SOHH LATINO

Marc Anthony's Role of A Lifetime

With the new Hèctor Lavoe film, "El Cantante," due next year it’s time for those of y’all that don’t know well to know his impact. Coming from a jibaro upbringing in Ponce, PR Lavoe came to NY to in search of what most of our parents came looking for as well: a better future.

Lavoe hooked up with his homeboy Willie Colón and Fania Records co-owner Johnny Pacheco and it was a wrap. He made the old-school rhythms of la plena, the aguinaldo and el son cool. He, along with others, used those genres as the foundation to what we call salsa today. In the late ‘60s Pacheco hooked up Lavoe and Colón for the latter’s debut album, El Malo. History was made. The duo would record over 10 albums together including The Hustler, La Gran Fuga, El Juicio, Lo Mato (Si No Compra Este LP) among others.

In 1973, they parted ways and Lavoe (whose real last name is Perez Martinez) went on to a successful solo career. His voice captured all the feelings, problems and celebrations Latino immigrants (specifically in NYC) were going through. It was hard out there for our fams, don’t believe the hype. This was the ‘70s where La Jara (Irish cops) were quick to snuff a brown man. Lavoe sung about that. He expressed what our parents couldn’t vocalize.

Sadly El Cantante died on June 29, 1993 due to complications due to AIDS. But that’s enough about La Voz. I don’t want to spoil the movie for anyone who is unaware of Lavoe’s importance. This short blog doesn’t do justice to the impact Lavoe had on the Latino community. For a real history lesson go buy some of his music. For the Cliff Notes on him check out the trailer of the Jennifer Lopez-produced and Marc Anthony-starring film that illustrates Lavoe’s addictions, highs and lows. If there was anyone Marc was born to play it’s Lavoe. Peep the uncanny similarities.

PS: Keep on emailing your names and mailing addresses to sohhlatino@sohh.com and you might get a copy of Now Latino 2 – Esto Es Música.

Uno,

SOHH Goya

Comments

• Richard Liriano says...

• Sup Goya & fellow readers,

  Check out this other trailer from Jennifer Lopez film, "El Cantante".

  Looking forward to seeing this movie, Hector Lavoe has been and always will be one of my all time favorite Salsa singers.

  Peace.

  RL

• April 24, 2007 9:58 AM

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