Juancito Torres

Juan “Juancito” Torres Velez (January 14, 1936 – July 26, 2003), also known as "La Trompeta Nacional De Puerto Rico", was a Puerto Rican salsa and jazz trumpet player, composer, arranger, producer and musical director best known for his association with the Fania All-Stars from 1979 to 1985. He was known as a great soloist, specializing in upper register.

Torres was born in Caguas Puerto Rico on January 14, 1936, and began in music by playing violin in his hometown, where he belonged to the Municipal Band.Torres began formal musical studies at the age of fourteen when he enrolled at the Escuela Libre de Música.In 1952 he joined the orchestra of jazz musician Ramón Usera Vives.In 1955 he moved to New York City, where he performed with Xavier Cugat, Noro Morales and Lecuona Cuban Boys. He also performed with the orchestras of Pupi Campo and Tito Rodríguez as well as with René Touzet, Dámaso Pérez Prado and Eddie Cano.

Torres returned to Puerto Rico in 1960 and continued his studies at the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico. He would later become the trumpet player for the Puerto Rico All Stars as well as Batacumbele.

Torres performed with some of the best artists of the 1950s Latin big band era, including that of Rafael Muñoz, Miguelito Miranda and Moncho Usera's orchestra as well as with the Noro Morales Orchestra based out of the La Concha Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico.In 1965 he recorded an album with Bobby Capó and his Orchestra. At the end of the sixties, Torres joined the orchestra of Bobby Valentín, who was also a trumpet player, with whom he participated in the recording of five albums between 1969 and 1975. During the 1970s he recorded with Frank Ferrer, Justo Betancourt, Puerto Rico All Stars and Marvin Santiago.

He also performed with Tito Rodriguez, Joe Quijano, Sexteto Silver, Charlie Palmieri, Johnny Pacheco, Bobby Valentin and many other Latin Jazz musicians.In 1979 Vélez began recording, and performing in international tours with the famous Fania All Stars orchestra. Between 1979 and 1997, he performed and recorded Johny Pacheco for Jerry Masucci, on multiple albums. These include: Habana Jam, Commitment, Latin Connection, Lo que Pide la Gente, "Live", Viva Colombia and Bravo. He has also recorded and performed with Cheo Feliciano, Tommy Olivencia and his Orchestra, Raphy Leavitt and La Selecta, Adalberto Santiago, Roberto Roena, Sonora Ponceña, Eddie Palmieri, Tito Rojas, Pedro Arroyo, Descarga Boricua, Lalo Rodríguez and Ray Barreto and Tito Puente among many others. In 1992, he joined the Dutch salsa orchestra Nueva Manteca.

Torres died on July 27, 2003, in Carolina Puerto Rico, in his sleep from a heart attack.