Andy Montañez is a Puerto Rican salsa singer songwriter who made his name with El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, then led Venezuelan salseros Dimension Latina, before going solo with his own orchestra. He’s been successful throughout his career and is now one of the beloved elder statesmen of la salsa.
You never know who will sit in at his concerts. He’s getting on in years, and everyone wants to play with the legend.
Andy Montañez in New York City
Andy Montañez and Tito Puente Jr, play a tribute to Puerto Rican salsa and mambo legends; at Lehman Center in Jerome Park, The Bronx; on Saturday March 2, 2024 at 9pm. From $48. lehmancenter.org 🇵🇷
Andy Montañez
Andrés Montañez Rodríguez was born in Tras Talleres, Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico on May 7, 1942. Puerto Rico used to have an agricultural train that circled the island. Tras Talleres (behind the workshops) was the neighborhood behind the old train workshops.
Montañez joined El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico soon after their founding in 1962 from remnants of Rafael Cortijo and Ismael Rivera’s band. His deep booming voice produced many hits including “Un verano en Nueva York.”
He left the band in 1977 to replace Oscar D’León in Venezuelan salsa band Dimension Latina. That started a feud between Dimension Latina and Gran Combo. “En Las Vegas” (1978) was a hit album.
Andy went solo with Andy Montañez y Su Orquesta in 1980. His biggest hit is “Casi Te Envidio” (1988). It’s one of the great breakup salsas.
El Niño de Trastalleres
In New York, Andy is known as “El Godfather de la Salsa”, but Island Puerto Ricans call him “El Niño de Trastalleres” (the child of Tras Talleres). Tras talleres is a neighborhood in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico where Andy is from. It’s one of the San Juan neighborhoods that used to have a hot salsa scene. He still walks around there sometimes.
Today there is a budding art gallery scene among the many auto repair shops that still fill the neighborhood. One street, Calle Cerra has become a very hip street of restaurants and bars. It is anchored by the corner bar Esquina El Watusi. It’s a very cool bar because everybody goes, rich and poor and lots of artsy folk. Everyone stands around on the street and drinks Puerto Rican style into the wee hours of the night. Now more bars have sprung up around the corner.
The neighborhood is famous for its murals. “Santurce es ley” meaning painting murals on abandoned walls in Santurce is legal. There is a cool street art festival there every year.
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