Mon Rivera y su Orquesta - Vol. 3 (1967)

Mon Rivera (1924 - 1978), born Efraín Rivera Castillo, was from the town of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. Mon, raised in poverty, was nicknamed after his father, Ramón Rivera Alers. His father was a street troubadour who not only sang advertisements for local businesses but also excelled at improvising rhythmic, rhyming lyrics that conveyed humorous or tragic stories about the people in his community. Efráin followed in his father’s footsteps, singing some of “Viejo” Mon’s songs and creating new ones. Additionally, he displayed talent as a baseball player and became proficient in both the trombone and percussion. After some stints with musical groups in Mayagüez, Mon then joined the orchestras of local bandleaders, including Moncho Leña and William Manzano, serving as a vocalist and percussionist. He relocated to New York City with Leña’s group in 1953. After various brushes with the law and a stint in prison, Rivera connected with producer and Alegre Records founder Al Santiago, with whom he developed the novel concept of the trombanga. It featured a charanga orchestra with a three-piece trombone section instead of the traditional flute and violins.

After recording his debut album produced by Santiago, with Eddie Palmieri on piano, Rivera signed with Ansonia and released three outstanding volumes spanning various genres, from bomba and plena to guaracha and boogaloo. The mambo “Si Armando Viene,” composed by Félix Hernández, can be found on the third LP, which was released in 1967. Rivera’s trombanga, along with Eddie Palmieri’s La Perfecta, played a pivotal role in shaping the bold New York salsa brass sound, most famously deployed by Willie Colón.