OrquestaSON9.com

We want to thank God first and all our friends, fans and everyone that believed in us. Enjoy

Gilberto Velez
Lead Vocals

My full name is Gilberto Velez Jr. My grandmother called me Wito, Why? I’ll never know. . I began my music career at an early age and have been in the business for over 25 years.

My greatest memory and what curved my life to Latin Music was the year that Willie Colon and Ruben Blades headlined Radio City Music Hall with their very successful album Siembra, that album to me; is the greatest Latin Music (salsa) album ever recorded, hands-down…

I never looked back after that concert, I love to sing, my greatest joy is to stand in front of a crowd and sing my best, knowing very well you, the dancer, listener, or just the person walking by at a concert in the park, if it makes you dance, dance, if it makes you listen, listen.

I have had the privilege of performing with Johnny Rivera, La India, Domingo Quinones, Tito Rodriguez Jr.; Michael Stuart, Papo Pepin Orquesta, Manny Pacheco, La Orquesta Impacto, Oscar Hernandez, Isidrio Infante and Johnny Ortiz, to name a few. My greatest joy was performing with Swing Sabroso.

It was not until 1992 that I recorded my first cd as a lead vocalist for 24 Kilates and a recent CD (2007) with legendary song writer Johnny Ortiz entitled Sabor De Rumba which is still available in the market.

The most current CD is with Ray Rodriguez y Swing Sabroso, this is some of my best work, and it was an honor and privilege to have held my position as lead singer of Swing Sabroso. I will miss them all dearly and wish Swing Sabroso the very best.

“Enjoy life and I hope I made you dance and enjoy the moment”.
GOD bless and enjoy my Orquesta SON 9

 

Nerio Matheus
Percussion

Nerio grew up surrounding by music in his native country of Venezuela. At the young age of ten, he began playing music with family and friends in his hometown of Maracaibo. Music was an integral part of his life and he was expressing interested in drums. He took every opportunity to play and learn, drawing his inspiration form his father and grandfather and many close friends. He played in local festivals and participated in numerous school band competitions. His passion for percussion developed and continues to this day. The lesson he learned through music is to celebrate life which he has done and now rings that joy to others through his music.

Nerio has spent the last 20 years polishing his percussion skills and has performed nationally and internationally with various cultural bands and performs. He has perfected the integration of the powerful Latin rhythms into American music. This added dimension has been well received by audiences of all types.

 

Victor Quezada was born in the Capital of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Victor migrated to the United States in the early 70s. Living in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, he attended schools there graduating from Perth Amboy High School. While a Student, Victor participated in the high school jazz band and then formed his own Latin Jazz Group. After High school, Victor attended Long Island University as a music student. He formed a new group known as Victor Quezada and the Little Band and played in many venues through out the area. From his little band Victor hooked up with a succession of internationally known stars such as, Domingo Quinones, Michael Stuart, Brenda K Starr, Milly Quezada, the Latin Jazz Connection, the Five Saxophones Quintet….. And the list goes on.
Currently, Victor spends his spare time teaching his craft to young students at the Perth Amboy High School sponsored program for inner-youth communities. At present he is the director of Orquesta SON 9.

 

Dennis Eduardo Guevara
Pianist, keyboardist, composer, and arranger.

