He became a pioneer of salsa music and was renowned for hits such as Puerto Rico, Adoracion, No se compara and Maestro rumbero.
He became a pioneer of salsa music and was renowned for hits such as Puerto Rico, Adoracion, No se compara and Maestro rumbero.
He was born in Ponce and in early career he played in quartets and sextets.
He joined forces with the beloved Eddie Palmieri, also from Puerto Rico, in the Orquesta La Perfecta in 1960.Yet Experts credit him with a major role in getting salsa’s Afro-Caribbean beat to stick. He also hit it big with fans with the Fania All-Stars in the late 1960s.
Salsa is a mix of Latin rhythms but mostly Cuban and Puerto Rican. It started emerging in New York City in the late 1960s and 1970s.