After turning independent, he guested on recordings such as the CD entitled Pasaporte (winner of the EGREM Great Award in 1994), with Tata Güines and Miguel "Angá" Díaz.
[8] The resulting album, Son Inconcluso, featured a full band including bassist Orlando "Cachaíto" López and Arturo "Alambre dulce" Harvey (ex-tresero with Conjunto Chappottín),[9] among others, and was released in 1999 by EGREM.
[8][10] In 1996, Planas joined the Afro-Cuban All Stars project directed by Juan de Marcos González, and participated in the recording of A Toda Cuba le Gusta, which was nominated for the 1997 Grammy Awards.
[11] This album again featured Rubén González and Orlando "Cachaíto" López, along with a big band of veteran Cuban musicians and singers such as Ibrahim Ferrer, Pío Leyva, Manuel 'Puntillita' Licea, and Félix Baloy.
Planas also wrote songs such as: "Baila Francisca",[12] "Dicharachos Criollos",[12] "Maria Del Carmen",[13] "Me Voy a Poner Pa' Tí",[1] "Que Buenas Son",[12] "Quiéreme Mucho Caridad",[12] "Se Me Fue Mi Negrita",[14] and "Sola Estás".