehman Center for the Performing Arts is proud to present the return by popular demand of JOSE ALBERTO “El Canario” in a new and completely different show as THE SHOWMAN showcasing his artistic career of 37 years in one exciting concert on Saturday, October 12th, 2013 at 8pm. Joining Jose Alberto for this unforgettable evening of world class Salsa will be special surprise guests. 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 JOSE ALBERTO “EL CANARIO” on Saturday, October 12th, at 8pm are $50, $40, and $30 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.
JOSE ALBERTO is nicknamed El Canario (The Canary) because of his exquisite voice and amazing ability to use his highly melodious whistling skills as a soloing instrument. He is one of the most successful and respected artists on the salsa music scene with a recording history spanning 37 years and 21 solo albums. Born in the Dominican Republic in 1958, Alberto moved with his family to Puerto Rico at age 7 and went on to polish his singing at Las Antilles Military Academy. After relocating to New York City in the early ‘70s, he sang with several orchestras, receiving international attention in 1977 as the lead vocalist of the ground-breaking ensemble Tipica 73 on recordings that include Salsa Encendida (1978), Charangueando con La Tipica 73 (1980) and Into the 80s (1981). After being featured as a vocalist on Louie Ramirez’ 1982 production Noche Caliente, the first album to give popular Spanish ballads an uptempo treatment, Jose Alberto became a major Latin star. Forming his own group in 1983, he recorded three albums on the Sono Max label titled Típicamente (1984), Canta Canario (1985) and Latino Style (1986). Many of the tracks from these albums were among the favorite singles of the time, including “Desesperado,” “La Cinta Verde” and the international hit “Rio Manzanare.” In 1987 Jose Alberto became the first artist to record for the newly formed RMM label and had an international smash-hit album in 1988 with Sueño Contigo. His glittering follow-up Mis Amores (1989) was also a chart topper. El Canario didn’t slow down in the 90s, recording and co-producing several hit recordings including Dance with Me (1991) produced by GRAMMY winner Sergio George in the (then) new Salsa Romántica style, followed by Llegó la Hora (1992) with the world-wide hit tracks “Nada se Compara Contigo” and “Discúlpeme Señora.” In 1994 he recorded De Pueblo y Con Clase and in ’95, the album On Time, notably featuring a duet with the undisputed Queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz, with whom he frequently toured. His 1997 Tributo a Machito featured guest GRAMMY winners Tito Puente and Dave Valentín. Recent recordings include the GRAMMY nominated Original (2011), Intimamente Salsero Live (2012) and his latest CD is scheduled to be released in early 2014. As a featured vocalist, Jose Alberto has just been nominated for three 2013 Latin GRAMMY Awards: For Best Salsa Album – Sergio George Presents Salsa Giants; for Best Tropical Song – “Para Celebrar;” and for Best Tropical Traditional Album – Vamos Pa’ La Fiesta (Septeto Santiaguero.) El Canario’s special concert THE SHOWMAN is a performance that features an exciting and diverse blend of new rhythms and the many hit songs from his long career, all delivered with the “salsa dura” swing of one of the most exceptional vocalists of his genre.
