Cheo Feliciano
Jose " Cheo " Feliciano, was born in Ponce (Puerto
Rico). Son of humble parents, studies in the Free School of Music of his town
and being a boy a small musical group called the Stand for casks organizes in
Christmas the Tins, because those were the used instruments. Its inclination at
that time is oriented towards the percussion. To the 17 years it is transferred
with his family to New York and leaves the studies to follow the orchestras
fashionable at that time: Machito, Tito Puente and Tito Rodriguez.
Their beginnings as percusionista professional were within the group "Ciro
Rimac's Review", with them travel to Canada. To their return to New York
Rodriguez collaborates in the orchestra of Tito, in the Marianaxi set de Luis
Cross and also like percusionista of the orchestra of Kako and its Trabuco. Tito
Rodriguez is noticed of the good voice of Cheo and it invites it to share the
top with him. In 1957, Joe Cuba remains without singer and Tito recommends to
him to Cheo where a faithful public begins to gain who will follow it there
where he goes.
Cheo, after its stage of 10 years in the sexteto of Joe Cuba, is an authentic
leader of Caribbean Music and sings with the orchestra of Eddie Palmieri. After
his wretch passage by the world of the drug, that separates it from the scenes,
it returns with force in already narrated concert of the Fania All Star of 1971.
Its form to say him towards having an own style, representing single a style and
a tendency in the Bolero did not have shades and in the Rumba and the refined
Guaracha and falsified that it recreated, nobody dared to imitate the steps to
him.
I have to recognize that Cheo Feliciano is my authentic ídolo and I had the
taste to interview to him in New York in 1990, when gave to an answer with its
subject "How many things", to the erotizante wave that prevailed in the end of
the decade of the 80 in the Sauce. The sensual voice of Cheo catches to you
little by little and from no longer you can there be objective. I recommend all
its record work (more than 25 Lp's), like I made with the one of Ismael Creek
and we will take with the one of Rubén Blades, recognizing its logical low break
and, Cheo is Cheo. His feeling gives own identity him to the Boleros, whereas
their dulcifica meloso style of a unique form Are, the Guaracha and the
Guaguancó.
Cheo has obtained numerous prizes like the Gold owl, in Panama, the Gold Glass
in Venezuela, the Daily News Award and the Latin New Award in New York, the Chin
de Plata in Miami, the Agueybaná in Puerto Rico, etc...
From 1975 march from New York to its Puerto Rico since its illusion was to live
in a small house with a porch where to be able to seat calmly far from the
worldly noise. In spite of everything we have to say that their appearances in
direct, in the 70, never got to have the level of their discs when not counting
on a stable orchestra and not taking care of much their voice. At the Cheo
present time it has been able to make direct as hallucinating ones as its discs.
Cheo was other rebel to that Fania tried to destroy, but Cheo created his own
seal record, seal "Car" (Co is the diminutivo of its wife to that affectionately
it calls the Coco and Che his own name), recording "25 years of feelings In
October of the 84 next to Rubén Blades, Eddie Palmieri, Joe Cuba and Willie
Columbus was presented/displayed the spectacle" Tribute to Cheo Feliciano "and
at the moment Industralist of the world" Ralph records with RMM the new seal of
the call "Market, that tries to generate another boom in the atmosphere of the
Sauce in the decade of the 90. (Antonio Dwells in " Of Border to Border " -
1992)
A Voice? Thousand Memories
A Voice? Thousand Memories are the new production of Jose " Cheo " Feliciano,
one of the artists of greater impact than it has had the history of tropical
music. In its new album tribute to legendary figures of Latin music renders to
him like: Tito the Holy Rodriguez, Frankie Ruiz, Ismael Creek, Beny More', Mon
Creek, Santitos Columbus, Gilberto Monroig, Daniel, Felipe Rodriguez and Héctor
Lavoe. This CD, his fifth with RMM, had the musical production of Louis Garci'a
and the same Feliciano.
Feliciano, known also like?el Sir feeling? he recorded east album in Puerto Rico
accompanied by an orchestra of 30 musicians for, of this form, to create his own
interpretation of these classic subjects, to eter to us in our memory. Feliciano
chose the thirteen songs that comprise of this album; among them, one of its own
inspiration that wrote it and dedicated it to these prestigious Latin musical
stars. " That If Sang Well " it is his form to render a tribute to these
virtuosos who played an important role in the artistic and personal development
of Feliciano.
