Isidro Infante

Isidro Infante is an award-winning arranger, composer, bandleader, pianist and producer. A musical polymath, he works in genres from classical and pop to salsa and Latin jazz. From the 1970s through the '90s he served on dozens of recordings across the Latin market, as well as the pianist and arranger in Azuquita y Su Orquesta Melao, Orquesta Palenque, and <a href="spotify:artist:7x5Slu7yTE5icZjNsc3OzW">Willie Colón</a>. During the '80s, he and <a href="spotify:artist:3ZRoChGFOnnQgeTiMo0o8L">Louie Ramirez</a> essentially created the tropical sub-genre salsa romantico with 1985's Alegres y Romanticos. He signed a solo deal with <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22RMM+Records%22">RMM Records</a> in 1994 that also made him head of A&R. His La Elite orchestra scored early hit singles. 1998's "Licencia para Enganar" ("License to Deceive") was a club hit from Miami to New York City. Infante spent years arranging and producing for <a href="spotify:artist:2weA6hhVqTIN2gSn9PUB9U">Celia Cruz</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1c84wItoiAe1pEbpJMqUmQ">Oscar D'Leon</a>, and others. He returned with Dancemania in 2006. He was so busy in other roles he didn't issue another album until 2017's Isidro Infante Presenta Cuba y Puerto Rico. In 2020 and 2021, he was featured on the charting Papo Rosario singles "Gracias" and "Salsa de La Buena."

Infante was born in Puerto Rico in 1952 in old San Juan, but was raised in St. Agustin. His father was a physician who also played the violin and his mother played piano. He began formal musical studies as a child and started a rock band in his teens called Carpe Diem. But Infante initially wanted to follow in his father's footsteps. He enrolled in the pre-med program at University of Puerto Rico in 1969. After finishing the program he sought to complete his medical studies in Mexico and Spain, but due to the cautionary influence of his mother, he shifted gears and received a bachelors' degree in music instead. His first real musical job was as pianist for a radio program on WKBM TV channel 11. He continued private piano lessons with Professor Carmen Socorro Duclerc during his studies.

At 24, Infante left Puerto Rico for Temple University in Philadelphia. After earning his masters' degree in composition he moved again in 1980, this time to New York City. There he won his first music industry job as an arranger and staff pianist for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Fania+Records%22">Fania Records</a>. At <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Fania%22">Fania</a> he played on, wrote, and arranged for dozens of records by artists including <a href="spotify:artist:2PGJmP6AvSCQ7pKBOjrg8J">Larry Harlow</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3ZRoChGFOnnQgeTiMo0o8L">Louie Ramirez</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7opp16lU7VM3l2WBdGMYHP">Hector Lavoe</a>, and many others. In 1985, he and <a href="spotify:artist:3ZRoChGFOnnQgeTiMo0o8L">Ramirez</a>, a world-class bandleader, percussionist, producer, and arranger, issued the album Alegres y Romanticos for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Caiman+Records%22">Caiman Records</a>. The set, wedding salsa, bolero, and balladic pop, established the enduring salsa romantica subgenre.

After arranging tracks for <a href="spotify:artist:7x5Slu7yTE5icZjNsc3OzW">Colon</a>'s Top Secrets in 1989, he joined Orquesta Palenque as pianist the following year for the release Estoy Curado. That same year he played on records by Juan Carlos Oliva y La Progresiva as well as <a href="spotify:artist:7vCuHLeYJEynulecY53BwH">Ray De La Paz</a> on future label home <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22RMM+Records%22">RMM Records</a>. In 1994 he signed his own deal with <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22RMM%22">RMM</a> both as a recording artist and head of A&R. He formed La Elite and issued their eponymous debut album. The set netted four hit singles, including "Que Tengo Ti" and "Nave de Papel," on its way to gold certification. He followed in 1995 with La Elite 2 with Maggie Isidro Ramos joining Ricky Soto and Marco Bermudez on lead vocals. The second album, propelled by the singles "Quitame a Ese Hombre del Corazon" and "Otra Como Tu," also won gold certification. That same year, Infante arranged Tras La Tormenta by <a href="spotify:artist:7x5Slu7yTE5icZjNsc3OzW">Colón</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:5BwMgvRwlq61SmknvsVIQj">Rubén Blades</a>.

In 1997, he produced and arranged <a href="spotify:artist:3NIZFmehJM8YiGpCdihlck">La India</a>'s now-classic second album, Sobre el Fuego. It topped the Tropical and salsa charts and went to number four on the Top Latin Albums list; it was also nominated for Grammy and Lo Nuestro awards. Infante issued Dancemania con Isidro Infante in 1998. The set featured ten of his compositions performed by a variety of artists. It became a club hit from Miami to New York. He also arranged and conducted for <a href="spotify:artist:1c84wItoiAe1pEbpJMqUmQ">Oscar D'Leon</a>. The following year he arranged and produced Mi Vida Es Cantar by <a href="spotify:artist:2weA6hhVqTIN2gSn9PUB9U">Celia Cruz</a>.

Infante didn't record under his own name for nearly two decades. Instead, he became a multi-Grammy winner (he has won five and been nominated a whopping 47 times) by working with others. He continued arranging for <a href="spotify:artist:2weA6hhVqTIN2gSn9PUB9U">Cruz</a> until her death, and also worked with <a href="spotify:artist:0ty0xha1dbprYIUAQufkFn">Patti LaBelle</a>. As a producer he helmed the hit album Huracan by <a href="spotify:artist:2odnH0iTVHXchHroBnO16C">Juicy & Eric</a> in 2005, and Piro y Eddy's Salsa de Puerto Rico ‎the following year. He spent the first decade of the new century working with artists across the spectrum including <a href="spotify:artist:7guDJrEfX3qb6FEbdPA5qi">Stevie Wonder</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1PqdKx88nAgPolRy079lMl">Herb Alpert</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:5IFCkqu9J6xdWeYMk5I889">Gloria Estéfan</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:41qil2VaGbD194gaEcmmyx">Will Smith</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7aBzpmFXB4WWpPl2F7RjBe">Wyclef Jean</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:2FS22haX3FYbyOsUAkuYqZ">Los Fabulosos Cadillacs</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:5dncbrnveDMX9DgxcedeUg">Little Louie Vega</a>, and literally dozens of others. He also appeared in documentaries about <a href="spotify:artist:09947uhj2ZwU9mFXK5v50o">Johnny Pacheco</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:2weA6hhVqTIN2gSn9PUB9U">Cruz</a>.

In 2017, he issued Isidro Infante Presenta Cuba y Puerto Rico. He produced, arranged, served as musical director, and played piano and keyboards. The star-studded collection --which is projected in two parts -- included vocal performances by Cuban singers Sixto "El Indio" Llorente, <a href="spotify:artist:1S0Og7sspn3YyJmEcE43zD">Mayito Rivera</a>, Tiburíon Morales, and others singing homages to Puerto Rico's musical heritage. (The other half is projected to feature Puerto Rican singers offering homage to Cuban music.)

Infante returned to Puerto Rico to at the end of the decade. In 2020 he guested with former <a href="spotify:artist:6nnspeopmJAG07xOxHmqTu">El Gran Combo</a> vocalist Luis "Papo" Rosario on the charting single "Gracias"; it landed inside the Top 20 on the Tropical airplay and Latin streaming charts, and in 2021 they followed it with "Salsa de La Buena," which went Top Ten at tropical streaming and peaked at 19 on the Tropical airplay charts. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi