Too many years had passed without famed keyboard player and band leader, Papo Lucca, and Sonora Ponceña. At last, the most famous and well-loved band from Puerto Rico was to grace the Bay Area with their awesome music and style. I caught up with Papo Lucca before the band started on stage.

Q: I listened to your last CD. Can you tell me something about it?
Papo Lucca: Yes. This year's CD with Sonora Ponceña had material that was chosen with great care and it has been very well received.

Q: Will that be Sonora Ponceña's last record? I've heard that the band may be retiring.
PL: No, no, this is not the last one. We are alive and kicking. We will be here for the next millenium, with more music for the people who love our music!

Q: Do you have many tours planned for this year?
PL: Yes. At the end of May we will be in Miami and the 31st of June we will be in Panama. I believe that either in September or November we will come back here, to L.A. and San Francisco. In July we will go to New York and we will return there in August. And we will have a massive show in Puerto Rico in September, celebrating our 45th anniversary with some of our old singers: Luigi Texidor, Yolanda Rivera, and Miguelito Ortiz.

Q: You don't seem to spend much time in Puerto Rico.
PL: This year has been quite hectic. We have spent much more time away. It's the last year of the millenium and people want to celebrate and say goodbye to 1999 with lots of parties. As a matter of fact we will be in Puerto Rico for New Year's Eve. We are going to participate in a huge show at a hotel in San Juan, the Embassy Suites. We will bring in the new millenium with El Gran Combo and other bands from Puerto Rico.

Q: Do you have any other projects for a new record this year?
PL: Yes. We are going to record a new CD very soon, in two or three months I hope. It will be released in the year 2000.

Q: With which label?
PL: We are still with Inca. I believe that the contract ends with this next record. Actually, we have other offers to record for other people.

Q: And why is it that you have not performed in the Bay Area the last fifteen years?
PL: To bring a whole band from Puerto Rico to the United States is very expensive for the producers and sometimes is not good for business. They will call us and we will not reach an agreement, or we might be busy. However, all these years we have had strong support [from US audiences]. If we receive a call and we can reach an agreement, we are here in a flash!

Q: I'd like to see you more often! Do you have any plans for a solo recording?
PL: Yes, I am currently working on my second Latin jazz recording.

Q: Great! With the same label?
PL: Yes, but we will have some guests: Néstor Ramírez, Giovanni Hidalgo, and Oscar Cataya from here. I think people will like it because it is quite varied and will include some guests that are very popular.

Q: I can't wait to listen to your new Latin jazz record!

Before Papo could even respond, the signal was given that the evening performance with Sonora Ponceña was about to start. I thanked Papo for his time and headed out to the dance floor. The next few hours that were to follow with this legendary band from Puerto Rico were heaven on earth! The tight, swinging sound of the band and vocalists under the direction of Papo Lucca could not be beat anywhere, anytime. The whole room danced and basked in this celebration of music from La Isla. Mil gracias a Papo Lucca y Sonora Ponceñea y ojala nosotoros vemos pronto!

Interview and photo © 1999 by Julia Sewell.
Transcription and translation by Contextos
All rights reserved. No reproduction without permission.

Too many years had passed without famed keyboard player and band leader, Papo Lucca, and Sonora Ponceña. At last, the most famous and well-loved band from Puerto Rico was to grace the Bay Area with their awesome music and style. I caught up with Papo Lucca before the band started on stage.

Q: I listened to your last CD. Can you tell me something about it?
Papo Lucca: Yes. This year's CD with Sonora Ponceña had material that was chosen with great care and it has been very well received.

Q: Will that be Sonora Ponceña's last record? I've heard that the band may be retiring.
PL: No, no, this is not the last one. We are alive and kicking. We will be here for the next millenium, with more music for the people who love our music!

Q: Do you have many tours planned for this year?
PL: Yes. At the end of May we will be in Miami and the 31st of June we will be in Panama. I believe that either in September or November we will come back here, to L.A. and San Francisco. In July we will go to New York and we will return there in August. And we will have a massive show in Puerto Rico in September, celebrating our 45th anniversary with some of our old singers: Luigi Texidor, Yolanda Rivera, and Miguelito Ortiz.

Q: You don't seem to spend much time in Puerto Rico.
PL: This year has been quite hectic. We have spent much more time away. It's the last year of the millenium and people want to celebrate and say goodbye to 1999 with lots of parties. As a matter of fact we will be in Puerto Rico for New Year's Eve. We are going to participate in a huge show at a hotel in San Juan, the Embassy Suites. We will bring in the new millenium with El Gran Combo and other bands from Puerto Rico.

Q: Do you have any other projects for a new record this year?
PL: Yes. We are going to record a new CD very soon, in two or three months I hope. It will be released in the year 2000.

Q: With which label?
PL: We are still with Inca. I believe that the contract ends with this next record. Actually, we have other offers to record for other people.

Q: And why is it that you have not performed in the Bay Area the last fifteen years?
PL: To bring a whole band from Puerto Rico to the United States is very expensive for the producers and sometimes is not good for business. They will call us and we will not reach an agreement, or we might be busy. However, all these years we have had strong support [from US audiences]. If we receive a call and we can reach an agreement, we are here in a flash!

Q: I'd like to see you more often! Do you have any plans for a solo recording?
PL: Yes, I am currently working on my second Latin jazz recording.

Q: Great! With the same label?
PL: Yes, but we will have some guests: Néstor Ramírez, Giovanni Hidalgo, and Oscar Cataya from here. I think people will like it because it is quite varied and will include some guests that are very popular.

Q: I can't wait to listen to your new Latin jazz record!

Before Papo could even respond, the signal was given that the evening performance with Sonora Ponceña was about to start. I thanked Papo for his time and headed out to the dance floor. The next few hours that were to follow with this legendary band from Puerto Rico were heaven on earth! The tight, swinging sound of the band and vocalists under the direction of Papo Lucca could not be beat anywhere, anytime. The whole room danced and basked in this celebration of music from La Isla. Mil gracias a Papo Lucca y Sonora Ponceñea y ojala nosotoros vemos pronto!

Interview and photo © 1999 by Julia Sewell.
Transcription and translation by Contextos
All rights reserved. No reproduction without permission.