For this album Jose " Cheo " Feliciano it uses so famous his and tender style
when singing in the ballad " I Needed Your '/Congoja " which recorded in tribute
to Pablo " Tito " Rodriguez, also known like " the Rajah Of the Mambo ", during
the time in which the Mambo was very popular. The originality of the song is in
which Feliciano combines two very good subjects of Rodriguez, distinguished and
prestigious singer very known by the popularity of all its ballads. Feliciano
worked with this valuarte musical like valet before beginning his artistic race.
The well-known impact that Rodriguez had in Feliciano can appreciate in another
song of this same album when it sings a very danceable version to us of the
Pretty " subject Yambú ".
A Voz?Mil Memories is a touching tribute for the absent artists, who will always
maintain impregnated their spirit in tropical music. Between this legend group
it is Gilberto Monroig that was a pioneer of this music, being also singing of
the orchestra of Tito Bridge in New York. Feliciano Simply " rewrote to an
Illusion " honoring the memory of Monroig.
Also tribute to the memory of its good ones renders *** TRANSLATION ENDS HERE
*** Amigos Hé
ctor Lavoe y Frankie Ruiz. Feliciano dedica "Todo Tiene Su Final " a Lavoe qui é
n falleci ó en junio de 1993. En el texto incluido en las p á ginas del CD,
Feliciano llama a Lavoe el "cantante de cantantes ". En este CD tambi é n
Feliciano usa su c á lida voz para ofrecernos una apasionada interpretaci ó n de
una de las canciones que Frankie Ruiz, una leyenda del g é nero que feneci ó en
agosto de 1998 a la edad de 40 a ñ os, hizo famoso en el estilo salsa. "Camionero
" es un tributo a Ruiz, quien durante su carrera contribuy ó magistralmente en
desarrollo de la m ú sica latina.
La gran historia art í stica de Jos é "Cheo " Feliciano empez ó cuando abandon ó
la escuela secundaria para seguir a las mejores orquestas del momento, entre
ellas Machito, Tito Puente y Tito Rodr í guez. Despu é s de participar en una
audici ó n con Joe Cuba, quien es ese momento buscaba un cantante para su
sexteto, Feliciano se convirti ó en el cantante principal del grupo. Juntos
grabaron 17 producciones, estrenadas en un per í odo de diez a ñ os por los
sellos disqueros Seeco y Tico; Feliciano decidi ó convertirse en solista en
1965, aunque sigui ó trabajando con otras exitosas bandas de la ciudad de Nueva
York hasta que en 1969 se retir ó de la industria musical.
En 1972 regres ó para trabajar con la compa ñ í a Fania Records grabando el tema
"Anacaona ". Su lanzamiento tuvo un gran impacto de manera instant á nea. Poco
despu é s Feliciano se uni ó a la legendaria orquesta Fania All Stars, a la vez
que continuaba grabando y present á ndose como solista. Su carrera tuvo un mayor
auge al ganar el premio "Primera Plana " ofrecido por el peri ó dico Daily News,
como el artista m á s popular en Nueva York, Nueva Jersey y Connecticut.
Feliciano grab ó otros quince á lbumes como solista y como integrante de La
Fania hasta que se retir ó del grupo e inaugur ó su propio sello discogr á fico
en 1983.
Jos é "Cheo " Feliciano celebr ó sus 25 a ñ os en la
industria de la m ú sica el 25 de mayo de 1983 con un concierto en el "Centro De
Bellas Artes " junto a una orquesta de 25 m ú sicos. Este espect á culo fue
titulado 25 A ñ os De Sentimiento y fue grabado en vivo; convirti é ndose en
primera producci ó n de las cinco que lanz ó al mercado con su sello Coche
Records.
En 1990, se uni ó a RMM Records a pedido del fundador de este sello disquero
Ralph Mercado. El primer á lbum que grab ó con RMM, Los Feelings de Cheo
recaptur ó el lado rom á ntico del cantante. Su segunda producci ó n, Cantando,
confirm ó una vez m á s su posici ó n como uno de los mejores int é rpretes de
la m ú sica tropical. Para su tercero, Motivos combin ó la salsa y el bolero,
adem á s de que trabaj ó junto al internacionalmente conocido trompetista Luis "Perico
" Ortiz. Su cuarto á lbum Un Solo Beso fue un ‘ sue ñ o hecho realidad ’ para
este legendario vocalista. Bajo la direcci ó n musical del famoso compositor
mexicano Armando Manzanero, Feliciano ofreci ó un á lbum muy rom á ntico que
naci ó de la combinaci ó n de sus fabulosos estilos.
