Poncho Sanchez Quotes

People are learning now about this music and finally giving this music it’s due. This music is great, great music, Latin jazz and salsa music. I knew about this music when I was a little boy, back when it was not that popular, because I am the youngest of eleven kids and my older brothers and sisters got into this music when the first wave of the mamba and the cha-cha-cha came to Los Angeles from New York City back in the Fifties. I was born in ’51, so growing up, four, five, six years old, I already knew about this music. I used the spread the word way back when. Now, I am just glad to see that it is getting the complete recognition that it deserves.
Poncho Sanchez

I loved the music so much and I respected the pioneers so much, Cal Tjader, Mongo Santamaria, Willie Bobo, Eddie Palmieri, Machito, Tito Rodriguez, Chano Pozo, Dizzy Gillespie. They were all my heroes. Thank God, I got to meet most of them. The only one I didn’t get to meet was Tito Rodriguez. He died before I got to meet him. I played with Dizzy. I played with Cal, Mongo. I named my oldest son after Mongo. My oldest son, who is named Mongo, is now thirty years old.
Poncho Sanchez