La Palabra

Artist Information

Biography

Arranger, composer, producer, singer, and songwriter, La Palabra has been performing with his orchestra throughout the world for over 10 years bringing his explosive and unique Cuban sound to packed audiences. Discovered by Stevie Wonder in Detroit, La Palabra is one of LA’s most extraordinary performers.

La Palabra introduced a new genre of music to the Latin music industry when he incorporated a sensual, tropical danceable beat to such well-known English & Spanish ballads such as Lionel Richie’s “Lady” Roberto Carlos "Cama y Mesa" and Emmanuelle's "Todo se Derrumbo"

La Palabra pushes the limits of previously recorded tropical dance ensembles with a balanced repertoire of original compositions and cover tunes arranged in a unique, romantic and powerful style within the genres of , Afro cuban Jazz, salsa, cha-cha-cha, charanga, guaguanco, and mambo.

La Palabra's music has been featured in motion pictures as well as on television including the HBO film The Liberty Kid, the BBC tv series Happiness, ABC's Ugly Betty, Six Degrees, CBS' Cold Case, and FOX's So You Think You Can Dance.

La Palabra's latest release is due out in the spring of 2009 and will incorporate merengue, tango, American blues, bossa nova, and paso doble.

"Orquesta LA PALABRA" Accolades:
2010 European Tour

2009 New CD release "MUSICHOLIC"

2008 China Salsa Congress

2008 China International Latin Festival

2007 Summerfest (Milwaukee, WI)

2007 Colombian Tour

2007 "El Tun Tun de Tu Corazon" holds #1 place in Colombia

2006 Spain Tour & #1 Song (El Tun Tun de Tu Corazon) from BREAKTHROUGH CD

2003 Sandra Bullock Birthday Bash

2002 Winner of the "Salsa Orchestra of the Year" award in Las Vegas (sponsored by Univision
Boulder Station Casino & Al Navarro Productions)

2002 Southern China Tour (Shenzhen, Gaungzhou, Hong Kong)

2002 Appearance in movie "Master of Disguise" (starring Dana Carvey)

2001 Will Smith & Jada Pinkett-Smith Baby Shower

2000 Hawaii International Music Festival

1999 5th Annual Latin Heat Entertainment Conference

La Palabra has also share the stage with artists like:

violinist Regina Carter
flutist Nestor Torres
trumpeter Marcus Belgrave
precussionist Tito Puente
vocalist Velita Woods
vocalist Anita Baker

JAZZ INSTRUMENTATION
Piano
Vocalist
Drums/timbales
Alto sax/flute
congas
bass

Instrumentation

1. La Palabra - Bandleader, lead vocals, keyboard & piano
2. Gonzalo Chomat - Vocals
3. Mirley Espinoza - Vocals
4. Humberto Hernandez - Drums/timbales
5. Robereto Melendez - Bongos
6. Ricardo Rodrigez - Congas
7. Ethan Starzman - Bass
8. Karey Loeschem - Trombone
9. Mike McGuffey - Trumpet
10. Gazola Frabizzio - Sax & Flute
(11. Marco Gonzales - Sound man & stage hand)

Discography

Orquesta La Palabra
MUSICHOLIC - 2009
Breakthrough - 2004
Orquesta La Palabra - On Fire - 1999
Sensation '85 w/La Palabra - Rumores - 1985
Orquesta Versalles w/La Palabra - Self-Titled - 1982

La Palabra's music can be found online at XM Satellite Radio, DMX, Live365, Music Net, Rhapsody, Yahoo.com, Pressplay, Batanga, and Itunes.

La Palabra's videos can be seen on his MySpace page at www.myspace/lapalabra as well as on his YouTube page (search "Orquesta La Palabra

Official Website

http://www.palabraonline.com

Links

• MUSICHOLIC
• Orquesta La Palabra you tube
• MySpace
• La Palabra

Audio

• El Temblor
  Listen  
• Todo Se Derrumbo
  Listen  
• La Palabra - On Fire - Lady
  Listen  
• Careless Whispers
  Listen  
• La Palabra - Breakthrough - El Tun Tun de Tu Corazon
  Listen  
• Biribing Barabao
  Listen  
• La Palabra - Breakthrough - I'm Going to Shenzhen
  Listen  
• BEAUTIFUL GIRL
  Listen  

Lyrics

• Musicholic

Video

La Palabra at Summerfest Music Festival-Milwaukee, WI

Photo Gallery

Press

• Who Is La Palabra [+ Show ]
  

  "During his association with Orquesta Versailles in the mid-eighties, Palabra created what was to be..."During his association with Orquesta Versailles in the mid-eighties, Palabra created what was to become the first “Salsa Romantica” tune, (a tropical dance tendency of the period that took North American pop hits and rearranged them to a more sensual tropical beat, keeping the lyrics in English). He wrote an arrangement for the then popular Lionel Richie composition “Lady,” set to a sexy tropical beat which blew the lid off the Latin charts from coast to coast."

• Exquisite Taste of Cuban folklore with other Latin rhythms [+ Show ]
  

  "[His] music is an exquisite taste of Cuban folklore combined with other Latin rhythms that make La ..."[His] music is an exquisite taste of Cuban folklore combined with other Latin rhythms that make La Palabra one of the most prominent Latin bands of this new millenium."

