Seis del Solar & Son del Solar

OSCAR	MIKE VINAS
HERNANDEZ
		RUBEN BLADES
LOUIS RIVERA			EDDIE MONTALVO
		RALPH IRIZARRY
	RICARDO MARRERO

	ROBBY AMEEN

Cover photo: Ricardo Betancourt

Formed in 1983 to accompany Rubén Blades with a new sound and fresh spirit, Seis del Solar/Son del Solar combined the harmonies and electric keyboards of jazz fusion with the Latin percussion in a tight sextet (plus.) The combined force of Blades' songs and the new sound brought this music to new audiences and to a more widespread recognition, including Blades' first two Grammy awards, for Escenas and Antecedente.

"We're reinventing or stretching the boundaries of Afro-Cuban music to include what essentially everyone is a part of,
which is a New York based urban sound that includes jazz, funk and rock," - Robby Ameen 1992

Todos Vuelven band in Mexico

REUNION TOUR 2009

RUBEN BLADES REUNITES WITH SEIS del SOLAR FOR 2009 TOUR

TODOS VUELVEN WORLD TOUR - photos,videos, setlists, links:

WITH RUBEN BLADES Buscando America Seis del Solar 1984 Cover photo: Ricardo Betancourt	SONGS Decisiones GDBD Desapariciones Todos Vuelven Caminos Verdes El Padre Antonio y el Monaguillo Andres Buscando América	MUSICIANS Rubén Blades - voice, acoustic guitar, maracas Mike Viñas - bass, electric guitar Oscar Hernández - piano, fender Rhodes Eddie Montalvo - tumbadoras, percussion Louie Rivera - bongos, percussion Ralph Irizarry - timbales, percussion Ricardo Marrero - vibraphone, synthesizer, percussion Ray Adams - batería
Escenas Seis del Solar 1985 Cover photo: Ricardo Betancourt	Cuentas del Alma Tierra Dura (Etiopia) La Canción del Final del Mundo Sorpresas Caína Silencios Muévete	Rubén Blades - voice, maracas Oscar Hernández - piano, synthesizer solo Ricardo Marrero - piano, synthesizer, percussion Eddie Montalvo - tumbadoras Ralph Irizarry - timbales, percussion Louis Rivera - batería Robert Ameen - batería Mike Viñas - bass Joe Jackson - synthesizer (La Cancion del Final del Mundo) Linda Ronstadt - voice (Silencios) (synthesizer programmer Cliff Carter, Dean Bailen)
Agua de Luna Seis del Solar 1987 Cover photo: Ricardo Betancourt	Isabel NoTe Duermas Blackamán Ojos de Perro Azul Claro Oscuro Laura Farina La Cita Agua de Luna	Rubén Blades - voice, maracas Ricardo Marrero - synthesizer Oscar Hernández - piano, synthesizer Mike Viñas - bass Edgardo Rivera - bongos, campana Robert Ameen - batería Ralph Irizarry - timbales Robert Allende - congas Roberto "Tito" Allen - coro Cyro Batista - percusión Brasileña
Antecedente Son del Solar 1988	Juana Mayo Noches de Ayer Tas Caliente Nuestro Adios La Marea Nacer de Ti Contrabando Patria	Rubén Blades - voice, maracas Bobby Allende - tumbadoras, quinto Oscar Hernández - piano, synthesizer Ralph Irizarry - timbales, percussion Mike Viñas - bass, synthesizer "Papo" Vásquez - trombón de vara Reinaldo Jorge - trombón de vara Marc Quiñones - bongos, campana, guiro tumbadora Tito Allen - coros Néstor Sanchez - coros
...Live! Son del Solar 1990	Decisiones Cuentas del Alma El Padre Antonio y el Monaguillo Andres Pedro Navaja Claro Oscuro (lp & cassette) Todos Vuelven La Canción del Final del Mundo Ojos de Perro Azul Buscando América Patria (lp & cassette) Muévete	Rubén Blades - voice, maracas Oscar Hernández - piano Mike Viñas - bass Ralph Irizarry - timbales Edwin "Eddy" Montalvo - congas Arturo Ortiz - synthesizers Robert Ameen - drums Roger Páiz - bongos Marc Quiñones - congas Angel "Papo" Vásquez, Reinaldo Jorge, Leopoldo Pineda - trombones
Caminando Son del Solar 1991	Caminando Camaleon Mientras Duerme la Ciudad Ella Se Esconde Tengan Fe Obalue Prohibido Olvidar Cipriano Armenteros El Raiz de Sueños	Rubén Blades - voice, percussion Oscar Hernández - piano, synthesizer Mike Viñas - bass Ralph Irizarry - timbales Eddie Montalvo - congas Robbie Ameen - drums Ray Colón - bongos Arturo Ortiz - synthesizer, programming Reinaldo Jorge - trombone Angel Vásquz - trombone Tito Allen - coro Porfirio Fernández - tambora, guira
Amor y Control Son del Solar 1992 Cover photo: Ricardo Betancourt	El Apagón West Indian Man Adán García Naturaleza Muerta El Cilindro Piensa en Mí Amor y Control Canto a la Madre Canto a la Muerte Baby's In Black Creo en Tí Conmemorando	Rubén Blades - voice, acoustic guitar Oscar Hernández - piano Mike Viñas - bass Ralph Irizarry - timbales Eddie Montalvo - congas Robbie Ameen - drums Arturo Ortíz - synthesizers George González - bongos, maracas Reinaldo Jorge - trombones Porfirio Fernández - tambora, guira, tumbadora Sammy Figueroa - percussion Papo Gely - cuatro Tito Allen, Néstor Sánchez - coros
THE BAND'S SOLO ALBUMS Decision Seis del Solar 1992 Cover photo: Ricardo Betancourt	Sentimiento de canción Island Walk Una Sola Casa Un Nuevo Día Decision Sea Dance Mirage Entrégate Heart Dues Newtown	Oscar Hernández - piano Arturo Ortíz - synthesizer, voice Michael Viñas - bass, vocals Robbie Ameen - drums Ralph Irizarry - timbales, percussion, rap (Entrégate) Sammy Figueroa - congas, percussion, batá drums, vocals Milton Cardona - batá drums, vocals Tito Allen - vocals
Alternate Roots Seis del Solar 1995	New Beginning Last of the Mo-Ricans Cha-cha For Six Rumba Urbana Winter Memory Siempre Spring Fling Jazz Sabor Sara Yé Africa In You	Oscar Hernández - piano, synthesizers Bobby Franceschini - saxophones, vocals John Benitez - bass, vocals Robby Ameen - drums, guiro Ralph Irizarry - timbales Paoli Mejias - congas, shekere

