Radio City Music Hall

Gilberto Santa Rosa brought his class and elegance to New York’s Radio City Music Hall on Saturday (April 6), where he made it clear once more why he is considered El Caballero de la Salsa (The Gentleman of Salsa).

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Accompanied by a stellar orchestra of 15 musicians — including brasses, keyboards, strings, percussion, and backup singers — the Puerto Rican icon delighted a mostly Latino audience in New York City with classics from his repertoire such as “Derroche,” “Conciencia,” “Conteo Regresivo” and “Perdóname.”

He also performed a set of boleros, which he introduced with an anecdote told with his characteristic grace and charm.

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“My life has gone between bolero and salsa, and I say it in that order because the first thing I started singing was bolero,” he remembered. “I started singing bolero because I suffered a very strong love disappointment… at the age of 6,” Santa Rosa continued, making the audience burst in laughter.

With the idea of winning over a girl, he said, the singer teamed up with a buddy who also sang and played the guitar.

“I thought, ‘When I start singing, that girl is going to go crazy for me’. Well, guess what? I went out to sing on the first school program that I could, and the girl didn’t even look at me. But she gave me a profession, and thanks to that, you and us we are here tonight.”

On his third occasion at the Radio City Music Hall, this time as part of his Auténtico Tour, Santa Rosa recalled his long history with New York City, where he began playing as a teenager in the 1980s at the Corso nightclub as part of Willie Rosario’s orchestra, and where he recorded his iconic 1995 live album En Vivo Desde El Carnegie Hall.

“Tonight we come to give you everything here at Radio City Music Hall, which is an iconic place in New York City and the United States,” he said with a smile. “This is our third time on this stage and we are happy about that.”

One of the most joyful moments was led by conguero Gerardo Rivas, a former member of the musical duo NG2 who also has a solo career as a singer. The son of Jerry Rivas from El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Gerardo momentarily left the congas to take center stage, where he first sang “Suma y Resta” with Santa Rosa — who originally recorded this song with El Micha — and then a track from his own repertoire, “Happy”, which got everyone dancing.

The orchestra, whose talent was matched by their grace and elegance, includes veteran musicians such as musical director and trombonist Georgie Torres, pianist Luis Marín, bongo player Rafael Echeverría, backup singer Gino Ramírez and trumpeter Rebeca Zambrana, many of whom have been playing with Santa Rosa for decades. They all spread their enthusiasm with amusing choreographies, and Santa Rosa took the time to introduce each one of them with great affection and admiration.

With an uninterrupted and successful decades-long career, Gilberto Santa Rosa continues to be one of the undisputed references of salsa. His Auténtico Tour began last year in Puerto Rico and arrived in South America in February. His U.S. stint continues next week in Charlotte, N.C., and also includes stops in cities such as El Paso, Houston, and Dallas, before moving on to Europe. (For a full list of dates, click here).