He has performed in some of the most prestigious concert halls featuring Salsa, as well as Jazz events like the Newport Jazz Festival. His recordings have also garnered him many awards and gold albums. His success is attributed to his musical expression of his unique jibaro salsa flavor and his love for Puerto Rico.
Early life:
Héctor was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico to Pachita and Luis Perez, and raised in the Machuelito barrio of the city. He was inspired early in life by his musically talented family. His grandfather Don Juan Martínez was a singer of controversial songs, which often went from vocal conflict to physical confrontations. His uncle was a well known tres player in Ponce. His mother Pachita was well known among her family and townspeople for her beautiful singing voice. His father Luis supported his wife and eight children by singing and playing guitar with trios and big bands. Héctor would also be influenced by Puerto Rican singers such as Jesus Sanchez Erazo -also known as "Chuíto el de Bayamón"- one of the island's most successful folk singers, and Daniel Santos. Later in his life, would have the honor of recording songs with both artists.
Héctor attended the local Juan Morel Campos Public School of Music where the saxophone was the first instrument he learned to play. Among his classmates were Jose Febles and multi-instrumentalist Papo Lucca. Jose Febles wrote most of the horn charts for "Rican-Struction", considered by many to be the best album to ever come out of the New York Salsa scene. One of his teachers would strictly demand good diction, stage presence and manners from him (something that suited him well later on), claiming that as a bolero singer, Héctor would become a superstar. By the age of 14, however, Héctor dropped out of school and sang with a ten-piece band. moved permanently to New York on May 3, 1963. It would take many more years before Héctor was able to reconcile with his father.
Arrival in New York City
He met his sister Priscilla upon arrival to New York. The first thing he did in New York was visit El Barrio, New York's "Spanish Harlem." Héctor was disappointed in the condition of El Barrio which contrasted with his vision of "fancy Cadillacs, tall marble skyscrapers and tree-lined streets." Hector stayed at his sister's apartment in The Bronx instead.
The first week in New York, Héctor was invited by his friend Roberto García, a fellow musician and childhood friend, to a rehearsal of a newly formed sextet playing the romantic bolero Tus Ojos. The lead vocalist, who was singing off key, and as a gesture of goodwill, Lavoe showed the vocalist how it was supposed to sound. Impressed with his dynamic voice and stage personality, the group offered him the spot of lead vocalist, which he accepted.
Later in his career, he joined othermore well known groups in the genre, including Orquesta New York, Kako All-Stars, and Johnny Pacheco. In 1967, he met Salsa star Willie Colón.
Pacheco, co-owner of Fania Records and its recording musical director, arranged for Lavoe to record with Willie Colón on his first album El Malo. Willie never officially asked Lavoe to join his band, but after the recording, Willie said to him, "On Saturday we start at 10 p.m. at El Tropicoro Club."[need citation]
The album's success significantlytransforms both Willie's and Héctor's lives. Héctor received instant recognition, steady work and enough money to provide him with a comfortable life style. According to Lavoe, it happened so fast he didn't know how to cope with the sudden success.
Later years
With newly found success, Héctor, like many successful artists of his time such as Judy Garland, La Lupe, and Billie Holliday, became severly addicted to narcotic and prescription drugs. His addiction resulted in him showing up late for gigs, and eventually did not even show up to some appointments at all. Although Willie fired him, he tried to help Lavoe seek assistance to try to quit his habit.
In 1973, Willie Colón departed the band. Lavoe was giving the option of keeping the band together by becoming leader of his own band, which he did. Lavoe formed his own band and traveled around the world with them as well as with the Fania All-Stars. During his travels, Héctor went to Honolulu, Hawaii and ran into a young man who went by the name of Shakti. Shatki eventually became his benefactor providing him with spiritual and metaphysical wellbeing. Lavoe later found out that he befriended a very powerful yogi in disguise who was trying to open Lavoe's spiritual vision. Héctor established himself as a successful singer within a relatively short time and was recognized as a legend in his own time. With a new found spirituality, Hector eventually reconciled with his father when he finally visited his father who received him with open arms.
Despite his success, Héctor's life was plagued by tragic events, emotional turmoil and pain.
