The decade of the 20s, a decade of verse, composers and famous musicians, left us a treasure of fond memories.

It was around this time that  Ladislao Martínez was opening up a way for himself, a young composer barely 21 years old who had dedicated himself to play at popular dances en the picturesque barrio where he lived with his parents in the town of Vega Alta. He recieved as payment $1.50 and $2.00 for each dance that he livened up, and occasionally was treated to the tough experience of playing all night and not getting paid what was owed him. There were times that his father had to intervene where his son had played to make sure he was paid.

Ladi wasn't much interested in money in those days, his interest was to make his way to San Juan and organize his own trío: that was his true desire.

He arrived in San Juan in 1921, dressed impeccably in white from tip to toe.  He established his residence on Luna street and organized his first trío with his brother Encarnación Martínez, "Cachón,"  the guitarrista and then chose Patricio Rijos, "Toribio," to play the güiro. In that way he formed his first notable group, which was called Trío Ladi.

In 1922 he was the first musician ever to be heard on radio, during the inaugration of the first radio station on the Island, WKAQ.

His first recorded composition was the bolero "Mi Vida" [My Life] recorded on RCA records and sung by Fausto Delgado with Canario [Manuel Jiménez] y su Grupo in 1930. Upon recruiting Toribio for his first trío he insured his success, because Toribio had performed previously as percussionist with the greatest bands and orchestras that played the retretas, the evening concerts in the Plaza de Armas of Old San Juan. Ladi accompanied the group Los Jíbaros de la Radio [Jíbaros of the Radio] in their star-studded noon show on WKAQ.

Buoyed by the fame that he was gathering, he decides in 1927 to join with the Grupo Aurora that Don Ernesto Vigoreaux had organized to advertise La Colectiva cigarettes. The name "Aurora" came from the Cruz de la Aurora festivals that were celebrated near the town of Santurce's trolley stop 21, and he was brought into the group by Ernestico Mantilla.

In the year 1930-31, after having joined with the musicians of the Trío Aurora, where legendary musicians Don Felipe R. Goyco, Don Felo, Moncho Dávila, Yayo García y Ernestico Mantilla (a.ka. Ernesto Vazquez) served, Ladi found in the town of Bayamón a young boy that sang décimas and played the guiro, Claudio Ferrer, who entered the group on the recomendation of Juan Cotto, who himself also became part of Trío Aurora. In the same year, Ladi records his first records with Brunswick, a German label. They recorded the following pieces: "En Mi Carro Te Espero" [I Await in My Car], by Don Felo, "Alma Boricua" [Boricua Soul], de Clodomiro Rodriguez, "Linda Serrana" [Pretty Mountain Girl], de Don Felo, "Noche de Algodón" [Cotton Night], de Julio Alvarado, "El Seis Dorado" de Ladi, and others.

A number of prominent musicians began their careers under Ladí's tutelage: Tito Rodríguez (known previously as Pablito Rodríguez), Patria Barreto, Félix Castrillón, Julita Ross, Biriquin Rivera, Charlie Figueroa, Doroteo Santiago, Rafael Castro and others. In his Grupo Aurora Joseph the clarinetist and the famous trumpeters Jorge López y Juanchin Ramírez Lumbano played.

Among the many achievements that we can credit to Ladi were performances for the Governer of Puerto Rico, Theodore Roosevelt, and Cardenal Spellman. He plaid Jíbaro music in Carnegie Hall. He gave a concert to Don Vicente Gomez, the great Spanish guitarist, when he was the president of the Spanish guitarist's association known as Alhambra.

Among his favorite trophies was a Bronze Oscar which he guarded with jealously, along with numerous plaques that recognized his artistic work.

Sarrail Archilla, who often played the first cuatro (Ladi always played second cuatro) met him in Bayamón in 1936, and thus was formed the greated Puerto Rican cuatro duo. Apolo Ocasio, his nephew and accompanying guitarist got to know all the secrets of his music.

Ladi's group is considered by the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture (Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña) to be the greatest exponent of Puerto Rican folkloric music.

Ladislao Martínez (1898-1979)

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Listen to a long fragment of "El Gallo, La Gallina"

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Listen to a short fragment of "El Gallo, La Gallina"

Ladi (center) with Rosario Goyco--don Felo--(to Ladi's left) and his Grupo Aurora during de 1930s

The Cuarteto Aurora, circa 1940. From left to right:

• Patricio "Toribio"Rijos, guiro
• Felipe "Don Felo" Rosario Goyco, guitar
• Sarrail Archilla, first cuatro
• Ladislao "Ladi" Martínez, second cuatro
• Jesús "Chuito" Sánchez, singer

The Maestro Ladi and his group during the 60s. From left to right:

• Felix Castrillon, singer
• Apolo Ocasio, guitar
• Sarrail Archilla, first cuatro
• El Maestro Ladi, second cuatro

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The great maestro in New York, accompanying Neri Orta on second cuatro.