[1] The Gonzalez brothers heard him play in Central Park, and brought him on October 27, 1981 to Soundscape, 500 West 52nd Street, for their Latin Music Tuesdays.
It was there that he met Paquito D'Rivera,[1] another eminent Cuban musician who had come to the US via Spain, when he defected from Cuba.
[1] Producer Bill Laswell said "Ponce essentially was a musician/priest, and all the rhythms he would play on those batá drums were associated with a Yoruba deity.
Verna Gillis, the director of Soundscape and the first person in the US to become involved with directing his career, produced his first few albums.
Gillis also produced Ponce's collaboration with Celia Cruz, which rehearsed at Soundscape and performed at SOB's.