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Tite Curet Alonso
Catalino "Tite" Curet Alonso (February 26, 1926 – August 5, 2003) was a Puerto Rican composer of over 2,000 salsa songs. Early years Curet Alonso (birth name: Catalino Curet Alonso) was born in Guayama, a town located in the southern region of Puerto Rico. Curet Alonso's mother was a seamstress and his father a Spanish language teacher and musician who played in the band of Simón Madera. He was two years old in 1928, when his parents divorced and together with his mother and sister moved to Barrio Obrero, located in the Santurce section of San Juan with his grandmother. His daily life experiences while living in Barrio Obrero greatly influenced his work as a composer. There he was raised by his grandmother and received his primary and secondary education. In 1941, when he was 15 years old, he wrote his first song. Among his childhood friends were Rafael Cortijo, Ismael Rivera, and Daniel Santos. Career as a song composer After he graduated from high school, he enrolled in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Guayama, Puerto Rico
Guayama (, ), officially the Autonomous Municipality of Guayama ( es, Municipio Autónomo de Guayama) is a city and municipality on the Caribbean coast of Puerto Rico. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 36,614. It is the center of the Guayama metropolitan area with a population of 68,442 in 2020. Etymology and nicknames The original name of the city is San Antonio de Padua de Guayama, named after the saint Anthony of Padua; as with other settlement names in Puerto Rico, the name was eventually shortened to ''Guayama''. According to legend, ''Guayama'' comes from the name of a Taíno cacique (chief), who was leader of the tribes in the southeastern coast of Puerto Rico. The Taíno word ''Guayama'' (''wayama'') is said to mean "great place" or "big open space". Another legend tells that the name of the town comes from the name of a woman called Juana Guayama who is said to have been an early owner of the land around Guayama and granter of the land in modern- ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Iris Chacón
Iris Belia Chacón Tapia (born March 7, 1950 in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican dancer, singer, actress, and entertainer. She enjoys great popularity in Puerto Rico (where she had a weekly variety show for more than a decade) and in other Latin American countries, as well as such U.S. locales as New York, Miami, and Los Angeles. Career Chacón has been known by various nicknames, such as "La Bomba de Puerto Rico" (The Puerto Rican Bombshell), and "La Vedette (entertainer), Vedette de América" (America's Showgirl). During her heyday in the 1970s and early 1980s, she toured most of Latin America, the United States, Europe and Japan. She also starred in two movies and many telenovelas, such as ''Yo Sé Que Mentía''. Amalie Oíl commercial In 1982, AMCAR, Inc. hired her for a television commercial about Amalie Oil Company automobile coolant products, which became one of the most famous television commercials in Puerto Rico's history. The publicity surrounding the comme ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tito Puente
Ernest Anthony Puente Jr. (April 20, 1923 – June 1, 2000), commonly known as Tito Puente, was an American musician, songwriter, bandleader, and record producer of Puerto Rican descent. He is best known for dance-oriented mambo and Latin jazz compositions from his 50-year career. His most famous song is "Oye Como Va". Puente and his music have appeared in films including ''The Mambo Kings'' and Fernando Trueba's ''Calle 54''. He guest-starred on television shows, including ''Sesame Street'' and ''The Simpsons'' two-part episode " Who Shot Mr. Burns?". Early life Tito Puente was born on April 20, 1923, at Harlem Hospital Center in the New York borough of Manhattan, the son of Ernest and Felicia Puente, Puerto Ricans living in New York City's Spanish Harlem. His family moved frequently, but he spent the majority of his childhood in Spanish Harlem. Puente's father was the foreman at a razorblade factory. As a child, he was described as hyperactive, and after neighbors complaine ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rubén Blades
Rubén Blades Bellido de Luna (born July 16, 1948), known professionally as Rubén Blades (, but in Panama and within the family), 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" (which became Héctor Lavoe's signature song). He has won ten Grammy Awards out of seventeen nominations and twelve Latin Grammy Awards. His acting career began in 1983, and has continued, sometimes with several-year breaks to focus on other projects. He has prominent roles in films such as ''Crossover Dreams'' (1985), ''The Milagro Beanfield War'' (1988), '' The Super' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tony Croatto
Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby league footballer * Tony (footballer, born 1983), full name Tony Heleno da Costa Pinho, Brazilian football defensive midfielder * Tony (footballer, born 1986), full name Antônio de Moura Carvalho, Brazilian football attacking midfielder * Tony (footballer, born 1989), full name Tony Ewerton Ramos da Silva, Brazilian football right-back Film, theater and television * Tony Awards, a Broadway theatre honor * ''Tony'' (1982 film), a Kannada film * ''Tony'' (2009 film), a British horror film directed by Gerard Johnson * ''Tony'' (2013 film), an Indian Kannada thriller film * "Tony" (''Skins'' series 1), an episode of British comedy-drama ''Skins'' * "Tony" (''Skins'' series 2), an episode of ''Skins'' Music * Tony T., stage name of British s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ray Barretto
