Union City to Host Star Dedication Ceremony, 6/2

Mayor Brian P. Stack and the Board of Commissioners in conjunction with the Celia Cruz Park Committee and the Cuban Parade of New Jersey announce that the City of Union City will hold a Star Dedication Ceremony honoring distinguished members of the entertainment industry on Thursday, June 2nd at 5:00 PM at Celia Cruz Park located on Bergenline Avenue and 31st Street in Union City. Celebrities being honored this year are Jon Secada, Roberto Torres "El Caminante", and Pablo Raul Alarcon. Jon Secada and Roberto Torres will be present to accept their awards; accepting the honor for Pablo Raul Alarcon will be his son Raul Alarcon, CEO of Spanish Broadcasting System, who will also be receiving the "Key to the City" from Mayor Stack and the Board of Commissioners.

Present will be Mayor & State Senator Brian P. Stack and the Board of Commissioners, as well as, other dignitaries. Everyone in the community is invited to attend the ceremony. FREE Admission.

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Jon Secada MUSIC HISTORY and Major Achievements
1992 - "Jon Secada" on SBK/EMI...No.: 5 Billboard
1992 - "Otro Dia Mas Sin Verte" (EMI-Latin)
1992 "Grammy" Latin
1994 "Heart Soul and Voice", Miami Sound Machine, Arturo Sandoval, Betty Wright
1995 "Amor" on EMI
1995 "Grammy" for Best Latin Pop Performance
1995 "Grease" on Broadway
1999 Co writing Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, MAndy Moore
2003 "Cabaret" on Broadway
2004 "Joseph" on Broadway
2005 "Same Dream"
2006 "Songs from the Neighborhood"
2006 "Grammy" for the "Best Musical Album for Children"
2007 "Christmas Fiesta and Una Fiesta Navidena"
2009 The "Jazz" Expressions Album
2009 "Live in Rio"
2010 "Classics/Clasicos"
2010 Dancing with the Stars, "Mira Qien Baila" on Univision
2011 "OTRA VEZ" coming in February 2011

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Roberto Torres
Cuban-born singer, bandleader, percussionist, composer, producer and label boss Roberto Torres (in photo on right, with singer Papaito) started singing in his mid-teens. He worked in Havana with Conjunto Universal and Orquesta Swing Casino before leaving Cuba in June 1959 for New York City. There he organised the cooperative charanga Orquesta Broadway in 1962 with Cuban flautist Eddy Zervigón, making a string of popular LPs with them on the Gema, Musicor and Tico labels between 1964 and 1968. After leaving Broadway he worked with José Fajardo and Sonora Matancera. In 1972 he sang lead vocals with Mike Martínez's Latin Dimensions on their eponymous LP on Mericana. Torres made his solo debut on same label with El Castigador (1973), including the hit "El Caminante" ("The Stroller", which became his nickname), followed by Roberto Torres y Chocolate Juntos '74 on Mericana (a collaboration with Cuban trumpeter Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros), De Nuevo, Roberto Torres y sus Caminantes and El Duro del Guaguancó '76-8 on the Mericana subsidiary Salsoul.

In 1979 he launched the New York-based SAR label (co-founded by Sergio Bofill, boss of premier 10th Avenue Latin record distributor GB Records, Adriano García and Roberto) with his own El Rey del Montuno. Over the next three years he produced over 50 LPs on SAR and allied Guajiro, Toboga and Neon labels for Papaíto, Monguito "El Unico", Linda Leida, Chocolate, Henry Fiol, La India de Oriente, Charanga De La 4, Alfredo Valdés Jr and his father, Alfredo Valdés, Fernando Lavoy and many others. Torres and SAR headed an early '80s revival of típico (typical, traditional) Cuban music which was not simply imitation of the orthodox; with African and French Caribbean market in mind he went for a "rootsy" sound, extended tracks: millions of albums were sold. Using many of the same New York-based musicians on various sessions, he formed the SAR All Stars, including Chocolate, Leopoldo Pineda on trombone, the Zervigón brothers from Orquesta Broadway, Valdés Jr. and many others.

