Héctor el Father
Héctor Luis Delgado Román (born September 4, 1978) is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer, and record producer, formerly known by his stage names Héctor el Father and Héctor el Bambino.
Héctor el Father | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Héctor Luis Delgado Román |
Also known as | Héctor el Bambino |
Born | Carolina, Puerto Rico | September 4, 1978
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After retirement, founded Maranatha Radio Ministries in Río Grande, Puerto Rico. In his recent work as a preacher, he has touched many lives, moving many rappers to follow in his footsteps including Tito el Bambino and Almighty. He has also been prolific in the field of linguistics, coining terms like calenturri, as well as phrases including sácala, dale úsala (which was used in get-out-the-vote campaigns in 2020).[1] He announced his retirement on September 3, 2008, but his series of Farewell Concerts went on until May 2010.[2] He rose to fame as a member of the duo Héctor & Tito. As a producer, Delgado has worked with several reggaeton producers, as well as Emilio Estefan.[3] In 2018, he made a comeback with his autobiographic movie Conocerás la verdad, released on March 22, 2018.[4] In 2021, he returned to music under his real name Héctor Delgado, with his third studio album La Hora Cero which only contains religious music.[5][6]
Career
Los Bambinos
Héctor joined Efraín Fines Nevares (later known as Tito El Bambino) and formed the duo Héctor & Tito ("Los Bambinos"). Héctor & Tito released their first album in 1998. Together they became reggaeton stars releasing several successful albums and making appearances in several compilations, becoming one of the most sought-out duos in the genre. Both became the first reggaeton artists to sell out a massive concert in Puerto Rico, opening the path to other artists such as Tego Calderón, Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, and Wisin & Yandel. As a duet both captured the world's attention and made reggaeton a popular genre, winning awards such as the Billboard Latin Music Award for Latin Rap Album of the Year for their album A la Reconquista.[7]
In 2004, the duo announced their breakup, and each of them has continued with their separate careers.
Gold Star Music
Delgado followed the success of Trébol Clan with his compilation album titled Los Anormales which went on to break all record sales in Puerto Rico with 130,000 copies sold in just two days. Los Anormales featured reggaeton artists such as Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, Trébol Clan, Divino, Zion, and the duo Alexis & Fido.
In February, Delgado performed in the Canary Islands during their big Carnival festivities. His performance was a sold-out success. His song "Baila Morena", which Delgado produced for Héctor & Tito, was one of the songs with the most airplay in Puerto Rico.
Roc-A-Fella Records
In mid-2005, Delgado signed an agreement with Roc-A-Fella Records owner Jay-Z to promote him in the United States through the newly founded Roc-A-Fella sub-label Roc-La-Familia. The label, created to house international artists, would have Jay-Z and Héctor both produce and perform on a compilation album. The album titled Los Rompe Discotekas featured top-of-the-line artists both from the United States hip-hop and Spanish reggaeton music industries.[8]
Additionally, Delgado became the Hispanic image for, what was at that time, the Roc-A-Fella-owned clothing line Rocawear. The advertising campaign including his image was featured in TV spots, print, and billboards. The agreement included a deal for Rocawear to sponsor Delgado's clothing designs under the label Bambino. The clothing deal included Héctor designing tennis shoes to be released as part of Jay-Z's "S. Carter Collection" under Reebok.[8]
Solo career
On September 16, 2005, he presented two sold-out concerts titled The Bad Boy in Puerto Rico with artists like Wisin & Yandel, Alexis & Fido, Trébol Clan, Fat Joe, Polaco, and others.
