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JESUS "AGUAJE" RAMOS - Trombone, Music Director, Conductor *
LORENA LAZARA RAMOS DIAZ - Trombone, Vocals
ALDO ISIDRO MIRANDA ALVAREZ - Vocals
GEIDI CHAPMAN - Vocals, Guitar
EMILIO SENON MORALES RUIZ - Piano *
FABIAN GARCIA - Bass *
ANTONIO REMIGIO RUBIO BORAYO - Timbal, Percussion
LUIS "BETUN" MARIANO VALIENTE MARIN - Congas, Bongo *
ROGELIO RICARDO OLIVA ORELLY - Emcee, Vocals
* ORIGINAL MEMBER OF THE BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB
Biography
JESUS “AGUAJE” RAMOS (born 1951) is a Cuban trombonist, composer, arranger and musical director. He is best known as the original orchestra leader, composer and trombonist of The Buena Vista Social Club. He has also served long stints in world class ensembles Estrellas de Areito and AfroCuban Allstars. His musical journey and history is brought into focus throughout the critically acclaimed 1999 documentary Buena Vista Social Club
Ramos performed on the World Circuit recordings of The Buena Vista Social Club and Afro-Cuban Allstars and the solo albums of Ibrahim Ferrer, Ruben Gonzales and Omara Portuondo. He was Gonzales’ musical director and has been touring extensively since 1997 with various Buena Vista Social Club projects. He was a prominent member and musical director of the renowned Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club, which brought the music of the original Buena Vista Social Club back into international prominence during the incredibly successful ‘Adios’ Tour from 2014-2016.
The Buena Vista Social Orchestra, under the direction of Ramos and featuring key players from throughout the history of The Buena Vista Social Club, continues the legacy of the legendary group in 2024 with an exciting new stage production and repertoire pulled from the greatest hits (many of which Ramos composed) and deep-dive cuts. The group has amassed over 50,000 monthly listeners on Spotify with their debut album on SSK Records Greatest Recorded Performances, with another album due out later this year.
Ramos is joined on this inaugural tour by an all star ensemble including original BVSC members “Betun” Luis Mariano Valiente Marin (Congas, Bongo), Emilio Senon Morales Ruiz (Piano) and Fabían Garcia (Bass).
To date, The Buena Vista Social Club and related projects have global sales that stand at over fifty million, making it the biggestselling Cuban music project in history. As one critic put it, Buena Vista has become “world music’s equivalent of The Dark Side of the Moon.”
Harsh Bhalotia
Grade 8, Central Middle School; Parsippany; Nominated by Darby MacAdams Harsh is a talented and dedicated student. He always wants to challenge himself by learning new skills and songs. He is also very self-motivated and always asks thoughtful questions. I believe Harsh is well-deserving of this honor.
Marco Cera
Grade 8, Rockaway Valley School; Rockaway; Nominated by Nicole Covart Marco is a phenomenal violin player that joined the Concert Band in our school as a percussion player. Sadly, our school doesn’t have an orchestra, but he is so determined to be musical, he performs on the mallets. Over the past few years, he has also performed on the violin for a few of our concert pieces. Marco also performs at every talent show, and blows away the crowd every time. He is a trailblazer, a super supportive percussionist, and because of him, more students are joining the Concert Band on the violin. We were lucky to have him!
Geoffrey Chen
Grade 7, Chatham Middle School; Chatham; Nominated by Mario DeSantis Although Geoffrey is only a seventh grade violinist, he’s playing at a level well beyond that of many high school students. Geoffrey is a responsible musician who is willing to help others and volunteers for extra performance opportunities. In addition to his outrageous talent, his warm and kind personality reinforce the positive culture we value so much in our school. It’s students like Geoffrey who make teaching orchestra such a rewarding experience. Without hesitation, Geoffrey receives my strongest recommendation for this honor
Michelle Lucas-Gomez
Grade 8, Brooklawn Middle School; Parsippany; Nominated by Adam Austerlitz Michelle is a highly motivated and talented violist. She contributes so much to the orchestra and music department at Brooklawn Middle School. Michelle is a quadruple threat: a tour de force who balances performing principal viola in the Brooklawn Orchestra and Select Strings along with singing, dancing, and acting with the Brooklawn choirs and stage drama and musical productions. Michelle truly has a bright future ahead of her!
The 2024-2025 Music Student of the Month program is supported by The Walter F. and Alice Gorham Foundation, Inc.
Derek Nieto Marquez
Grade 11, Morristown High School; Morristown; Nominated by Norma Davis
Derek Nieto Marquez is an outstanding musician at Morristown High School. His passion for music drives him to explore various composers, artists, and genres both as a listener and as a performer. As a bass player in the MHS Orchestra, Derek is a hard worker who collaborates enthusiastically with his classmates to create artistic performances. He can always be relied upon to participate fully, be attentive to details, and to strive for excellence. Throughout his years at MHS, Derek has been involved in many musical opportunities such as performing on the guitar and singing in the Apollo show, performing a duo at the Solo and Ensemble Night, playing with the Chamber Orchestra, and participating beautifully in many other musical events. His interest in music has also led him to study music theory, compose music, and learn about form and analysis. Derek’s enthusiasm and devotion inspire musical discussions at a deep and mature level. He is a very gifted, engaging, wonderful student and is an absolute joy to have as a member of the MHS Orchestra.
Joyce Noblett
Grade 7, Pequannock Valley School; Pompton Plains; Nominated by Michael Kertesz
Joyce is a hardworking, diligent, and passionate musician who brings an impressive depth of knowledge and enthusiasm to every ensemble in which she participates. Over the past year, I have had the pleasure of watching her grow immensely as a bassist. Her work ethic and positive attitude are infectious, consistently motivating those around her. Joyce’s musicianship continues to elevate the performance level of any group she plays in. In addition to her musical abilities, Joyce has taken on numerous leadership roles in my classroom. She is always willing to assist her peers, often going out of her way to help others improve their skills. Her collaborative nature and readiness to support others have made her an invaluable member of our ensembles. Joyce is more than deserving of this honor as I have no doubt that she will continue to excel and inspire in any musical environment she encounters.
Johana John Peter
Grade 8, Brooklawn Middle School; Parsippany; Nominated by Adam Austerlitz
Johana is a talented and hard-working violinist. She is a highly dedicated musician who takes every performance opportunity presented to her. Whether it is performing principal violin in the Brooklawn Orchestra and Select Strings, performing with the North Jersey Middle School Honors Orchestra, or singing in the Brooklawn Choir, Johana is always up for the challenge. Her dedication to music is inspiring and I am excited to see how far she will go!