Dominican trumpet player, composer, and arranger José Peña got involved in the local tropical scene after attending music classes, joining Cuco Valoy's orchestra, and composing "El Millonario" and "Desilusión," among other songs. In 1989, José Peña led a band called la Artillería, soon participating in Cocoband, performing along with Alfonso "Pochi" Vásquez and Kinito Mendez. After playing in a project called la Rockabanda, José Peña formed his own group, la Banda Gorda, soon recording its debut album, Libre Al Fin. ~ Drago Bonacich