Yomo Toro

Name: Victor Guillermo Toro
Date of birth: July 26, 1933
Place of birth: Ensenada, Puerto Rico

Yomo Toro, born in Ensenada, Puerto Rico is the son of an amateur guitarist. He is one of the most highly respected musicians in the New York scene after over 5 decades of musical career. His instrument is the cuatro, a boricua guitar with 10 strings, and descendant of the Spanish vihuela.

Early days
Accompanying the Trío Los Panchos in the early 60’s and after recording four records with them, he began working with the Fania label, eventually joining Fania All-Stars. Between the late 60’s and early 70’s, he hosted a television show "The Yomo Toro Show" on New York channel 41, which was on the air for 7 years.

These years were especially fruitful for Yomo Toro, as he recorded the influential "Tributo a Arsenio Rodríguez" with Larry Harlow’s band in 1969 and in 1970 the classic "Asalto Navideño" with Willie Colón and Héctor Lavoe, where they mixed New York salsa with traditional Puerto Rican Christmas music.

Music career:
A well-known guitarist and one of Puerto Rico's most famous cuatro players, Toro is probably best known for performing the opening theme song to the 1971 Woody Allen film Bananas, and for his contributions to various albums of Willie Colón and Héctor Lavoe, particularly the by-now classic "Asalto Navideño" and "Feliz Navidad". Yomo Toro composed only one song for Fania label "El Lechon de Cachete" about himself.

Toro continued working throughout the following decades, playing in over 150 albums and recording around 20 solo records, including collaborations with musicians such as Harry Belafonte, Paul Simon, Linda Rondstadt and David Byrne. In 1994 he went back to the basics when he began playing in the Latin Legends with Larry Harlow and Aldaberto Santiago.

Trivia:
Yomo Toro, has recorded with major artists such as Cuban legend Arsenio Rodriguez and Arsenio's most prominent bassist Alfonso "El Panameño" Joseph at the Palladium New York Nightclub.

Yomo Toro is one of the legendary artists featured in a major television production about the era of Afro-Cuban music at the Palladium in New York "La Epoca”.

Discography:
1988 - Funky Jibaro
1990 - Gracias
1995 - Las Manos de Oro
1996 - Celebremos Navidad
1999 - Romantico
2000 - Alma de Ramito
2002 - Musica del Mundo Entero

 
By Lourd Vijay
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About the Author: Lourd Vijay is the principal Promoter of Latin culture, music and dance in the Asian Region. He recently stood 10th at the “most Popular Entrepreneur of the year 2009” amongst 180 nominees from across the country. An innovative choreographer and a very able instructor, he is the director of the Lourd Vijay’s Dance Studios (www.lvds.in) in India.