Norberto Vélez Curbelo

Sesiones Desde La Loma (Session from the Hill) is a channel on Youtube filmed in Hatillo, Puerto Rico from the La Loma del Temeguindo. Each month, unannouced featured guest or groups join Norberto Vélez Curbelo to bring the music of Puerto Rico to Youtube audiences from around the world played on instrument typical to the Island of Puerto Rico and Latin America. These musical events appear on the Youtube channel unannounced on a weekday or weekend. Loyal fans closely monitor the Youtube channel daily in anticipation when the next session from the hill is uploaded. Positive comments from all around the globe are continuiously displayed on Norberto's YouTube channel. Many fans eagerly await to view the next video from the hill of Temeguindo. Below are links to other Wikipedia pages of past and present performers, Puerto Rico music and genres, Puerto Rican History and culture, instruments and more. Picture galleries of the invited guests featured at the hill and several of the instruments played at the hill.
On October 22, 2022 Fans from the four corners of Puerto Rico and different parts of the world participated in a sold-out live event near the little house on the hill featuring some of the past guest, including Maelo Ruiz and Tito Nieves at The Hill of Temeguindo.
In three and a half years, Sesiones Desde La Loma, has over 19 million views with 37 sessions and live event, far surpassing the initial projected goals of 25 videos. These millions of viewa do not include the number of views for the plethora of singles on the same site.
==History==
==Founder of Sesiones Desde La Loma==
Norberto Vélez Curbelo (born August 20, 1979, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico) is founder of Sesiones Desde La Loma on YouTube. Norberto's family was made up of his father Heriberto Vélez, who passed a short while ago, his mother Norma Curbelo and his younger sister Normarí Vélez. Before taking his first steps in his residence in the town of Hatillo, Puerto Rico, showed signs of his artistic streak. His first music teacher, his father, offered classes at the Escuela Especializada Libre Música Arecibo and at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico in the town of Arecibo. In his childhood, Norberto showed interest in learning to play various instruments, of which he made the guitar his favorite. At the age of seven, Norberto, always led by his parents, began to offer his first musical performances interpreting the typical music of Puerto Rico. He remained in this environment for approximately ten years between the ensembles Conjunto Tipico Clasico and Conjunto 4x4. When Norberto was 17 years old, he joined the Trompeta Con Trovadores – Trumpet with Trovadores, directed by maestro Elías López Sobá, where he began to feel a great passion for the salsa genre.NG2 During this time, he participated as a backup singer with various artists such as: Kedwin Ceballo, Frankie Negrón, Carolina la O, Pedro Brull, among others. After approximately three years, Norberto joined as a backup singer with the Victor Manuelle known as El Sonero de la Juventud. In 2003, Victor presented the concert where Norberto sang the duet with the sonero of youth the song of "Sin Bandera Si te vas"/"Without the Flag, it leaves you". Norbeto Vélez and his childhood friend Gerardo Rivas, formed a Puerto Rican Salsa group name NG2 which lasted for sixteen years until they decided to concentrate on projects that they want to achieve individually. Gerardo Rivas tells his truth about the separation of NG2 Puerto Rican salsa orchestra NG2 breaks up after 16 years Gerardo Rivas father Jerry Rivas, lead singer for El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico for 45 years, was featured with the group at the hill in episode number 32.
