‘Noche Bohemia’ Showcases Best of BMI Latin Singer/Songwriters
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| BMI's Porfirio Pina, Nicolas Tovar, Miguel Oldenburg, Franco Sattamini and BMI's Diane Almodovar |
Colombian singer/songwriter Nicolas Tovar has had a highly successful career as a songwriter, having created songs for Cristian Castro, Ricky Martin, Paulina Rubio, Jon Secada, Carlos Ponce, Obie Bermudez and La India. Currently he is focusing on finishing his solo CD, set for release this year. Recognizing his Colombian roots on the record, his heritage is at the core of his solo CD and was a personal journey for him to create music for himself. "I just woke up one day and decided it was time to go to the studio and start recording my album," he says. "I wanted to be the voice expressing the journey told within the song."
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| (Top row) members of Oldenburg, (middle row) CruzMonty's Franklen Poole, BMI's Porfirio Pina, Nicolas Tovar, Miguel Oldenburg, Franco Sattamini, BMI's Diane Almodovar, Dave Edwards, SOB's Larry Gold, (front row) Café da Silva, Alana Marie and Marko Marcinko |
Franco Sattamini is one of Latin music's true renaissance men. A singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and producer, Sattamini has bridged the traditional roots of Brazilian music with the modern influences of today's mainstream music. His long list of credits includes commercial recordings, extensive TV scoring, world touring, arranging and producing numerous CDs. He has worked and collaborated with the creators of the Bossa Nova musical movement - Antonio Carlos Jobim and Roberto Menescal - as well as with Brazilian luminaries Danilo Caymmi, Robertinho de Recife, Fagner, Simone, Emilio Santiago, Pepeu Gomes, Sandra de Sa, and many more. Now living in the U.S., Franco is focusing on the continuity of his successful career in the same diverse style that it was built upon back in Brazil: writing, arranging, producing and recording.
Oldenburg takes a new approach on the alternative music genre by adding a Venezuelan twist to the sounds of rock & roll, incorporating aboriginal instruments and rhythms from Latin America into their pop-rock influenced songs. Their Venezuelan roots-rock is a well-balanced mix of overdriven electric guitars with the sounds of native instruments, like the four stringed guitar called "cuatro," or the sea shell horns named "guaruras." Oldenburg's lyrics reflect the reality of immigration and social issues within a unique framework of their trademark nature-related metaphors and conservation themes. Based in New York, Oldenburg started as a band in 2003 with former King Chango (Luaka Bop, Virgin) guitar player Miguel Oldenburg and drummer Luis "el pulpo" Ruiz, guitar extraordinaire Inti Maldonado and bassist Andres Jimenez.
Born Pedro Cruz in Santiago, Dominican Republic, CruzMonty spent his teen years performing in three Dominican groups whose music ranged from pop to reggaeton. In 2005, he decided to record his first independent album with an acoustic pop sound, Yo Sabre Perder. Reflecting on a period of self-examination in his life, CruzMonty described the songs as, "trying to cope and find the positive in the negative." Through his unique, sentimental, heart-felt songs, CruzMonty's music has struck an emotional cord with its affecting melodies and sincere lyrics.
photos by Mark Barron
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