Rivera, nicknamed "Maelo", born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, was the first of five children born to Luis and Margarita Rivera. His father, Luis, was a carpenter and his mother a housewife. As a child, Rivera was always singing and banging on cans with sticks. He received his primary education at the Pablo G. Goyco elementary school and then went on to learn carpentry at a vocational school. He shined shoes to help his family financially and when he was 16 years old, he worked as a carpenter. During his free time he would hang around the corner with his best friend Rafael Cortijo and sing songs.
In 1948, Rivera and Cortijo joined El Conjunto Monterrey, where Rivera played the conga and Cortijo the bongos. Rivera was unable to work full-time as a musician, due to the fact that he worked as a carpenter.
In 1952, Rivera joined the U.S. Army but, was quickly discharged as he didn't speak English. When he returned to Puerto Rico he went to work with the Panamerican Orchestra, thanks to the recommendation of his friend Cortijo. Rivera recorded and scored his first "hits" with the songs "El Charlatan", "La Vieja en Camisa" (The Old Lady in a Shirt) and "La Sazon de Abuela". However, an incident between Rivera and another band member over a girl, led to his departure from the band.
Cortijo's Combo continued to gain fame and so did Rivera's reputation as a lead singer. Benny More visited the island and was impressd with Rivera's voice, he baptized Rivera "El Sonero Mayor" (The Premiere Improviser). The band went to New York City and played in the famed Palladium Ballroom, where the orchestras of Tito Rodriguez, Tito Puente and Charlie Palmieri also played.
In 1959, Rivera, together with Cortijo and his Combo, participated in the European produced movie titled "Calipso", starring Harry Belafonte. He traveled with Cortijo's Combo, which also included Rafael Ithier and Roberto Roena, to Europe, Central and South America. Rivera was suspected of being involved with an illegal drug transaction during a trip to Panama. He was arrested upon his arrival to Puerto Rico, convicted and sentenced to jail. This event led to the break-up of Cortijo's Combo. Shortly after, Rafael Ithier, regrouped some of the former members and formed El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico.
Upon his release from jail, Rivera formed his own band called Ismael Rivera and his Cachimbos. The successful band lasted for eight years. Rivera reunited with Cortijo and recorded "Juntos Otra Vez" (Together Again). Later, Rivera went solo and did well with the recordings of "El Sonero Mayor" and "Volare (salsa style)". He was to score his greatest "hit" with "Las Cara Lindas (De Mi Gente Negra)" (The Pretty Faces (Of My Black People) written by Tite Curet Alonso. One of his last public performances was in Paris, as an opener for Bob Marley in 1979.[3]
The death of his childhood friend, Rafael Cortijo in 1982, affected him emotionally to the point that he couldn't sing in the tribute to Cortijo celebrated at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum. Rivera was actively involved in the creation of a historical museum which depicts the contributions made to the cultural life of Puerto Rico by the black Puerto Ricans.
Rivera was a faithful pilgrim of the Black Christ procession in Portobelo, Panama, from 1975 to 1985,
and even wrote a song about the Black Christ, known affectionately as "El Nazareno".
Ismael Rivera died on May 13, 1987 in the arms of his mother Margarita, from a heart attack. Celia Cruz recorded a tribute to Ismael Rivera and so did Dario y su ComboRican. On September 27, 2001, the Puerto Rican Senate approved the law #134 declaring October 5 as "Ismael Rivera Day". In Villa Palmeras, Santurce, Puerto Rico, there is a plaza named "Plaza de los Salseros" which has a statue and plaque dedicated to Ismael.
Cachita
Ismael Rivera Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
pa´que tu la bailes como bailo yo.
Muchacha bonita, mi linda Cachita,
la rumba caliente es mejor que el son.
Mira que se rompen ya de duro las maracas
y el de los timbales ya se quiere alborotar
Se divierte así el Francés
y también el Alemán,
y hasta el Musulmán
Y si baila un Inglés,
se le mete el alboroto
Y es pa´que se vuelva loco
hasta un Japonés
Cachita esta alborotá
ahora baila el cha-cha-chá
El sueño de Cachita
es bailar el cha-cha-cha
buscando una pareja
que la lleve a gozá
Se va a la discoteca
no ma´ pa´ averigua
pa´ ve´ si encuentra un negro
que la ponga a suda´
Cachita, dímelo
Cachita, aquí estoy
Mamita dámelo
Cachita, te lo doy
In the lyrics to the song "Cachita" by Ismael Rivera, the singer is addressing a woman named Cachita, and telling her that he has a new type of dance for her to try. He tells her that the rumba caliente, or "hot rumba," is better than the son, another type of Latin American dance. He describes how the maracas are breaking and the timbales are getting more intense, and how people from all over the world are enjoying the dance. He goes on to say that Cachita is now excited, and she's dancing the cha-cha-chá, her dream dance. She's looking for a partner to dance with and take her to "gozar" or have fun. She goes to the discotheque to see if she can find a black man to dance with. The singer tells her that he's there for her, and whatever she needs, he can give it to her.
The lyrics of "Cachita" are meant to be fun, energetic, and celebratory. The song is a tribute to the cha-cha-chá, a dance style that was popular in the 1950s and 1960s in Latin America, the United States, and Europe. The song encourages people of all backgrounds to come together and enjoy this dance. The references to people from different countries enjoying the cha-cha-chá is a nod to its popularity around the world. The song also touches on the idea of finding love on the dance floor, which was a common theme in Latin American music at the time.
Line by Line Meaning
Óyeme Cachita, tengo una rumbita pa´que tu la bailes como bailo yo.
Listen, Cachita, I have a party song for you to dance like me.
Muchacha bonita, mi linda Cachita, la rumba caliente es mejor que el son.
Beautiful girl, my lovely Cachita, the hot rumba is better than the son.
Mira que se rompen ya de duro las maracas y el de los timbales ya se quiere alborotar
See how the maracas are already breaking and the timbales are getting wild.
Se divierte así el Francés y también el Alemán, y se alegra el Irlandés, y hasta el Musulmán
The Frenchman and the German have fun this way. The Irishman and even the Muslim rejoice.
Y si baila un Inglés, se le mete el alboroto
And if an Englishman dances, he gets caught up in the commotion.
Y es pa´que se vuelva loco hasta un Japonés
And even a Japanese person would go crazy with it.
Cachita esta alborotá ahora baila el cha-cha-chá
Cachita is getting excited, now she dances the cha-cha-cha.
El sueño de Cachita es bailar el cha-cha-cha buscando una pareja que la lleve a gozá
Cachita's dream is to dance the cha-cha-cha, looking for someone to enjoy it with.
Se va a la discoteca no ma´ pa´ averigua pa´ ve´ si encuentra un negro que la ponga a suda´
She goes to the disco to find a black man to make her sweat.
Cachita, dímelo Cachita, aquí estoy Mamita dámelo Cachita, te lo doy
Cachita, tell me, Cachita, I'm here. Give it to me, baby. Cachita, I'll give it to you.
Contributed by Taylor Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@julioehermandez1222
La unión perfecta Ismael y Rafael Hernández compositor cachita
@anthonysoley7121
Ismael Rivera la leyenda del salsa.
@josezambrano3820
El Hotel Macuto Sheraton, en el estado Vargas, Venezuela fue inaugurado el 4 de abril de 1963, con la presentación de la Orquesta de salón de Aldemaro Romero (tocando el repertorio de sus grabaciones de su disco: "Dinner in Caracas", hecha en 1955, y de sus LPs subsiguientes con canciones venezolanas).
Antes de comenzar, Aldemaro Romero se dirigió a la mesa del Presidente de la Republica Rómulo Betancourt y le preguntó si podía complacerlo con una petición de su gusto.
Y Romulo Betancourt Acariciando su pipa, y con su acento característico, Rómulo le contestó: Tócame "Cachita”.
@mensajero229
Lo vengo escuchando desde finales el 50, no sabía quién era, luego lo encontré de nuevo con sus Cachimbos. Es diferente a todos porque es el mejor El Brujo de Borinquén
@fersinmusical
hola la sacaste del estadio con esa musica, no soy salsero me gusta el ritmo y la musicalizacion muy elegante , esos termas que bien saludos.
@area2581
Gracias Maestro . Inmortal .
@edp4638
Asi es que se tocan los cueros carajo eso es rumbear, no es solo rapidez sino ritmo.
@gabolavoe
pa' la rUmba no hay fronteras! bien canta'o Maelito, el único
@luckylouie522
@tony38029
EL MAESTRO DE MAESTRO (RASPA PIRAGUERO)