ORQUESTA BROADWAY is a Charanga band made up of flute, violins, rhythm section, and voices. It was co-founded in 1962 by Eddy Zervigón and Roberto Torres and has proved to be one of New York’s longest-surviving Charanga bands. Eddy’s twin brother, Ruddy, a violinist, was also a founder member, and his youngest brother, Kelvin, initially played güiro (gourd scraper) and later the piano.
In 1958, Eddy and Ruddy co-led the band La Ideal. In 1960, when José Fajardo left Cuba for the USA, Eddy filled his place in his former group, renamed the Estrellas Cubanas. Eddy left Cuba in April 1962, did a four-month stint in Miami with his band, Ritmo De Estrellas, and moved to New York, where he worked with Johnny Pacheco, Arsenio Rodríguez, Joe Valle, Lou Pérez, Félix ‘Pupi’ Legarreta, Alfredito Valdés and others. Eddy and Torres lived in the same East Harlem building, rehearsing in Eddy’s apartment with accompanists drawn from neighboring blocks. After some disagreement over a name for the charanga, they eventually settled for the suggestion of a promoter, who dubbed them Orquesta Broadway because most of the band members lived in close proximity to the avenue.
Broadway debuted with Dengue (1964) on the Gema label, which contained the hit ‘Como Camina Maria.’ It released four albums between 1965 and 1968, which helped to consolidate its popularity as one of New York’s top ten bands. Broadway’s 1972 album, Como Me Gusta, contained the hit ‘Pa’ Africa‘. They visited the Ivory Coast and Paris in 1973 and Senegal in 1974.
A violent robbery prompted Eddy, accompanied by four other band members, to relocate to Miami in 1974. In their absence, the charanga Típica Ideal, led by ex-Broadway pianist Gil Suarez, helped to fill the void. Ideal released two notable albums, Vamonos Pa’Senegal Para Bailar Y Gozar (1976), featuring some fine soloing by tenor saxophonist/violinist José ‘Chombo’ Silva (b. Baracoa, Oriente Province, Cuba), and Fuera Del Mundo/Out Of This World (1978), produced by Luis ‘Perico’ Ortiz. Típica Ideal’s vocalist and co-leader, Victor Velázquez, has an impressive pedigree that includes stints with Vicentico Valdés’ band, Orlando Marín, Charlie Palmieri, Joe Quijano, Louie Ramírez, Machito’s band and recording with the Alegre All-Stars. Ideal’s flutist was ex-Eddie Palmieri’s La Perfecta accompanist, George Castro.
