Poncho Sanchez:
Living Life One Beat at a Time

Beat after beat fills the air with a rhythm that resonates a beating heart.

Not only does the beat envelop the body, but it also possesses it to move almost involuntarily. It creates a synergy that not only brings movement, but exhilaration and extreme joy to the soul.

The synergy created by this cadence is tumbao. Tumbao is an Afro-Cuban rhythmic pattern generally produced using conga drums. It includes a combination of hand and finger movements on the skin of the drum(s). Tumbao has had a role in Latin American music from mambo to cha cha cha to salsa from its early inception.

There are many talented conga players, and Poncho Sanchez is no exception. He has had a long history of infusing Latin beats with the spiciness of Salsa to the laid-back rhythms and smoothness of Jazz. Making his music, Latin Jazz, a genre that goes beyond borders.

Born on October 30, 1951 in the border town of Laredo, Texas, Filoberto “Poncho” Sanchez was the youngest of eleven children born of Mexican heritage. He grew up in Norwalk, California where his six sisters enjoyed dancing to the music of Tito Puente, Cal Tjader, Machito, and other Cuban music, and his four brothers enjoyed listening to doo-wop and early rhythm and blues music. There is no wonder that Poncho’s taste in music ranged from Afro Cuban salsa and cha cha cha to doo-wop, jazz, R & B, and soul music.

Poncho originally learned to play the guitar when he was in the sixth grade from a friend and neighbor named Benny Rodriguez. Benny was in a band and Poncho would often observe Benny practicing from the window across the street. He would sometimes go over to see him rehearse. Rodríguez would allow Poncho to pluck at the guitar strings, until one day he taught him a couple of chords and sold him his first guitar for fifty cents. Benny not only taught Poncho to play the guitar, but also taught Poncho’s friend, Ralph Velazquez, as well. As luck would have it, Poncho moved back to Laredo with his family. His family owned a dry cleaning business where all his siblings worked. The children pleaded with their parents that they wanted to move back to Norwalk and they did a year later.

When Sanchez arrived back in Norwalk, he discovered that his friends, Benny and Ralph, had formed a band called The Halos. They needed a singer, and wanted him to be their lead singer. Poncho insisted that he was a guitar player and not a singer, but the band already had four guitarists. When he channeled James Brown and sang, everyone said he did great. He became the band’s lead vocalist for five years.

While in high school, Poncho stated that he got behind a set of conga drums and realized that playing them came natural to him. He self-taught himself to play the congas by listening to the likes of timbalist, Tito Puente, maraca player and singer, Machito, and vibraphonist, Cal Tjader. He later self-taught himself to play the flute, timbales, and other drums.

Poncho married his wife Stella right after he graduated from high school and attended Cerritos College where he played in a stage band and fusion rock group. They have two sons, Xavier Mongo who is an astrophysicist and Julian Tito who is a real estate loan officer.

Approximately, in 1972, Poncho was playing the conga drums with a band called Sabor at the International Press Club. He remembers that, as he was taking a break, a man wearing a hat who stuck out like a sore thumb approached him and told him that he sounded “really good”. He told him that his name was Ernie Steele and that he was he was a friend of Cal Tjader, the famous vibraphonist. He bought Sanchez a drink. Poncho did not believe him. As Steele left the venue, Poncho told him to tell Cal about him. He even pointed Steele out to his bandmates and told them that he knew Cal Tjader. They all proceeded to laugh.

Two weeks later, Poncho’s life changed when he went to see Cal Tjader perform at the Howard Rumsey’s Concerts by the Sea in Redondo Beach, California. He stated that he was climbing some stairs and saw Cal Tjader talking to Ernie Steele. Steele introduced Poncho to Tjader. Cal then invited Poncho to sit in with his band. Tjader was very impressed and amazed that Poncho knew some breaks in a song that the band had not yet recorded. Poncho mentioned that he had heard the band play live six weeks prior and that he had remembered the break. Poncho also caused a big reaction with the audience that night. After that performance, Tjader asked Poncho for his phone number. Two weeks later, Sanchez received a telephone call where Tjader invited Poncho to play with his band for a week.

On New Year’s Eve of 1975, Poncho became a permanent conga player in Cal Tjader’s band. He played with the band for seven years. He made fourteen records with the band, toured the world, won a Grammy Award for “La onda va bien”, and was with Tjader when he passed away in 1982.

Sanchez had formed his own band and had recorded two albums for Discovery Records whenever he had time off with Tjader’s band. Prior to his demise in 1982, Tjader had suggested that Carl Jefferson from Concord Records sign Poncho and his band to the Concord Picante Label. Tjader’s wishes were fulfilled.

Sanchez made recordings for Concord Records from 1982 to the present, his albums have garnered him five Grammy Award nominations. in 1999, and Sanchez won a Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Performance for his album Latin Soul. He has recorded 30 albums to date and has collaborated with dozens of musicians like Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Dizzie Gillespie, among others. His music has been featured in the television show “Sex and the City,” the documentary “Brando”, and movies like Salsa, Legend, Poodle Springs, and Barney’s Version. He has been a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live where he sat in with the house band, and has a self-titled documentary entitled “Poncho Sanchez: Keeper of the Flame.” He has performed in venues all over the United States and has toured the world. He also performed in the famed Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland and in the White House in Washington D.C. during the Clinton administration. One of Poncho Sanchez’s aspirations is to record an album with an orchestra.

Poncho Sanchez offers the following advice for those musicians who aspire to make it in the music world:

“It’s a long hard road. It ain’t the easiest thing to do, but if you really feel it in your heart, like I do, number one, you have to stay true to yourself. True to your music and be faithful to it, and you have to set a goal in your life, what you want to do with your music and your business, and don’t take your eyes off of that. Always zero in on that, what you want to do with it. I’m a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe the Lord has His hand in this with me.’’

Poncho Sanchez is an articulate talented musician that has dedicated his life to his music and family. His music embodies the rhythms and beats of Tumbao. It is universal and borderless. It is celebrated one beat at a time.

Norma Hilda Gonzalez is a native Laredoan who has spent a combined total of thirty years educating students for the United Independent School District and Laredo Independent School District. She enjoys listening to all genres of music, singing, playing her guitar, composing music, reciting poetry, watching movies, photography, attending theatrical performances and traveling. Norma started singing at a very young age and playing guitar. She took voice lessons with Kathy Proffit and has sung for many years at St. Joseph’s Church. She recently started painting in March 2021 under the tutelage of Mrs. Paty Orduña. Norma’s favorite singer is Puerto Rican singer Chayanne and admires the music career of Poncho Sanchez and Alejandro Sanz. She is extremely grateful to God and her parents who encouraged her to express her love for the arts and to share her talents.