Papo Lucca
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Enrique Arsenio Lucca Quiñones (born April 10, 1946) better known as Papo Lucca, is a Puerto Rican
multi-instrumentalist A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays two or more musical instruments, often but not exclusively at a professional level of proficiency. Also known as woodwind doubler, doubling, the practice allows greater ensemble flexibility and mor ...
best known for his
pianist A pianist ( , ) is a musician who plays the piano. A pianist's repertoire may include music from a diverse variety of styles, such as traditional classical music, jazz piano, jazz, blues piano, blues, and popular music, including rock music, ...
skills. His main musical genres are
Salsa Salsa most often refers to: * Salsa (food), a variety of sauces used as condiments * Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music * Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music Salsa or SALSA may also refer to: Arts and ent ...
and
Latin Jazz Latin jazz is a genre of jazz with Latin American rhythms. The two main categories are Afro-Cuban jazz, rhythmically based on Cuban popular dance music, with a rhythm section employing ostinato patterns or a clave (rhythm), clave, and Afro-Brazil ...
. He ranks with the late
Charlie Palmieri Carlos Manuel "Charlie" Palmieri (November 21, 1927 – September 12, 1988) was an American bandleader and musical director of salsa music. He was known as the "Giant of the Keyboards". Early years Palmieri's parents migrated to New York from P ...
, as one of the best
piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...
instrumentalists in Latin Jazz and Salsa. He is the co-founder with his father Don Enrique "Quique" Lucca Caraballo of the Puerto Rican band La Sonora Ponceña. He has also played and recorded with the
Fania All-Stars The Fania All-Stars is a musical group formed in 1968 as a showcase for the musicians on Fania Records, the leading salsa music record label of the time. History Beginnings In 1964, Fania Records was founded in New York City by Jerry Masucci, ...
, Hector Lavoe,
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,
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,
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, and
Rubén Blades Rubén Blades Bellido de Luna (born July 16, 1948), known professionally as Rubén Blades (, but in Panama and within the family), is a Panamanian musician, singer, composer, actor, activist, and politician, performing musically most often in th ...
. He is also a well-known music arranger.


Biography

Lucca Quiñones was born in Ponce,
Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
on 10 April 1946. His father was Enrique Quique Lucca. Papo Lucca is married to Mirriam and they have children. In June 2020, their eldest son died of complications due to diabetes.


Career

With his dynamic piano playing and unique approach to salsa, Papo Lucca has led his band, La Sonora Ponceña, to the forefront of Latin music. Inheriting the group from his father, Lucca has continued to inspire La Sonora Ponceña with his innovative playing. While Rubén Blades called Lucca, "the best pianist in the world", Cuban pianist Ruben González explained, "of non-Cuban pianists, I most admire uccabecause his salsa is very close to
son A son is a male offspring; a boy or a man in relation to his parents. The female counterpart is a daughter. From a biological perspective, a son constitutes a first degree relative. Social issues In pre-industrial societies and some current ...
. Son piano is more varied than salsa piano which is more formulaic and holds on to a single riff much longer." Lucca has been involved with music most of his life. A native of Ponce, a city on the southern coast of Puerto Rico, he began studying at the city's Free School of Music at the age of six. In addition to being trained in solfeggio, he studied piano,
clarinet The clarinet is a Single-reed instrument, single-reed musical instrument in the woodwind family, with a nearly cylindrical bore (wind instruments), bore and a flared bell. Clarinets comprise a Family (musical instruments), family of instrume ...
,
saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to p ...
, and
Music theory Music theory is the study of theoretical frameworks for understanding the practices and possibilities of music. ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' describes three interrelated uses of the term "music theory": The first is the "Elements of music, ...
. A month after he enrolled in the school, he performed a classical piece on a local radio station. Lucca simultaneously studied privately with pianist Ramón Fernández. With his father's encouragement, Lucca advanced quickly. Performing with La Sonora Ponceña at the age of eight, he made his recording debut three years later, when the group accompanied
bolero Bolero is a genre of song which originated in eastern Cuba in the late 19th century as part of the trova tradition. Unrelated to the older Spanish dance of the same name, bolero is characterized by sophisticated lyrics dealing with love. It h ...
vocalists Felipe Rodriguez and Davilita on their album, Al Compas De Las Sonoras. At the age of fourteen, Lucca began an "official" member of La Sonora Ponceña. Throughout the 1950s, Lucca remained active as a musician. In addition to playing solo piano on a television show hosted by
Ruth Fernández Ruth Fernández (born Ruth Noemí Fernández Cortada; 23 May 1919 – 9 January 2012) was a Puerto Rican contralto and a member of the Puerto Rican Senate. According to the "Comisiones Nacionales para la Celebración del Quinto Centenario" ''( ...
, he recorded with
Obdulio Morales Obdulio Morales Ríos (April 7, 1910 – January 9, 1981) was a Cuban pianist, conductor, composer and ethnomusicologist, an important figure in the late afrocubanismo movement. He championed Afro-Cuban music traditions and sponsored artists such a ...
, Orquestra Panamerica, and
Machito Frank Grillo (born Francisco Raúl Gutiérrez Grillo; December 3, 1909 – April 15, 1984) known professionally as Machito (previously as Macho), was a Latin jazz musician who helped refine Afro-Cuban jazz and create both Cubop and salsa music ...
. Despite his busy schedule, Lucca found time to continue his formal studies. Graduating from the
University of Puerto Rico The University of Puerto Rico (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Universidad de Puerto Rico;'' often shortened to UPR) is the main List of state and territorial universities in the United States, public university system in the Commonwealth (U.S. i ...
, he went on to study at the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music. His first opportunity to showcase his talents came in 1976 when he co-produced La Sonora Ponceña's album, Musical Conquest/Conquista Musical, with Louie Ramirez. Two years later, he produced the group's album, Explorando, on his own. Although he's remained committed to Sonora Ponceña, Lucca has balanced his involvement with a variety of outside projects. In 1976, he replaced pianist Larry Harlow in the Fania All-Stars. He continued to perform with the group until the mid-1990s. Lucca reached a professional high in 1979. Together with La Sonora Ponceña, he collaborated with influential Latin vocalist
Celia Cruz Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso (21 October 1925 – 16 July 2003), known as Celia Cruz, was a Cuban singer and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century. Cruz rose to fame in Cuba during the 1950s as a singer of , earning the nickna ...
on an album, La Ceiba, and appeared with Cruz in a television documentary, Salsa. The same year, he performed on an album, Habana Jam, along with the Fania All-Stars, which was recorded during a concert in
Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
. Lucca also recorded a solo piano album, Latin Jazz, in 1993. In 2014, Lucca and La Sonora Ponceña played at Lehman Center for the Performing Arts in New York to commemorate their 60-year anniversary.


