Viva la Salsa!

Fredy Perojo and I traveled to Puerto Rico to photograph El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, a prestigious Salsa combo that has been producing music for nearly half a decade.

 

I am a true over-packer and responded accordingly for this trip, packing five massive bags filled with strobe heads, lighting stands, soft boxes, a beauty dish, and an assortment of cords. Fredy and I hauled hundreds of pounds of gear from midtown Manhattan to ALFA studios in Puerto Rico for a portrait shoot featuring 13 musicians, some of whom have been playing with the combo for 45 years.

 

 

The intricacies of setting up for a portrait featuring 13 faces was not a simple task. We set up two backlights and two frontal soft boxes in a confined VIP lounge. Empty, the room seemed tight. Full, with 13 salsa musicians, one photographer, one art director, one assistant, one videographer, and an assortment of fans, the room was bursting at the seams. Working with 13 musicians is not an easy task, yet these vivacious and seasoned professionals made the shoot easy – laughing, hugging, throwing their hands in the air, pointing to promote the beloved Rafael Ithier, the conductor of the group.

 

 

I produced an individual shot of Rafael as well. His natural ability to play with the camera and offer perfect photographic gestures transcended the dingy, damp pool hall serving as the photo studio. It’s always easy to capture talent when they obviously are madly in love with their professions.

 

 

 

Fredy documented the fabulous musical performance while I repacked the hundreds of pounds of gear that we had hauled. Although it was a rigorous load to cart back and forth, my over-packing was worth it.

 

 

But the best part? Eating fried plantains and beans and rice with the trumpet player.

 

Check out the photo gallery and the video as well: Viva la Salsa!

 

The El Gran Combo Sesiones was released in conjunction with September's Hispanic Heritage Month.

 

- Rachel Been