Mambo Legends Orchestra Performs for Smithsonian Opening of ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa

¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa

Jose Madera was deeply honored to perform with the Mambo Legends Orchestra for the opening celebration of the Smithsonian exhibition ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa at the National Museum of American History.

The event carried profound personal meaning for the Madera family. Included among the historic artifacts featured in the exhibition is the saxophone of Jose and Jerry Madera’s father, Jose “Pin” Madera — an accomplished saxophonist and member of the pioneering generation of musicians who helped shape Afro-Cuban music, mambo, Latin jazz, and salsa during the formative years of the music in New York City.

For Jose, his brother Jerry Madera, and their sister Fay Madera, seeing their father’s instrument preserved within the Smithsonian stands as both a tribute to his life’s work and a recognition of the countless musicians whose artistry and dedication helped build this music from the ground up.

More than a collection of instruments and memorabilia, ¡Puro Ritmo! tells the stories of the people behind the music — the communities, families, arrangers, performers, composers, and innovators who carried these rhythms across generations and helped transform American music and culture.

The Mambo Legends Orchestra was proud to perform in celebration of this important exhibition and extends sincere gratitude to the curators, historians, archivists, organizers, collectors, and all those whose dedication and care helped bring this extraordinary tribute to life and preserve this cultural history for future generations.

We hope you will take the time to visit the Puro Ritmo site and that you can visit this beautiful exhibit in Washington D.C. 
More info can be found here.