Rafael Cortijo Jr

Puerto Rican salsa percussionist. Also known as "Rafaelito", "Rafi" or "Timbe". Nephew of percussionist and composer Cortijo's. Like his uncle, he was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico on September 13, 1954. His childhood and youth were marked by the traditions and resonance of the work of Cortijo and his Combo and he has always kept his uncle's musical memory alive and mentor Rafael. Rafi Cortijo's work has been registered on record plates where his name appears in the rhythm section. He played minor percussion on the Champions disc (1975) by Rafael Cortijo, who was in charge of the tambourine, congas and timbales. He did the same with the congas in work Uno (1978) by singer Eladio Torres, in turn with Eduardo 'Sabú' Rosado. In 1986, on the initiative of Johnny 'El Bravo' Lopez, the album Los Hijos de la Salsa was recorded by Rafael Cortijo where Rafi was in charge of the execution of the congas, timbales and bongós. He recorded with Tito Allen the album Tribute to Maestro Cortijo under the production of Carlos Román. He has maintained a close friendship with Ismael Rivera Jr. with whom he has found himself in different works, either of record order or in presentations in which, he generally pays homage to the legends of the bomb and the full one. In 2005 they met to pay tribute to Ismael Rivera and Cortijo in an album called La Quiniela de Siempre, evoking that 1975 album La Quiniela del Dia. On that occasion and having a clear concept, he declared “We wanted to record salsa with a hot touch for the dancer to, with humility, dictate a bit of a chair to those who are out there; that they continue to insist on music of loose and tasteless arrangements "and added:" I wanted to go by the sound of the second stage of Cortijo in music, after the departure and return of Ishmael to the combo. It's more a sound of ' big band ', more traditional and with more pepa ”. Rafaelito jr. maintains the legacy of its predecessor permanently through its accounts on social networks. His photo and song publications remind his followers of that cultural heritage that gave Puerto Rico so much glory. You can also see some shows that they have developed with Ismael Rivera Jr. with songs that evoke the past and others from their own harvest.