Rolando Sanchez

Nicaraguan Rolando Sanchez first developed his musical interests through his parents and entered the scene during the 1960s after his family relocated to San Francisco, California. Exposure to concerts by Latin rock groups such as Malo, Azteca, Sapo, and Santana sparked his dedication to Latin percussion. His earliest groups were Solar, Sunsmoke, the dance-oriented Messiah, and the Rolando Sanchez Band.

In 1988, while based in Honolulu, Hawaii, the committed performer founded Salsa Hawaii, which launched with the cassette release Rhythms of the Islands and continued with Ahora.