JERRY GALANTE

Columbian Jerry Galante has made a name for himself in the international Latin music community with his unique brand of salsa. In his native Columbia, Galante rose to fame as a bandleader in the '80s, constantly surrounding himself by the best players in the business. Galante's is created with the same passionate intensity of the music that helped the Fania label rise to fame in the late '60s and '70s in New York City and produced such notables as Tito Puente. His route to international fame happened very quickly, starting in 1995 when he signed to Colombia's Geos Records and released his debut, Todo un Extasis de Amor. In addition to making him a household name in Colombia, Todo un Extasis de Amor garnered very favorable reviews from critics and introduced him to an international audience of Latin music fans. A few months later, Galante found himself making appearances across South America and in the United States. He signed with the Latin label Rmm and released his second album in November of 1996, titled Estoy Enamorado. Again winning the favor of critics, Galante was exposed to larger audiences. Since the release of that record, he has played a large number of international Latin music festivals and collaborated with the likes of contemporary Latin music heavy weights like Manny Pacheco, Michael Stuart, and Victor Manuelle.