Right around the time the Salsa Explosion hit the Chicago area I began to take in as many Latin dances and events that I could. I had a bad case of “salsa fever” and hit every salsa venue I could to get my fix. At that time there were many newer youthful salsa bands starting out who were drawing in younger fans. There were also the older established bands that played the Latin scene long before they called it salsa. One of those bands was a band called “Cabito Y Su Combo Puerto Rico.”
Before salsa, many of the bands were calling themselves Combos because of the popularity of Cortijo Y Su Combo in New York. Cabito’s Combo was an orchestra of 9 musicians. The band had 3 trumpets, a piano player, a baby bass player, a conga player, timbal player, bongo player and a vocalist. “Cabito,” whose real name was Juan Rivera or “Johnny,” was the leader of the band. In his day he was an accomplished percussionist but late in his musical career was limited to playing the bongo and cowbell with a stick due to an unfortunate accident. “Cabito,” as many local musicians were, was a full time factory worker during the day who lost an arm while operating a punch press machine. His will to continue playing however prevailed when he resumed booking the band. He had a modified stand for the bongo and cowbell which he would play with a stick. He wore a prosthetic arm and continued playing until he retired. The band was very popular among the older set. To watch his band was like going back in time to the early Palladium days. He always filled the dance halls and the band members always wore tuxedo jackets. The music stands they used were older type fold out boxed-shaped stands with band name painted on the front with a large Puerto Rican Flag. Cabito, a consummate cigar smoker, always wore a round porkpie hat. His rendition of “Cachita” was one of the songs I most associated with his band. Although I don’t recall all the band member’s names, I do remember a few. They were “Cabito” leader-bongos, vocalist Johnny Melendez, Dallas on 1st trumpet, Papo Feliciano on Congas, Julio on 2nd trumpet, and David on timbales. There was also a female trumpet player who I believe Cabito called Margarita. The band played a nice mix of guarachas, merengues and guaguancos and was one of the top Combos in Chicago during the pre-salsa era days.
“Cabito” eventually wrapped it up in the 1980s and moved to Florida when he retired from his day job. If there was a Chicago Salsa Hall of Fame, he would get my vote to be inducted. Just some the old salsa history I wanted to pass on.
