Dorance Lorza & Sexteto Cafe

by John Child (john_child@descarga.com)

DORANCE LORZA (2 Nov,1967 Barrio P/to Mallarino,Cali,Colombia)tres,guitar,bandola and vibes player,arranger,musical director,rising name on the internacional salsa scene.He was introduced to the tres by the Puerto Rican maestro of the instrument, Nelson Gonzales.He cities the Cuban tres icons nino Rivera,Arsenio Rodriguez and Pancho Amat his principals influences.He studied to be and electronic engineer at tecnichal school but opted for a musical career after leaving at 18,then studied at the Popular Cultural Institute in Cali.He played tres with veteran bolero singer Tito Cortes (d'96)for two years and led his own group RenacerAntillano between '83 and '89 performing classic cuban sones by trio Matamoros,Gullermo Portabales ,and others. Venezuelan trombonist/arranger/composer Cesar Monge hired Lorza to play tres and sinthetizer with his short lived Colombian-based band la Pandilla '90. While Monge was Kike Harvey's musical director,arranger and producer,he employed Lorza to play tres on the track "La Batidora" on Kike's Sonero Para El Mundo '92 on Sonolux (the LP was included on UK compilation LA ISLA BONITA '95 on Tumi)Monge gave Lorza another break when he commissioned him to write the chart for "LLEGO LA ZAFRA" for Tuto Jimenez's Regalame una Noche '92 on Sonolux.The song turned out to be the album's biggest hit and an anthem for the soccer club deportivo Cali. In 1993,Lorza believes,he pioneered the vibes-led latin combo sound in Colombia with his production of the single "Que Suerte Tiene El /Dudas de Mi" by Siglo 21 on discos DCM. When Monge relocated from Cali to work in Bogota as a musical director on a soap opera,Lorza took over as Kike's musical director and produced Diferente '93 (arranging three tracks) and the dazzling Pinceladas de Amor '94 (playing tres and arranging two stunning medleys),both on Sonolux.On the latter he implemented Kike's concept of three trombone and baritone sax front-line, a combination that was also employed on the debut solo album La Perla Negra '94 on Sonolux by Kike's vocalist sister Daisy(Kike penned all but one of the songs:Lorza produced,directed and wrote three charts). He has sessioned on numerous albums including conjunto Son del Barrio's outstanding Rumba Antillana '92 on Kanaberal featuring Lucho Puerto Rico on lead vocals,Valdes Tipica Band on BMG,led by the father of Orquesta Guayacan and Grupo Niche alumnus Richy Valdes and produced by Niche leader Jiro Varela at Niche Professional Studios in Cali,La Sonora Miami's Con Sabor A Cali '93 on SAR,olso made at Niche Studios.Santiago Ceron's Desde Santiago De Cali '93 on Astro Son/Fuentes,Tamba Fuego's Atizando '93 on Codiscos,and Cali Aleman's Cali '94 on RMM. Dorance wrote four arrangements and directed the recording of la Celestial's follow-up Como Caida Del Cielo '93 on Codiscos,directed and played tres,guitar and bandola on Los Del Caney's Clave y Son '94 on Fuentes,produced,directed,arranged and played tres on 100% Sabroso '96 on Codiscos by Lucho Puerto Rico y su Grupo Sonero.His other production credits include: Montunos! '93 on Fuentes by Los Nemus del Pacifico(for wich he wrote all the arrangements),6a Avenida '94 on Vedisco/Fuentes by Los Titanes,Salsa de Hit '95 on Fuentes by Orquesta Internacional Los Niches,and the best-selling Con Sabor a Viejoteca-Exitos de Cuba '96 on Fuentes by Los del Caney(issued as Me Contagie '97 on Vedisco/Fuentes) He has also written charts for Hansel Camacho,Octava Dimension,Los Titanes, Fruko y sus Tesos,Los Nemus del Pacifico,Proyecto Omega,Orquesta Matecana,Grupo Canela,Orquesta Yerbabuena,Orquesta Zandunga,Orquesta Kamaleon(featuring Oscar Alberto Abueta)La Maxima Identidad,and others. In 1993 he was invited to Santiago de Cuba to perform with Sur Caribe at the Matamoros Festival. He played tres with the London based Conjunto Sabroso backing Henry Fiol at his UK debut gig at Brixton Recreation Center,June '95.He produced The Voice of Cuba '96 on Mr Bongo by Hanny And His Friends. In '96 he started leading,playing vibes and arranging for his London based SEXTETO CAFE,and issued the group's Colombia recorded debut Cafe Salsa '97 on PCP Records the following year.The intended follow-up, Latin DNA,was recorded in '98 and '99,but didn't find a release. Sexteto Cafe's 2004 albun Salsa Pa'Ti '04 on I Love Salsa/Candela sets a new benchmark of creativity for reinterpreting classic tunes.