I used to go with my mother and father to the Villas. The Villas was like a country club. They used to barbecue pork, and stuff like that. They had a lot of places where you could stay over and they had live music. We used to go to La Galicia, Casa Perez, and La Villa Toto. La Galicia was a restaurant and a place to stay at. Sunny Acres didn’t have a crowd at that time. Sunny Acres came about later on when La Galicia was dying down. La Galicia had a house band. I was getting lessons from my cousin Paquito. Now Paquito was a character. He’s passed now. He was my hero. He had one conga that he got from Uba, without keys. Uba played with Machito. Machito was a gentleman, a great man. My cousin showed me what Uba showed him. Benny El Soldo, the band leader called me and said “Willie do want to play with us”? He told me you got Friday, Saturday, Sunday and room and board. La Villa was a place to stay with your family. Each person was $13.00 a day, room and board, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I played with him maybe one, two, three summers and I met an amazing man, his name was Benji Rosario. Benji Rosario was a guitar player at that time and later went into bass, he played with Pacheco, and he played with a lot of folks. He was very talented, I loved him. And I still love him. He baptized Marlene one of my daughters. He knew a guy named Junior Morales. Junior lived in Coamo, Puerto Rico. Junior knew Bobby Valentin. Bobby Valentin was a trumpet player at that time, but then he went into fugal horn. Bobby played guitar, bass, and arranged. I really, really had a good time with him; he introduced me to Julio Gutierrez, the piano player who recorded the albums "Cuban Jam Sessions", Vol. 1, 2, 3, 4.
Willie Pastrana on Congas at "Las Villas" with "La Sonora Puerto Rico"
We used to gig on the West Side with the Cubans and this is where I got to know Tito Puente. When you play with the best you really learn how to play. Bobby Valentin signed a contract with the Fonseca Label. Fonseca was a label that had two great artists, Piano player Ricardo Ray and Singer Bobby Cruz. Bobby recorded and I recorded with him. My brother Joey was into Jazz at that time, and I told him come on let’s record with Bobby, and we did. Chickie Perez was playing with Joe Quijano. I got involved with Joe Quijano, through Chickie. Chickie was a conga player and bongo player who knew Cocochea who played with Tito Rodriguez, Eddie Palmieri and with a lot of good bands. Chickie gave me the opportunity to play with Joe Quijano because he took over Cococheas gig with Tito Rodriguez and I took over with Joe Quijano. Joe Quijano was doing a lot of gigs, so I left Bobby and I went with Quijano. My brother got involved with Latin music after he recorded with Bobby. He liked what he was doing and felt like he wanted to continue in Latin Music. We knew a guy named George Golden. George Golden was very talented, and had a good ear. He recorded the Drifters, the Platters, and rock and roll stars, and he had a label named Tico. Tico recorded Tito Puente at that time. Tito Puent‘s first 78 was El Rey Del Timbal. Vicentico Valdes was singing.
(Left - Right) Willie Pastrana - Congas, Chamaco Morales - Singer, Bobby Valentin - Fugal Horn, Joey Pastrana - Timbales, Rudy Martin - Piano, Tony Fuentes - Bongos, Cookie Mattero - Sax, Humberto Del Valle - Bass
(L-R) Benji Rosario - Bass, Herman Gonzalez - 2nd Trumpet, Bobby Nelson - Flute & Sax, Willie Pastrana - Congas
Chaquito Montalvo - Singer, Manny Cochado - Timbales
(Standing L-R) Al Bryant- 1st Trumpet, Joe Quijano - Band Leader & Chorus), Paquito Pastor - Piano
My brother and I were living at 110th Street between Park & Lexington. He used to take two butter knifes and hit the radiator and I’d take pots and pans bang on them and stuff like that. That’s how we did our thing.