==La Loma del Temeguindo==
Afterwards, Norberto, singer, composer, producer, arranger and entertainerEntrevista a Norberto Vélez Curbelo (Interview) Salsa that transcends in 'Sessions from the Loma' Norberto Vélez presents his album “In my way” built a small house, known as the "Casa de los/House of the salseros" with a porch at "La Loma del Temeguindo"-"The Hill of Temeguindo" La Loma del Temeguindo in the Barrio (District) of Naranjito located in Hatillo, Puerto Rico. In 2019, Norberto starting producing YouTube videos episodes titled "Sesiones Desde La Loma"/"Sessions from the Hill" approximately every month.Everything ready for "Sessions From the Loma... The event" Norberto Vélez defiende la salsa y el bolero desde su loma ¡Me Quedo En La Loma! Hablemos un rato A "I'm Staying On The Hill" Let's have a conversation Norerto's initial goal was to produce 25 video sessions.Norberto Vélez ans his "magical place" on the hill of Hatillo The project, which is a highly successful is currently continuing and YouTube subscribers have grown to over 300 thousand from an initial start of 200.Norberto Vélez’s “Sesiones Desde la Loma” “Sessions from the Loma” by Norberto Vélez Enjoyed “Sesiones Desde la Loma, El Evento” Norberto produces his own music videos as well and uploaded his live concert which premiered on April 9, 2021, from "LA Loma" Titled "A Mi Modo" which has been viewed over 100K times. On October 22nd, Norberto's sold-out live concert titled "The Event" was attended by thousand of people near the little house on the hill.Norberto Vélez y su "lugar mágico" en la loma de Hatillo
==Dia de Los Tres Reyes Magos==
In Puerto Rico, Epiphany , is an important festive holiday, and is commonly referred as Dia de Los Tres Reyes Magos, or Three Kings' Day. It is traditional for children to fill a box with fresh grass or hay and put it underneath their bed, for the Wise Men's horses. In Puerto Rico many artisans make commemorative historical figures of the Magi on horseback. The Three Wise Men of Puerto Rico, according to local tradition, arrive on horseback instead of camels as in other countries where the custom is also ingrained. The three kings will then take the grass to feed the horses and will leave gifts under the bed as a reward. These traditions are analogous to the customs of children leaving mince pies and sherry out for Father Christmas in Western Europe or leaving milk and cookies for Santa Claus in the United States. On the day before the feast (January 5), the "Rosario de Reyes" or "Promesa de Reyes" is celebrated with songs (aguinaldos) promised to be sung to the Kings, usually before a little table with figures of the Nativity and the Kings or with the Kings alone and their camels. This celebration is accompanied with a chicken soup, snacks, and drinks.
===Aguinaldo===
On January 06, 2023, El Dia de los Tres Reyes Magos, Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 33 featured Grupo Mapeyé: Orquesta Criolla Nacional de Puerto Rico playing typical aguinaldo. In Puerto Rico, the aguinaldo is a musical gift offered during the Christmas season and is a tradition inherited from the island's Spanish colonizers. As a musical gift, aguinaldos are mostly played by "parranderos" or "trullas" during the Christmas holidays. While , showing up at a residence late at night, with a group of Christmas carolers, is a practice that is slowly being lost in Puerto Rico, a Puerto Rican album debuted in the top 10 Billboard Tropical Albums in December 2019. In 2016, Grupo Mapeyé, was nominated in Latin Grammy Award for Best Folk Album in 2016 with "En Las Islas Canarias" in the 17th Annual Latin Grammy Awards.
Originally, aguinaldos were "villancicos" with strong religious connotations but soon evolved to "coplas" (quartets) and "decimas" (ten-verses compositions) about all kinds of everyday topics. Aguinaldos were played with typical instruments such as the bordonúa, a tiple, a cuatro, a carracho or güiro, a cowbell, barriles de bomba, an accordion, and maracas. With bordonua players becoming more difficult to find, the guitar became a staple accompanying the cuatro. Today, panderos (also known as "pleneras"), brass instruments and whatever makes noise, are used.
As a genre, the aguinaldo is played mostly on the radio on key Christmas holidays in Puerto Rico; the day before Christmas and in Christmas, on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, and the day before Three Kings Day and on Three King's Day (January 6). Aguinaldos are also played at Christmas church celebrations.
===Singers/Groups Outside of Puerto Rico===
Episode 9 featured Johnny Rivera, an American salsa singer of Puerto Rican descent. Rivera was born in the Bronx, New York, and attended high school at Benjamin Franklin High School. He moved briefly to Puerto Rico before returning to New York City to begin a career in music. Episode 31 feature José Alberto Justiniano (born December 22, 1959, in Villa Consuelo, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic), better known by his stage name José Alberto "El Canario", a salsa singer from the Dominican Republic. Episode 34 feature Daniela Alejandra Darcourt Escurra, born on April 20, 1996 and spent her entire childhood with her five sisters in the El Porvenir neighborhood, in the La Victoria district, in Lima,Peru. Daniela is a Peruvian singer, songwriter and dancer. She is cataloged by experts as one of the best salsa singers in the country. She has also been a Judge for Yo Soy Kids, and a trainer at La Voz Peru, La voz Senior and La voz Kids. Epidodes 36 and 37 feature from Venezuela, Ronald Borgas from Guaco (band) and Servando & Florentino respectively.
===Transition and Creation===
On April 14, 2023 Norberto released a musical production titled "Transición y Creación" that reflected the evolution of Norberto Vélez as a singer, composer and producer. Transición y Creación has nine unpublished songs, all authored by the singer. In this production, the salsa public had the opportunity to listen to Norberto, but also to his bandmates Carlos García and Jota Ruiz, with whom he also shared composition credits on two songs.