Héctor died in poverty on June 29, 1993 in New York City. The cause of death was AIDS. He was first buried in a bruial plot in Saint Raymond's Cemetery in the Bronx (which ironically is the burial place of both La Lupe and Billie Holiday; until 2002 Lavoe's grave was within walking distance from La Lupe's), however in June 2002 the bodies of both Lavoe and his son (who died in 1987) were exhumed per his family's request. They were later reinterred in his native Ponce, along with his wife Nilda who passed away a few weeks prior to the burial.
Lavoe's spirit and legacy still lives on. He is one of the few Latin artists to have his life filmed into two biopics. Both films, which will be released in 2006 are produced by two of the most prominent celebrities in the musical genre. El Cantante will star salsa superstar Marc Anthony as Lavoe, and film icon (and also's Anthony's wife in real life), Jennifer Lopez as Hector's wife, Nilda (also known as "Puchi" by close friends).
Meanwhile, singer La India is producing her own biopic of Lavoe's wife with actor Raul Carbonell in the lead role. The Singer (which is a literal English translation of the first biopic) will be released in 2006 as well.
Besides these films, an off-Broadway production of his life title Quien Mato a Hector Lavoe? ("Who Killed Hector Lavoe?) was a huge success in the late 1990s. IT starred singer Domingo Quiñones in the lead role.
El Día De Mi Suerte
Héctor Lavoe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
El día de mi suerte
Sé que antes de mi muerte
Seguro que mi suerte cambiará
Pronto llegará
El día de mi suerte
Sé que antes de mi muerte
Cuando niño mi mamá se murió
Solito con el viejo me dejó
Me dijo sólo nunca quedarás
Porque el no esperaba una enfermedad
A los diez años papá se murió
Se fue con mamá para el más allá
Y la gente decían al verme llorar
No llores nene que tu suerte cambiará
Y cuándo será?
Pronto llegará
El día de mi suerte
Sé que antes de mi muerte
Seguro que mi suerte cambiará
Pronto llegará
El día de mi suerte
Sé que antes de mi muerte
Seguro que mi suerte cambiará
Esperando mi suerte quedé yo
Pero mi vida otro rumbo cogió
Sobreviviendo en una realidad
De la cual yo no podía ni escapar
Para comer hay que buscarse el real
Aunque se una regla sociedad
A la cárcel te escribe mi amistad
No te apures que tu suerte cambiará
Oye verás
Pronto llegará
El día de mi suerte
Sé que antes de mi muerte
Seguro que mi suerte cambiará
Pronto llegará
El día de mi suerte
Sé que antes de mi muerte
Seguro que mi suerte cambiará
Ahora me encuentro aquí en mi soledad
Pensando qué de mi vida será
No tengo sitio dónde regresar
Y tampoco a nadie quiero ocupar
Si el destino me vuelve a traicionar
Te juro que no puedo fracasar
Estoy cansado de tanto esperar
Y estoy seguro que mi suerte cambiará
Y cuándo será?
Pronto llegará
El día de mi suerte
Sé que antes de mi muerte
Seguro que mi suerte cambiará
Pronto llegará
El día de mi suerte
Sé que antes de mi muerte
Seguro que mi suerte cambiará
Sufrí la parte de mi vida ya
Sin un complejo de inferioridad
Por eso no me canso de esperar
Pues un día Dios a mi me ayudará
Y el día que eso suceda escuche usted
A todo el mundo yo le ayudaré
Porque tarde o temprano usted verá
Cómo el día de mi suerte llegará
Y ya lo verá
Pronto llegará
El día de mi suerte
Sé que antes de mi muerte
Seguro que mi suerte cambiará
Pronto llegará
El día de mi suerte
Sé que antes de mi muerte
Seguro que mi suerte cambiará
Muchas veces me pongo a contemplar
Que yo nunca a nadie le he hecho mal
Por qué la vida así me ha de tratar
Si lo que busco es la felicidad
Trato de complacer la humanidad
Pero mi dicha aquí ha sido fatal
No pierdo la esperanza de luchar
Y seguro que mi suerte cambiará
Pero cuándo será?
Pronto llegará
El día de mi suerte
Sé que antes de mi muerte
Seguro que mi suerte cambiará
Pronto llegará
El día de mi suerte
Sé que antes de mi muerte
Seguro que mi suerte cambiará
Esperando la vida he de pasar
Este martirio no podré aguantar
Y pregunto hasta cuando durará
Tal vez si lo podré sobrellevar
Si el destino me vuelve a traicionar
Te juro que no puedo fracasar
Estoy cansado de tanto esperar
Y estoy seguro que mi suerte cambiara
Pero cuando será?
