Samuel Torres is a Grammy Award-winning winning percussionist, composer, and arranger. A native of Bogotá, Colombia, Torres was exposed to music at an early age thanks, in part, to an extended family of musicians, which included his uncle Edy Martínez, a pianist-arranger who earned fame in the New York salsa scene of the 1970s.
A classically trained percussionist with a degree in music composition, Torres established himself as a musical force in his homeland at a young age. His career took flight when acclaimed Cuban trumpeter Arturo Sandoval asked him to join his group shortly after Torres moved to the U.S.
Since then, Torres has gained renown in his own right through his work as a performer, arranger, and producer in the worlds of Latin jazz, Salsa, Latin Pop and Jazz. He has worked with top artists including Lila Downs, Paquito D’Rivera, Tito Puente, Arturo Sandoval, Chick Corea, Angélique Kidjo, Ricky Martin,
Marc Anthony, Shakira, and Rubén Blades, among others. In addition, Torres has released several albums of his own work, most recently the Latin Grammy Award winning Regreso (2019), which he recorded in collaboration with the New Philharmonic of Bogotá.
Torres will be joined by an 8-piece band and guest vocalist Maria Raquel, who has performed around the world and is known for her powerful voice and unique interpretations of Cumbia and Salsa. Aside from leading her own trio and quartet, Maria is the lead singer of the Astoria Salsa Company.
This concert will take place on Wednesday, August 18th at 7 PM at Lincoln Harbor Park, located just north of the Chart House restaurant, directly on the west bank of the Hudson River in Weehawken, New Jersey. The concert is weather permitting, and a rain date is scheduled for the following night.
Public transportation options include NJ Transit bus #158, the Hudson Bergen Light Rail, and NY Waterway Ferry to Lincoln Harbor. And for those who choose to drive, free parking is available.
The Hudson Riverfront Performing Arts Center, Inc. (HRPAC), a New Jersey nonprofit organization, presents this summer long series of open-air concerts free of charge to the public. Concerts are family friendly. Audience members are asked to bring a lawn chair or blanket and picnicking is permitted on the lawn. For more information including the full summer concert schedule, Covid policy, directions, parking info, rain dates, and updates, please check the HRPAC website…www.hrpac.org… or call the concert info line at 201-716-4540.
