Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros

Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros ( born April 4, 1928 in Santa Clara) is a Cuban trumpeter of the Afro-Cuban music, salsa and Latin jazz. He also plays flugelhorn, composed and arranged.

His nickname Chocolate he has from an occasional confusion with the boxer Kid Chocolate. He first played in the band of René Álvarez ( Conjunto Los Astros ) and Arsenio Rodriguez ( as a teenager in the 1940s with a first recording in 1949 in Havana ).

He played with almost all important musicians Afro- Cuban music, such as his cousin Beny Moré (1953 to 1956 he headed the brass in the big band ), Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Mongo Santamaria, Lou Perez, Johnny Pacheco, Charlie Palmieri, Cachao, Noro Morales, Manny Oquendo, Osvaldo " Chi Hua Hua " Martínez, Johnny Pacheco, Marcelino Guerra, John Santos, Nat King Cole ( 1950 ), Machito (from the 1960's in New York), in the band of César Concepción and others with Wynton Marsalis. In the 1950s, he headed the studio orchestra of a Cuban radio and TV station. In 1959 he first came to New York City with José Fajardo and soon moved quite there. 1977 to 1980 he was a member of the Cuban dance band Conjunto Sonora Matancera. He is also in demand as an improviser, playing Latin Jazz. He plays around the world, has its base but in New York City.

He plays in many different formations of Cuban septetos and Conjuntos, salsa orchestras, jazz combos to big bands and reconstructed old Cuban styles such as the Calypso.