🏆 Mari Keiko Gonzalez Wins NY Emmy® Award for Mambo Legends: The Music Never Ends

We are proud to celebrate producer and director Mari Keiko Gonzalez, who has won a New York Emmy® Award for Best Documentary – Cultural for her film Mambo Legends: The Music Never Ends, now streaming on PBS VOCES.

Directed and produced by Mari Keiko Gonzalez, Mambo Legends: The Music Never Ends is a moving tribute to the artists and rhythms that shaped the golden era of Latin music. Through rare interviews, vibrant performances, and intimate storytelling, Mari captured the soul of our orchestra—musicians who once played alongside legends like Tito Puente, Machito, and Tito Rodríguez—and who continue to keep that tradition alive and moving forward today as the Mambo Legends Orchestra.

The film beautifully weaves together our history, heart, and heritage, tracing the roots of Afro-Cuban jazz and the legacy of our members: musical director José Madera, Johnny “Dandy” Rodríguez (RIP), Mitch Frohman, Carmen Laboy, and historian Joe Conzo Sr.. With deep respect for our culture, Mari brought decades of rhythm, resilience, and joy together in a film that honors our journey and the heartbeat of our music.

We extend our heartfelt thanks and congratulations to Mari Keiko Gonzalez for her extraordinary vision, dedication, and artistry in bringing our story to life—and to the New York Emmys for recognizing her outstanding work and the power of this film. Through Mari’s lens, our music, our culture, and our journey continue to find new audiences and new generations who feel the beat of mambo in their hearts.

To everyone who contributed to this project—thank you for honoring our musical legacy and helping ensure that the music never ends.