So that I saw music as a way of documenting realities from the urban cities of Latin America.

I was born in Panama, the Republic of Panama, on July 16, 1948 in Panama City, in an area called San Felipe.

And music was a very important part of our lives. The radio was on all day.

We had something to say. Whenever we played, people didn't dance, they listened.

I think we risk becoming the best informed society that has ever died of ignorance.

I think in New York we had respect and we would pretty much fill up the places where we went, but I never got the sense that we really were Number 1 here in New York among the Latin crowds.

Everyone comes back. It makes no difference how far we wander, we always have our country, our land, in our souls and our minds.