Tony Succar has always approached tropical music like a bridge, between generations, cultures, and musical languages. With ASUCCAR, the Grammy-winning producer, percussionist and bandleader turns that philosophy inward, delivering one of the most personal projects of his career.
Released as Succar enters his 40s, the album marks a shift from the celebrated Mimy & Tony chapter back toward his own artistic identity. But instead of moving away from family, he brings it deeper into the center. ASUCCAR blends salsa, soul, R&B, pop, Latin jazz, Peruvian roots and Japanese influence into a self-portrait shaped by heritage, musicianship and emotional range.
The title itself carries the concept. ASUCCAR combines the “A” from Antonio, Tony’s given name, with the Succar family name, while nodding to “Azúcar,” one of salsa’s most iconic cultural expressions. That connection becomes literal on “Azúcar,” a tribute to Celia Cruz featuring Mimy Succar, Arturo Sandoval and Kenyi Succar, with a special appearance from the voice of the Queen of Salsa.
The project’s strongest statement is not just its guest list, though that list is impressive: Gilberto Santa Rosa, Luis Enrique, Mimy Succar, Arturo Sandoval, Jean Rodríguez, Noel Schajris, Isabela Merced, Amy Gutiérrez, Nella, Pitingo, Kenyi Succar and YX all appear across the album. Its real impact is how Succar uses those voices to expand the idea of what contemporary salsa can hold.
On “Afincao,” featuring Gilberto Santa Rosa, Succar leans into salsa dura with authority. On “Quiero Estar Donde Estés,” with Luis Enrique, he reimagines The Jackson 5’s “I Wanna Be Where You Are” through a tropical lens, connecting his long-standing admiration for Michael Jackson with the romantic weight of classic salsa. That pairing is especially meaningful within Succar’s career arc, considering how his earlier Unity: The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson helped define him as a producer capable of translating global pop into Latin rhythm without losing musical integrity.
The album also reaches beyond expected salsa structures. “Olvidar,” with Nella and Pitingo, pulls flamenco into conversation with tropical music. “Algo Mágico,” with Amy Gutiérrez, brings R&B and soul into an original composition. “Apocalipsis,” with Isabela Merced, turns a pop-rooted song into a sensual salsa remix, while “Leave the Door Open” transforms Silk Sonic’s modern soul into a tropical reinterpretation with Noel Schajris and Jean Rodríguez.
One of the most personal moments arrives with “Toki no Nagare ni Mi o Makase,” where Tony and Mimy Succar reinterpret a Japanese classic in Japanese and Spanish. With salsa arrangements recorded in Miami and a 40-piece string orchestra recorded in Budapest, the track reflects the deeper cultural architecture of the album: Peruvian, Japanese, Latin American and global, all filtered through Succar’s musical identity.
That is where ASUCCAR feels bigger than a standard album rollout. In a Latin music market often driven by singles, algorithms and genre cycles, Succar is working from the tradition of the bandleader, someone who builds worlds, assembles voices and creates musical dialogue. His approach positions salsa not as nostalgia, but as a living format capable of absorbing jazz, soul, pop, flamenco and orchestral music without losing its foundation.
For Succar, ASUCCAR feels less like reinvention and more like consolidation. It gathers the different sides of his story, the Grammy-winning producer, the percussionist, the son, the Nikkei Peruvian artist, the Michael Jackson devotee, the salsa architect — and places them inside one cohesive statement. The result confirms his place among the most forward-thinking figures in contemporary tropical music.
As the album moves into its next phase, the focus will likely turn to performance: how these songs translate live, how the collaborations extend visually, and how Succar continues building a global audience for salsa-rooted music. For now, ASUCCAR stands as a personal and ambitious reminder that tropical music’s future may depend on artists willing to honor tradition while refusing to stay inside it.
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