Salsa Music Great José “Cheo” Feliciano Dies

Puerto Rican salsa legend and bolero singer José “Cheo” Feliciano died in the early morning hours of Thursday in a car crash.  He was 78 years old.

According to police officials in Puerto Rico, Feliciano was driving alone in his Jaguar auto when it hit a utility pole near the San Juan suburb of Cupey.  He reportedly lost control of his car as he was entering a curve and hit his head on the windshield. 

“It was a strong impact against a fixed object,” said Jorge Hernández Peña, the head of the police force’s traffic division.  “Feliciano was not wearing his seatbelt,” observed Hernández Peña.

Feliciano’s widow, Socorro Prieto León, said at an impromptu press conference that her husband “hated to put on his seatbelt” and that she would usually drive for him since he was diagnosed with cancer last year.

“(Please) remember him always as a family man.  A man who was always very good and a wonderful partner,” she added.  The couple would have celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary this October.

The motive for the accident is unknown though the singer’s son, José Enrique Feliciano, speculated that his father suffered from limited mobility and may have fallen asleep behind the wheel.
 
It was at the age of eight that José Luis Feliciano Vega created his first band in his birthplace of Ponce called "El Combo Las Latas" (“The Tin Can Band”) after the instruments they used.  From these humble beginnings, Feliciano would be a member of the Joe Cuba Sextet and later the Eddie Palmieri Orchestra and was best know for songs like "Una en un millon," "Mi promesa" and "Contigo aprendi." His main claim to fame, however, would be as part of the revered Fania All-Stars salsa music ensemble where he shared the stage with the likes of Celia Cruz, Willie Colón and Ruben Blades. 

De Musica Ligera: Feliz cumpleaños Willie!

April 28th marks the sixtieth birthday of Nuyorican salsa legend Willie Colon. His career began at the age of fifteen and since then his musical style has gained widespread acclaim as well as collaborative efforts with the likes of Celia Cruz and Ruben Blades. The video below is grainy and difficult to see but it's an absolute treasure that will surely make you stand up and dance: Colon performing with the late, great Hector Lavoe.

Online Sources - Wikipedia, YouTube

Today’s Video: Feliz cumpleaños Willie Colon!

Tomorrow is the 59th birthday of Puerto Rican salsa legend Willie Colon. In honor of this, the following video is of Colon accompanying the late Hector Lavoe over two decades ago:

Online Sources- williecolon.com, YouTube

Daily Headlines: February 17, 2009

* U.S.: Rest in peace Joe Cuba; the salsa pioneer and "Father of Latin Boogaloo" died Sunday at the age of 78.

* Cuba: On the heels of last week’s visit to Cuba by Chilean president Michelle Bachelet, Guatemala’s Alvaro Colom started his state visit to the island yesterday.

* Argentina: Farmers nationwide are suffering from hard times as Argentina faces its worse drought since 1961.

* Ecuador: The global economic slowdown has hit Ecuador as remittances sent to the country plummeted by 22% in the fourth quarter of 2008.

Image- daylife.com (“Salsa pioneer and bandleader Joe Cuba and his wife, Maria Cuba, perform onstage for about 200 junior high school students Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2006 in New York. The 75-year-old singer and conga drum player was onstage again after having been sick and confined to his bed for years after contracting a staff infection. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)”)
Online Sources- New York Daily News, Prensa Latina, Voice of America, Bloomberg, LAHT