YOUTUBE VIDEOS


Decisiones video c. 1984 TV	Buscando America video 1985 SOB's, NYC	Muevete video with Jerry Garcia 1989 Los Angeles, CA	Todos Vuelven video 1991 New Orleans Jazz Festival

PHOTOS

Courtesy of Eddie Montalvo:

Jorge, Arturo, Eddie, Ralph, Rubén, Ricardo, Mike, and Oscar at the Billboard Awards 2009

YouTube video "Todos Vuelven"

YouTube video

Louis, Ricardo, Ralph, Oscar, Mike, Eddie 2009

Mike, Ricardo, Arturo, Juan Toro, Ralph, Eddie, Louis, Robby, Oscar 2009

thanks so much, Eddie!

other sources:

Then:

Seis del Solar 1983 courtesy oscarhernandezmusic.com

Front: Oscar Hernandez, Ricardo Marrero, Louis Rivera,
Eddie Montalvo
Rear: Ralph Irizarry, Rubén Blades, Mike Viñas

...Live! 1990

As seen on SDRB: Seis del Solar July 16, 1984

Son del Solar 1991 photos courtesy rubenblades.com

These photos courtesy of Mike Viñas

Son del Solar Reunion
March 25, 2007

~It was my children's idea and request to have Son del Solar reunite and play for their Birthday Affair. To their credit, all the original musicians, having seen my children grow up and considered as "uncles/tíos", unanimously said, "Presente".~ Mike

Front: Robby Ameen, Jorge Gonzalez
Middle: Reynaldo Jorge, Arturo Ortiz, Eddie Montalvo, Mike Viñas, Papo Vásquez, Marco Bermudez
Rear: Ralph Irizarry, Oscar Hernandez

Bottom, squatting .... Jorge Gonzalez
Next row above: Mike's wife, Milka; his daughter, Alyssa; Robby Ameen; Mike's son Michael Rei.
above Robby: Eddie Montalvo, Mike Viñas, Papo Vasquez, Marco Bermudez and Edwin Torres behind Papo
Above Milka: Reynaldo Jorge, Arturo Ortiz
Behind Mike: Ralph Irizarry, Oscar Hernandez