• Always re-inventing, changing and creating his own path [+ Show ]
  

  "Always re-inventing, changing and creating his own path, La Palabra producer/pianist/songwriter/arr..."Always re-inventing, changing and creating his own path, La Palabra producer/pianist/songwriter/arranger/composer/singer/bandleader) has established himself as one of Latin music industry's leaders since the late '80s while many have stood still."

• Breakthrough Review [+ Show ]
  

  "...the blends are effortless and organic, with enough edge to push them beyond the merely routine....."...the blends are effortless and organic, with enough edge to push them beyond the merely routine...the opening 'El Temblor' - fast-clipped, aggressive, straight-ahead salsa - is a dancefloor smash-in-waiting..."

• Hats off to La Palabra [+ Show ]
  

  "Hats off to La Palabra...he's on his own with a magnificent salsa orchestra and one of the year's t..."Hats off to La Palabra...he's on his own with a magnificent salsa orchestra and one of the year's top tropical music releases, Breakthrough... La Palabra is firmly rooted in the salsa dura sound of the seventies - and with its mambo-tempo rhythm, percussion breaks and horn solos, it recalls the era perfectly"

• On Deck-Breakthrough Review [+ Show ]
  

  "La Palabra takes the premier sounds of Cuba, New York and Detroit and blends them together on Break..."La Palabra takes the premier sounds of Cuba, New York and Detroit and blends them together on Breakthrough, creating a flowing masterpiece with something for lovers of every groove from traditional cha cha, to hip-hop, Motown and pop."

• Editor's Pick-Breakthrough Review [+ Show ]
  

  "Simply stated, there are some tracks on this CD that are unmatched for the dance club. If you kn..."Simply stated, there are some tracks on this CD that are unmatched
  for the dance club. If you know someone who never gets out of his chair, cue up "Ahe Ahe" and watch him get up and dance his arse off. It's a slammin' salsa track that is hard to resist. The salsa La Palabra produces is about as hard as they come..."
  

• CD Reviews-Breakthrough (in Spanish) [+ Show ]
  

  "Ahora, para la alegría de los que extrañábamos su sonido y calidad, esta gran agrupación basada en ..."Ahora, para la alegría de los que extrañábamos su sonido y calidad, esta gran agrupación basada en Los Angeles, California, regresa con otra explosiva producción, una que tiene algo para todos los gustos."

• ORQUESTA LA PALABRA’s ROMANTIC SALSA HITS THE CONGA ROOM STAGE [+ Show ]
  

  ORQUESTA LA PALABRA’s ROMANTIC SALSA HITS THE CONGA ROOM STAGE ON MAY 14, 2011 First time in ten ...ORQUESTA LA PALABRA’s ROMANTIC SALSA HITS THE CONGA ROOM STAGE ON MAY 14, 2011
  
  First time in ten years the original singers Jorge Luis Balmaseda & Angelo Pagan will be taking the stage with ‘Orquesta La Palabra’!
  
  Los Angeles. – (May 9 , 2011).The city of Los Angeles, the entertainment capital of the world, has nurtured numerous musical acts of diverse musical genres throughout the decades amongst them Orquesta La Palabra, led by Cuban born bandleader ‘La Palabra’ (the word) who made Los Angeles his home and achieved international recognition for his brand of Salsa: Salsa Romantica.
  
  This is a very exciting time for Orquesta La Palabra who in addition to embarking on a South American tour in the upcoming months, for the first time in ten years the original singers Jorge Luis Balmaseda and Angelo Pagan will be performing on May 14, 2011 at 9:30 p.m. at the hub of Latin music in LA, The Conga Room, located at 800 West Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles, 90015. Tickets are on sale now at www.congaroom.com.
  
  ‘La Palabra’ is a composer, pianist and vocalist whose music hit the charts internationally first with his signature arrangement of "Lady" where he sang lead vocals and then with "El Sabroso Son" which featured legend and virtuoso Tito Puente. In 2006, La Palabra's song "El Tun Tun de Tu Corazon" hit number one on the Colombian charts and remained there for eight consecutive weeks.
  
  In 2010, Orquesta La Palabra embarked on a European tour performing in Amsterdam, Germany, Luxembourg, France, Kosovo, Turkey, Brussels, Spain, Portugal and the Island of Terceira. This year 2011 started off with a big bang when "El Tun Tun de Tu Corazon" reached number one on the Peruvian music charts.
  
  
  About the Conga Room
  The world famous Conga Room is a nightclub and concert venue located at L.A. LIVE, the downtown entertainment district across from Staples Center and the Nokia Theatre. Since opening in 2008, The Conga Room has been the hub for industry after-parties and high-profile events such as the ESPYS, People’s Choice Awards, American Music Awards and numerous NBA parties. Our stage has received historic performance including the Gypsy Kings, Alejandro Fernandez, Black Eyed Peas, Prince and a weekly R & B industry night with GRAMMY winner Jamie Foxx called Foxxhole Live. The Conga Room is co-owned by will.i.am, Jimmy Smits, Jennifer Lopez, Paul Rodriguez, Sheila E., Amaury Nolasco and NBA players Baron Davis and Trevor Ariza.
  

Setlist

Set example 1:
Opening jam
Lady (salsa)
El Sabroso Son (cha-cha-cha)
Me Voy (charanga)
CubanJam.com (Latin jazz)

Set example #2:
I'm Going to Shenzhen (rap/cha-cha-cha)
Yo Te Amo (bossa nova)
Cama y Mesa (cha-cha-cha)
C-jam (Latin jazz)

A typical set is 45-60-mins long.

Basic Requirements

PDF Rider

La Palabra Rider

Calendar