Roberto Pla & His Latin Ensemble
‘Godfather of Latin Music in the UK ... absolutely legendary'
Latino Life
Latino Life
Hailing from Barranquilla, Colombia, and celebrating over 35 years in the business, Roberto Pla leads his Latin Ensemble showcasing the UK's finest Afro-Cuban jazz and South American infused rhythms.
Whether as percussionist of choice for the UK’s pop bands (Joe Strummer, The Cure, Kate Bush, Boney M), or bandleader, composer and arranger, timbalero extraordinaire, Roberto Pla, stands as the undisputed Godfather of Latin Music in the UK.
Roberto’s pedigree as a Latin artist is second to none. Co-founder of the UK’s first ever salsa band Sonido De Londres in 1982, Roberto had already done a ten year stint with legendary Colombian big band Lucho Bermudez Orchestra before his arrival in the UK in 1979 via the New York salsa scene. Roberto has also toured Europe with Latin luminaries from the Fania Allstars including Adalberto Santiago, Tito Allen and Cheo Feliciano.
About Roberto:
In 1979 Roberto left Colombia for New York, to embark as salsa session percussionist. A year later the attractions of the European pop scene drew him to London, where he joined a jazz fusion band Cayenne and by 1982 he was touring the world with pop megastars Boney M. In 1984, he was one of the earliest members of the London School of Samba, the first samba school to be set up in the UK. In 2017 the band celebrated their 30th anniversary, winning their first LUKAS award for 'Lifetime Achievement and contribution to the Latino Community in the UK'. They have headlined the 'Glasto Latino Stage' at Glastonbury Festival and subsequently won their second LUKAS for 'Concert of the year'. Major live highlights for Roberto Pla and the Latin Ensemble have included Expo Festival Lisbon, The Edinburgh Fringe, Canary Wharf Twilight Delights, Under the Stars Festival, Ronnie Scotts Club, and concerts with his enlarged 'Latin Big Band' at The Barbican Centre in London.
Whether as percussionist of choice for the UK’s pop bands (Joe Strummer, The Cure, Kate Bush, Boney M), or bandleader, composer and arranger, timbalero extraordinaire, Roberto Pla, stands as the undisputed Godfather of Latin Music in the UK.
Roberto’s pedigree as a Latin artist is second to none. Co-founder of the UK’s first ever salsa band Sonido De Londres in 1982, Roberto had already done a ten year stint with legendary Colombian big band Lucho Bermudez Orchestra before his arrival in the UK in 1979 via the New York salsa scene. Roberto has also toured Europe with Latin luminaries from the Fania Allstars including Adalberto Santiago, Tito Allen and Cheo Feliciano.
About Roberto:
In 1979 Roberto left Colombia for New York, to embark as salsa session percussionist. A year later the attractions of the European pop scene drew him to London, where he joined a jazz fusion band Cayenne and by 1982 he was touring the world with pop megastars Boney M. In 1984, he was one of the earliest members of the London School of Samba, the first samba school to be set up in the UK. In 2017 the band celebrated their 30th anniversary, winning their first LUKAS award for 'Lifetime Achievement and contribution to the Latino Community in the UK'. They have headlined the 'Glasto Latino Stage' at Glastonbury Festival and subsequently won their second LUKAS for 'Concert of the year'. Major live highlights for Roberto Pla and the Latin Ensemble have included Expo Festival Lisbon, The Edinburgh Fringe, Canary Wharf Twilight Delights, Under the Stars Festival, Ronnie Scotts Club, and concerts with his enlarged 'Latin Big Band' at The Barbican Centre in London.
