Héctor Lavoe

Héctor Juan Pérez Martínez (30 September 1946 – 29 June 1993),[3] better known as Héctor Lavoe, was a Puerto Rican salsa singer.[4] 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.[5][6]

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Pérez and the second or maternal family name is Martínez.

Héctor Lavoe
Lavoe in 1988
Lavoe in 1988
Background information
Birth nameHéctor Juan Pérez Martínez
Also known asEl Cantante de los Cantantes (The Singer Of The Singers)[1]
Born(1946-09-30)30 September 1946
Machuelo Abajo, Ponce, Puerto Rico
Died29 June 1993(1993-06-29) (aged 46)
New York City, US
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Years active1965–1992
LabelsFania Records[2]
Websitehttp://www.hectorlavoe.com/

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[7] and, inspired by Jesús Sánchez Erazo, developed an interest in music.[8] He moved to New York City on 3 May 1963, at the age of sixteen.[8] Shortly after his arrival, he worked as the singer in a sextet formed by Roberto García.[8] During this period, he performed with several other groups, including Orquesta New York, Kako All-Stars, and Johnny Pacheco's band.

In 1967, Lavoe joined Willie Colón's band as its vocalist,[9] recording several hit songs, including "El Malo" and "Canto a Borinquen." Lavoe moved on to become a soloist and formed his own band performing as lead vocalist.[9] As a soloist, Lavoe recorded several hits including: "El cantante" composed by Rubén Blades, "Bandolera" composed by Colón, and "Periódico de ayer", composed by Tite Curet Alonso. During this period he was frequently featured as a guest singer with the Fania All Stars recording numerous tracks with the band.[8]

In 1979, Lavoe became deeply depressed and sought the help of a high priest of the Santería faith to treat his drug addiction. After a short rehabilitation, he relapsed following the deaths of his father, son, and mother-in-law.[3] These events, along with being diagnosed with HIV from intravenous drug use, drove Lavoe to attempt suicide by jumping off a Condado hotel room balcony in San Juan, Puerto Rico.[3] He survived the attempt and recorded an album before his health began failing. Lavoe died on 29 June 1993, from a complication of AIDS.[8]

Early life
A "Mi Gente" mural of Lavoe in his hometown of Ponce, Puerto Rico

Héctor was born 30 September 1946 in Ponce, Puerto Rico, to Francisca (Pachita) Martínez and Luis Pérez, and raised in the Machuelo Abajo barrio of the city.[10] He was inspired early in life by his musically talented family. His grandfather, Don Juan Martínez, was a singer of controversial songs, which led to physical confrontations. His uncle was well known in Ponce as a tres player.[10] His mother Francisca, also known as Pachita, was well known by her family and townspeople for her beautiful singing voice.[10] His father, Luis, supported his wife and eight children by singing and playing guitar with trios and big bands. He was in high demand as a guitarist for the Fiestas de Cruz celebrations and other popular religious ceremonies, and he wanted his son to receive formal musical training as a trombonist; Héctor dreamt of being a singer.[11] Héctor was influenced by Puerto Rican singers such as Jesús Sánchez Erazo, also known as "Chuíto el de Bayamón" - one of the island's most successful folk singers, and Daniel Santos.[10] Later in his life, he would record songs with both artists.

Héctor attended the local Juan Morel Campos Public School of Music where the first instrument he learned to play was the saxophone. His classmates included José Febles and multi-instrumentalist Papo Lucca.[12] One of his teachers was very strict and demanded that he practice good diction and manners, and have a strong stage presence. He felt Héctor would become a superstar as a bolero singer. From the start Héctor was a star with exceptional charisma, talent, and charm. One of a kind, his unique voice, refined and with impeccable diction, demanded attention. Well on his way to becoming a popular-music vocalist, he began frequenting clubs such as Segovia, where he sang accompanied by his childhood friends, Roberto García and José Febles.[11] At age 17, Lavoe abandoned school and sang with a ten-piece band.[9] He moved permanently to New York on 3 May 1963, against his father's wishes, as an older brother had moved there and later died of a drug overdose.[13][14] It would take many years before Héctor was able to reconcile with his father.

