From 1968-78 he played drum kit with Orchestra Lucho Bermudez, Colombia's leading Big Band, and national institution with whom he toured Latin America and the United States, recorded numerous albums and appeared weekly on Colombian television.
Artists that he has played and toured with include Joe Strummer (ex-Clash) with whom he featured in the French film I Hired a Contract Killer, Caribbean Soca artist Arrow (US tour), Spanish pop band Radio Futura, Japanese duo The Frank Chickens, and rock heavyweights Motörhead[4] (with whom he featured in the film Eat the Rich).
In summer 1993, he toured Europe with Blue Note Records-signed rap act US 3, Fania Allstars' vocalist Adalberto Santiago and Azuquita.
In 2009, Pla played with the Ronnie Scott Allstars Orchestra conducted by Peter Long with special guest the American trumpeter John Faddis.
In April 2012 the band celebrated their 25th anniversary with a concert at the Assembly Hall in Islington and won their first LUKAS award for 'Lifetime Achievement and contribution to the Latino Community in the UK'.
In June 2013, Pla and his Latin Ensemble headlined the 'Glasto Latino Stage' at Glastonbury Festival and subsequently won their second LUKAS for 'Concert of the year' in spring 2014.
[7] In August 2017, Pla performed at the Royal Albert Hall as a special guest on "BBC Prom 57: Swing No End" led by Claire Teal and conducted by Guy Barker.