Larry Harlow

Pianist, producer, and bandleader Larry Harlow was one of the key architects of the salsa revolution, and a cornerstone of the Fania label where he served as artist, A&R man, and producer of more than 260 recordings. He formed the Orchestra Harlow in the early '60s and became one of Fania's earliest signatories with 1965's Heavy Smokin'. A succession of hit albums followed, including 1973's Hommy: A Latin Opera and 1977's ambitious La Raza Latina, a suite-like history of Latin music with Rubén Blades. Harlow was also a founding member of the Fania All Stars, and performed on all their albums up to 1976. In 1994, he teamed up with Ray Barretto, Adalberto Santiago, and Yomo Toro to found the Latin Legends Band, which that later evolved into the Latin Legends of Fania. In 2008, he received a Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Harlow passed away in August of 2021.