Rubén Blades Bellido de Luna, known professionally as Rubén Blades, is a Panamanian musician, singer, composer, actor, activist, and politician, performing musically most often in the salsa, and Latin jazz genres. As a songwriter, Blades brought the lyrical sophistication of Central American nueva canción and Cuban nueva trova as well as experimental tempos and politically inspired Son Cubano salsa to his music, creating "thinking persons' (salsa) dance music". Blades has written dozens of hit songs, including "Pedro Navaja" and "El Cantante". He has won twelve Grammy Awards out of 20 nominations and eleven Latin Grammy Awards.
Marco Antonio Muñiz, known professionally as Marc Anthony, is an American singer and songwriter. He is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. A four-time Grammy Award, eight-time Latin Grammy Award and twenty-nine-time Lo Nuestro Awards winner, he has sold more than 12 million albums worldwide.
Héctor Juan Pérez Martínez, better known as Héctor Lavoe, was a Puerto Rican salsa singer. Lavoe is considered to be possibly the best and most important singer and interpreter in the history of salsa music because he helped to establish the popularity of this musical genre in the decades of 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. His personality, style and the qualities of his voice led him to a successful artistic career in the whole field of Latin music and salsa during the 1970s and 1980s. The cleanness and brightness of his voice, coupled with impeccable diction and the ability to sing long and fast phrases with total naturalness, made him one of the favorite singers of the Latin public.
William Anthony Colón Román is an American Salsa musician and social activist. He began his career as a trombonist but also sings, writes, produces and acts. Colón is considered a pioneer of Salsa music and a best-selling artist in the genre, having been a key figure in the nascent New York City scene associated with the legendary Fania Records. He is also noteworthy for having assumed the gangster image in his album covers before it was culturally popular. Since the 1980s he has at times been deeply involved in the politics of New York City.
El Cantante is a 2006 biographical film which stars singers Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez. The film is based on the life of the late salsa singer Héctor Lavoe, who is portrayed by Anthony. The film is told from the viewpoint of Puchi, Hector's wife, portrayed by Lopez. Initially debuting at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 12, 2006, El Cantante was released on August 3, 2007.
Todo a Su Tiempo is the second studio album by American recording artist Marc Anthony, released by RMM Records on May 31, 1995. The album was produced by Sergio George, who was also involved with production of Anthony's debut studio album, Otra Nota. The album comprises five new compositions, three of which were written by Omar Alfanno, and four cover versions. Eight singles were released from the album, all but one of which topped the Billboard Tropical Songs chart.
Contra la Corriente is the third studio album released by American singer Marc Anthony on October 21, 1997, by RMM Records. The album was produced by Puerto Rican musician Angel "Cucco" Peña, with most of the songs written by Panamanian composer Omar Alfanno. The album was well received by critics who praised the vocals of Anthony as well as the songs. The album produced six singles, four of which peaked on the top ten on the Hot Latin Tracks chart. Promoted by a sold-out concert in Madison Square Garden, Contra la Corriente became the first salsa album to reach number one on the Top Latin Albums chart and to chart on the Billboard 200.
"Mi Gente" is a song by Latin salsa star Héctor Lavoe from the album, La Voz. It is considered by many Latinos to be his signature song. The most popular version of the song was recorded in 1974 in Africa with the Fania All Stars.
"Da la Vuelta" is a song written by Emilio Estefan and Kike Santander and performed by American singer Marc Anthony. Produced by Anthony, Estefan, and Ángel "Cucco" Peña, it is a salsa track which deals with the singer letting go of his former lover. It is one of the three Spanish-language songs to be included on Anthony's 1999 self-titled album and was released as a promotional single in the same year.
Comedia (Comedy) is the third solo album by the Puerto Rican musician Héctor Lavoe. It was released on 1978 under the label of Fania Records. It is notable for the song "El Cantante", which was written by Rubén Blades. In 2006, Hispanic included the album on its list of 10 classic salsa albums.
De Ti Depende is the second solo album by Héctor Lavoe, It was released in 1976 under the label of Fania Records. It is famous for the song "Periodico de Ayer", which was written by Tite Curet Alonso. Arrangements by: Willie Colon, Louie Ramirez, Louis "Perico" Ortiz, Jose Febles, and Edwin Rodriquez. Cover & Liner Photos by: Lee Marshall. Album Design by: Ron Levine.
Reventó (Break) is the eighth solo album by salsa singer Héctor Lavoe. It was released on 1985 under the label of Fania Records. It was produced by Jerry Masucci and Puchi Lavoe.
"Y Hubo Alguien" is a song by American singer Marc Anthony from his third studio album, Contra la Corriente (1997). The song was written by Omar Alfanno, with record production being handled by Ángel "Cucco" Peña. It was released as the first promotional single from the album in 1997. A salsa song which combines elements of R&B, it describes a man who has found love again after his former lover left him. The song was inspired by a fight Alfanno had with his partner and pitched the song to RMM, but was turned down. Anthony offered to record the track after Alfanno presented it to him.
The Good, the Bad, the Ugly is the ninth studio album by Willie Colón with backing from Yomo Toro on cuatro and vocal contributions from his regular singer Héctor Lavoe and Lavoe's replacement Rubén Blades. The album featured three cover art portraits by Ron Levine of Yomo Toro, Colón and Lavoe but not Blades, punning the film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Lavoe recorded his tracks on return from Kinshasha in Zaire. It was to be Lavoe's last collaboration for a period after a successful series with Colón as he issued his first solo album La Voz. For Blades it was his second album after 1970's De Panama a New York, also for Fania, and marked the start of a collaboration with Colón which would continue for several albums.
"El Cantante" is the 1978 signature song of Puerto Rican salsa singer Héctor Lavoe and first single of the album Comedia. The song was written by Rubén Blades and produced by Willie Colón. The 2006 movie about Lavoe's life, El Cantante, takes its title from the song.
Héctor Lavoe is a 6-foot tall bronze statue dedicated to the memory of salsa singer Héctor Lavoe who reached his professional height during the 1970s. The bronze statue is located at the sea-front recreational complex Complejo Recreativo y Cultural La Guancha in Barrio Playa, Ponce, Puerto Rico. The statue is the work of by Puerto Rican artist Severo Romero and was unveiled in 2014.
José Mangual Jr. is an American Salsa percussionist of Puerto Rican Descent, singer and composer best known for his recordings with Willie Colón and Héctor Lavoe during the 1960s and 1970s salsa boom in New York.
Sergio George Presents: Salsa Giants is a live album by various artists and American pianist and record producer Sergio George. It was released on 24 June 2013 through Sony Music Latin and Top Stop Music. It has the participation of artists with whom George recorded and produced albums in the past such as Tito Nieves, Marc Anthony, Oscar D'León, Luis Enrique, and Orquesta de la Luz among others.
"Aguanilé" is a song composed by American-Puerto Rican trombonist Willie Colón and Puerto Rican singer Héctor Lavoe and being recorded by themselves as the first single from their seventh studio album El Juicio released in 1972. Its origin comes from the Yoruba culture in Cuba and means "spiritual cleansing for your house" perhaps referring to Lavoe's drug problems.
Edwin "Eddie" Montalvo is an American percussionist and bandleader of Puerto Rican descent. Born and raised in the Bronx, he best known for playing the Congas for Hector Lavoe, Rubén Blades as well as with the Fania All-Stars.
