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.
Taxi
Héctor Lavoe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
al número trece
de la calle tristeza, esquina agonía
que allí moriré.
Yo no tengo que valga la pena
todo, todo lo perdí, pero lléveme,
no cambie de este rumbo
lléveme y déjeme allí.
Si alguien le pregunta cuál fue mi destino
no le diga a nadie que tomé el camino
de los que no quieren que los vean llorando
por causa de un amor...
Oiga mire taxi coja su dinero
y guárdese el cambio, ya estamos llegando
esta es la tristeza, esquina agonía
adios buena suerte.
The lyrics to Héctor Lavoe's song "Taxi" describe the singer's desire to be taken to a specific location where he intends to die. He requests to be taken to the intersection of "calle tristeza" (Sadness Street) and "esquina agonía" (Agony Corner), indicating his state of misery and despair. Despite losing everything he valued, he insists that the taxi driver not alter their course and take him to his chosen spot. He requests that the driver not reveal his destination to anyone who may inquire about his whereabouts, as he does not wish to be seen crying over a lost love. The song concludes with the taxi arriving at the requested location, and the singer bidding farewell to the driver and wishing him good luck.
Overall, the song is a poignant representation of heartbreak and loss, with the singer expressing a desire to end his life due to the overwhelming pain caused by a failed relationship. The specific details of the location he requests to be taken to further emphasize his state of mind and his belief that death is the only escape from his suffering.
Line by Line Meaning
Lléveme
Take me
al número trece
to number thirteen
de la calle tristeza, esquina agonía
of Sadness Street, at the corner of Agony
que allí moriré.
That's where I will die.
Yo no tengo que valga la pena
I do not have anything of value
todo, todo lo perdí, pero lléveme,
I lost everything, but take me
no cambie de este rumbo
do not change direction
no me importa nada, nada, nada, en este mundo.
nothing matters to me in this world
lléveme y déjeme allí.
take me and leave me there.
Si alguien le pregunta cuál fue mi destino
If someone asks you what was my destination
no le diga a nadie que tomé el camino
don't tell anyone I took the path
de los que no quieren que los vean llorando
of those who don't want to be seen crying
por causa de un amor...
because of love...
Oiga mire taxi coja su dinero
Hey, look, taxi, take your money
y guárdese el cambio, ya estamos llegando
and keep the change, we're almost there
esta es la tristeza, esquina agonía
this is sadness, at the corner of agony
adios buena suerte.
goodbye, good luck.
Writer(s): PETER BAUMANN, LARRY GOTTLIEB, MARC BLATTE
Contributed by Adalyn P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@julialopez1940
LETRA DE "TAXI".
Lléveme
al número trece
de la calle tristeza, esquina agonía
que allí moriré.
Yo no tengo que valga la pena
todo, todo lo perdí, pero lléveme,
no cambie de este rumbo
no me importa nada, nada, nada, en este mundo.
lléveme y déjeme allí.
Si alguien le pregunta cuál fue mi destino
no le diga a nadie que tomé el camino
de los que no quieren que los vean llorando
por causa de un amor...
Oiga mire taxi coja su dinero
y guárdese el cambio, ya estamos llegando
esta es la tristeza, esquina agonía
adios buena suerte.
@josefchamo
Esta cancion es muy triste es devastadora para las personas con problemas de depresión al menos a mí me mata me pone muy mal... la escucho por que tal ves algunas veces hace bien llorar pero no podemos hacerlo delante de los demás... aquellos que nos miran con admiración y piensan en como nuestras vidas son tan cheveres sin saber que lloramos por dentro...
@perlamasielperez9379
Walter Josef Chamochumbi Rojas . eso es muy sierto hermano. Evene reyes. Rd
@jonathanparragarivera6434
Exacto
@XDarkNightX7777
Exacto :(
@vanessaccasani2003
Tú vales la pena.
@cesarramirez7956
Muy cierto amigo lo que mencionas
@mariosheen4903
Hubiese dado todo mi dinero para verlo cantar en vivo...el puto Amo.
@drocosme4600
la tragedia marcó un dolor tan grande para HÉCTOR y esta canción lo identifica, se bajó del taxi para subirse en nuestros corazones...
@BrainyCesarin1
Y no sólo éso, también resulta que desde su trágica muerte, la FANIA en sí murió también (junto con la buena música). Triste pero cierto. :'(
@juandavidvilcasoncoy4995
dale like si crees que hector lavoe fue uno de los grandes