Latin band's Grammy nod speaks volumes 911 Mambo Orchestra's nomination reflects depth of Latin music scene By Aaron Cohen Special to the Chicago Tribune Published January 16, 2005 Trombonist Angel Melendez was feeling run down on his way to lunch one day in December. The musician is also a band teacher at Farragut High School, and his morning had been particularly exhausting.  Melendez checked his voice mail during the afternoon break only to learn that his group, The 911 Mambo Orchestra, had been nominated for a Grammy Award. "I went out that night and had a good time," Melendez says as he sits alongside his business manager, Andres Meneses. "And we've been celebrating ever since!" Melendez has been striving for recognition since he began performing as a teenager in Humboldt Park during the late 1970s. The 911 Mambo Orchestra's self-titled debut is also up for a Grammy in the category of best traditional tropical Latin album. While Chicagoans shiver through ice and snow, identifying this city with anything tropical may appear far-fetched. The musical association can seem just as unlikely. But this nomination proves there is more diversity and activity within the local Latin music community than is often assumed. The traditional tropical category is somewhat vague (albeit no more so than, say, "pop"). Considering the past winners and this year's five nominees, it may be loosely described as Spanish-language, primarily acoustic music that tends to connect with the Caribbean. One example is Cuban son, which the Buena Vista Social Club helped popularize in the United States a few years ago. Mambo would also fit under this rubric, especially its direction that became identified with New York-based Puerto Rican bandleaders Tito Puente and Tito Rodriguez. However tropical is defined, Chicago is not generally thought of as a hub. Cuba and Puerto Rico have been its established bases, along with New York and Miami. But the music has a history here, and Melendez and many of its advocates are working to see that a local scene re-emerges. Past venues Chicago percussionist Victor Parra remembers when there were all sorts of local venues for these tropical sounds. He co-leads the group Mambo Express with his wife, Connie, and hosts a Monday night radio show of the same name (WDCB-FM 90.9, at 10 p.m.). Parra says two significant clubs were El Mirador, on Roosevelt Road near Halsted Street, in the 1950s and The Gold Palace in Pilsen where he led the house band during the 1960s. Freddie Tellez and Johnny Delgado were other locally popular bandleaders. "Back then you just opened up a joint and got a license," Parra says. "They didn't keep tabs on the neighborhood places like today." Percussionist and photographer Carlos Flores says other clubs, such as La Concha near the corner of North and California Avenues, existed into the 1970s. Famous visiting bandleaders, including Eddie Palmieri, regularly headlined at the Aragon Ballroom. Flores also remembers the Puerto Rican Congress organization in Wicker Park, which ran music programs in the community. Melendez started playing trombone in salsa bands while he was a student at Clemente High School. Afterward he studied formally at VanderCook College of Music and worked in the group La Confidencia. Melendez also sat in with more established local bandleaders, including Parra. Melendez says he eventually became depressed when he saw other salsa musicians steal his ideas. So on Sept. 11, 1992, he resolved to "do something that they could never match." Melendez named his stylish and musically sophisticated mambo big band after that date, and because he believes music can bring people together and transcend tragedy, he kept the name despite the terrorist attacks nine years later. Although keeping any band together is vexing enough, Melendez says, "I was used to writing for two trumpets and two trombones and all of a sudden, I was writing for 13 brass instruments. It's hard to get 10 guys to come to a rehearsal, so imagine 20. But I kept persevering and pressing forward." Economic concerns Melendez & The 911 Mambo Orchestra have preserved through a downturn in the number of Chicago clubs that present live Latin bands. Musicians and promoters mention economic concerns, especially since 2001, as a major reason. A deejay spinning trendy reggaeton and pop salsa can draw many young non-discerning drink-buying clients and is cheaper than a group of live instrumentalists. Still, some promoters realize that musicians who perform infectiously danceable mambos and deeply romantic boleros can build an enduring audience. Meneses also assumes the financial risk himself when he produces concerts at such venues as the VooDoo Nightclub in Schaumburg. HotHouse, which has hosted Cuban and Puerto Rican bands for years, is equally committed to presenting local traditional tropical groups. Parra's Mambo Express is appearing later this month as part of the Sabados Gigantes series that will present a variety of Chicago-based Latin dance bands. The growing and increasingly diverse audience for Spanish-language arts is no secret, either. "There's a wealth of street-level professors here," says Marguerite Horberg, HotHouse executive director. "People like Victor Parra and Carlos Flores are very generous in helping facilitate projects and share their heritage." Along with these performance spaces, Meneses and Melendez say the orchestra vies for work in city-sponsored festivals and private conventions. The Grammy nod should increase these opportunities, and they are hoping to bring 911 Mambo on an international tour. "All of a sudden instead of promoters saying outright, `No, we don't do this,' now they're saying, `Let's research how we can do this,'" Meneses says. Another reason to feel optimistic is that longtime participants, like Flores, have observed, "a lot of young musicians are more prepared in terms of their skills and craftsmanship than they were in the 1960s and 1970s." "You've got a lot of young musicians coming out of the conservatories, the music schools," Flores says. "And a lot of musicians who are starting younger get influenced by Angel." To match the quality of these musicians -- many of whom are in 911 Mambo -- Meneses set a high recording standard when he produced the group's disc (on his own Latin Street Music label). The overall sound and packaging is striking enough to rival competing major releases. Meneses also aggressively publicized the disc nationwide. As Melendez plans his invite list for the Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles on Feb. 13, he says he agreed with his business manager's ambitions for the disc. "Even if we didn't sell one copy, I wanted to be able to look at it when I'm 70 years old and say, `Yeah, that was done nicely!'"  . ------------------------------------------------------ Angel Melendez & the 911 Mambo Orchestra perform at 10 p.m. Jan. 27 at VooDoo Nightclub, 601 Mall Drive, Schaumburg; 847-969-1602; $10 in advance, $15 at door. Victor and Connie Parra's Mambo Express performs at 10:30 p.m. Saturday at HotHouse, 31 E. Balbo Drive; 312-362-9707; $12. Carlos Flores spins classic Latin records at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Sonotheque, 1444 W. Chicago Ave.; 312-226-7600; $5.