Nelson Feliciano and His Orchestra

Nelson Feliciano, born in Guánica, Puerto Rico, rose to prominence in the early 1970s as trumpeter, arranger, and bandleader of a salsa orchestra that carried his name and featured vocalist Junior Córdova; their debut album Feliciano y Su Orquesta y la Voz de Junior Córdoba (1973) brought together Feliciano’s dynamic trumpet lines and creative arrangements with Córdoba’s lead voice in a classic salsa dura style. Throughout the mid‑1970s, the orchestra released tracks like “La Cinta Verde,” “Amor y Paz,” “Carnaval de Venezuela,” “Roberto Clemente,” and “Echo Chi Echo No,” which became staples within Latin dance circles and highlighted Feliciano’s skill in arranging hard-driving rhythms with tight horn sections. Although the ensemble was never as prolific as contemporaries like El Gran Combo, their sound captured the spirit of Puerto Rican salsa and featured releases through CoCo Records and other niche labels. After the 1970s era, Nelson Feliciano stepped back from large orchestral production; in later decades several compilation albums were issued, including The Best of Nelson Feliciano and His Orchestra y la Voz de Junior Córdoba (2016) and The Best Of (2022), celebrating the group’s early salsa classics.

Please enable Javascript to view this page competely.