Arrival in New York City

Upon arriving in New York he was met by his sister Priscilla.[15] The first thing that he did was to visit El Barrio, New York's "Spanish Harlem."[15] Héctor was disappointed by the condition of El Barrio which he had envisioned would have "fancy Cadillacs, tall marble skyscrapers, and tree-lined streets."[15] Héctor tried to earn a living as a painter, messenger, porter and concierge.[11]

One day he reconnected with his friend Roberto García. They began to frequent Latin music and dance clubs in the Bronx, Spanish Harlem, and Lower Manhattan. In 1965, Héctor met Russell Cohen, who fronted the New Yorkers - the band Héctor would first record with - the album Está de bala.[11] Héctor was invited by his friend Roberto García, a fellow musician and childhood friend, to a rehearsal of a newly formed sextet.[15] When he arrived, they were rehearsing the romantic bolero "Tus Ojos". The lead vocalist was singing off key, and as a goodwill gesture, Lavoe demonstrated how it was supposed to sound.[15] As a result of this selfless act, the group offered him the job of lead vocalist, which he subsequently accepted.[15]

Later in his career he joined other salsa groups including Orquesta New York, Kako All-Stars, and Johnny Pacheco's FANIA . To distinguish Héctor from other Latino singers, a former manager made him adopt Felipe Rodríguez's moniker "La Voz" ("The Voice") and turned it into a stage name, Lavoe.[15]

In 1967, he met salsa musician and bandleader Willie Colón. Johnny Pacheco, owner of Fania Records, and as its recording musical director, suggested that Colón record with Lavoe on a track on Colón's first album El Malo. Given the good results, Colón had Lavoe recorded the rest of the album's vocal tracks. Willie never officially asked Lavoe to join his band, but after the recording, said to him: "On Saturday we start at 10 p.m. at El Tropicoro Club."[16]

The album's success significantly transformed both Colón's and Lavoe's lives.[15] Colón's band featured a raw, aggressive, all-trombone sound that was well received by salsa fans, and Lavoe complemented the style with his articulate voice, talent for improvisation, and sense of humor.[15] The album was a massive multimillion-dollar success in France, Panama, Colombia and other countries.[11] Héctor received instant recognition, steady work, and enough money to provide him with a comfortable lifestyle.[15] According to Lavoe, it happened so fast he did not know how to cope with his sudden success. With the sudden fame came love and lust and experimentation with marijuana, heroin, and cocaine.[11]

During that year, Lavoe started a romantic relationship with Carmen Castro. She became pregnant but refused to marry him because she considered him a "womanizer."[17] Lavoe's first son, José Alberto Pérez, was born on 30 October 1968.[17] On the night José was baptized, Héctor received a call informing him that Nilda "Puchi" Román, with whom he also had a relationship during the same period he was with Castro, was pregnant.[17] Héctor's second son, Héctor Pérez Jr. was born on 25 September 1969.[17] Following the birth the couple married, and at Román's request, Lavoe had only minimum contact with Castro and José Alberto during their marriage.[17]

Music

The Willie Colón years

Willie Colón and Lavoe made fourteen albums together.[18] In late 1970, Colón and Lavoe recorded the first of two Asalto Navideño albums, featuring Puerto Rican folk songs such as Ramito's jíbaro song "Patria y Amor", renamed "Canto a Borinquen", and original compositions.[19]

Lavoe's lack of professionalism was often balanced by an affable onstage presence, very much resembling that of a stand-up comedian.[20] One famous incident involved a middle-aged audience member at a dance who requested a Puerto Rican Man danza from Colón's band; Lavoe responded with an insult.[20] The requester then gave Lavoe such a beating that he almost ended up in the hospital. The request was finally honored on a later Colón record, El Juicio (The Trial), when he added a danza section to the Rafael Muñoz song "Soñando despierto", which Lavoe introduces with a deadpanned: "¡Para ti, motherflower!" - a euphemism for: "This one's for you, motherfucker!"[20]

The Colón band had other major hits, such as "Calle Luna, Calle Sol", and the Santería-influenced "Aguanile", a Pacheco song recorded in the studio by the band. "Mi Gente", was better known for a live version Lavoe recorded later with the Fania All Stars.

