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Re: [ARSCLIST] Technicord T-1621



_6moons audio  reviews: Juan Moreno's Tropical Splendor_ 
(http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/juan/juan.html)  
 
 
The New York  Institute for the Preservation and Development of Latin Music  

by: Juan  Moreno-Velázquez 

--Concept Paper for Internal Discussion  only-- 

This is an idea that I am sure has been thought off and  pondered for years 
by many involved in the Latin music industry.   
In my particular case, as I was doing research for my  recently released book 
on La Lupe, it was surprising to me how little  information was available on 
her life, despite her fame and career  achievements.   
Weekly conversations with music historian Joe Conzo,  further convinced us 
both of the need to create an organization that would serve  as a research 
institute, a place where future generations could study and  understand our rich 
musical tradition, a place where verifiable professionals  could conduct 
research into the history of Latin Music and its performers.   
One by one individuals concerned with this situation had come together  and 
began a concerted discussion as to the possibilities of addressing this  
endeavor in a professional manner.  Those discussions have led to the proposal at 
hand. 
What is available? 
Contrary to popular belief, the audio-visual information  regarding our 
musical tradition is readily available.  There are millions of photo images that  
depict its history, hundreds of thousands of newspaper, posters and magazine  
articles, as well as interviews where the voices of Tito Rodríguez, Tito 
Puente,  Machito, Celia Cruz, Ismael Rivera and so many more of our great artists 
have  been preserved.  There are indeed a  wide variety of recordings in paste, 
vinyl and CDs that document this tradition  as well.  There are miles of tape  
that encompass both musical recordings and films that have captured important 
 periods of our musical tradition; Ernie Einsley´s collection is just one of  
those examples.  
His  collection has valuable information collected over the last four 
decades.  The state of these tapes, and its  contents, however, is anyone’s guess.  
Collected for years without proper care, there is no idea of what can be  
extracted from this collection that can be preserved for the future.  Non-the-less 
it is paramount to  try.   
There  is also a considerable amount of materials under the custody of some 
of our  community organizations that have not yet even been catalogued due to 
lack of  funding or organizational need and/or  circumstance. 