Delgado has become one of the most successful producers, not only in the reggaeton genre but in the Latin American music business, even working with renowned Cuban producer Emilio Estefan.[3]
In January 2008, Delgado decided to lose weight and contracted José Bonilla, a personal trainer to help him. He also began practicing the Atkins diet. At the beginning of this weight program he weighed 221 pounds and by the end had lost 31 pounds.[9]
In 2002 he became an evangelical Christian member of the Iglesia Cristo Misionero in Canóvanas.[10]
After leaving the music scene in 2008, he studied theology at Southern Methodist University and obtained a Bachelor of Divinity.[11]
"Harlem Shake" controversy
It was confirmed by Delgado that an audio clip from a remix called "Los terroristas" with the line con los terroristas was used uncredited[12] in the opening of Baauer's "Harlem Shake", which became a viral internet sensation in February 2013. Baauer had referred to the voice in the opening of his song, as "The dude in the beginning I got somewhere off the Internet, I don't even know where"[13] in an earlier interview. Delgado told WAPA-TV's Lo Sé Todo that he was working with his lawyers and that he planned to meet with them the next week to discuss his next steps.[12]
Diplo, head of Mad Decent and frontman of dancehall group Major Lazer helped settle the legal dispute in April 2013.[14]
Ministry
In 2015 he founded Maranatha Radio Ministries in Río Grande, Puerto Rico.[15]
In 2018, he became pastor of the evangelical church Iglesia Maranatha in Río Grande.[16]
Discography
Studio albums
- 2006: The Bad Boy
- 2008: El Juicio Final
- 2021: La Hora Cero
Live albums
- 2007: Bad Boy: The Concert
Compilation albums
- 2002: The Godfather
- 2004: Los Anormales
- 2005: Sangre Nueva
- 2005: Gold Star Music: Reggaeton Hits
- 2006: Los Rompe Discotekas
- 2007: El Rompe Discoteka: The Mix Album
- 2007: The Bad Boy: The Most Wanted Edition
- 2008: Mi Trayectoria
References
- ""Sácala" La canción que motivó a una generación". El Foro de Puerto Rico. September 13, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
- Concerts dates are printed in the inside of his CD Juicio Final ASIN B001EIK7RI
- "Héctor El Father a batear en "otra liga"". Univision (in Spanish). Archived from the original on March 6, 2007. Retrieved July 14, 2008.
- "Héctor "El Father" está de regreso 10 años después su retiro". Shock (in Spanish). March 10, 2019. Archived from the original on April 21, 2022. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
- "Exreguetonero y ahora pastor Héctor "El Father" vuelve con disco religioso". Periódico El Caribe (in Spanish). June 4, 2021. Archived from the original on June 14, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
- "Héctor "El Father" marca su regreso a la música con disco religioso después de 13 años". El Comercio (in Spanish). June 5, 2021. Archived from the original on June 14, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
- "Bambino CD Inaugurating Roc La Familia". Billboard. May 3, 2006. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2006.
- Jones, Steve (August 4, 2005). "Spanish-spiced hip-hop". USA Today. Archived from the original on December 23, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2005.
- "Da la pelea contra la gordura". Primera Hora. January 28, 2008. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2008.
- "Se retira reggaetonero Héctor 'El Father'". New York Daily News (in Spanish). September 3, 2008. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2008.
- "Héctor "El Father" Delgado Opens Up About His New Film". Florida National News. April 18, 2018. Archived from the original on June 25, 2022. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
- "Is Uncredited Voice Behind "Con Los Terroristas" Sample in "Harlem Shake" Song Suing DJ Baauer?". Latino Rebels. February 22, 2013. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
- Stern, Marlow (February 18, 2013). "Meet Baauer, the Man Behind the Harlem Shake". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on June 28, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
- Sundius, Michael (April 28, 2013). "Diplo settles "Harlem Shake" legal dispute, clears samples for Baauer". Dancing Astronaut. Archived from the original on July 3, 2013. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
- Santiago Túa, Lynet (September 27, 2017). "Héctor Delgado: "el día malo llegó"". Metro International (in Spanish). Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
- "Héctor Delgado regresa a la música con "Acuérdate de mí"". Metro International (in Spanish). March 19, 2018. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
- Fernández, Suzette (August 9, 2018). "Bad Bunny's 'Vamos Pa La Calle' Leaks & Fans Lose It Over Unofficial Héctor 'El Father' Remix". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 4, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
External links
- Héctor el Father discography at Discogs
- Héctor el Father discography at MusicBrainz