Discography


With Sonora Ponceña

* ''Al Compás de las Sonoras Felipe y Davilita'' (1954) * ''Hacheros Pa' Un Palo'' (1968) * ''Fuego en el 23!'' (1969) * ''Algo de Locura'' (1971) * ''Navidad Criolla'' (1971) * ''De Puerto Rico a New York'' (1972) * ''Sonora Ponceña'' (1972) * ''Sabor Sureño'' (1974) * ''Tiene Pimienta'' (1975) * ''Conquista Musical'' (1976) * ''El Gigante del Sur'' (1977) * ''La Orquesta de Mi Tierra'' (1978) * ''Explorando'' (1978) * ''La Ceiba'' with
Celia Cruz Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso (21 October 1925 – 16 July 2003), known as Celia Cruz, was a Cuban singer and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century. Cruz rose to fame in Cuba during the 1950s as a singer of , earning the nickna ...
(1979) * ''New Heights'' (1980) * ''Unchained Force'' (1980) * ''Night Rider'' (1981) * ''Determination'' (1982) * ''Future'' (1984) * ''Jubilee'' (1985) * ''Back To Work'' (1987) * ''On The Right Track'' (1988) * ''Into The 1990s'' (1990}) * ''Merry Christmas'' (1991) * ''Guerreando'' (1992) * ''Birthday Party'' (1993) * ''Apretando'' (1995) * ''On Target'' (1998) * ''45° Aniversario'' (2001) * ''Back To The Road'' (2004) * ''50 Aniversario En Vivo Vol. 1'' (2007) * ''50 Aniversario En Vivo Vol. 2'' (2008) * ''Otra Navidad Criolla'' (2008)


Compilations

* ''Lo Mejor de la Sonora Ponceña'' (1975) * ''30th Anniversary Vol. 1 '' (1985) * ''30th Anniversary Vol. 2'' (1985) * ''Soul of Puerto Rico'' (1993) * ''Opening Doors'' (1994) * ''Puro Sabor'' (2000) * ''Grandes Éxitos'' (2002) * ''Pa'l Bailador: 45 Años de Historia'' (2005) * ''La Herencia'' (2007)


With Ismael Quintana

* ''Mucho Talento'' (1980)


Other works

* ''Celia, Justo, Johnny & Papo: Recordando el Ayer '' (1976) * ''Puerto Rico All Stars '' (1976) * ''Pete y Papo'' (1993) * ''Latin Jazz'' (1993) * ''Los Originales: Azuquita y Papo Lucca'' (1994) * ''De Aquí Pa' Lla'' (1994) * ''Papo, Alfredo de la Fe y Sexteto Típico de Cuba'' (1997) * ''Papo Lucca And The Cuban-Jazz All-Stars'' (1998) * ''Festival de Boleros'' (2002)


As member of The Fania All-Stars

* ''Delicate and Jumpy'' (1976) * ''A Tribute to Tito Rodríguez'' (1976) * ''Rhythm Machine'' (1977) * ''Fania All Stars Live'' (1978) * ''Spanish Fever'' (1978) * ''Habana Jam'' (1979) * ''Cross Over'' (1979) * ''Commitment'' (1980) * ''California Jam'' (1980) * ''Social Change'' (1981) * ''Latin Connection'' (1981) * ''Lo Que Pide la Gente'' (1984) * ''Viva la Charanga'' (1986) * ''Bamboleo'' (1988) * ''Guasasa'' (1989) * ''Live in Puerto Rico June 11, 1994'' (1995) * ''Viva Colombia'' (1996) * ''Bravo '97'' (1997)


Videography

* ''Fania All-Stars Live in Puerto Rico, 11 June 1994'' (1995) * ''Sonora Ponceña 45 Aniversario Live'' (2004) * ''50 Aniversario, En Vivo'' (2007)


References


External links


Official Sonora Ponceña site

Sonora Ponceña CD/DVD Collection
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lucca, Papo 1946 births Living people Fania Records artists Musicians from Ponce Puerto Rican pianists Puerto Rican multi-instrumentalists 21st-century pianists Fania All-Stars members