Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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RIVERA, Mon

(b Efrain Rivera Castillo, 1925, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico; d 12 March 1978, Manhattan, USA) Latin bandleader, singer, composer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist, dubbed 'El Rey del Trabalengua' ('The Tongue Twister King') because of his extemporized quick-fire quips, rhymes and alliterations; an exponent of Puerto Rican plena and bomba forms. His father Ramon Rivera Alers penned popular plenas; he started his pro career at age 16 as a member of William Manzano's band; played pro baseball with Los Indios in Mayagüez '43-5. He relocated to NYC early '50s with Héctor Pellot's band, later led by Moncho Leña; his '50s recordings with Leña were collected on A Night At The Palladium With Moncho Leña, Dance and Mas Exitos Inolvidables Vol. 3 ('55-6 recordings) on Ansonia. He made album Dolores '63 on Magda with the orchestra of Joe Cotto (b Naguabo, PR); the hit title track, a pachanga twist penned by Rivera, became a classic. He also recorded early '60s with Spanish-born Juanucho Lopez, included on Aha! Let's Pachanga '94 on Corredor Inc.

He formed his own band with an acclaimed trombone front line; controversy still reigns about whether he or Eddie Palmieri should be credited as pioneers of the all-trombone NY sound, which influenced Willie Colón and others. Alegre label boss Al Santiago said, 'It was my idea and I recorded both Eddie and Mon. Some aficionados seem to think that since Eddie's Alegre LP Eddie Palmieri And His Conjunto La Perfecta '62 (his debut album) was catalogue number 817 and Mon's was number 823 that Eddie had the first trombone band ... the reality is that Mon's 45 r.p.m. ''Que Gente Averigua'' was released before Eddie's LP ... Mon was the first trombone band' (from Santiago's column 'The Other Side of The CD', Descarga Newsletter '94). Mon wrote his trailblazing Alegre LP Que Gente Averigua '63 (reissued as Mon y sus Trombones '76, and again '93); while no musicians are credited on the sleeve, Santiago disclosed '91 that the personnel had included Charlie Palmieri on piano on eight tracks; Eddie Palmieri on piano on two tracks including the tasty instrumental 'Lluvia Con Nieve'; Barry Rogers, Mark Weinstein and Manolin Pazo on trombones; and Kako on timbales. Mon followed up with three seminal mid-'60s albums on Ansonia: Karakatis-Ki, Mon Rivera y su Orquesta Vol. 2 'Kijis Konar', and Mon Rivera y su Orquesta Vol. 3. Mon's collaboration with Colón There Goes The Neighborhood/Se Chavo El Vecindario '75 on Vaya, gained him a new generation of Latino fans. He died of a heart attack; Johnny Pacheco produced the posthumous Forever '78 on Vaya.