Timbalero Johnny Almendra has gone on to become one of the leading bandleaders in Latin music today, founding and fronting the exceptional Charanga group Los Jovenes del Barrio. Louie Bauzo has also gone on to a stunning career as bongosero/ composer/ arranger and all-around authority on "la musica latina". Nearly a quarter century later, Johnny and Louie co-lead an orchestra located in Spanish Harlem, known for its exceptional talent and drive.



Johnny Almendra has been playing drums professionally for over twenty-five years. Almendra started with little conjuntos in Brooklyn. He went from band to band meeting other musicians along the way. Johnny Almendra:

"I started with a guy who had a band by the name of Mike Y Su Conjunto Ritmico. It was a real jibaro band with an accordion, guitar, and timbale. Every weekend when they paid me twenty-five bucks it was like, "wow, I get paid for this?" So, it made me want to do it even more since it came so easy."

From there he got to play with other bands in Brooklyn. Almendra got a chance to play with this band Orchestra Dicupe with which he recorded for the first time. From there he went on to better bands like Conjunto Melao, and eventually Charanga 76. The list kept on growing. There were stints with Novel, Broadway, and Tipica Ideal.



In Tipica Ideal Milton Cardona and Johnny Almendra first got together. Almendra use to watch Milton when he played with Flamboyan. Almendra: "I was with Dicupe then. I would never talk to him because he looked like a tough guy. I use to think, "Man, that guy looks mean."" Eventually he got to play with Willie Colon and Ruben Blades. He was with Willie for about eight years. Then he went with Mongo, after which he went back with Willie. In between he also played with Hector Lavoe.



The list of bands Almendra worked with is long. He also got to record on a ton of records. It's been a long road.