Dennis Eduardo Guevara, was born in one of America’s industrial cities, Trenton, New Jersey, with the infamous bridge stating, “Trenton Makes The World Takes.” He began studying piano at the age of eight and for two years he played classical music. Then, when he was twelve years old, he studied different styles of Latin music, such as Salsa, Merengue, Bachata and Bolero for two years also. At the age of fourteen he began to play with Latin Bands. With only sixteen years of age, Dennis won third place overall in Trenton’s Hispanic Talent Show. Then, in the Puerto Rican Parade of Trenton, NJ, he won first place in the instrumentalist category.
In 2000, Guevara won the Charlie Palmieri and Tito Puente Piano Scholarship and studied two years at The Harbor Conservatory for the Performing Arts in Manhattan, New York City. There he studied with one of Latin Jazz and Salsa’s legendary pianists, Sonny Bravo, who led his group Tipica 73 and later joining the Tito Puente Orchestra as his pianist until Tito’s demise. Dennis studied, in great detail, the complexity of Salsa and Latin Jazz piano playing with Mr. Bravo and was also introduced to arranging. Mr. Bravo challenged him constantly, and until this day they remain friends. Guevara also studied Jazz harmony, composition and technique with famed pianist Gustavo Casenave, who is a tour-de-force in Jazz, Classical, and Tango music. Dennis graduated with an Associate in Science Degree in Music from Mercer County Community College, in West Windsor, New Jersey. Dennis had the honor to study with Mr. Steve Kramer, who is the original pianist for the Artie Shaw band and co-director of Disney’s Icecapades, for two years at Mercer County Community College. While studying at Mercer, he won a scholarship and an Instrumentalist Award from the music department for his hard work.

As a professional musician, Dennis has been a sideman for Fania All-star recording artist, Emo Luciano, who tours with the famed Latin Legends led by another legendary piano player, Larry Harlow from the Fania All-stars too. Dennis spent two years with the Emo Luciano Orchestra at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut, performing at the famed Wolf’s Den. He also participated on a live DVD with the Emo Luciano Orchestra featuring Jazz trumpeters Ray Vega and Richard Viruet from Spanish Harlem Orchestra. Guevara had the opportunity to work, with world-renowned DJ and producer, Justin Imperiale. Dennis was one of the featured musicians on Justin’s album, Stereophonic, released in Japan, by the Japanese record label Toy Factory, on June 2007.  Dennis went on tour to Chicago, Illinois with Justin Imperiale to perform with the label joined by the group Maad Soul. Dennis also had the opportunity to work one on one with Grammy Award winning bass player John Benitez who has played with Chick Corea, Batacumbele, John Scofield and Chris Botti. Guevara furthered his understanding of arranging and other aspects of music spiritually and technically with him. Other fine musicians that Guevara has had the privilege to interact with are. Jazz-Trumpeter John Walsh, Saxophonist Ivan Renta, Spyro Gyra Drummer Joel Rosenblatt, Trombonist Charlie Garcia from Willie Colon, legendary Percussionists Raymond Colon, Papo Pepin, and famed bass player Mario Rodriguez, who has recorded with Alicia Keys and leads Gato Barbieri’s band. Mario has invited Dennis to continue working with him.

Guevara also worked five years with United Rhythms and Visions, an agency that teaches cultural diversity and music in the school systems in New Jersey and New York from kindergarten through high-school. Now, he is working as a sideman with Studio 1 recording artist, legend Larry White and The Majestic Roots Band, playing reggae at many Caribbean festivals and clubs in New Jersey and Philadelphia area.

Dennis was invited in March 2008 to join Christian recording artist Puchi Colon and The SP2 band (Salsa Praise) playing Christian salsa. Dennis went on tour with Puchi to St. Louis, Missouri, Stanford, Connecticut, and various concerts in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

 

Louis Soto was born in Brooklyn NY and grew up in the 60’s and 70’s during the development of salsa music in the streets of NY. Oftentimes, listening to jam sessions from his fire escape and inspired by the sounds of Willie Colon when asked what instrument he wanted to play in Middle School it was the trombone. Playing in jazz, latin and brass ensembles during highschool he accepted his first salsa “gig” at 16. He quickly was in demand within the NYC salsa scene, having the opportunity to work with Orquesta Dicupe, Ray Barreto, legendery Fania Trombonist Reynaldo Jorge, Hector Ramos, and more recently with Willie Villegas & Entre Amigos. In addition to playing the slide trombone he is one of a select few who also plays the flugabone, a variation of the trombone that looks like a big trumpet and the superbone a hybrid slide/valve trombone made popular in the 70’s by Maynard Ferguson.