==Sesiones Desde La Loma YouTube Videos==
Title 	Date 	Title (Título) – Guest (Invitada-Invitado) Performers 	Views
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 1" 	October 14, 2019 	Manolo RamosSalsa Circuit Bio Manolo Ramos 	173k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 2" 	November 8, 2019 	Gilberto Santa Rosa "El Caballero de la Salsa" ("The Gentleman of Salsa") 	2.6m+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 3" 	December 6, 2019 	La Parranda (Party) Desde La Loma - From the Hill - Christmas Party 	726k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 4" 	January 23, 2020 	Madera FinaSolar Latin Club Bio Madera Fina 	119k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 5" 	February 13, 2020 	Victor Manuelle El Sonero de la Juventud ("The Singer Of Youths") 	2m+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 6" 	March 5, 2020 	Danny Rivera 	388k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 7" 	April 27, 2020 	Tus Canciones Favoritas - Your Favorite Songs 	60k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 8" 	May 10, 2020 	Los Seis De La Loma 	123k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 9" 	June 11, 2020 	Johnny Rivera 	493k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 10" 	July 10, 2020 	Michelle BravaIba boston Bio Michelle Brava 	215k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 11" 	August 14, 2020 	Domingo Quiñones 	188k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 12" 	September 10, 2020	Carlos García 	128k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 13" 	November 5, 2020 	¡Nuestro Aniversario! - Our (First) Anniversary 	60k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 14" 	November 25, 2020 	Homenaje a Tito Rojas "El Gallo Salsero" (Su Última/Last - Live/Presentación En Vivo) 	755k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 15" 	January 15, 2021 	Luisito CarriónSalsa Master Bio Luisito Carrón 	568k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 16" 	February 12, 2021 	Serenata Desde La Loma 	141k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 17" 	June 4, 2021 	Ángel "Cucco" Peña 	406k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 18" 	July 16, 2021 	La Fuerza De ChoqueCreate in Puerto Rico- "The Shock of Force"the-force-of-shock-with the new generation of Salsa of the island 	197k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 19" 	August 12, 2021 	Tito Nieves "El Pavarotti de la Salsa" 	2m+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 20" 	September 9, 2021 	Chucho Avellanet 	130k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 21" 	October 14, 2021 	Maelo Ruiz - ¡Nuestro Segundo Aniversario! - Our (Second) Anniversary 	634k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 22" 	November 11, 2021 	Start of the Christmas Celebration - Plenéalo ensembles in my Puerto Rico! 	199k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 23" 	December 9, 2021 	Christian Nieves-Virtuoso Puerto Rico cuatro & feat. Omar SantiagoDecimanía: Musicians from Puerto Rico and the Canary Islands to Gather in New York trovador	203k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 24" 	January 27, 2022 	Moncho RiveraMoncho Rivera - Homenaje/Tribute - Ismael "Maelo" Rivera - "El Sonero Mayor" 	480k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 25" 	March 17, 2022 	Moncho Rivera - (Parte II) 	372k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 26" 	April 21, 2022 	El Último Bolero y sus Compositores 	61k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 27" 	April 28, 2022 	Andy Montañez 	622k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 28" 	June 10, 2022 	Michael Stuart 	129k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 29" 	July 14, 2022 	La Fuerza de Choque (Parte II) 	201k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 30" 	August 12, 2022 	Homenaje a Tres De Los Grandes: Frankie Ruiz, Hector Lavoe, Tricoche 	236k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 31" 	September 15, 2022	José Alberto "El Canario" 	809k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma El Evento"	October 22, 2022 	3-Hour Special Live Concert Uploaded on New Year's Eve 	444k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 32" 	November 24, 2022 	El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico 	896k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 33" 	January 06, 2023 	Grupo Mapeyé: Orquesta Criolla Nacional de Puerto Rico 	76k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 34" 	February 09, 2023 	Daniela DarcourtDaniela Darcourt 	533k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 35" 	February 09, 2023 	David RiveraDiscussions in Percussion 	75k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 36" 	May 04, 2023 	Ronald Borjas 	241k+
"Sesiones Desde La Loma Ep. 37" 	June 24, 2023 	Servando & Florentino during the celebration of "La Noche de San Juan" 	318k+
Category:Puerto Rico
Category:Latin American music
Category:Puerto Rican singers
Category:Sony Music Latin artists