En 1995 Feliciano gan ó un disco de platino como parte de la exitosa producci ó
n de RMM La Combinaci ó n Perfecta. En 1996 particip ó en Tropical Tribute To
The Beatles que por sus ventas se le acredit ó tambi é n un disco de platino.
Para esta producci ó n en que varios artistas grabaron canciones de los Beatles
en estilo tropical, Feliciano cant ó el tema "Yesterday ".
El jueves 15 de julio ú ltimo, Jos é "Cheo " Feliciano, nuestro legendario e
internacional salsero se anot ó otro triunfo en su carrera al hacer su debut en
el Hotel Tamanaco de Venezuela. Durante este espectacular concierto se present ó
acompa ñ ado de la prestigiosa Orquesta Sinf ó nica de Caracas.
Jos é "Cheo " Feliciano ha cautivado a millones de personas alrededor del mundo
y contin ú a causando inter é s con su nueva producci ó n. Una Voz … Mil
Recuerdos es excepcional e impresionante ya que cuenta con arreglos musicales
originales para cada una de las canciones. Adem á s hace un muy excelente
trabajo combinando estas canciones para crear un tributo musical que traer á
buenas memorias a algunos y dejar á nuevas en quienes por primera vez lo
escuchar á n.
Reconocimientos
Homenaje Senado de Puerto Rico (1984,1999)
Búho de oro Panamá (1979,1985)
Hijo honorífico de la ciudad de Ponce (1982)
Copa de oro Venezuela (1975)
Daily News Front Page Award "Best Latin Vocalist" (1977)
Latin New York Magazine Artista más popular (1976)
Discografía principal
Cheo/ Vaya Records (1971)
La voz sensual de Cheo/ Vaya (1972)
With a Little Help From my Friend/ Vaya (1973)
Felicidades/ Vaya (1973)
Looking for
Love/ Vaya (1974)
The Singer/ Vaya (1976)
Cheo's Rainbow/ Vaya (1976)
Mi tierra y yo/ Vaya (1977)
Estampas/ Vaya (1979)
Sentimiento, tú/ Vaya (1980)
Profundo/ Vaya (1982)
25 años de sentimiento/ Coche Records (1984)
Regresa el amor/ Coche (1985)
Sabor y sentimiento/ Coche (1987)
Te regalo mi sabor criollo/ Coche (1987)
Como tú lo pediste/ Coche (1988)
Los "feelings" de Cheo/ RMM Records (1990)
Cantando/ RMM (1991)- Yo soy con Gilberto Santa Rosa
Motivos (1994)
Pinceladas navideñas (1998
Una voz, mil recuerdos/ RMM (1999)
Soñar (con la Rondalla Venezolana
Le cantan al amor (con la Rondalla Venezolana)
Un solo beso (con Armando Manzanero)
Cheo en la intimidad (2002)
Discografía alterna
Champagne/ Eddie Palmieri (Tico, 1968)
Fania All Stars Live Vol. I y II(Fania, 1971)
Impacto Crea: Solamente (Vaya, 1972)
Our Latin Thing (Fania, 1972)
Impacto Crea: Cobarde (Vaya, 1973)
Hommy (Fania, 1973)
Fania All Stars Live: Latin-Soul-Rock (1974)
Fania All Stars Live at the Yankee Stadium (Fania, 1975)
Fania All Stars Tribute to Tito Rodríguez (Fania, 1976)
Salsa (banda sonora) (Fania, 1976)
Fania All Stars: Commitment (Fania, 1980)
Fania All Stars Latin Connection (Fania, 1981)
Eddie Palmieri: Cantan Cheo y Quintana (Bárbaro, 1981)
Artistas puertorriqueños: Música para el silencio (AP, 1985)
Los soneros de Ponce/ MP (1990) {con Ismael Quintana}
Combinación perfecta (RMM, 1994)
Tropical Tribute to the Beatles (1996)
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last updated:Monday August 29, 2005
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