Los Tocadores launches ‘Del Corazon’

This release will take place at the Hearty Foods car park, Broadway Arima on December 14 at 9pm. The group which has been in existence for the past 34 years, made the CD featuring 13 top selections of the band. Songs include: “Salgo,” “Canto Otra Cacion,” “Yo Me Voy,” “Cuidado,” “Nacio En Belen,” “Que Nos Alegremos,” “Con Amor,” “La Verdad,” “Clara,” “Serteno,” “La Parranada,” “Ya Es Navidad,” and “La Vida Es Bueno.” The band has been travelling extensively to many countries of the world taking the Trini- based Spanish tunes to countries such as the UK, USA and Canada.

The present membership comprises: Peter Estrada (musical director), Dominic Ellies, Glen Martin, William Estrada, Jennifer Mc Pherson, Irene Estrada Ashe, Arianne Carter Ellies, Melvin Augustus, Desmond Doolam, Derron Ellies, Dara Estrada, Karene Martin, Leandra Simon, and Victor Tores.

According to Estrada, the band grew out of the spirit of the 1970s. “The group we brought together out of the love for parang music and we express this kind of warmth whenever we perform,” he said.

He said the band got started in 1971 when nine teenagers ventured out after a Christmas Eve Mass to entertain their families and friends. “It was a fulfillment of that inward hunger. Notwithstanding their limited knowledge of Spanish and even the instruments they played such as the cuatro, guitar, maracas, box bas, toc toc, paleto and mandolin, these youths repeated their visits year after year and the community of Sangre Grande rallied around them,” he said.

Not only has this group (Los Tocadores) remained together throughout the years, but they have built a large repertoire of parang classics while developing a unique sound played in the true flavour of traditional parang. Interestingly the name “Estrada” is synonymous with Los Tocadores, since four of its founding members belong to this musical Sangre Grande family. Peter, the recognised leader continues to be at the helm of the group’s efforts to promote parang music among the local community and introduce his musical form to other countries.

Founding member, Dr Glen Cassar has also established the “Los Pajaros Parang Group” in Toronto, Canada where he now resides.

Another huge effort made by Los Tocadores was the introduction of steel pan as an instrument of the parang orchestra. The first recording Parang Por Favor was done live at the JFK auditorium of the UWI in 1987 and the album contains songs with steel pan accompaniment.

Los Tocadores is proud to be instrumental in making arrangements for a tour to North America with the late Daisy Voison, the then parang queen of TT and her group La Divina Pastora in 1989. It was in 1991, the band emerged winner of the special parang competition held in honour of the late parang queen. In 1994, the group completed its second album Parang a la Trinidad in which 90 percent of the music is original material.

To mark their 35th anniversary, Los Tocadores produced this CD which featured TT’s best mandolin player Julio. The lead singers, Jennifer Mc Pherson and Victor Torres will enchant the hearts of all who hear them this coming Christmas season. Among the many honours received through the years, Los Tocadores was presented with a Citation from New York State Assembly, courtesy the Brooklyn Parang Association. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, House of Representatives recognised the contribution of Los Tocadores for its many years of performance, dedication and outstanding contributions towards promoting the culture of parang and parang soca. In 2004, the band was guest of the High Commissioner to London, The Honourable Glenda Morean-Phillip.