Dancers crowd the dance floor eying space to show off their latest moves. It's prime time Thursday night at Visions Nightclub, and the salseros are looking for their fix as the DJ searches for the next track to elevate the mix. He finds a groove in the popular salsa tune "Gandinga," an old-school groove with a flashy new arrangement. This time it's sung by Frankie Morales and the Mambo of the Times Orchestra.

Indeed, the group is of the times — continuing a tradition that refuses to die. Morales' voice brings forth an intensity and flavor that pushes the dancers to their limits. The back of the CD says it all: "Salsa, the way it is supposed to be performed. Truly hard charging Mambo for all times."

Wait until you hear him live Saturday at McCoy Pavilion, backed by local salsa band Son Caribe. Morales will be a highlight of the eighth annual Puerto Rican Cultural and Salsa Festival — dubbed Hawaii Summer SalsaFest — which serves as a fundraiser for the Hispanic Center of Hawaii.

"I'm going to bring a lot of intensity to the performance. I like to see people dance. It's like Tito Puente used to say: This is not a concert!" joked Morales by phone from his home in Hoboken, N.J.

He sums up his style perfectly, as displayed in last year's recording "A Toda Velocidad," a conglomeration of old and new salsa tunes with help from the best arrangers and musicians in the business.

Born and raised en el barrio, Spanish Harlem, New York City, he was exposed to some of the tradition's finest luminaries during salsa's golden age, from the late 1960s to the late 1970s. The great soneros Pete "El Conde" Rodriguez was married to his cousin Cita. And Ismael Miranda, a friend of his mother's, would pay regular visits to the family's home.

It was Morales' mother who recognized his love of music — especially singing and playing percussion. Even though times were tough, she eventually enrolled him in the prestigious Harbor Conservatory for the Performing Arts in East Harlem, where he studied voice and congas. "My mother made a sacrifice. She played a big part in my career," he said.

As his studies and talents grew, Morales drew the attention of veteran salsa musicians in New York City. His first professional gig was singing backup for Joe Bataan, a singer and piano player known as "the Afro-Filipino" for his mixed African-American and Filipino parentage. By age 15, Morales was singing backup for El Cantante, Hector Lavoe. From there, Morales moved on to singing backup for Ismael Miranda, Cheo Feliciano, Ismael Rivera, Joe Cuba, Jose Mangual and Celia Cruz.

"Working with Hector, Ismael, Cheo and Celia is like working with legends," Morales said. "They tell you how to maintain yourself in the music — how to be humble with everybody and not to walk around with a chip on your shoulder. This is what happens when you are exposed to these legends at the age that I was. You get a chance to know what is to be where they're at and know how to treat people."

In the early 1980s, Morales was introduced to percussionist and bandleader Jose Pintor, who helped him record his first solo album "Sabor Del Barrio." Morales performed briefly off this album before joining forces with Pintor once again, forming the salsa group known as the Bad Street Boys. Morales recorded and played live with the group for five years, then went on another solo stint for two years.

"It went pretty well for me at the time, even though there was not a lot of work," Morales said.

Morales continued to pay his dues, eventually signing with Caiman Records and recording two albums featuring him as a solo artist, "Frankie Morales: En Su Punto" and "Standing Out." These two recordings exposed Morales to greater audiences, strengthening his experience and reputation. He earned an invitation to sing as a featured vocalist with The Fania All Stars. He then went on to spend a year singing backup for singer Tito Nieves — an experience which brought him yet another opportunity.

Through a recommendation from promoter Ralph Mercado, Morales was offered a job as lead vocalist for the orchestra of El Rey Del Timbal, Tito Puente. This gig was the ultimate feature for Morales and his voice, and he served as the last lead vocalist in Puente's orchestra, from 1990 until 2000.

"Playing with Tito is like playing with the president of the United States," he said. "Everything was first class. They were no letdowns. Tito was a big influence in my life."

Morales confessed that at first he did not like Puente's music, but soon gained an appreciation for it.

"The tunes were too fast. You were not able to dance to it," he said. "But once you see Tito play live, you get hooked up to him. You see the intensity he brings to the stage and a have chance to appreciate the music. I'm glad to say I was the last vocalist for Tito Puente. That's something I have always treasured."

Through his experience with Puente, Morales gained an appreciation for the music of mambo bandleaders Machito and Tito Rodriguez. He continues to embody the spirit of Puente's music with his group Mambo of the Times Orchestra. The group maintains the sound and instrumentation of Puente's band, with one baritone sax, one tenor sax, one trombone, two trumpets and full percussion.

"I wanted to maintain the sound of Tito, that's why I called it Frankie Morales and the Mambo of the Times Orchestra," he said. "My band is going to play you a little bit of everything. If you want mambo, straight-up salsa, cha cha, we'll play it."

Morales maintains a busy performance schedule. Before the SalsaFest he will be performing in Biarritz, France, and then back to New York for a series of performances this summer.

SalsaFest will mark Morales' second time performing in Hawai'i. He performed at the Blaisdell Arena in May 2000 with Tito Puente — one of Puente's last performances before his death in August of that year.

"I'm looking forward to visiting, enjoying the climate and people of Hawai'i," Morales said. "I would like everyone to come down and support this music, have a good time and dance."

Mano Lopez hosts "Fistfulofganas," an Afro-Cuban and Latin music show on KTUH, airing at 6 p.m. Thursdays.