Born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, ENRIQUE “QUIQUE” TALAVERA gravitated to the drum when his parents gifted him a set of toy drums on his 13th birthday. The same year, he earned enough money from a paper route to purchase a set of timbales.
His early influences include the orchestras of Lito Peña and Mario Ortiz and the contemporary sounds of Tito Puente and Rafael Cortijo. But a performance by Tito Rodriguez and his orchestra at the El Escambron Hotel and Beach Club in San Juan inspired Talavera to become a professional musician.
In 1964, at sixteen, after working with several local conjuntos, Talavera became a Pito Suarez’s orchestra member. Also, he took classes in theory, fundamentals, and piano. After stints with La Orquesta Ingenieria, Micky Juarbe’s band, Atilio Bruni’s Trio, and Pijuan y su Sexteto Talavera was the house drummer for the television shows of Myrta Silva, Show Goya, Show Corona, and the famous Noche de Gala, among others.
In 1972 Talavera organized an orchestra and accompanied the singer Sophy. Also, he worked with the musical director Pedro Rivera-Toledo in productions for Lucestia Benitez and Danny Rivera. His career as a musical director took off with the debut presentation of Sophy at the Club Caribe. He also directed and arranged recordings for the international group Flor de Loto (1975-1978) and the television program Show de Carmita (1976-1978).
Talavera was also the musical director for the Venezuelan superstar Jose Luis Rodriguez aka “El Puma.” After traveling the world, he returned to Puerto Rico in 1982 and worked with Julio Angel and Trio Los Condes, and assumed the position of musical director for the house band of the Club Caribe, where his band accompanied Marco Antonio Muniz, Iris Chacon, The Fifth Dimension, Chita Rivera, and Danny Rivera, among others. Talavera was also the musical director for Marco Antonio Muñiz and was the arranger for the Puerto Rico Symphonic Orchestra, Armando Manzanero, Chucho Avellanet, Ednita Nazario, and the Trio Borinquen, among others.
Today, The Quique Talavara Orchestra is among the most sought-after bands for conventions and special events. Also, he is the musical director for Carolina’s municipal band and the author of the book Metamorfosis Musical de Puerto Rico Del 1959 Al Presente. Last December, I had the pleasure of speaking with the Maestro about the book.
IN CONVERSATION
Tomas Peña: Congratulations! Thank you for discussing your book and a significant and forgotten period in Puerto Rico’s musical history.
Quique Talavera: To date, no one has written about it. I was part of the era. I started playing in 1965 when there were more jobs than musicians!
TP: Before we go further, the current edition is Spanish. Do you plan to release an English Edition?
QT: There is a lot of interest in the subject. I’m working on it as we speak.
TP: You are a highly respected musician and musical director. What prompted you to write the book?
QT: When I speak with young musicians and say, “Forty years ago, music was a profession on the island. We played seven days per week, afternoons, evenings, and into the wee hours of the morning,” they don’t believe me! So, the book is for the people that lived and participated in the era. It’s a remembrance of a bygone era.
When the Smithsonian’s traveling exhibit, American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music, visited Puerto Rico, I participated in the inauguration and a panel discussion titled, The Music from Full-Time to Part-Time, which focused on the disintegration of the musician’s union in the 70s. While the panelists spoke, I presented photos of Puerto Rico’s music scene from 1960 to 1980. Afterward, several people said, “You know so much. You should write a book.”
TP: And you did! The book covers a lot of ground: The hotels, the nightclubs, and lounges (cabarets), which no longer exist. The Big Three, Machito, Tito Puente, Tito Rodriguez, musical directors, producers, arrangers, recording studios, the musician’s union, radio, television, festivals, publicity, jingles, and the rise of urban music. Also, the book contains 400 historical photographs, which I assume are from your private collection.
QT: Some of the photos are mine. Others I obtained from colleagues such as (the renowned timbalero) Monchito Muñoz and others who have since passed away.
TP: When does Puerto Rico’s Golden Age of Music begin?
QT: It began in 1959 with the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro’s rise to power, and the expulsion of the U.S., which included the mob (Mafia) and the entertainment industry. When Cuba closed down the entertainment industry, it relocated to Puerto Rico, and from the 1960s to about the mid-80s, Puerto Rico was the “Entertainment Capital of the Caribbean.”
TP: Describe, from your perspective, what it was like.
QT: On any night given night, you could see Liza Manelli, Tom Jones, Sammy Davis, Danny Rivera, Chucho Avellanet, The Fifth Dimension, and The Temptations accompanied by an orchestra. In the hotels, the action started in the afternoon with live music by the pool, followed by dinner, a show at El San Juan’s Tropicoro, and dancing to live music at Armando’s Hideaway in Condado until 6 AM. There was a very high volume of opportunities for musicians. The hotel shows changed weekly, and plenty of work was generated by television, which featured live orchestras backing artists nightly.
TP: Among other things, the book features brief histories of the hotels: El Escambron Beach Club, The Hotel Americana, The Caribe Hilton, The Hotel Cerromar, The Condado Beach Vanderbilt, The Hotel Dorado Beach, El Conquistador, El Convento (which, still exists), La Concha, the Mayaguez Hilton Resort, The Hotel Normandie, The Sheraton, and The Marriott. Also, nightclubs and lounges such as The Hipocampo, El Josco, El Sombrero, Monte Casino, Tres Palmas, Club Caborrojeño, San Juan 2000, Collage, Lomas del Sol, Tropicana, Ochos Puertas, Granada Lounge, La Rue, and Club del Campo among others. In the 70s, the music scene changed.
QT: Yes, the singers and crooners went out of fashion. Also, artists started performing shows at stadiums and outdoor performance spaces for large crowds.
TP: Social and economic factors also had a negative impact.
QT: The rise in crime led to a decrease in musical presentations. People were afraid to go out. Also, the “regulars” who were most likely to attend nightclubs and cabarets sought other forms of entertainment, and the availability of videos and cable television hurt the music scene. I led one of the last house bands at The Club Caribe, which closed in 1988.
TP: No doubt, it marked the end of an era.
QT: As I say in the book, “Todo a tono con su Epoca!” (Everything in tune with the times).
TP: I assume there is no comparison between Puerto Rico’s “Golden Age” of music and the current music scene.
QT: There is no comparison.
TP: Nevertheless, you are very active.
QT: Some years ago, I was asked to put together a band and play Cuban music in the El San Juan hotel’s lobby two days per week, which evolved into six years. The experience allowed me to prepare a band that plays various music, including Motown, Sinatra, traditional Jewish songs, and more. Before I ever led a band, I vowed that if I got the chance, I would sound like Sinatra, Eddie Palmieri, Wilfredo Vargas, and Donna Summer. That’s the secret to my success and over one-hundred performances per year!