Torres' SAR albums included Recuerda A Portabales (songs associated with Cuban singer / composer Guillermo Portabales), Presenta: Ritmo de Estrellas (an all-star charanga),Recuerda Al Trio Matamoros (songs from repertoire of the Cuban trio), Charanga Colonial(another all-star lineup), all '79-81; also three LPs by his Charanga Vallenata '80-2, fusing Cuban charanga and conjunto elements with Colombian vallenata accordion played by Jesús Hernández, vol. 2 yielded the massive hit "Caballo Viejo"; Corazón De Pueblo '84;Elegantemente Criollo '86, made in Miami (where he had relocated, taking SAR with him) with Israel "Cachao" López. The SAR group's output fell off after '82; many stars switched to Caimán Records, formed in 1983 by Bofill and Humberto Corredor; others moved to Laslos Records, formed in 1984; Monguito "El Unico", Valdés Jr. and others also recorded for the Ivory Coast's Sacodis label from 1980 to the mid-'80s, which mirrored the SAR sound. Torres continued to issue solo albums on SAR out of Miami up to 2000 and produce other projects for the label. In the Noughties he recorded with the Tropicana All Stars on Recaredo Gutiérrez's Regu Records and issued Con Mucho Swing - Roberto Torres & Cha Cha Cha All Stars Orchestra on the same imprint in 2004.

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Pablo Raúl Alarcón was born in Camagüey, Cuba on January 15, 1926.

His radio career began at the young age of 22. Applying for and being granted a radio announcer's license from the Cuban Ministry of Communications.

He was working as a radio announcer when he met his future wife Alma Aleman and they were married on July 5th 1951. It was around that time that Mr. Alarcón founded his first radio company Radio Cadena Agramonte.

On May 1st 1956, Alma gave birth to their only son Raúl Alarcón Jr.

Raúl continued to operate and grow his radio company. His dream came to a screeching halt in 1960 when communist dictator Fidel Castro confiscated his 14 radio stations. Financially ruined and unable to continue Raúl and his family left the island of Cuba vowing to return very soon. He arrived in New York and found work as a newscaster and disk jockey for a small radio station.

He worked his way up into a management position and in 1970 inaugurated the first Spanish language FM in New York - WEVD. Launching Uni-Service Advertising Agency in 1973 and Latin Sound Recording Studios in 1976.

He continued his vow of promoting Spanish media and entertainment. After many years of working in different facets of the Spanish media industry, his effort and perseverance paid off when in 1983 Raúl Alarcón Sr. bought his first radio station in New York, thus establishing Spanish Broadcasting System.

Raúl Alarcón Sr. served as President of SBS' Board of Directors from March 1983 to November 1999.

Pablo Raúl Alarcón, throughout his life was a passionate advocate of Hispanic issues affecting Latinos in the United States and the world. He inspired many Hispanics to follow their vision, to work hard for what they believed in, that they could realize their dreams.

"One man One Dream . . ."

Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. (SBS) is the largest publicly traded Hispanic-controlled media and entertainment company in the United States. SBS owns and operates 20 radio stations located in the Hispanic markets of New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco and Puerto Rico, including the #1 Spanish-language radio station in America, WSKQ-FM in New York City, as well as 4 of the top 7 rated radio stations airing the Tropical, Mexican Regional, Spanish Adult Contemporary and Hurban format genres. SBS also owns and operated Mega TV, a television operation serving the South Florida market with national distribution through DirecTV. SBS also produces live concerts and events throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. In addition, SBS operates www.lamusica.com a bilingual Spanish-English online site providing content related to Latin music, entertainment, news and culture.

SBS was founded in 1983. Since our formation, through top-ten market acquisitions, an intense focus on programming, promotions and successful cost management, we have grown into the nation's largest Hispanic controlled broadcaster.

We are committed to creating value for our shareholders by growing our ratings and revenue share across all of our markets.

 

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