Striking When the Salsa’s Hot

It took a couple of decades for Johnny Polanco’s lifelong dream to become a reality, but persistence finally paid off. In 1998, music became his full-time occupation.

“A few months from now, I’ll be celebrating 30 years in music. I’ve been playing since I was 15,” he said during a recent interview at Studio City’s Sportsmen’s Lodge, where he will appear next Friday.

Today, Polanco’s Conjunto Amistad (“Friendship”) is one of the busiest names in the burgeoning Los Angeles salsa scene. “Last year alone, we did 313 dates,” he said. “And many of them involved doing two sets. We play an average of five nights a week.”

Playing all over town requires efficient logistics and a driven promoter, but it’s not that hard to achieve. Releasing a good record with proper distribution, on the other hand, is a real feat, one that Polanco has achieved as well.

The album “L.A. Amistad” includes a variety of Latin styles performed seamlessly by Polanco’s group and noteworthy guests, such as trumpeter Ramon Flores and violinist Karen Briggs.

“We sold many copies out of the trunks of our cars,” Polanco said with a laugh. “But now the CD is available all over the U.S. and in Europe.”

One of the album’s tunes was covered by Vanessa Williams and Chayanne for the recent salsa movie “Dance With Me.” The record also got Polanco a major-label offer for a second album.

Before he was a full-time musician, the physically imposing Polanco spent 14 years in military service. A longtime auto mechanic, he became a Shell service station dealer in Santa Ana when he moved to L.A. in 1979.

But music was always his passion. “I always managed to play,” he said. “Even when I was a Marine, stationed back East, I would drive 10 hours to New York, spend the weekend playing and then come back.”

Polanco’s timing in the music industry couldn’t have been better. The ‘70s in New York were the heyday of the salsa movement, a time of boundless creativity for the genre that hasn’t been duplicated since.

The young Polanco played with superstars such as conguero Ray Barretto and singers Pete “El Conde” Rodriguez, Tito Gomez and Ruben Blades.

The self-taught Polanco plays trombone, violin and tres (a Cuban stringed instrument similar to the Spanish guitar). “When people hired me, they got two or three instruments for the price of one,” he said with a smile. “I was hardly ever out of work.”

The bandleader’s New York roots might explain why his music sounds so authentic. And Polanco plans to take that sound a step forward on his next recording.

“On the next one, I’m planning to go back to my roots for some real Afro-Cuban music,” he said.

BE THERE

Johnny Polanco y su Conjunto Amistad will perform at the Sportsmen’s Lodge Jan. 22, 4234 Coldwater Canyon Blvd., Studio City. For tickets, call (310) 450-8770.