Raymundo "Ray" Barretto Pagán (April 29, 1929 – February 17, 2006) was an American percussionist and bandleader of Puerto Rican descent. Throughout his career as a percussionist, he played a wide variety of Latin music styles, as well as Latin jazz. His first hit, "El Watusi," was recorded by his Charanga Moderna in 1962, becoming the most successful pachanga song in the United States. In the late 1960s, Barretto became one of the leading exponents of boogaloo and what would later be known as salsa. Nonetheless, many of Barretto's recordings would remain rooted in more traditional genres such as son cubano. A master of the descarga (improvised jam session), Barretto was a long-time member of the Fania All-Stars. His success continued into the 1970s with songs such as "Cocinando" and "Indestructible." His last album for Fania Records, ''Soy dichoso'', was released in 1990. He then formed the New World Spirit jazz ensemble and continued to tour and record until his death in 2006 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Héctor Lavoe
Héctor Juan Pérez Martínez (30 September 1946 – 29 June 1993), 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. Lavoe was born and raised in the Machuelo Abajo barrio of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Early in his life, he attended Escuela Libre de Música de Ponce, known today as the Instituto de Música Juan Morel Campos and, inspired by Jesús Sánchez Erazo, developed an interes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mon Rivera
Mon Rivera is the common name given to two distinct Puerto Rican people, Puerto Rican musicians (both born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, Mayagüez), namely Monserrate Rivera Alers (originally nicknamed Rate, later referred to as "Don Mon", or Mon The Elder, and sometimes erroneously credited as Ramón in songwriting credits) and his oldest son, Efraín Rivera Castillo (May 25, 1924 – March 12, 1978), (referred to early in his career as "Moncito", or Little Mon, and later known by his father's moniker). This article refers mainly to Efraín Rivera Castillo, a popular band leader known in salsa, plena and Latin jazz circles. Efraín was specifically known for Salsa music, salsa and a Puerto Rican style called plena. He is credited for a fast humorous style and for introducing the sound of an all-trombone brass section to Afro-Rican orchestra music. Three of Efraín's brothers were also musicians. Efraín's son is the percussionist, Javier Rivera. Rate becomes Don Mon Don Mon was b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Olga Guillot
Olga Guillot (October 9, 1922 – July 12, 2010) was a Cuban singer who was known as the "Queen of Bolero". She was a native of Santiago de Cuba. Biography Daughter of Catalan-Jewish immigrants who moved to Cuba, her father was a tailor and her mother was a seamstress. Olga Guillot was born in Santiago de Cuba, and her family moved to Havana when she was five years old. As a teenager, she and her sister, Ana Luisa, performed as the "Duo Hermanitas Guillot." It wasn't until 1945 that her talent as a bolero singer was discovered, when Facundo Rivero, an influential man in the Cuban music scene of the era, heard her sing for the first time and helped her make her professional singing debut at a famous Havana night club. Soon after, Guillot met Miguelito Valdés, who took her to New York City, where Guillot was able to record her first album with the Decca label. She gained recognition in the United States with her version in Spanish of "Stormy Weather" in 1946. Guillot traveled to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tito Rodríguez
Pablo Rodríguez Lozada (January 4, 1923 – February 28, 1973), better known as Tito Rodríguez, was a Puerto Rican singer and bandleader. He started his career singing under the tutelage of his brother, Johnny Rodríguez. In the 1940s, both moved to New York, where Tito worked as a percussionist in several popular rhumba ensembles, before directing his own group to great success during the 1950s. His most prolific years coincided with the peak of the mambo and cha-cha-cha dance craze. He also recorded boleros, sones, guarachas and pachangas. Rodríguez is known by many fans as "El Inolvidable" (The Unforgettable One), a moniker based on his most popular song, a bolero written by Cuban composer Julio Gutiérrez. Early years Rodríguez was born in Barrio Obrero, Santurce, Puerto Rico, to José Rodríguez Fuentes from San Sebastián, Puerto Rico, and Severina Lozada from Holguín, Cuba. During his childhood he aspired to be a jockey and tried out racing horses at Hipódromo L ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Willie Colón
William Anthony Colón Román (born April 28, 1950) is an American salsa musician and social activist. He began his career as a trombonist and also sings, writes, produces and acts. He is also involved in the politics of New York City. 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. Early years Colón was born in the South Bronx in New York City to Puerto Rican parents. He picked up the trumpet from a young age, and later switched to trombone, inspired by the all-trombone sound of Mon Rivera and Barry Rogers. He spent some summers at his maternal grandmother's sister's farm in the outskirts of Manatí, Puerto Rico on the road to neighboring Ciales, Puerto Rico. At the age of 15, he was signed to Fania Records, and at 17, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
La Lupe
Lupe Victoria Yolí Raymond (23 December 1936 – 29 February 1992), better known as La Lupe, was a Cuban singer of boleros, guarachas and Latin soul, known for her energetic, sometimes controversial performances. Following the release of her first album in 1961, La Lupe moved from Havana to New York and signed with Tico Records, which marked the beginning of a prolific and successful career in the 1960s and 1970s. She retired in the 1980s due to religious reasons. Life and career Early life and first recordings La Lupe was born in the barrio of San Pedrito in Santiago de Cuba. Her father was a worker at the local Bacardí distillery and a major influence on her early life. In 1954 she participated on a radio program which invited fans to sing imitations of their favorite stars. Lupe escaped from school to sing a bolero of Olga Guillot's, called "Miénteme" (Lie to Me), and won the competition. The family moved to Havana in 1955, where she was enrolled at the University of H ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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