Marvin Santiago

Salsa legend Marvin Santiago was born December 26, 1947, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Marvin was born into a musically active family. His brother (Billivan Santiago) became a successful plena vocalist, and he was groomed from a young age to be a bolero singer. Preferring the rhythmically exciting salsa style, Marvin aspired to sing with the popular dance bands of the day, eventually landing a gig with one of Puerto Rico's most famous bandleaders, <a href="spotify:artist:6LTZVa6VvrmQ9ghFB1qRWP">Rafael Cortijo</a>. In 1971 Santiago joined up with another struggling vocalist, <a href="spotify:artist:7nJ3uKCT4lPwDJSRZzBlss">Bobby Valentín</a>, to form a duo that would quickly become a national sensation. The duo's debut, Rompecabezas, was followed by a record that would become a salsa classic, Soy Boricua. The album's title cut became an anthem of Puerto Rican pride in a decade that saw many boricuas moving to the United States, seeking alternatives to economic hardship.

<a href="spotify:artist:7nJ3uKCT4lPwDJSRZzBlss">Valentín</a> and Santiago rose in popularity, and were soon honored with an invitation to join the star-studded <a href="spotify:artist:1OdyhpUABf8avaZ9r8nI1u">Fania All-Stars</a>, alongside salsa royalty like <a href="spotify:artist:2weA6hhVqTIN2gSn9PUB9U">Celia Cruz</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:5BwMgvRwlq61SmknvsVIQj">Rubén Blades</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:6RMWFexOHVj5ctezneQH5v">Andy Montañez</a>, to name a few. In 1977, like many <a href="spotify:artist:1OdyhpUABf8avaZ9r8nI1u">Fania All-Stars</a> veterans, Santiago went solo. Through his solo repertoire he earned a reputation as a master improviser. His use of common Puerto Rican slang saw him dubbed "El Sonero del Pueblo." His lyrics were a portrait of the gritty side of urban Latino life, including numerous references to sex and drug use. Santiago's upward trajectory was interrupted by a conviction for cocaine possession, landing him in a Puerto Rican prison for a five-year stint. During his years as a prisoner, Santiago embraced Christianity, and even recorded an album during his sentence, entitled Desde Adentro (From Inside).

After his release, Santiago moved toward a "romantic salsa" repertoire alongside artists like <a href="spotify:artist:6RMWFexOHVj5ctezneQH5v">Montañez</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:27vNK840zYq6IfDijHPsv1">Gilberto Santa Rosa</a>, which kept him busy if not popular throughout the '80s and '90s. Marvin Santiago remained active (even working on a <a href="spotify:artist:2weA6hhVqTIN2gSn9PUB9U">Celia Cruz</a> tribute with former Fania labelmates) right up until his death in 2004. Marvin Santiago died October 6, 2004, due to complications of diabetes, a condition from which he had suffered since childhood. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez, Rovi