ANDY MONTAÑEZ and CHARLIE APONTE @ Lehman Center at Lehman Center for the Performing Arts

Lehman Center for the Performing Arts is proud to present for the first time together in New York City, Two Living Salsa Legends, the multifaceted vocalists ANDY MONTAÑEZ and CHARLIE APONTE who are recognized worldwide as two of the best and most influential singers in the history of Salsa on Saturday, March 25th, 2017 at 8pm. Produced by Lehman Center and Leo Tizol.

Lehman Center for the Performing Arts is on the campus of Lehman College/CUNY at 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Bronx, NY 10468. Tickets for ISMAEL MIRANDA and ANDY MONTAÑEZ on Saturday, March 25th, 2017 at 8pm are $100*VIP, $65, $55, and $50 and can be purchased by calling the Lehman Center box office at 718-960-8833 (Monday through Thursday, 10am–5pm, and beginning at 12 noon on the day of the concert), or through online access at www.LehmanCenter.org. *New This Season: HAVANA CAFÉ and Lehman Center special VIP pre-concert wine & hors d’oeuvres reception starting at 6:30pm. VIP tickets include the reception and the best seats in the house. At the reception meet other patrons and the staff of Lehman Center. Sponsored by Havana Café Restaurant and Havana Club Puerto Rican Rum. Lehman Center is accessible by #4 or D train to Bedford Park Blvd. and is off the Saw Mill River Parkway and the Major Deegan Expressway. Low-cost on-site parking available for $5.

ANDY MONTAÑEZ, nicknamed “El Godfather de la Salsa” and known for his rich, powerful vocals, was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He gained international popularity during his 15-year tenure (1962-1976) as lead vocalist of the legendary salsa group El Gran Combo, producing 37 albums that included such hit songs as “Hojas Blancas”, “Un Verano en Nueva York”, “El Barbero Loco”, “Ponme el Alcoholado Juana”, “El Swing”, “Julia” and “Vagabundo”. In 1977 he replaced Oscar D’León in the popular Venezuelan orchestra La Dimension Latina, recording eight albums in three and a half years that included hits like “El Eco del Tambor” and “Ave María Lola”. During this same period, Montañez contributed vocals to the three superb Puerto Rico All Stars salsa albums Puerto Rico All Stars (1977), Los Profesionales (1978) which included his soulful rendition of “Aqui En Mi Pueblo”, and 1979’s Tribute to Messiah which was dedicated to Eddie Palmieri. In 1980, Montañez formed his own orchestra in Puerto Rico and released the popular album Salsa Con Caché. 1981 to 1984 was a very prolific period that saw five new album releases including 1984’s Versátil with hits like “Qui, Qui” and “Villaran Cuenca”. 1985’s Andy Montañez was a game changer not only because it was on the Billboard Tropical chart for 30 weeks, reaching number 2 with hits like “Genio y Figura”, “Payaso” and “Dulce Veneno”, but because it was the first of many albums that would featured Andy’s sons Andy Jr. and Harold singing coro. Following up with two additional chart topping albums 1987’s Mejor Acompañado Que Nunca (#2) and 1988’s El Eterno Enamorado (#4), Montañez secured his place amongst the legends of Salsa. Throughout the 90’s he continued to record one successful album after another, earning his orchestra the nickname “Dynasty Montañez” when his daughter Ednaliz joined the chorus. During this period, he also recorded three albums of boleros and Bohemian songs with fellow Salsa great Ismael Miranda: Al Son del Bolero (1996), Romantics de Nuevo (1997) and Con Alma de Niño (1998). In 2005, he again joined up with Ismael Miranda to record the hit song “Se Fue Y Me Dejo”. Montañez (with Pablo Milanes) won the 2006 Latin GRAMMY Award for Best Traditional Tropical Album for AM/PM Lineas Paralelas. Also in 2006, he released Salsa Con Reggaeton hitting #2 on both the Tropical and Latin Tropical album charts. 2007’s hard hitting salsa album El Godfather De La Salsa was also a success. The 2010 El Gran Combo tribute album, De Andy Montañez Al Combo that featured new arrangements of the hit songs “Brujeria”, “No Hago Más Ná” and “Carbonerito” rose to number 5 on the Billboard Latin Tropical chart. In 2014, Andy, with the roots group Viento de Agua, contributed the song “Cortaron a Elena/Santa María” to the album and film Que Lindo es Puerto Rico that highlights the natural beauty and musical heritage of the island of his birth.

CHARLIE APONTE, one of the world’s most beloved salseros, presents in this special concert his new number one album Una Nueva Historia produced by Sergio George featuring the hit song “Para Festejar” that spent 10 consecutive weeks on the Top Ten Billboard charts this year. Born in Caguas, Puerto Rico in 1951, Aponte was spotted performing in a local club in 1973 by members of El Gran Combo who needed a new vocalist. A few months later he joined La Universidad de la Salsa, (the band’s nickname because of the sheer number of successful Salsa musicians who have been members) becoming El Gran Combo’s most illustrious frontman through Salsa’s golden age and beyond. Aponte is the voice on many of their most famous hits, including “La Salsa de Hoy”, “Brujería”, “Amor Brutal”, “La Loma del Tamarindo”, “Compañera Mía”, “Ni hay cama pa’ tanta Gente” and “Hojas Blancas”. Beyond being one of the world’s greatest soneros, he is also a natural entertainer and dancer, becoming the band’s choreographer in 1980. After over 40 years as lead vocalist, he retired from El Gran Combo in late 2014 to spend more time with his family and less time touring. Aponte’s first album as a soloist, 2015’s Una Nueva Historia, involves various emotions and genres and reflects the knowledge he has acquired throughout his career. His latest single “Nadie Te Quita Lo Bailao” was released in November of 2016.

Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. is supported, in part, with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the New York City Council. The 2016-2017 Season is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. Additional funding is provided by Con Edison, the New Yankee Stadium Community Benefits Fund, the Rudin Foundation, the Hyde and Watson Foundation, and the friends of Lehman Center