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.
Moreno Soy
Sonora Ponceña Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Por mi color soy muy fácil de entender
Cantando voy haciendo el mundo feliz
Yo soy candela para los pies hasta morir
Nací moreno porque así tenía que ser
Y en mi cantar le voy a explicar porque
Yo nací y mi madre fue la rumba
Me bautizaron con tres toques de conga
En un manantial de sabor
Moreno soy porque nací de la rumba
Y el sabor yo le heredé del guaguancó
Señores nací moreno, soy moreno con sabor
Por eso yo fui llamado con tres toques de tambor
El día que nací yo nacieron tres cosas bellas
Nació el sol, nació la luna, y nacieron las estrellas
Dílo Papo Luca!
Vaya!
The song "Moreno Soy" by Sonora Ponceña celebrates and embraces the singer's Blackness, which is reflected in his physical appearance and musical talent. He sees his skin color as something that is easy to understand and identifies himself as a "candela," or a fiery force, that can bring joy and happiness to people through his singing. The singer attributes his identity to his lineage and upbringing, as his mother is described as a "rumba" and his father was called "guaguancó," two distinct styles of Afro-Cuban music.
The singer embraces his Blackness as something that is inherent in him, expressed through the three beats of the "conga" drum that accompanied his baptism, and compares himself to the sun, moon, and stars that were born on the day he was. The song highlights the beauty and richness of Afro-Latinx culture and the importance of acknowledging and celebrating Black identity.
Line by Line Meaning
Nací moreno porque así tenía que ser
I was born with this complexion because that's how it was meant to be
Por mi color soy muy fácil de entender
My skin color makes me easy to distinguish and identify
Cantando voy haciendo el mundo feliz
I spread happiness through my singing
Yo soy candela para los pies hasta morir
My music moves people to dance until they can't anymore
Y en mi cantar le voy a explicar porque
In my singing, I will explain why
Yo nací y mi madre fue la rumba
I was born from the rhythm of the rumba
Y a mi padre lo apodaban guaguancó
My father was called guaguancó
Me bautizaron con tres toques de conga
I was baptized with three beats of the conga
En un manantial de sabor
In a spring of flavor
Moreno soy porque nací de la rumba
I am brown because I was born from the rumba
Y el sabor yo le heredé del guaguancó
And I inherited the flavor from guaguancó
Señores nací moreno, soy moreno con sabor
Ladies and gentlemen, I was born brown, I am brown with flavor
Por eso yo fui llamado con tres toques de tambor
That's why I was called with three beats of the drum
El día que nací yo nacieron tres cosas bellas
The day I was born, three beautiful things were born
Nació el sol, nació la luna, y nacieron las estrellas
The sun was born, the moon was born, and the stars were born
Dílo Papo Luca!
Say it, Papo Luca!
Vaya!
Wow!
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: FRANCISCO ALVARADO MORALES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Hugo19629
EL SOLO DE TROMPETA SERA DE LUIS PERICO ORTIZ ESA TROMPETA SE RECONOCE CUANDO SUENA
@luckylouie522
Saludos el de Trompeta es HUMBERTO GODINEAUX 5:24, 5:43
@eliasv5434
@Luckylouie522 👍
@christianjuansilva8457
Humberto Godineaux
@Futbolero305
Para mi la mejor version es esta de la Sonora Ponceña y cantanda por el Gran Tito Gomez, un corista como el empezo a ganarse la primera voz de esa Gran Sonora Ponceña, que asi orgulloso de ser Salsero y sobre todo Bailador 🕺💃🕺💃🕺💃.... Mas Salsa que Pescaooooo. El que no se mueve con este tema, esta hecho de piedra y roca 😄😄😄😄😄.
@yadiradonastorg9030
Yy
@pietrodalloglio
mira tengo todos los cd della poncena desde 1980!! quando con el gran hector lavoe madrugavamos en spanish harlem !!! gracias poncena yo adoro a vosotros ! gracias de verdad
@pietrodalloglio
mas que cd el disco claro 🤣
@GuillermoGamboa-mm2ff
Nací m🎉oreno, porque el sabor de la salsa viene en la sangre
@isaurotrivino9237
Maestro de la Voz Única. Tito Gomez sea en Grupo Niche, La Sonora Ponceña, Conjunto Clásico.... SIEMPRE FUE UNICO CON SU VOZ....