Willie Pastrana
(Next to Uva's Conga)
I received a lot of opportunities with George after he got my brother started. Joey continued on and we had good musicians. It was during this time that we ran into Ismael Miranda at Papiris (La Cueva) afterhours club. Ismael was singing with a Trio and Joey had just signed with Cotique Records. I told Joey that this gentleman sang well and I introduced Ismael to Joey. Ismael then recorded with Joey on his first album "Let's Ball". The hit on that album was "Rumbon Melon" which Ismael Miranda sang and "Let's Ball" which Joey sang and was also the name of the album.
(L-R) Benji Rosario - Bass, Emilio Perez - Piano, Joe Orange - Trombone, Sonia Rivera - Chorus, Benny - Band Boy, Willie Campell -Trombone, Joey Pastrana - Timbales, Angelo Rodriguez - Trumpet, Willie Pastrana - Congas
(Kneeling) Guillermo Pizzaro - Bongos/ Bell, Jose Rodriguez (Chumbo) - Singer
We also met Little Johnny there. Little Johnny was a dancer. While we were playing he used to dance. He once said, “Take me in the office and show me how to play conga” I showed him a couple of things but I can’t say that I showed him how to play conga. Little Johnny was talented from the beginning and I am very proud of what he’s doing now. While with Joe Quijano, I used to do the Mirta Silva show. The Mirta Silva show was a great. I played there with Joey, and I played there with Quijano. I met amazing people on that show. I was very fortunate to have met all these excellent musicians. I met another amazing person, known as Babaloo, Miguelito Valdes. We became very tight. He used to always call me to his dressing room and tell me stories about how things happened in Cuba, the music, and about Desi Arnez. Desi, Lucille Balls husband, took Miguelitos number “Babaloo” and made a hit out of it during the “I Love Lucy” Show. Miguelito was great to be with. I used to mess with his head, and he used to give me those big Cuban cigars. I used to run around the studio yelling “Babaloo”! He used to tell the guys and Mirta Silva “La Voz de Oro”, ese Willie es un loco. He took a liking to me. Once he gave me some information during a trip to Panama. His son was a Director or Producer for Channel 2. Miguelito gave me his son’s telephone number and the telephone number of the studio. He told me, “When you get to panama give him a call”. I had a ball for a month and a half down there. The gig was only a week and what happened is they took our passports and we stood there a month and a half. I had a great time there. I ran into Ismael Rivera, and Rafael Cortijo. Cortijo was another guy who showed me techniques on conga. He said, “Willie you play a good conga, just improve your left hand and I took it from there. Coming from him he didn’t have to say it twice. I’d like to add that when Willie Colon released his first album Hector Lavoe was with him. The hit on album was “Jazzy”. Hector recorded on the album but there wasn’t a hit from Hector so we had the opportunity to take Hector Lavoe to Puerto Rico a couple of times on weekend gigs. At that time Puchi, Hector’s wife was pregnant and my wife was pregnant at the same time. I had the picture but I can’t find it right now but I will. Hector was funny. We had a number called “Jala Jala with Joey” and the chorus went, “Jala Jala con Joey Pastrana. Hector would improvise “Debajo de la cama con Joey Pastrana”, and stuff like that. He was a character and a lot of fun. He was as thin as a pencil. Puchi and my wife always got along.
I had my days with Mongo Santamaria, I love Mongo and I love his style. I knew Ray Barretto, and I loved his style. Everybody always asks me “Who’s the best Conga player”? Everybody has their own style and that’s what makes a Conga player. I play 2 congas, I'm very satisfied playing 2 congas. I had the opportunity to play with Charlie Palmieri, Jimmy Sabatrer, Orlando Marin, Cheverico Davila, and my brother Joey Pastrana. Finally, I’d like to add that I’m releasing a CD which was never released, with many of the Stars with whom I played. I welcome your feedback on my email WilliePastrana1@gmail.com.
I've been the playing the music scene for five decades and I have lived a charmed musical experience having worked with the pioneers of latin music.
Estamos