Street corner harmony at its best!
Sha-Boom is (from left to right):
Jerry Ortiz (The Chryslers) - Lead, Baritone,1st and 2nd Tenor
Augie Miuzzo (The Arrogants) - Lead, Baritone, 2nd Tenor and Bass
Sal Giarraffa (The Arrogants) - Lead, Baritone,1st and 2nd Tenor
Sha-Boom is a vocal trio who sing both acapella and with musical accompaniment. They perform Doo-wop standards and hits from the 50s to the 70s, but make no mistake, this is no mere nostalgia act. The joy, energy, and experience they bring to their music makes these songs as vital, powerful, and exciting as they were when you heard them for the first time. If this is history, then New York pizza is just bread with cheese and sauce.
| Sal Giarraffa and Augie Miuzzo have been together for a long time. They met in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn in the 1950s, when they were in grade school. It was at a time when guys stood on street corners harmonizing and hoping to hit it big in the musical genre known as Doo-wop. They formed a group called The Arrogants and in 1962 took off by bus for California to seek fame and fortune. While there they recorded “Canadian Sunset" and "Mirror, Mirror" for Lute Records. Their song “Mirror, Mirror” is considered one of the top 1,000 Doo Wop songs of all time (2006 Encyclopedia of Oldies Doo Wop) and the single, later picked up and distributed by Candlelite Records, is one of the most sought after 45s by Doo-wop collectors. |
Click the buttons above to hear the original Arrogants' songs
For more information CLICK HERE to read a brief history of The Arrogants
Sal moved to Port Saint Lucie in 1999 and started Sha-Boom two years later. Augie followed in 2003, and after several personnel changes, Jerry Ortiz joined the group in 2004. It’s the best sound they've had. Jerry is also an NYC transplant; born in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, where he caught the Doo-wop bug at eight years old on the stoop, he later moved to East New York, Brooklyn. In 1960, at age 12, he formed his own Doo-wop group called The Chryslers, who in 1964 recorded 2 songs ("Smile" and "Stop Torturing Me") with Tacit Productions at 1650 Broadway and sang all over the city; performing many times at the Peppermint Lounge and at the Loew's Pitkin Theater in Brooklyn. As Sha-Boom these 3 combine the heart and spirit of the street corner with a lifetime of musical knowledge to create a sound that is somehow both retrospective and new. While the group rehearses the music, the show itself is ad-libbed, which adds to the fun. "The singing is rehearsed, but in-between there are jokes and stories," says Giarraffa. "Oldies always tell a story, about the first date, first dance, first car... there's always a story behind the song." Special thanks to Shelley Koppel, Entertainment Writer for Hometown News |
Augie Miuzzo was also born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. He attended P.S. 29 where he learned to play the saxophone. He then went on to graduate from John Jay High School. Augie sang 2nd tenor in The Arrogants. He also plays clarinet and drums. Augie has been part of Sha-Boom since 2003. Sal Giarraffa was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. Sal started his career at P.S. 29 in Red Hook, Brooklyn. He was 1st tenor for The Arrogants and is also an accomplished drummer and timbale player. Sal is the primary lead singer and founder of Sha-Boom. |
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