PRESS RELEASE
January 25, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Echo Park Project new collaboration, Sal y Pimienta
Los Angeles, CA – The Echo Park Project, a veteran band from the Los Angeles salsa scene, has embarked in a new collaboration between its leader, Carlo Lopez and his brother, Tomas Martin Lopez, also a veteran salsa musician from the New York salsa and latin jazz scene.
Carlo y Tomas have joined forces to release a new single, "Sal y Pimienta," a traditional Cuban Son Montuno with a combination of the New York and California swing that each brother contributes.
“Sal y Pimienta” was composed by Tomas Martin Lopez, and nominated for a Grammy with The New Swing Sextet. Tomas has been in the NY salsa scene for decades and has recorded and performed with Latin and jazz music greats like Louie Ramirez, Ray De La Paz, Lalo Rodriguez, Paquito Guzman, Adalberto Santiago, Felo Berrio, Cheo Feliciano, Ismael Miranda, among others.
In keeping true to the roots of the music, Carlo y Tomas decided to approach “Sal y Pimienta” as a traditional conjunto style, creating a swinging tune arranged by Joe Mannozzi, a legend in his own right in the NY salsa scene, and recorded by the Echo Park Project in their studios in Los Angeles.
Carlo y Tomas are native New Yorker’s percussionists who grew up in Brooklyn surrounded by the rich sounds that had come out of the 50’s. As teens the found themselves immersed in the 70's New York salsa scene which at that time was exploding all around them. Over time they learned from old school veterans and eventually became part of a new crop of emerging musicians who were making their mark in the vast landscape of the Latin Salsa music scene in the US.
This new single, with the recurring cast of extraordinary local musicians, is sung by Roosevelt Cordova, el Presidente de la Salsa. A preview of the song is available at our website
at www.theechoparkproject.com.
Credits
Producers: Carlo Lopez and Tomas Martin Lopez.
Composer: Tomas Martin Lopez
Arranger: Joe Mannozzi
Recording Engineer: Carlo Lopez
Recorded @ Echo Park Project Recording Studio
Mixed by: Carlo Lopez and Eric Maldonado
Mastered by: Eric Maldonado
Cover Art by: Carlo Lopez
Musicians
Carlo Lopez: Musical Director, Guiro
Tomas Martin Lopez: Bongo
Giancarlo Anderson: Congas
Joey de Leon: Timbales
John Belzaguy: Bass
Salvado Vasquez: Tres Guitar
Jonathan Montes: Piano
Serafin Aguilar: Trumpets
Roosevelt Cordova: Lead Singer
Steve Giraldo: Coro
Ricky Luis: Coro
Artist Contact: Carlo Lopez, 323.371.2648 echoparkproject@gmail.com
PRESS RELEASE
September 15, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Echo Park Project releases new single Salsera
Release Date September 15, 2022
Los Angeles, CA – The Echo Park Project, a veteran band from the Los Angeles salsa scene, has released a new single, "Salsera," a big band mambo tribute to female salsa dancers who have turned their love of the music into a lifestyle. The song, a new composition by La Palabra, continues in the tradition of New York's salsa.
"Salseras are the heart of the salsa music scene. They bring passion and they dance their hearts out, supporting the music with every turn. This is my small tribute to them," said Carlo Lopez, founder of The Echo Park Project.
The Echo Park Project was created in 2006 and from the start became one of the top bands in the Salsa Latin music scene in Los Angeles. This new single, with the recurring cast of extraordinary local musicians, is sung by Roosevelt Cordova, el Presidente de la Salsa. A preview of the song is available at our website at www.theechoparkproject.com.
The Echo Park Project has previously issued six CDs which are available on our website. Through the years The Echo Park Project has backed many visiting salsa superstars including Adalberto Santiago, Cano Estremera, Tony Vega, Choco Orta, Herman Olivera, Frankie Vazquez, Cita Rodriguez, and The New Swing Sextet.,
Credits
Producer: Carlo Lopez
Co-producer and Arranger: Joe Mannozzi
Recording Engineer: Carlo Lopez
Recorded @ Echo Park Project Recording Studio
Mixed by: Carlo Lopez and Eric Maldonado
Mastered by: André Dias
Cover Art by: Carlo Lopez
Musicians
Carlo Lopez: Musical Director, Congas
Joey de Leon: Timbales
Tomas M. Lopez: Guiro
Rene Camacho: Bass
Jonathan Montes: Piano
Juan Carlos Villaquiran: Tenor, Baritone Sax
Christopher Astoquillca: Alto Saz
Serafin Aguilar: Trumpet
Bob Lawrence: Trombone
Roosevelt Cordove: Lead Singer
Steve Giraldo: Coro
Ricky Luis: Coro
Artist Contact: Carlo Lopez, 323.371.2648 echoparkproject@gmail.com
IT'S MY TURN PRESS RELEASE
April, 2021
PRESS RELEASE
April, 15, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Echo Park Project-Latin Jazz Octet It’s My Turn
CD Release Date April 15th 2021
Los Angeles, CA – The Echo Park Project, a veteran band from the Los Angeles salsa scene, will release its sixth CD, “It’s My Turn.”
