TONY'S BACK ON THE BEAT REVIVAL DELIGHTS MUSICIAN.Byline: Karen Thacker Special to the Daily News LANCASTER - Latin musician Tony Molina spent more than fifty years crooning with popular orchestras like Tito Puente Tito Puente, Sr., (April 20, 1923 – May 31, 2000 or June 1, 2000 according to IMDb), born Ernesto Antonio Puente, Jr., was an influential Latin jazz and mambo musician. , Jose Curbelo and Alfredito, on albums and in clubs. He opened for entertainers like Milton Berle Milton Berle (July 12, 1908 - March 27, 2002) was an Emmy-winning American comedian who was born Milton Berlinger. As the manic host of NBC's Texaco Star Theater (1948-1955), he was the first major star of television. , Sammy Davis Sammy Davis may refer to:
Fitzgerald . The last 12 years, however, he's lived a quiet retirement, enjoying his grandchildren in Lancaster. That is, until a few months ago when, at age 75, a renewed interest in his past work convinced Molina to pick up his congo drums and resume his lead vocal role on his own album, ``Tony Molina and Friends.'' The friends include Palmdale School District The Palmdale School District is a school district that serves a major part of the city of Palmdale, California (USA). The Palmdale School District was first formed in 1888. Approximately 28,000 students are enrolled in the Palmdale School District. music teacher Doug Parham. ``Since 1999 my albums started getting re-released in CD form. By 2001 I found out three or four were re-released and selling worldwide,'' Molina said. ``People were writing stories about me in England.'' When Latin Beat Magazine made a list of the 100 most-wanted albums, Molina was on seven of the top 10. ``So now it's created a new interest and given me a new life,'' he said. His new release is a mixture of Latin, jazz and contemporary songs, including a Nat King Cole a legendary king of Britain, who is said to have reigned in the third century. See also: King favorite. His manager is planning a tour and trying to get Molina introduced to a whole new generation. ``It's like a dream to get to sing again - to record,'' Molina said. ``It's not just a past to dream about.'' Born in Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (pwār`tō rē`kō), island (2005 est. pop. 3,917,000), 3,508 sq mi (9,086 sq km), West Indies, c.1,000 mi (1,610 km) SE of Miami, Fla. in 1927, Molina was just a few months old when his parents moved into a Brooklyn tenement. His music education came from listening, watching and singing along. His home was full of recordings and Saturday nights were spent listening to the popular radio program ``The Hit Parade hit parade n. 1. A ranked group or listing of the currently most popular songs. 2. A collection or listing of the most popular or excellent items or people of a certain kind. Noun 1. .'' On Sundays it was the ``Battle of the Baritones'' with Frank Sinatra, Perry Como Pierino Ronald Como (May 18 1912 – May 12 2001) was an American crooner. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with it in 1943. and Bing Crosby on radio. At age 15 he was attending dances to stand by the bandstand and watch the musicians. ``Everything I know I learned by myself,'' he said. He spent hours singing along and by his mid-teens joined a septet performing in lounges around Brooklyn's Hispanic neighborhoods. He had steady gigs with various bands and took part in the historic opening of the Palladium Ballroom The Palladium Ballroom was a second-floor dancehall on 53rd Street and Broadway in New York City which became famous for its excellent Latin music. At the end of World War II people began moving from Puerto Rico to New York City in large numbers (NYC's Puerto Rican population was in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of to Latin music orchestras in 1947, singing with the Joseito Roman Orquesta. Seven years later he sang the lead vocals with the Jose Curbelo Orchestra on hits like ``Ala e la la,'' and ``Poco po·co adv. Music To a slight degree or amount; somewhat. Used chiefly as a direction. [Italian, from Latin paucus; see pau-1 in Indo-European roots.] Pelo.'' He was on Tito Puente's second best selling album, Cuban Carnival, and when not touring with various orchestras could be found at the Roseland Ballroom, just off Broadway. ``I've been blessed and blessed and blessed by God,'' Molina says. ``Here's a poor boy from Brooklyn and I've been able to do the things I've always dreamed of as a child.'' His music career ended in 1992. He was living in New York and singing with the Ramon Argueso Roseland Ballroom Orchestra, but when Argueso retired, so did Molina. With his wife's health bad, the two moved from New York to Lancaster, where two of their four children were living. While performing, Molina often brought his children with him on tour, especially if he went to a beach or mountain location. He'd often hurry from a son's baseball game off to an evening show. Molina's wife died 1 1/2 years after they moved to Lancaster. Molina has sung on dozens of recordings over the years, but doesn't have copies or records of all of them and has spent the last few years trying to find them. ``When you are young you don't think about tomorrow. I used to get boxes of 45s and give them all away,'' he said. ``Now at this stage of life I find I don't have many of my recordings.'' ``Tony Molina and Friends'' is carried at Barnes and Noble in Palmdale. CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1 -- color in AV edition only) Latin jazz singer Tony Molina, 75, has released a new album, inspired by renewed interest in his earlier music. (2 -- ran in AV edition only) Tony Molina shows pictures of him performing taken during a career of more than 50 years that has recently resumed. Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer (3) Over a career that spanned more than 50 years, Tony Molina appeared on many Latin jazz albums, like this 1974 release, ``Lo Maximo,'' with Hector Rivera. His new album is titled ``Tony Molina and Friends.'' |
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