Eddie Montalvo

Eddie Montalvo, a conguero born and raised in the Bronx who earned a Grammy nomination through frequent work with salsa crossover star Rubén Blades, developed an early passion for salsa. He began on bongos before moving to congas after entering the lineup of Julio Romero & the Latin Jazz All-Stars. Those congas carried him into the ensembles of Celia Cruz, Héctor Lavoe, Willie Colón, and Johnny Pacheco, after which he became a member of the Fania All-Stars in 1979. His debut solo album, On My Own, arrived in 1995, and in 2001 he teamed with Joe Madera for the Big 3 Palladium Orchestra. Montalvo issued his second solo album, Desde Nueva York a Puerto Rico, in 2012; the recording earned a nomination for the 2013 Grammy Award in Best Tropical Latin Album.