La Sonora Ponceña is a Puerto Rican salsa band, founded in 1954 by Enrique … Read Full Bio ↴La Sonora Ponceña is a Puerto Rican salsa band, founded in 1954 by Enrique "Quique" Lucca Caraballo. Today Quique's son, Papo Lucca, directs the band. The band has stayed active for a remarkable amount of time, recording dozens of albums, including a 55th anniversary album. Singers included Tito Gómez, Luigi Texidor, and Yolanda Rivera.

The history of La Sonora Ponceña is the history of Quique Lucca, (Yauco, Puerto Rico, 12 December 1912 - 9 October 2016). In 1928, when he was 16 years old, his family moves to Ponce, Puerto Rico and Quique starts to work as an auto mechanic and starts playing the guitar. In 1932 Quique meets Angélica Quiñones, the future mother of his children, Zulma, Papo y Wanda. In 1944 Quique puts together a band called "El Conjunto Internacional", including three instrumentalists: tumbadora, bongó, vocalist and Quique Lucca at the guitar and second voice. Later, Antonio "Tato" Santaella joined, playing the bongó. On 10 April 1946, Enrique Lucca Jr. ("Papo") was born; he would later become the musical director of "La Sonora". In fact, in 1951, Papo surprised his father and the other members of the "Internacional" band when, at only 5 years old, he joined a band practice and started playing the tumbadora on Tito Puente's "Ran Kan Kan".

After the band had been inactive for a year, Quique re-established it in 1954 and renamed it "Conjunto Sonora Ponceña". His childhood friend Antonio "Tato" Santaella played bajo de cajón. On 20 April of that year the band plays at its first official dance. In 1956, Vicentivo Morales, joins the band as its first pianist. Later that year, Quique brings young Papo into the band as a pianist. In November 1957, Papo makes its official debut during a dance on the northern shore of the Island. In 1958, La Sonora Ponceña records its first 78 RPM with Avelino Muñoz as pianist. The 78 RPM contained No puede Ser on one side and Tan Linda que Era on the reverse side. Towards the end of 1958, the band goes into recording mode and includes 12-year-old Papo Lucca. The band included its first official vocalist Charlie Martínez. Later on, vocalists Felipe and Davilita would also record bolero-mambo themes such as Noche de Locura. In September 1960, the group played in New York. The group's main attraction was its 12-year-old pianist, Papo Lucca. In 1968 the group started its official recordings on 33 RPM with the song Hacheros Pa' Un Palo.

In 1974, singer Humberto "Tito" Gómez leaves the band after 7 years and 6 recordings. Together with Joe Rodríguez and Mickey Ortíz, Humberto "Tito" Gómez formed La Terrífica. Likewise, in 1977 Edgardo Morales, who played the timbal leaves the band after 7 years and 7 recordings and joins El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico. In 1978 singer Luis Guillermo "Luigui" Texidor leves the band after 10 years and 10 recordings to join Bobby Valentín's Orchestra. In 1982 trumpetist Humberto Godineaux leaves the band after 4 years a 6 recordings. Singer Yolanda Rivera also left the band after 7 years and 8 recordings. In 1985, singer Miguel Ortíz retires from the band after 11 years and 12 recordings. On 28 May 1986, the band losses singer Alberto "Toñito" Ledée in a car accident. In 1987, trumpetist Heriberto "Ayatollah" Santiago also retires having 7 years and 5 recordings to his credit. In July 1989, long-time bass player Antonio "Tato" Santaella retired after 21 recordings. Tato played without ever using any musical scores, and singing entirely "by ear". A year later, in 1990, another bass player Efraín "Frao" Hernández retired from the band after 10 years and 7 recordings. In 1990, bongó player Angel Hernández also retired after 14 years and 13 recordings. In 1991, tumbadora player Vicente "Pequeño Johnny" Rivera retires after 16 years with the band. He had performed on 15 of the band's recordings. In 1993, long-time trumpeter Ramón "Tony El Cordovés" Rodríguez retired after 24 recordings. This was followed by the retirement of trumpeter Freddie Del Valle, who had played with the band for 6 years and had participated in 5 recordings.

