La Sonora De Tommy Rey

A venerable institution of Chilean cumbia, La Sonora de Tommy Rey was founded in 1982 by several former members of La Sonora Palacios, led by vocalist Patricio Zúñiga (aka Tommy Rey) and musical director Leonardo Soto. That same year the group released their debut La Sonora de Tommy Rey, Vol.1, featuring their first hit "Daniela" and showcasing their mastery of several tropical genres -- not only cumbia, but also bolero, salsa, and chachachá, among others. The band's fortunes grew steadily during the second half of the 1980s, when they started performing internationally in other countries of South America, and even Europe. A recording deal with CBS brought wider recognition, and they added more evergreen hits to their catalog such as "Piripau" and "Se Aleja El Tren" (from 1988's El Chiquichá), and "La Parabólica" (from 1990's La Parabólica). A 2003 tribute to La Sonora Palacios titled La Felicidad, featuring special guests Joe Vasconcellos, Chancho En Piedra, and Quique Neira, became one of their most beloved albums and paved the way for a memorable triumph at the 2004 Festival Internacional de la Canción de Viña del Mar. La Sonora de Tommy Rey kept performing and recording throughout the first decades of the new millennium, reaping numerous awards and alternating commemorative, live, and compilation releases with albums in which they attempted to update their sound. Age, however, caught up with several of its founding members, who either retired or passed away. After Tommy Rey's passing in 2025, Soto unilaterally decided to dissolve the band. This did not sit well with the Zúñiga family, who soon regrouped under the name La Sonora de Tommy Rey: El Legado, boasting a rejuvenated lineup led by Patricio Zúñiga, Jr., son of Tommy Rey. ~ Mariano Prunes, Rovi