Ángel Tomás "Tommy" Olivencia Pagán was born in the Vill… Read Full Bio ↴Early years
Ángel Tomás "Tommy" Olivencia Pagán was born in the Villa Palmeras section of Santurce, Puerto Rico. His family moved to the city of Arecibo when he was just a child. He received his primary and secondary education in Arecibo. As a young man, he became fascinated with the trumpet and learned to play the musical instrument.
In 1954, Olivencia sang and played the trumpet for local bands. He graduated from high school in 1957 and his family relocated once again to Santurce.
Puertorrican Salsa DJ Yun Yun Echevarria interviews Tommy Olivencia (1980s)
Puertorrican Salsa DJ Yun Yun Echevarria interviews Tommy Olivencia (1980s)
La Primerisima Orchestra de Puerto Rico
In 1960, Olivencia organized his first orchestra, which he named "Tommy Olivencia y La Primerisima Orchestra de Puerto Rico". His band combined swing and melodic styles together. This combination plus a strong brass contingent in the band was his trademark. Olivencia signed a contract with Inca Records and remained with that label until 1978. In 1972, he had his first major "hit" with Secuestro (Kidnapped) and followed that hit with Juntos de Nuevo (Together Again) in 1974 and Plante Bandera in 1975.
Olivencia's band was also known as the "Tommy Olivencia School", because the band produced some of the best and most talented singers and musicians of salsa in the island. Among those to have belonged to the band at one time or another were: Chamaco Ramirez, Sammy "El Rolo" González, Simon Perez, Paquito Guzman, Ubaldo "Lalo" Rodriguez, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Marvin Santiago, Frankie Ruiz, Hector Tricoche, Carlos Alexis, Hector "Pichie" Perez, Paquito "Junior" Acosta and Mel Martínez.
Albums recordings
Tommy Olivencia (c. 1977)
Tommy Olivencia (c. 1977)
Among the albums recorded by Olivencia and his band are:
* Trucu-Tu
* La Nueva Sensacion Musical De Puerto Rico 1965
* Jala-Jala y Guaguancó 1966
* Fire Fire 1967
* A Toda Maquina 1968
* Cuero...Salsa y Sentimiento 1971
* Secuestro (Kidnapped) 1972
* Juntos de Nuevo (Together Again) 1974
* Planté Bandera 1975
* Introducing Lalo Rodríguez and Simón Pérez (1976)
* El Negro Chombo 1977
* La Primerísima 1978
* Sweet Trumpet-Hot Salsa 1978
* Tommy Olivencia y su Orchestra with Paquito Guzmán & Gilberto Santa Rosa (1979)
* Un Triangulo De Triunfo (Triangle of Triumph) (1981)
* Tommy Olivencia y su Orchestra with Frankie Ruiz & Carlos Alexis 1983
* Celebrando Otro Aniversario(Celebrating Another Anniversary) (1984)
* Ayer, Hoy, Mañana y Siempre(Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow and Always) (1985)
* 30 Aniversario 1987
* El Jeque 1990
* Enamorado y Que! (I'm in Love, What about it?) 1991
* Vive La Leyenda 1998
* 40 Aniversario Live 2002
The following are considered among the top 100 greatest salsa songs:
* Casimira
* Como Lo Hacen (How they do it)
* Trucutru
* Pa'Lante Otra Vez
* Lobo Domesticado (Domestic Wolf)
* No Me Tires La Primera Piedra
Awards and recognitions
Tommy Olivencia Planté Bandera (1975)
Tommy Olivencia Planté Bandera (1975)
Among the many awards and recognitions which have been bestowed upon Olivencia are the following:
* The Puerto Rican Senate passed a resolution congratulating Olivencia and his band for their contributions to Puerto Rico's music.
* El Cordero de Oro (The Golden Lamb) and El Buho de Oro (The Golden Owl) Awards from Panama, for the best foreign band.
* The Golden Agueybana Award from Puerto Rico
* The November 11th Award from Colombia
Later years
On August 2000, Olivencia celebrated his 40th anniversary in the music industry at the Tito Puente Theater in San Juan, an event attended by many of the former members of his band. On May 15, 2004, Olivencia celebrated his 66th birthday and 45 years with the band with a live recording concert. The annual "Day of Salsa" of 2005, celebrated in Puerto Rico was dedicated to Olivencia.
Death
He died on September 22, 2006, aged 68, from complications of diabetes, which he had battled his entire life.
La Fiesta De Soneros
Tommy Olivencia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Canta: Sammy Ayala)
En una fiesta de soneros me mandaron a cantar,
Que en una fiesta de soneros me invitaron a participar.
Allí estaba Cchivirico, también Cheo Feliciano
Entrando está Hector Lavoe,
En eso llegó Monguito, con su nuevo tumbaito
Llegó Adalberto, Pete El Conde, Iismael Quintana
Justo Betancourt, y cuando empezó la rumba,
El coro allí se encendió.
Que la fiesta de soneros ya empezó.
Esta es la fiesta que yo esperaba,
Para formar este guaguanco sabroso
Llego Adalberto con ChiviriCo, Piro Mantilla,
Y tambien Hector Lavoe.
Arsenio, Ismael Miranda le cantaba y Justo coro le hacía.
Que esta es la fiesta de los soneros .
Y hay que quitarse el sombrero.