In 1993, the band played at the Magno Orchestra Festival in Barranquilla, Colombia. The band was awarded the “Congo de Oro” award, given to the best international band. And in October 1994, Sonora Ponceña celebrated its 40th anniversary with a festival at Estadio Juan Ramón Loubriel in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. The band would later also play at the Madison Square Garden to bring its celebration to the United States. In 1995, the band did a reunion recording with Luis Guillermo "Luigi" Texidor and Yolanda Rivera who had retired 19 and 14 years earlier, respectively. That same year, they sang in Paris, France, and at the Desfile de la Hispanidad (Hispanic Parade) in Zaragoza, Spain. In 1996 the band plays for the first time in Mexico at the Boca del Río, Veracruz, Mexico, carnival.

In 2000, Sonora Ponceña celebrated its 45th anniversary at the Tito Puente Amphitheater at the Centro de Bellas Artes in San Juan, Puerto Rico and at the Teatro La Perla in Ponce. They also played in Caracas, Venezuela as part of this 45th anniversary celebration. In the years following 2000, La Sonora Ponceña participated in a large number of events throughout Puerto Rico, including Fiestas Patronales, private parties, graduation parties, and corporate Christmas and holiday parties. In the following years, the band also made presentations in Orlando, Jacksonville, Miami, Washington, Connecticut, Philadelphia, Chicago, New Jersey, Panamá, Perú, England, Switzerland and Italy.

For its 50th year anniversary (2004), the band played at Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez, in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. The 12,000 spectators made the show a complete sellout on its presentation day, February 21. The show was broadcast via radio and television.

During its 50th anniversaery show at Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez, the band was officially recognized by the Legislature of Puerto Rico for its musical contributions.
The 23rd “Día Nacional de la Salsa”, celebrated in Carolina, Puerto Rico on 16 March 2004, was dedicated to Don Quique, Papo and la Sonora Ponceña.
In Ponce there is a street, in Urb. Estancias del Golf, named after Quique Lucca.
The 2003 "Feria de Turismo", celebrated at Complejo Turístico “La Guancha” in Ponce was dedicated to Don Quique, Papo and la Sonora Ponceña.

Fuerza E Cara
Sonora Ponceña Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

La luna Se La Llevo
La luna se la Llevo

Me ah dicho tu mejor amiga
que hoy por hoy ya no eres mia
que ya no soy tu principito y tu no eres princesa mia
que hoy un joven caballero, me esta quitando la vida
que me ah quitado tu cariño

lo que en el mundo mas queria

Dicen que te estas volviendo a enamorar y que me vas a olvidar
que mis flores se marchitan
por que tu amor nececitan
y mi amor tambien se va a marchitar
si con migo ya no estas...

Mirame a la cara
y dime si me quieres todavia
si ya no soy el niño por el que morias
y ese que ati te asia soñar
y
Mirame a la cara
y dime si me quieres todavia
si ya no soy el niño por el que morias
y ese que ati te asia soñar

Solo por ella
Solo por ella

Me han dicho que hasta mi foto
me estas quitando del medio
y que te quitas las penas
hay con el joven caballero

me a dicho que sube a tu casa
que ya conoce a tus padres va a regalarte
una aliasta donde podran sus iniciales

dicen que te estas volviendo a enamorar
y que me vas a olvidar que mis flores se marchitan
por tu amor nececitan
y mi amor tambien se va a marchitar
si con migo ya no estas
y
Mirame a la cara

y dime si me quieres todavia si ya no soy el niño
por el que morias y ese que ati te hacia soñar

Overall Meaning

The song "Fuerza E' Cara" by Sonora Ponceña tells the story of a man who has heard from his best friend that his girlfriend is no longer his. She has moved on with another man who is stealing her heart and affection. The singer expresses his disbelief and hurt that this new person has taken away what he treasured most in the world, which was the love of his princess. He has heard that she is falling in love with someone else and will forget about him, leaving him and his love wilting like dying flowers. The singer asks his girlfriend to look him in the eyes and tell him if she still loves him despite the changes to who he is and who they used to be.

Line by Line Meaning

La luna Se La Llevo
Someone stole my love away

La luna se la Llevo
Someone stole my love away

Me ah dicho tu mejor amiga
Your best friend told me

que hoy por hoy ya no eres mia
That you are no longer mine

que ya no soy tu principito y tu no eres princesa mia
That we are no longer the fairy tale couple

que hoy un joven caballero, me esta quitando la vida
That a young gentleman is stealing you from me

que me ah quitado tu cariño
That he has taken your affection away from me

lo que en el mundo mas queria
The thing that I loved the most in the world

Dicen que te estas volviendo a enamorar y que me vas a olvidar
They say you are falling in love with someone else and forgetting about me

que mis flores se marchitan
That my flowers are wilting

por que tu amor nececitan
Because they need your love