{"id":76706,"date":"2026-11-09T09:10:36","date_gmt":"2026-11-09T09:10:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/2026\/11\/09\/andy-montanez-returns-to-his-first-musical-love-bolero\/"},"modified":"2026-11-09T09:10:36","modified_gmt":"2026-11-09T09:10:36","slug":"andy-montanez-returns-to-his-first-musical-love-bolero","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/2026\/11\/09\/andy-montanez-returns-to-his-first-musical-love-bolero\/","title":{"rendered":"Andy Monta\u00f1ez Returns to His First Musical Love: Bolero"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n\tEspa\u00f1ol<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

At 84, El Ni\u00f1o de Trastalleres revisits the music that launched his career, fulfilling a longstanding dream of honoring Ismael Rivera.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before Andy Monta\u00f1ez became one of Puerto Rico\u2019s most beloved salsa singers, he was a young bolerista singing romantic songs accompanied by guitars. Long before his celebrated years with El Gran Combo and Dimensi\u00f3n Latina, bolero was his first musical love.<\/p>\n

More than six decades later, at 84, Andy returns to that love with Boleros que cant\u00f3 el Sonero Mayor<\/em>, a tribute to the legendary Ismael Rivera, released on October 8, 2026.<\/p>\n

And perhaps the most remarkable thing about this return is that, despite his age, Andy\u2019s voice remains strong and beautiful, with the warmth and interpretive sensitivity that have distinguished his remarkable career.<\/p>\n

A Bolerista Before Becoming a Sonero<\/h2>\n

Andy\u2019s musical beginnings were quite different from the guarachas and salsa numbers that would eventually make him famous. He sang boleros with Luis Morales\u2019s group and performed as the second voice of Tr\u00edo Los Duendes before joining El Gran Combo<\/a> in 1962.<\/p>\n

His passion for bolero never disappeared. Andy has often acknowledged his preference for romantic music, even suggesting that he loves singing boleros more than salsa.<\/p>\n

Throughout his career, he has returned to the genre on several occasions. In the 1990s, he recorded three bolero albums with fellow sonero Ismael Miranda<\/a>. Later, he collaborated with Cuban singer-songwriter Pablo Milan\u00e9s on AM\/PM: L\u00edneas paralelas<\/em> and recorded Sue\u00f1o: Canta a Fernando \u00c1lvarez<\/em>, honoring the Cuban bolero singer whose interpretations he had admired since his youth.<\/p>\n

His latest recording continues that tradition, but this time the inspiration comes from one of his greatest musical idols.<\/p>\n

A Longstanding Dream of Honoring Maelo<\/h2>\n

Ismael Rivera was more than a fellow sonero to Andy Monta\u00f1ez. He was his favorite singer growing up, an artist he admired throughout his life and who encouraged him during his early musical years.<\/p>\n

Although Maelo is best remembered for his extraordinary improvisations and incomparable rhythmic style, he was also an exceptional bolero interpreter.<\/p>\n

For decades, Andy dreamed of recording the boleros that Rivera had popularized. With Boleros que cant\u00f3 el Sonero Mayor<\/em>, that dream has finally become a reality.<\/p>\n

It is a fitting tribute from one great Puerto Rican sonero to another, connected not only by salsa but by their shared love of bolero.<\/p>\n

Maelo\u2019s Boleros with a Touch of Jazz<\/h2>\n

Rather than reproduce Rivera\u2019s original interpretations, Andy takes a different musical approach.<\/p>\n

Under the production and musical direction of bassist Ram\u00f3n V\u00e1zquez, the ten selections are presented with tasteful jazz-influenced arrangements that give the songs a refreshing character while preserving their romantic essence.<\/p>\n

The album opens with \u201cIncomprendido,\u201d the Bobby Cap\u00f3 classic that stands out as the only one of the three Cap\u00f3 songs on the album not originally recorded by Ismael Rivera as a bolero. Andy also teams up with Bobby\u2019s daughter, Jacqueline Cap\u00f3, for a duet on \u201cSi Yo Pudiera.\u201d<\/p>\n

Andy\u2019s voice is the centerpiece. At 84, he continues to sing with remarkable strength and feeling, giving these familiar boleros a beautiful touch of his own.<\/p>\n

The recording also benefits from an outstanding group of guest singers, including iLe, Milly Quezada, Nayeli Selene, Jacqueline Cap\u00f3, and the legendary Omara Portuondo. Their contributions enhance a thoughtfully conceived production.<\/p>\n

Returning to Where It All Began<\/h2>\n

For Andy Monta\u00f1ez, this album represents more than another recording in an extraordinary career. It brings him back to the music he loved before becoming one of salsa\u2019s most recognizable voices, while fulfilling his dream of honoring an artist who helped shape his musical identity.<\/p>\n

After more than six decades of entertaining audiences, Andy still has the voice, the passion, and the desire to explore new musical possibilities.<\/p>\n

And this time, he does so by returning to where his musical journey began: singing boleros.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n


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This post is also available in: Espa\u00f1ol At 84, El Ni\u00f1o de Trastalleres revisits the music that launched his career, fulfilling a longstanding dream…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":76707,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-76706","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latin","article","has-excerpt","has-avatar","has-author","has-date","has-comment-count","has-category-meta","has-read-more","thumbnail-"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76706","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76706"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76706\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/76707"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76706"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76706"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76706"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}