A graduate of Temple University’s School of Law (’74), Rob Bernberg was a partner in the law firm of Hayt, Hayt and Landau from 1976-1994. Upon the firm’s sale in 1994, he “happily” retired from the practice of law and began a “life-long love affair with Salsa music and Latin culture”. After studying music and dance at Philadelphia’s distinguished A.M.L.A. organization, he created the Salsabor Music label and produced Orquesta del Barrio’s initial two salsa recordings, “Sonido del Barrio” and “El Amanacer”, both of which achieved critical acclaim and commercial success.
Since 1994, Rob has been one of three owners of Latin Beat Magazine/LatinBeatMagazine.com, the world’s leading tropical music magazine. In addition, he serves as the publication’s Counsel for Business Affairs and contributing photographer. Over the years, Rob produced a number of Latin Beat Magazine Siempre Salsa Festivals in New York City, which took place during the week between Miami’s Calle Ocho Festival and Puerto Rico’s Day of Salsa and featured live entertainment at every major NYC salsa venue including the Copacabana, LQ (Latin Quarter) and S.O.B.’s. He has had the opportunity to present Siempre Salsa Lifetime Achievement Awards to Johnny Pacheco at LQ, Willie Colon onstage at the Copacabana and Ralph Mercado, salsa’s leading promoter, onstage at the Madison Square Garden.
In 2005, Rob created the label, Latin Beat Magazine Music, and produced the chart-topping recording, “Siempre Salsa – The Best of Independent Salsa,” which included the single “Salsa Para Siempre,” featuring the vocal talents of veteran sonero, Ray Sepulveda. In conjunction with his involvement with the magazine, Rob has attended countless cultural festivals, concerts and dance congresses throughout the nation. He has also had the pleasure of travelling extensively throughout Latin America.
Having had the privilege of experiencing what he considers to be “the world’s best music” from a front-row seat over the past two decades, Rob is unrestrained in his desire the share the music and culture with others. Towards that end, he and longtime friend Carlos Sanchez created SalsaPrime Entertainment as a vehicle to expand the audience for “authentic” salsa music among traditional and non-traditional audience segments alike. For the two years, SalsaPrime Entertainment presented the region’s top salsa bands at Harrah’s Resort and Casino and Bally’s Casino in Atlantic City on a weekly basis on behalf of Caesar’s Entertainment.
Rob is a co-founder, along with Jesse Bermudez and Carlos Sanchez, of Siempre Salsa Philly, which produces Philadelphia’s annual week-long city-wide celebration of salsa music, and produced the monthly Salsa Night at The Piazza dance/concert series that regularly attracted crowds in excess of 1,000 people. He is also the founder of the Facebook pages Siempre Salsa Philly (3700+followers) and New to Salsa and served on the Board of the Philadelphia Dance Foundation/Take the Lead Dance Project. Rob enjoys sharing “the world’s best music and the awesome community from which it emanates” with a diverse clientele that includes The Union League, Curtis Institute of Music, Society Hill Dance Academy, Diner en Blanc, City of Philadelphia/Parks and Recreation, and Morgan’s Pier and Concilio, to name but a few. In addition, he serves on the AJC’s Jewish-Latino Coalition of Greater Philadelphia.