Page 4 - MidWeek Kauai - May 18, 2022

4 KAUA‘I MIDWEEK MAY 18, 2022
Eddie Ortiz, at center and up top, is the leader of Eddie Ortiz and Son Caribe, a 14-member band that includes Clayton “CJ” Silva, at left, and Hitomi Davis.
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The beat goes on for the musical outfit Eddie Ortiz and Son Caribe, which has been filling the islands with intoxicating rhythms of the Caribbean for the past 20 years.
The leader of Eddie Ortiz and Son Caribe may be the only one of Hispanic heritage in the band, but that doesn’t mean the other 14 members aren’t as passionate about Latin music or aren’t immediately drawn in by the allure of its pulsating rhythms.
with at home. With the rest of the musicians, I think they enjoy the fun musical ar- rangements.
released later this year. In addition, the group’s cover of Si Te Vas has made its way
to No. 4 on the NewGenSalsa International Top 50 Charts — a smoking-hot indication
that the band’s steamy Latin sounds continue to strike a chord with listeners around the globe.
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bachata and mambo.”
So, just how did this band with island roots come to be? Ortiz explains that he used to play in another group while stationed here as a U.S. Ma- rine. When his military ca- reer ended, his desire was to continue living in the Aloha State, but the lack of what he calls “authentic Caribbean music” in Hawai‘i bothered him. He took it upon him- self to fill that music void by creating Eddie Ortiz and Son
Caribe in 2000.
“For me, it’s always been a lifelong thing,” says Eddie Ortiz, a New York native of Puerto Rican descent who was raised on Latin tunes. “It’s my culture — it’s some- thing that I was brought up
“We have a nice blend of multicultural input,” contin- ues the band’s trumpeter and arranger. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. To me, I’ m blessed with the best. We look forward to playing together ... we have fun on the job.”
“Latin music is performed in a variety of languages, but the rhythms are what carries the name of Latin music,” explains Ortiz, whose band has performed at just about every major Latin music event in Hawai‘i over the years and has opened for music luminaries such as Celia Cruz and Poncho San- chez. “The primary rhythms we play are salsa, meringue,
These days, the fun in- cludes the band’s forthcom- ing CD, which is currently in production and will fea- ture 10 originals when it’s
Back row: (from left) Daniel Sananikone, Jonathan Holladay, Jeremy Killeen, Eddie Ortiz, Cynthia Romero, Hitomi Davis, Shaun Torres, Clayton (CJ) Silva and Dan Honeycutt. Front row: (from left) Daniel Weber, Ray Laffoon, Reid Ishikawa and Guy Lum.
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