Ya la fiesta comenzó.
Llegó Ismael Rivera.
Justo con la Matansera .
Hizo acto de presencia.
Y esta es la orquesta de Olivencia.
Que sonerito soy yo.
A, lala, lei, lala, lei, la lai.
Qe no me pares la rumba no.
Al que me pare la rumba lo mato.
Y no bacile este guaguancó.
Llegó monguito declamando.
Andy estaba soneando.
Adalberto a duo cantando.
Esta es la fiesta de los soneros.
The song "La Fiesta de Soneros" by Tommy Olivencia is a tribute to a gathering of salsa musicians, where the singer of the song is invited to sing. The lyrics describe an atmosphere of excitement and anticipation as some of the biggest names in salsa music are listed as arriving, including Cheo Feliciano, Ismael Rivera, and Hector Lavoe. The chorus of the song proclaims that "the party of soneros has begun" and the singer expresses their joy in being able to participate in the creation of the music that will be played.
The song celebrates the communal aspect of salsa music and its ability to bring together a diverse group of people to create something amazing. The lyrics also express the competitive nature of salsa music as the singer boasts that they will not be stopped from playing the music and that anyone who tries to stop them will be met with violence. Overall, the song captures the joy and excitement of being able to participate in the creation of salsa music.
Line by Line Meaning
En una fiesta de soneros me mandaron a cantar,
I was sent to sing at a party of soneros.
Que en una fiesta de soneros me invitaron a participar.
I was invited to participate in a party of soneros.
Allí estaba Cchivirico, también Cheo Feliciano
Chivirico and Cheo Feliciano were there.
Entrando está Hector Lavoe,
Hector Lavoe entered.
Estaba Iismael Rivera el brujo de Borinquen.
Iismael Rivera, the wizard of Borinquen, was there.
En eso llegó Monguito, con su nuevo tumbaito
Then, Monguito arrived with his new tumbaito.
Llegó Adalberto, Pete El Conde, Iismael Quintana
Adalberto, Pete El Conde, and Iismael Quintana arrived.
Justo Betancourt, y cuando empezó la rumba,
Justo Betancourt was there, and when the rumba started,
El coro allí se encendió.
the chorus lit up.
Que la fiesta de soneros ya empezó.
The party of soneros has already started.
Esta es la fiesta que yo esperaba,
This is the party I was waiting for,
Para formar este guaguanco sabroso
to make this delicious guaguanco.
Llego Adalberto con ChiviriCo, Piro Mantilla,
Adalberto arrived with ChiviriCo and Piro Mantilla,
Y tambien Hector Lavoe.
and also Hector Lavoe.
Arsenio, Ismael Miranda le cantaba y Justo coro le hacía.
Arsenio, Ismael Miranda sang to him and Justo chorused.
Que esta es la fiesta de los soneros .
This is the party of soneros.
Y hay que quitarse el sombrero.
And you have to take off your hat.
Ya la fiesta comenzó.
The party has already started.
Llegó Ismael Rivera.
Ismael Rivera arrived.
Justo con la Matansera.
Justo with the Matansera.
Hizo acto de presencia.
He made an appearance.
Y esta es la orquesta de Olivencia.
And this is Tommy Olivencia's orchestra.
Que sonerito soy yo.
I am a sonerito.
A, lala, lei, lala, lei, la lai.
A, lala, lei, lala, lei, la lai.
Qe no me pares la rumba no.
Don't stop the rumba on me.
Al que me pare la rumba lo mato.
I'll kill whoever stops my rumba.
Y no bacile este guaguancó.
And don't dance this guaguancó.
Llegó monguito declamando.
Monguito arrived declaiming.
Andy estaba soneando.
Andy was soneando.
Adalberto a duo cantando.
Adalberto singing in duet.
Esta es la fiesta de los soneros.
This is the party of soneros.
Writer(s): Osvaldo Maysonet
Contributed by Vivian V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
JUAN BOLAÑOS
Tengo 19 años y me gusta esta salsa más que un viejo
dilan valarezo
Jajajajja…… x1000
Edward Ceballos
Y si la bailas la disfrutas mas
Carlos
@Adriana Cortes me gustaria conocerte
Adriana Cortes
@Carlos yo igual
josbal febres
@Carlos CHEVERE ES DIFERENTE Y AMPLIA LA SALSA Q BUENO DISFRUTEN Y SIEMPRE CON EL ALMA PURA A GOZAR
lopz33
¡Tremendo clásico de la Primerísima de Tommy Olivencia cantando Sammy "El Rolo" González!
Zaetta Vivian
Tema Bravo Honrando a los Grandes Soneros.
Luis Enrique Tito Guerrero
Esta producción de 1972 marco un cambio en la orquesta, fue la ultima producción con saxofones ya en 1974 en "juntos de nuevo" no aparecerían.
Jose Martin jhosep martin
ACABO DE.ESCUCHAR ESTA JOYA SALSERA 🎼🎼🎼 POR INTERNET EN COLOMBIA SALSA DURA !! TREMENDO TEMÓN💃🕺 TONELADAS DE SALSA ,MELAO,SAOCO Y SANDUNGA!!
ESTE ES LA FIESTA QUE YO ESPERABA PARA FORMAR ESTE GUAGUANCO......💃🍻🕺🎼🎼🎼🎼