b. 21 August 1950, Puerto Rico. Since the mid-80s, the mainstream salsa recording industry in Puerto Rico and the USA has been largely preoccupied with developing and marketing the images of "good looking" young male vocalists, rather than producing …

Salsero Victor Manuelle is one of the up-and-coming talents of the 90s He was born in New York City but raised in Puerto Rico surrounded by the hot sounds of salsa music Early influences include Ismael Rivera Cheo Feliciano and Gilberto Santa Rosa Ma…

b. Jose Antonio Terresola Ruiz, 10 March 1958, Paterson, New Jersey, USA, d. 9 August 1998, Newark, New Jersey, USA. Mercurial salsa star Frankie Ruiz is condemned to be remembered as much for his wanton lifestyle and descent into self-destruction as…

Tito Rojas was born in Humacao Puerto Rico on June 14 1955 In the 1970s Rojas started singing as a member of Pedro Congas Orquestra Later after being Borincubas vocalist the artist decided to go on his own starting a solo career By that time Tito Roj…

The late-'90s commercial uprising of such Latin male pop stars/sex symbols as Ricky Martin and Enrique Iglesias can be attributed to Marc Anthony's earlier success. By mixing salsa sounds with elements of dance and pop, Anthony scored a massive hit w…

b. c.1961, Puerto Rico. Santiago's record-breaking solo debut Atrevido Y Diferente was full of saccharin-sweet romantic vocals and hip arrangements over a driving yet laid-back beat. It triggered a revival of salsa's fortunes with a new wave - variou…

Born into a musical family in East Harlem, New York, Latin jazz pianist par excellenc Eddie Palmieri grew up in a melting pot of Latin music styles. He has recorded extensively since his first groups became active in the 1960s; jazz influences began …

b. Humberto Nieves, 4 June c.1958, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. One of salsa's hit-makers in the late 80s and early 90s, Nieves' family migrated to Brooklyn, New York when he was two years old. The fact that his father played guitar with various trios a…

Jerry Rivera is one of the most popular of the new generation of young salseros His album Cuenta Conmigo became one of the biggest albums in salsa music and produced two major hits the title track and Casi Un Hechizo Sandra Brennan All Music Guide

b. Ubaldo Rodríguez, 16 May 1958, Puerto Rico. In 1970, 12-year-old Rodríguez joined the band Tempo Moderno and sang with them until 1974. He made his album debut at the age of 16 as lead singer on Eddie Palmieri's Sun Of Latin Music (1974), the firs…

b. mid-30s, Villa Palmeras, Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico. During the three and a half decades of its existence, Olivencia's band has acted as an "incubator' for various notable solo salsa singers, including Marvin Santiago, Paquito Guzmán, Lalo Ro…

Singer Johnny Rivera was born and raised in the bosom of a Puerto Rican family settled in New Yorks Bronx and studied at Manhattans Benjamin Franklin High School After a temporary visit to Puerto Rico the artist returned to New York getting involved …

b. Oscar Emilio León, 11 July 1943, Antímano, Caracas, Venezuela. Charismatic singer and bass player D'León is one of the few contemporary salsa musicians to capitalize on the strengths of 40s and 50s Cuban big band arrangers, yet recognizably with a…

Universally acknowledged as the "Queen of Salsa," Cuban exile Celia Cruz infused her impassioned, Spanish-language songs with nostalgia for the natural beauty of her homeland, and was often influenced by the Afro-Cuban Santeria religion. Cruz's more …

During the 90s Domingo Quiones became one of the biggest salsa stars in Puerto Rico a combination singersongwriter with an aggressive intense live show which earned accolades in Latin America as well as the United States Thanks to a musical education…

b. 20 February 1950, Aguada, Puerto Rico. Singer/songwriter Miranda was one of the most popular soneros (extemporizing salsa singers) of the 70s salsa boom. His parents and an uncle took him to live in Long Island, USA when he was four years old; lat…

b. Fernando Luis Marín Rosario, 6 May 1930, Coamo, Puerto Rico. Exemplary salsa bandleader, timbales, composer Rosario has been drilling his band to perfection for over three decades. Spurred on by his mother, Rosario began studying guitar and saxoph…

Emanating from Cali, Colombia, Grupo Niche are led by Jairo Varela, whose many roles include: composer, arranger, musical director, vocalist and percussionist. They made their recording debut in 1981 with Querer Es Poder. Tomek (the UK salsa broadcas…