Poncho Sánchez

Poncho Sánchez is an American conguero, salsa singer, and Latin jazz bandleader born Ildefonso Sánchez in Laredo, Texas, in 1951. He moved to the Los Angeles area as a child, built his career in Latin jazz, and joined Cal Tjader’s band in 1975 before launching his own group in 1980–1982. He won a Grammy for *Latin Soul* and has been recognized as one of the genre’s most influential percussionists.