The problem:
The information is scattered and not readily  available.  It is in the 
possession  of many fans, and memorabilia collectors who often times don’t know one  
another.  Most important, there is  no vehicle to make this information 
available to the public and, in time, these  pieces of history end up in attics, 
where heirs who have no idea of the  historical value of these items often times 
throw them out.  Sometimes, if we are lucky, the items  come for sale on 
eBay.  In fact, it  is a shame that in this day and age there is not a Latin Music 
dictionary  available, were the names of our artists and their achievements 
are listed.  We have left this endeavour to our  memories, as the survivors of 
an era.  Soon our memories will no longer be, and this could well mark the end 
of  our musical tradition.  Many of us  complain that our music is no longer 
being played on the radio, as Tito Puente  used to say... “Out of sight, out 
of mind”, this is a situation that needs to be  addressed, and one problem that 
certainly can be  resolved. 
The Solution:
We are hereby proposing the creation of a  not-for-profit institution, 
chartered under the 501(c) 3 designation, that will  house these valuable historical 
items in a state-of-the art facility.   
We propose this organization be named The New York  Institute for the 
Preservation and Development of Latin  Music. 
There are millions of dollars in public funds and  foundation moneys that 
have been ear marked for similar endeavours.  These particular funds, however, 
are  not, currently, been utilized by the Latino  community. 
Our purpose: 
The New York Institute for the  Preservation and Development of Latin Music’s 
main purpose is the preservation and  documentation of all available 
material, acquired by purchasing collections,  receiving donations of such material, 
or borrowing and digitizing these items  for the enjoyment and information of 
future  generations. 
The Institute --through our research component-- will  document our musical 
history and tradition by expounding research papers, books  and other 
publications that will ensure the survival and maintenance of our  musical tradition 
and its performers.  The first publication will be the Dictionary of Latin 
Music, where all  the key participants in the creation, development and 
distribution of the genre  that is universally known as salsa, past, present and future, 
are  recorded. 
Another component of the Institute will  produce radio and television 
programming that will be geared to the maintenance,  documentation and development of 
this musical genre.  In radio, we will program a 24/7 music  and talk format 
to be distributed through the Internet as well as digital and  public radio.  
This proposed radio station will ensure that  the musical tradition in the 
works of Puente, Machito, Rodríguez, Barreto, the  Palmieri’s, Willie Colón, and 
so many others will continue to be heard by the  future generations. 
The  Institute proposes to produce a television program that would educate 
--both the  public and the media-- as well as elucidate-- on the wide variety of 
issues that  affect Latin music and its exponents, as well as its 
distribution.  This program will provide a forum of  discussion and information that has 
sorely been lacking in the nation.   This lack of information, and, in  many 
cases, misinformation is one of the causes of the problem at hand.   
In  full, the Institute will aim to supplement, as well as complement, the 
work of  some community organizations that serve the Latino community by 
recognizing our  common concerns and goals in the interest of developing and 
perpetuating this  musical genre.  A genre that,  despite the problems that it faces 
for its survival, has impacted many different  cultures around the world, 
especially in the United States of North  America. 
The  beginning:
A  meeting was held at Willie’s Steak House, located at 1832 Westchester 
Avenue, in  The Bronx, on Thursday, June 3, 2004, at 5:30  p.m. 
The  list of individuals that have been invited and/or consulted on this 
issue  follows: 
Ray  Barretto                             Musician 
Rubén  Blades                           Musician 
Eddie  Palmieri                          Musician 
Harry  Sepulveda                    Music producer, collector 
Ralph  Mercado                        Music producer 
René  López                              Collector 
Das  Vélez                                 Attorney 
Manny  Oquendo                      Musician 
Andy  González             Musician 
José  Mangual, Jr.                    Musician 
Jimmy  Sabater                          Musician 
Ron  Puente                               Musician, community activist, and 
Tito Puente’s  son 
Tito  Rodríguez, Jr.                    Musician, son of Tito Rodríguez 
Mario  Grillo, Jr. Musician, director of the  Machito Orchestra, son of 
Machito 
Paquito D’Rivera Musician, Author 
Alfredo de la Fe Musician 
Nando  Albericci                       Music personality, collector 
Gerson Borrero                        Journalist 
Joe  Conzo                                Historian 
Larry  Harlow                            Musician 
Willie Colón                             Musician 
Jimmy  Delgado             Musician 
José Magual, Jr-                    Musician 
Bob  Sancho                             Music personality, producer 
Marta  García                            Research, community activist 
Angelo Falcón, Ph.D.               Director Institute for Puerto Rican 
Policy,  research 
Rafael Hernández, Jr.              Interamerican University of Puerto  Rico 
Bobby  Sanabria                       Musician 
Jimmy  Bosch                            Musician 
Jules Coleman                          Law Professor Yale University, Special 
Consultant to the President of  NYU, audiophile 
Alberto Barros                         Colombia, band leader, musical 
director Grupo Niche, Los  Titanez 
Jaime Torres Torres              Puerto Rico—entertainment journalist, Author 
Aurora Flores                           Publicist, Musician, journalist 
Víctor Gallo                              President Sonido Internacional, 
Fania Records  Distributor 
Sergio Bofill                              Partner GB Records 
Juan Moreno-Velázquez            Journalist, Author, Collector, Screenwriter 
Updates to follow on  current activities: 
Donation of Fania’s  productions both in Vinyl and CD’s, progress report on 
Incorporation,  progress report on proposal to NEH, next meeting,  
conformation of Board of Directors and Advisory Board.  Identifycation of Foundations 
with  grants for similar projects.  Contact with members of Congress (Nydia 
Velázquez, Joe  Serrano and others). 
Contact:  Juan Moreno Velázquez (_johnniem15@xxxxxxxx 
(mailto:johnniem15@xxxxxxx)  917 673 6962); Joe Conzo,  curator.


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