“Leah”: The Performance That Started My Journey
I was in my early teens when a VHS tape called Salsa changed the way I saw and heard music.
The first performance on the video was Mongo Santamaría playing “Leah.” From the moment it began, I could not look away. His drums looked larger than life, and the musicians played with incredible power and intensity. They did not simply perform the music—they seemed to throw their whole bodies and spirits into it.
The sound of the rhythm section, the look of Mongo’s drums, and the force of the band stayed with me long after the video ended. I had enjoyed music before, but this was different. That performance showed me what music could be when skill, rhythm, and fearless expression came together.
Something awakened in me that day.
“Leah” was written by the gifted composer and arranger Marty Sheller and made famous by the legendary Ramón “Mongo” Santamaría. Over the years, the song became more than a piece of music I admired. It came to represent the excitement I felt as a young musician discovering a new world of possibilities.
Many years later, I decided to record “Leah” as my debut single as a bandleader. I wanted to honor the original performance while creating a version that also reflected who I am as an artist.
A great cover should bring back memories for people who already know the song. At the same time, it should offer something new. That balance guided us throughout the recording process.
We kept the song’s main structure so that listeners could still recognize and connect with it. We then built our own sound around a smaller horn section featuring trumpet and tenor saxophone. This gave the music more space and allowed the rhythm—and each musician’s personality—to come forward.
Then, as often happens in music, a little magic entered the process.
Percussionist Carlos “Carlitos” Soto came to a gig I was playing in Boca Raton. Carlitos has performed with some of salsa’s most celebrated artists, including Ray Barretto, Willie Rosario, Luis “Perico” Ortiz, and Celia Cruz. My sound engineer suggested inviting him to record with us—and, to my amazement, he accepted.
Carlitos’s presence lifted the entire session. Our arrangement grew to include three percussion solos, giving this version its own energy while honoring the powerful rhythms at the heart of “Leah.”
As we prepared to finish recording, my sound engineer made another exciting suggestion: invite singer and multi-instrumentalist Tony Toyán to add Puerto Rican cuatro to the track.
That was an idea I could not resist.
The cuatro is a traditional Puerto Rican instrument with ten strings and a bright, lively sound. Tony brought that sound to the recording, along with his remarkable energy and showmanship. His contribution gave “Leah” a new color and connected our arrangement to another rich Caribbean musical tradition.
Recording this song brought my journey full circle. The teenager who once sat in front of a television, amazed by Mongo Santamaría and his band, could never have imagined that “Leah” would one day become his first release as a bandleader.
This recording is my tribute to Mongo, to Marty Sheller, and to every musician whose work inspires people they may never meet. It also represents the path I want to follow: honoring the music that shaped me while continuing to grow, explore, and create something of my own.
I hope longtime fans of “Leah” hear something familiar in our version and discover something new. I also hope that someone hearing the song for the first time feels a spark like the one Mongo’s performance gave me all those years ago.
Thank you for listening, following my journey, and supporting independent music. Every stream, share, message, and visit to a live performance helps make the next chapter possible.
I look forward to sharing much more music with you.
Until next time,
Luis Reyes