The lyrics to Héctor Lavoe's song "El Día de Mi Suerte" speak of hope and a belief that good fortune is on the horizon. The song is a plea for a change in fortunes following a life filled with hardship and loss. Lavoe reflects on the deaths of his parents when he was a child and the struggle to survive in a harsh reality.
Through the lyrics, Lavoe expresses the idea that his luck will change, that he has suffered enough and that eventually, his day will come. The repetition of the phrase "Pronto llegará" emphasizes his unwavering faith in his destiny. Lavoe's hopefulness is tempered by a sense of weariness and frustration that permeates the song, yet he remains steadfast in his belief that his fortunes will improve.
The song's lyrics are deeply emotional and relatable to anyone who has suffered setbacks in life. They speak to the fundamental human desire for a better life and the faith that things will eventually get better.
Line by Line Meaning
Pronto llegará
The day of my luck will soon come
El día de mi suerte
The day my luck changes
Sé que antes de mi muerte
I know before my death
Seguro que mi suerte cambiará
My luck will surely change
Cuando niño mi mamá se murió
When I was a child, my mother died
Solito con el viejo me dejó
Left alone with my father
Me dijo sólo nunca quedarás
He told me I would never be alone
Porque el no esperaba una enfermedad
Because he didn't expect an illness
A los diez años papá se murió
At ten years old, my father died
Se fue con mamá para el más allá
He went to be with my mother in the afterlife
Y la gente decían al verme llorar
People said, seeing me cry
No llores nene que tu suerte cambiará
Don't cry, child, your luck will change
Y cuándo será?
And when will that be?
Esperando mi suerte quedé yo
I was left waiting for my luck
Pero mi vida otro rumbo cogió
But my life took another path
Sobreviviendo en una realidad
Surviving in a harsh reality
De la cual yo no podía ni escapar
From which I could not escape
Para comer hay que buscarse el real
I had to find a way to eat
Aunque se una regla sociedad
Although it's a societal rule
A la cárcel te escribe mi amistad
My friend writes to me from jail
No te apures que tu suerte cambiará
Don't worry, your luck will change
Oye verás
Listen and you'll see
Ahora me encuentro aquí en mi soledad
Now I find myself alone
Pensando qué de mi vida será
Thinking about what will become of my life
No tengo sitio dónde regresar
I have nowhere to return to
Y tampoco a nadie quiero ocupar
And I don't want to burden anyone
Si el destino me vuelve a traicionar
If fate betrays me again
Te juro que no puedo fracasar
I swear I can't fail
Estoy cansado de tanto esperar
I'm tired of waiting so long
Y estoy seguro que mi suerte cambiará
And I'm sure my luck will change
Muchas veces me pongo a contemplar
Many times I reflect
Que yo nunca a nadie le he hecho mal
That I've never done harm to anyone
Por qué la vida así me ha de tratar
Why does life have to treat me this way?
Si lo que busco es la felicidad
If what I seek is happiness
Trato de complacer la humanidad
I try to please humanity
Pero mi dicha aquí ha sido fatal
But my happiness here has been fatal
No pierdo la esperanza de luchar
I don't lose hope in the fight
Y seguro que mi suerte cambiará
And I'm sure my luck will change
Esperando la vida he de pasar
I have to go through life waiting
Este martirio no podré aguantar
I can't bear this suffering
Y pregunto hasta cuando durará
And I ask, how much longer will it last?
Tal vez si lo podré sobrellevar
Maybe I can endure it
Lyrics © LATIN AMERICAN MUSIC CO., INC., CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Hector Lavoe, Willie Colon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bunnytvoficial
Mi suerte va a cambiar me dijo Hector Lavoe 🔥
@deathline2402
Así sera
@linabasto6515
@deathline 240 nfdn
@punkobrero
Que así sea.
@elifazpeguero9163
Asi sera fe
@hugohd7544
Sip
@QueTaHaciendoShow
La nueva generacion no dejara que esta joya muera nunca 2022-2023🥺❤💯🙏🙏
@norvilfernandomejiabriceno2142
Obvio que no manin
@franklinpaulvalenzuelacarr1380
Amo esta canción 25 años y la sigo
@jjperez1020
Enseñare estos temas a mis hijos si los tengo