Music of Puerto Rico - Artists: Descarga Boricua

Descarga Boricua - Salsa

Considered by some to be one of the best salsa bands, Descarga Boricua was formed in 1972 by composer/arranger and the band's producer and director, Frank Ferrer. At that time, the band was called Puerto Rico 2010 but changed it's name to Descarga Boricua in 1993.

The band recorder several hits throughout the 1980's, led by singer Van Lester, but their first release under the new name was a double CD set entitled Esta, Si Va! in 1994, on the Tierrazo label. It was followed by the self-titled, Descarga Boricua the next year.

In 1996, the band next released Abrázate, which brought them recognition in the USA and Europe. Though perhaps not quite as original as their first production, it featured a fusion of latin jazz and traditional salsa, supported with solid vocals from Justo Betancourt.

It took another 3 years for the band to release their next album: Somos Uno, mixing several styles, including rock, with the distinctive afro-caribbean rhythm. The album starts off on a promising note, with the song, partial MP3 clip Montañas designed to support pan-americanism, the album was and was justly chosen as the anthem of the Central American Games, conducted that year in Puerto Rico. "El Topo", Antonio Caban Vale, contributed to the efforts of this all-star band.