Lavoe goes solo

In 1973, Willie Colón stopped touring to focus on record production and other business enterprises. Lavoe was given the opportunity to become the bandleader of his own orchestra.[8] He and his band traveled the world on their own, and he would also be a guest singer with the Fania All-Stars for several shows. One of the group's notable performances took place in the Kinshasa province of the Zaire (modern day Democratic Republic of Congo) where the group performed as part of the activities promoting The Rumble in the Jungle, a boxing fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman for the heavyweight championships of the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association.[21]

The Fania All Stars recorded several of their tracks during live concerts. Lavoe was part of the group when the All-Stars returned to Yankee Stadium in 1975, where the band recorded a two volume production entitled Live at Yankee Stadium. The event featured the top vocalists of Fania and Vaya records. Lavoe was included in the group along with: Ismael Miranda, Cheo Feliciano, Justo Betancourt, Ismael Quintana, Bobby Cruz, Pete "El Conde" Rodriguez, Santos Colón, and Celia Cruz. Lavoe recorded songs with the band in fifteen different productions, serving as vocalist on twenty-three songs. Besides recording songs with the band, Lavoe was also present in three movies filmed and produced by Fania Records; these were: Fania All Stars: Our Latin Thing, Fania All Stars: Salsa, and Celia Cruz with the Fania All Stars: Live in Africa.[8] His Colón-produced albums would be best sellers; cuts from these albums were hits in Puerto Rico and the rest of Latin America:

  • Lavoe's recording of Tite Curet Alonso's "El Periódico de Ayer" was a number one hit on Mexican charts for four straight months. It was also a strong hit in several Caribbean countries and South America.[12]
  • As a producer, Willie Colón had Lavoe record what would become his signature song, the Ruben Blades-authored song "El Cantante" against Blades' protests (Blades wanted to record the song on his own.). Blades has repeatedly acknowledged since then that Lavoe raised his song to classic status[22] and that Lavoe's performance was much better than what he would accomplish with it.
  • In 1975 on his “La Voz” Album, Lavoe does a cover Chappottin Y Sus Estrellas’s 1957 song “Rompe Saragüey”,[23] which becomes a major success.
  • The Lavoe song "Bandolera" was a strong seller in Puerto Rico, despite vigorous protests from Puerto Rican feminists about its lyrics and soneos - Lavoe twice offers the song's subject a beating.[12]
  • Lavoe's recording of the classic Cuban song by Eliseo Grenet[24] based on Cuban poet Nicolás Guillén's poem "Sóngoro Cosongo", set to salsa music, was another major hit.[17]
  • The controversial jíbaro song, "Joven contra viejo", featured Lavoe and Daniel Santos settling their age-based differences on stage not without a heavy dose of humor and, yet again, Yomo Toro's cuatro music as a backdrop. Another major Christmas hit on Billboard Greatest Hits for Tropical genre in 1979 includes a song from singer/composer Miguel Poventud "Una Pena En La Navidad" from the same album titled Feliz Navidad.[12]
  • Lavoe's final hit, "El Rey de la Puntualidad" (The King of Punctuality), is a humorous takeoff on Lavoe's constant tardiness and occasional absenteeism from shows.[25][26] Lavoe followed the Santeria priest's advice and cut all communication with his family and friends for a period of two months.[26] Following this recording Héctor, reappeared confident and apparently free of his drug addiction.[26]

Last years and death
Lavoe's grave at Cementerio Civil de Ponce, Bo. Portugués Urbano, Ponce.

Following his rehabilitation, Lavoe's life was plagued by tragic events, emotional turmoil, and pain.[26] In 1987, his seventeen-year-old son Héctor Jr. was accidentally shot and killed by a friend. In the same period, his apartment in Rego Park, Queens, was destroyed in a fire. One year later, Héctor was scheduled to perform at the Rubén Rodríguez Coliseum in Bayamón, Puerto Rico on the night of Saturday 25 June 1988. Sales for the concert were poor, and promoter Rick Sostre decided to cancel the concert two hours before concert time. Héctor, defiant to the end, and knowing that it would be one of the last times he would perform in Puerto Rico, decided, against the promoter's wishes, to perform for the public who had paid to see the concert.[3] The next day, 26 June 1988, Héctor attempted suicide by jumping off the ninth floor of the Regency Hotel Condado in San Juan, Puerto Rico.[16] He survived the attempt, but from that day forward, would never completely recover.[3][27]

In 1990, Héctor gave his last large, public performance with the Fania All Stars at the Meadowlands in New Jersey.[15] It was meant to be his comeback concert, but Héctor could not even sing a few notes of his famous song "Mi Gente".[15] It is believed his final public performance was a brief appearance at the club S.O.B.'s in New York City, in April 1992.[28]

On 29 June 1993, Héctor died at Saint Clare's Hospital (Manhattan) from a complication from AIDS.[8] He was 46. He was initially buried in Saint Raymond's Cemetery in the Bronx. In June 2002, the remains of Lavoe and his son were exhumed at his family's request and reburied in his native Ponce, along with his widow Nilda who had died a few weeks before. His remains are at the Cementerio Civil de Ponce (Ponce Civil Cemetery), in that city's Portugués Urbano neighborhood.[29]

Recognition
Lavoe's statue in Paseo Tablado La Guancha, Ponce, Puerto Rico.