With eight new songs, 7 composed and arranged by Joe Mannozzi and 1 by John Belzaguy, The Echo Park Project is exploring the musical horizon of the Latin Jazz world.
“In our sixth production, the focus was to encourage creativity and originality in keeping the swing and salsa dancing style of the music that we love to perform, but this time in a instrumental format. These tunes are for listeners and dancers alike.”
Born in 1962, Carlo Lopez is a native New Yorker and self-taught percussionist. He is the younger of two musicians in the family who’s played Latin music for most of his life. As a teen growing up around the 70’s New York salsa scene, he found himself surrounded with musicians and the sounds that were integral in shaping the eras of the 50’s and 70’s. It was a great time to be a teen in Brooklyn, NY. He learned from the Latin scenes old school veterans and was part of the emerging new crop of musicians destined to make a mark in the vast landscape of the salsa/Latin music scene no matter where he resided.
In 1992, he moved to the west coast and landed in Los Angeles, CA.
He integrated by playing percussion in local bands. He arrived in L.A.
at a time when technology enjoyed a boom in independent audio recording. Carlo, determined to study his way to independence in the independent recording artist arena, mastered working with the latest studio software. Carlo’s testament to that side of audio engineering gave birth to the Echo Park Project’s independent recordings.
Tracks
1. En Camino
2. Monktuneado
3. It’s My Turn
4. Guánica
5. Can’t Complain
6. Felicity’s Harvest
7. Charanga In Q
8. Si, Si, C. L.!
Musicians
Carlo Lopez: Congas
Joey de Leon: Timbales
Tomas M. Lopez: Bongo, Guiro, Shekere and Barriles
John Belzaguy: Bass
Jonathan Montes: Piano
Frank Fontaine: Saxophones and Flute
Ron Francis Blake: Trumpet and Flugelhorn
Joe Mannozzi: arranger
Carlo and the EPP have backed traveling salsa super stars Adalberto Santiago, Cano Estremera, Tony Vega, Choco Orta, Herman Olivera, Frankie Vazquez, Cita Rodriguez, and The New Swing Sextet. Having brought the New York salsa sound to the West Coast, Carlo started The Echo Park Project in 2006. Since then, the Echo Park Project has issued five albums. As director of the band, Carlo infused their music with the legendary sounds near to his heart with a modern twist. Carlo, now a trained sound and recording engineer, has produced and engineered local band recordings adding to his resume.
PR Contact: Lisa Reedy, Lisa Reedy Promotions 775-826-0755 reedylm@aol.com www.JazzPromotion.com
Artist Contact: Carlo Lopez, 323.371.2648 echoparkproject@gmail.com www.theechoparkproject.com
EL PIN PIN PON PRESS RELEASE
June, 2019
PRESS RELEASE
June 14, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Carlo Lopez, 323.371.2648
The Echo Park Project releases 5th CD, El Pin Pin Pon
Los Angeles, CA – The Echo Park Project, a veteran band from the Los Angeles salsa scene, has released its 5th CD, El Pin Pin Pon and continues in the tradition of New York’s “salsa dura,” with new compositions arranged by Grammy-winner Oscar Hernandez.
With a total of 12 songs, this CD combines original songs along with new arrangements of some of the best songs of Tite Curet Alonzo and Oscar Hernandez, all representatives of the exciting and unique style of salsa played in New York in the seventies. In total, El Pin Pin Pon has six original compositions from songwriters like Johnny Crespo Estrella and Lino Iglesia, that capture the seventies flavor with a modern touch.
One of the highlight of the CD are its featured guests, among them percussionists Johnny Dandy Rodriguez and George Delgado; singers Jorge Maldonado, Freddy Crespo, and Daniel Castillo;and legendary arrangers including Joe Mannozzi and Oscar Hernandez.
“In our fifth production, the focus was to encourage creativity and originality inside the music style that we love, hence the number of new compositions. Songs like “El Pin Pin Pon” or “Zabaramba” will be sure to be a hit with dancers and music lovers alike,” said Carlo Lopez, the band’s founder, who produced and engineered the CD.
Other songs featured in this CD, like “El Pasito Del Shingalin,” “Echo Park Cha Cha,” “ Señor Salsa,” and “Borinquen La Flor” are all new compositions that will resonate with salsa lovers all over the world.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, Carlo López moved to Los Angeles in 1992, were he founded The Echo Park Project, a 12 piece-band with some of the best local salsa musicians, who are once again featured in this project: John Belzaguy, Joey de Leon, Giancarlo Anderson, Jonathan Montes, Eddie Resto, Steve “Mofongo” Giraldo, Serafin Aquilar, Tomas M López, Hunberto Ruiz Jr, Frank Fontaine and the new lead singer of the band, Roosevelt Cordova.
For more information about “The Echo Park Project, El Pin Pin Pon or to purchase the CD online please go to:
