Born: Sept. 11, 1962
Trivia: Delgado spells his first name 'Issac' rather than 'Isaac' because at one time a promoter suggested that if it were spelled with the second 's' backwards, it would form an inspiring heart.
Issac Delgado is a legend in his own time. Probably the most famous contemporary interpretor of timba - Cuba's version of salsa - in the world, the singer has an extraordinary smooth and versatile voice, uncanny timing and the ability to make everything he does seem effortless.
But he still took a big risk coming too the U.S. in 2006 in a bid for greater artistic freedom to make his own kind of music. Timba, a more sophisticated brand of salsa, is not as popular here as less complicated salsa and his move comes at a time when salsa's popularity is seeing a downturn.
Will the risk pay off?
Early Days:
Isaac Felipe Delgado Ramirez was born in Mariano (Havana), Cuba. The middle child of three, his father was a tailor, his mother a performer at the Teatro Musical de La Habana. When he was 10 years old he started studying the violincello, but within a couple of years realized he wasn't all that interested in the instrument - in fact what he really wanted to do was to play soccer. Enrolling in a different school, he turned his skill and attention wholly to the game.
With his formal education behind him, in 1979 Delgado enrolled in the Instituto Superior de Cultura Fisica Manuel Fajardo where he strove to become licensed in sports although by that time he was already a fan of salsa. The following year he joined pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba's Grupo Proyecto; Rubalcaba came from a family of musicians and was interested in a giving the traditional Cuban music he grew up with a modern twist. The experience with Proyecto resonated with Delgado to the extent that he refocused his educational goals, enrolling in a school for professional musicians and taking additional voice lessons.
Delgado's Professional Inauguration :
Up to this point Delgado had not been performing in what could be considered a professional role. That all changed in 1983 when he joined the Orquestra de Pacho Alonso, then moved on to become the lead vocalist for Galaxia in 1987.
Delgado Becomes Vocalist For NG La Banda:
But Delgado really came into his own when he joined NG La Banda in 1988. NG La Banda was making its name with a new sound called timba at a time when Cuba was experiencing change during the tumultuous era called the 'Special Period', following the waning of Soviet influence. The band, timba and Delgado caught the public's imagination and launched Delgado to both local and international fame.
Issac Delgado Y Su Grupo:
Following these years of enormous success, Delgado launched his own group in 1991. The 90s were busy years for the singer as the group performed, won awards (an EGREM in 1992,1993 and 1995) and opened his discotheque Azucar in Cancun.
In 1995 Delgado signed with Ralph Mercado's RMM label which gave him further exposure, opportunities and growing international acclaim.
A New Life In The U.S.:
In 2006, Delgado crossed the Mexico-U.S. border to Laredo, TX. With him were his wife, Massiel Valdez, daughters Dalina and Alessia and Isaac Jr., his son by a previous marriage and a member of Delgado's band. He left behind another son and daughter and still has concerns about their fate on the island. They settled in Tampa, FL.
The move to the U.S. was spurred by a desire for more artistic freedom, although the singer has stated in numerous interviews that it was the death of his mother in 2005 that finally freed him to quietly cross that border.
Delgado then signed with Univision's La Calle Records and hooked up with salsa producer and star-maker Sergio George to collaborate on his first album from the U.S., En Primera Plana. The album title means "On the Front Page", a fitting description of the last few years of Delgado's life.
The album was nominated for numerous awards, including a Latin and regular Grammy award for 'Best Tropical Album'.
Partial Discography
En La Calle (1992) With NG La Banda
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Con Ganas (1994)
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Otra Idea (1997)
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La Formula (2000)
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En Primera Plana (2007)
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Read Review
Issac Delgado Music Videos
"Yo Te Queria Maria"
"La Mujer Que Te Duele"
"El Macao"
More Issac Delgado
Issac Delgado on MySpace
Interview with Issac Delgado
Univision Press Release
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El Solar de la California
Issac Delgado Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Te piensas que es madridy es el vedado
No es cuento, ni juego
Esta es la linea de fuego
Hay que ver para creer
Porque' hay bajito y altura
Moneda blanda, moneda dura
Hay un mercado de helados
Un cine, rampa arriba, rampa abajo
(2 volte)
Si quieres conocer como es la habana
Andar la habana, centro habana
La verdadera habana
Tienes que sientarte en al esquina
Tienes que jugar domino'
Tienes que comer en mi paladar
Pa' que conozca la catedral
Tienes que caminar
En el centro de la habana hay un solar
El solar de la california
Donde vive un ingeniero un constructor
Un ecobio y un doctor, un obrero
Donde sube y baja el dolar
Se venden los cucuruchus
Se hacen los pies y las manos
Se hace el amor en colores
Se hacen primos, hermanos,
Que son buenos
Y de segunda mano tambien Coro 1
Welcome to the solar de la california
El de la calle crespo between
San lazaro y colon
Oye caminando va, dice guaracheando
Esa ni帽a, que viene cantando mira
Yo la invito a mi solar, la california
Mira estoy dispuesto a cooperar
Nos queda mucho, por andar
Tu tienes que saber que yo tengo la llave
Del solar de la california, dicelo
Coro 2
En el solar de la california
Baila lola y bailo yo
Hay mira que baila lola, lolita, lola
Porque' el bombo lo pongo yo
Ella mueve la cintura suave
El quinto y el tres dos
Me dijeron que bailara, y que gozara
Y ahora que no me paren no no no no no
Hay lola, lolita, diselo
The song "El Solar de la California" by Issac Delgado is an ode to Havana, Cuba, and specifically to the neighborhood of Centro Habana. The lyrics describe walking down Calle 23, thinking you're in Madrid but realizing that you're in Vedado, a neighborhood in Havana. Issac Delgado sings about the "line of fire" that one has to cross to truly experience the city. He describes a vibrant marketplace, complete with ice cream, a hotel, and a movie theater. To really know Havana, he says, you have to sit on the corner, play dominoes, eat at a paladar (an independently-owned restaurant), and walk around.
The song then transitions to the titular Solar de la California, a neighborhood in Centro Habana where people from all walks of life come together to buy and sell goods, get their hair and nails done, and fall in love. The lyrics mention a diverse cast of characters, including an engineer, a construction worker, a doctor, and an ecologist. The chorus is an invitation to dance, to let go of worries and enjoy the moment.
Issac Delgado's "El Solar de la California" is a nostalgic love letter to Havana, celebrating the city's diversity, resilience, and joy.
Line by Line Meaning
Andar por 23 muy relajado
Walking along 23 (street) very relaxed
Te piensas que es madridy es el vedado
You might think it's Madrid, but it's actually Vedado
No es cuento, ni juego
It's not a fairy tale or a game
Esta es la linea de fuego
This is the front line
Hay que ver para creer
You have to see it to believe it
Porque' hay bajito y altura
Because there are short and tall people
Moneda blanda, moneda dura
Soft currency, hard currency
Hay un mercado de helados
There is an ice cream market
Hay un hotel bien parado
There is a well-established hotel
Un cine, rampa arriba, rampa abajo
A cinema, ramp up, ramp down
Si quieres conocer como es la habana
If you want to know what Havana is like
Andar la habana, centro habana
Walk around Havana, Central Havana
La verdadera habana
The real Havana
Tienes que sientarte en al esquina
You have to sit on the corner
Tienes que jugar domino'
You have to play dominoes
Tienes que comer en mi paladar
You have to eat at my restaurant
Pa' que conozca la catedral
So you can see the cathedral
Tienes que caminar
You have to walk
En el centro de la habana hay un solar
In the center of Havana, there is a plot of land
El solar de la california
The Solar de la California
Donde vive un ingeniero un constructor
Where an engineer, a builder live
Un ecobio y un doctor, un obrero
An ecologist, a doctor, and a worker
Donde sube y baja el dolar
Where the dollar goes up and down
Se venden los cucuruchus
They sell cucuruchu (a type of cone-shaped pastry)
Se hacen los pies y las manos
They make hands and feet
Se hace el amor en colores
Love is made in colors
Se hacen primos, hermanos,
Cousins and siblings are made
Que son buenos
Who are good
Y de segunda mano tambien Coro 1
And from second-hand things too Chorus 1
Welcome to the solar de la california
Welcome to the Solar de la California
El de la calle crespo between San lazaro y colon
The one on Crespo Street between San Lazaro and Colon
Oye caminando va, dice guaracheando
Listen, I'm walking, saying I'm wearing guaraches (sandal-like shoes)
Esa ni帽a, que viene cantando mira
Look at that girl coming and singing
Yo la invito a mi solar, la california
I invite her to my house, the Solar de la California
Mira estoy dispuesto a cooperar
Look, I'm willing to cooperate
Nos queda mucho, por andar
We still have a long way to go
Tu tienes que saber que yo tengo la llave
You have to know that I have the key
Del solar de la california, dicelo
To the Solar de la California, tell them
Coro 2
Chorus 2
En el solar de la california
In the Solar de la California
Baila lola y bailo yo
Lola dances and so do I
Hay mira que baila lola, lolita, lola
Look at Lola dance, Lolita, Lola
Porque' el bombo lo pongo yo
Because I'm the one playing the drum
Ella mueve la cintura suave
She moves her waist gently
El quinto y el tres dos
The fifth and three two
Me dijeron que bailara, y que gozara
They told me to dance and have fun
Y ahora que no me paren no no no no no
And now don't stop me, no no no no no
Hay lola, lolita, diselo
Oh, Lola, Lolita, tell them
Writer(s): Isaac Felipe Delgado Ramirez, Juan Climaco Formell Cortina, A/k/a Juan Formell
Contributed by Alaina K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.