Lavoe's life has inspired two biographical films. The first, El Cantante, was produced by salsa artist Marc Anthony, who played Lavoe, and Jennifer Lopez as Hector's wife, Nilda (known as "Puchi" by close friends).[30] Salsa singer La India also began production of her own biopic of Lavoe's life entitled The Singer, with actor and singer Raulito Carbonell in the lead role.[31] Production was suspended in August 2008 after the director, Anthony Felton, reported that it was over budget. Carbonell noted that he would reconsider his involvement if production were to resume.[32] The movie was eventually completed, in 2011, as "Lavoe: The Untold Story".[33]

An Off-Broadway production based on Lavoe's life titled ¿Quién mató a Héctor Lavoe? (Who Killed Hector Lavoe?) was a success in the late 1990s.[34] It starred singer Domingo Quiñones in the lead role.[35] Carbonell's decision to distance himself from the film directed by Felton was the direct result of his involvement in a tour of Quien Mato a Héctor Lavoe? in Puerto Rico, and, depending upon negotiations, possibly Peru and Colombia.[32][36] An urban tribute album was released in late 2007 performed by several reggaeton artists such as Don Omar which sampled Lavoe's voice.[37]

In Ponce, he is recognized at the Park for the Illustrious Ponce Citizens.[38] Lavoe was posthumously inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame in 2000.[39]

La Guancha Recreational and Cultural Complex in his hometown of Ponce, Puerto Rico, honored Hector with a statue. The $60,000 statue is 2 meters (6 1/2 feet) tall, weighs 1 ton and portrays Lavoe with a microphone in his right hand and a pair of maracas in his left.[40]

Tremont Avenue in the New York City's Borough of The Bronx was renamed in his honor, and remembrance.[41]

In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Lavoe at number 73 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.[42]

Discography

Studio albums

As vocalist of the Willie Colón Orchestra[43]

As soloist[44]

Other albums

With Tito Puente

  • Homenaje a Beny Moré Vol. 2 (1979)
    • song: "Donde Estabas Tú"
  • Homenaje a Beny Moré Vol. 3 (1985)
    • song: "Tumba Tumbador"

With the Fania All Stars

Lavoe also sang chorus on three songs of Mon Rivera's album with Willie Colón, There Goes The Neighborhood (1974), and in the song "Las Cadenas de Chuíto" on Jesús Sanchez Erazo's album Música Jíbara para las Navidades (1978).

Filmography

Films[45]

  • Our Latin Thing (1972)
  • Salsa (1976)
  • Live In Africa (1986)
  • The Last Fight (1983)

See also

References
  1. Preparan festejo en honor a Héctor Lavoe. Archived 3 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine Reinaldo Millán & Omar Alfonso. La Perla de la Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Year 32. Issue 1588. 7 May 2014. Page 6.
  2. "Artist Profile - Héctor Lavoe". Fania Records. Archived from the original on 13 August 2007. Retrieved 18 July 2007.
  3. Eileen Torres. "The Triumph and Tragedy of Hector Lavoe". Archived from the original on 8 July 2002. Retrieved 13 June 2007.
  4. Jennifer Lopez Re-unites with Marc Anthony at Kids' school. Archived 14 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine Enakeno Oju. Daily Times. 20 June 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  5. "Billboard Hector Lavoe considered the King of salsa and one of the most influential Latin artists". Billboard. 28 April 2015.
  6. Watrous, Peter (2 July 1993). "Hector Lavoe, 46, Helped Define The Style of Modern Salsa Music". New York Times. p. D21. Archived from the original on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
  7. "Juan Morel Campos Music Institute". Travelponce.com. Archived from the original on 10 February 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  8. The Triumph and Tragedy of Hector Lavoe Archived 2002-07-08 at the Wayback Machine from salsacentro.com
  9. "CMT: Héctor Lavoe". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 16 June 2007.
  10. "Solo Sabor Latin Entertainment: Héctor Lavoe". Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 13 June 2007.
  11. "Hector Lavoe - La Voz". CODIGO Group. Archived from the original on 7 January 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  12. "Hector Lavoe: Cronología de un Bacán de Barrio". Archived from the original on 10 June 2007. Retrieved 17 June 2007.
  13. "Héctor Lavoe: National Geographic Music". Archived from the original on 24 June 2007. Retrieved 16 June 2007.
  14. "Héctor Lavoe - Salsa2u". Archived from the original on 8 June 2007. Retrieved 17 June 2007.
  15. "Héctor Lavoe: His Life". Archived from the original on 14 June 2007. Retrieved 16 June 2007.
  16. "TBXMIX: Héctor Lavoe". Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 16 June 2007.
  17. "American Salsa: Héctor Lavoe". Archived from the original on 20 June 2007. Retrieved 16 June 2007.
  18. "Héctor Lavoe - The Legends". Héctor Lavoe | The Legends | Latin Music USA. 29 June 1993. Archived from the original on 30 September 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  19. "Willie Colón/Hector Lavoe - Asalto Navideño". Archived from the original on 2 April 2015., an ode to Panama's musical festivals that transposed a rather simple bass guitar line to trombone, producing a by-now classic salsa riff as a result.
  20. Muriel, Tommy. "Rivalidades en la música latina (o la tiradera en la salsa)". Archived from the original on 2 March 2007. Retrieved 13 June 2007.
  21. "Salsa Connects the Dots". Vice Sports LLC. Archived from the original on 7 January 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  22. Negrón, Marisol (March 2015). "A Tale of Two Singers". Latino Studies. Palgrave Macmillan. 13 (1): 44–68. doi:10.1057/lst.2014.74. S2CID 146998066. Archived from the original on 8 July 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  23. "Chappottin y Sus Estrellas - Chappottin". Discogs. Archived from the original on 12 April 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  24. ""Songoro Cosongo" Part 2; First Versions and Hector Lavoe". 2 October 2020. Archived from the original on 11 April 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  25. "Hector Lavoe >> El Rey de la puntualidad". J-Lyrics. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 9 July 2007.
  26. Pepe Márquez. "Héctor Lavoe: El cantante de los cantantes". Archived from the original on 8 June 2007. Retrieved 13 June 2007.
  27. "Hector Lavoe: A Salsa King's Troubled Reign". NPR.org. 14 August 2007. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  28. Pareles, Jon (26 April 1992). "Review/Music; Mambo Becomes King On Mondays at S.O.B.'s". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 7 July 2017. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
  29. Aplauden y sonean en honor a Lavoe. Archived 1 August 2020 at the Wayback Machine Carmen Cila Rodríguez. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 12 October 2011. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  30. "El Cantante". Internet Movie Data Base. Archived from the original on 20 March 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2007.
  31. "The Singer". Internet Movie Data Base. Archived from the original on 8 July 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2007.
  32. Manuel Ernesto Rivera (7 August 2008). "Muere película de Lavoe para Raúl Carbonell". Primera Hora (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2008.
  33. "Lavoe: The Untold Story". Archived from the original on 8 July 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  34. "Regresa "¿Quién mató a Héctor Lavoe?"" (in Spanish). Fundación Nacional para la Cultura Popular. 12 May 2005. Archived from the original on 14 June 2007. Retrieved 9 July 2007.
  35. THEATER REVIEW; Out-of-It, Arrogant And a Salsa Legend Archived 8 July 2023 at the Wayback Machine from the New York Times 27 July 1999
  36. Amary Santiago Torres (8 August 2008). "Regresa al pueblo del salsero". Primera Hora (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 10 September 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2008.
  37. "Tributo Urbano a Hector Lavoe - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  38. Music. Archived 4 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine Travel Ponce.com. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  39. "International Latin Music Hall of Fame Announces Year 2000 Inductees". 1 March 2000. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  40. Statue honoring late Puerto Rican salsa star unveiled. Archived 2014-07-14 at the Wayback Machine Fox News Latino. 2 June 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
  41. "A Local Law to Co‐Name 18 Thoroughfares and Public Places in New York City" (PDF). nyc.gov. New York City Council. 2 April 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  42. "The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time". Rolling Stone. 1 January 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  43. "Hector Lavoe - Discografia" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 20 March 2007. Retrieved 23 June 2007.
  44. "Hector Lavoe - Discographia" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 23 June 2007.
  45. "Internet Movie Database - Héctor Lavoe". IMDb. Archived from the original on 15 February 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2007.
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