He was inspired by percussionists such as Willie Bobo, Uba Nieto, Papi Pagani, Monchito Muñoz, and Willie Rodriguez. With encouragement from many of these same drummers who were from “El Barrio”, Jimmy practiced playing the Timbales, the standing drum kit made world-famous by the great “Rey del Timbal”, Maestro Tito Puente.
It was during a 1951 stickball game between the Devils and the 112th Street Viceroys that Jimmy’s life would turn towards history. A young man named Gilberto Calderon of the Devils met Jimmy, and invited him to a party. The two became fast friends. They had a lot in common. Both wanted to be musicians after being influenced by the music of Machito, Marcelino Guerra, Noro Morales, Puente, and Tito Rodriguez.
1954 saw the Joe Panama Sextet as one of Spanish Harlem’s most popular music groups. When Panama’s Conguero, or conga drummer, left the group, Jimmy recommended his friend Gilberto for the job. Soon after, bandleader Joe Panama fired his sidemen and replaced them with others. The now unemployed musicians which included vocalist Willie Torres and pianist Nick Jimenez formed a group which included bassist Roy Rosa, vibraphonist Tommy Berrios, timbalero Jimmy Sabater, and conguero Gilberto Calderon (who had been selected by the musicians to direct the band.)
One evening, the group appeared at La Bamba Club in midtown Manhattan under the name of “The Joe Panama Sextet”. When Panama’s mother threatened to sue Gilberto if he continued using the name, promoter Catalino Rolón recommended that the group change its name to “The Joe Cuba Sextet”. So they did.
They played gigs in the clubs of “El Barrio”, as well as upstate New York venues such as The Pines Resort.
The popularity of Cuba’s sextet began to rise when José “Cheo” Feliciano joined the group. This occurred when Jose Curbelos’ vocalist Santitos Colon replaced Gilberto Monroig in Tito Puente’s band. Willie Torres then left Joe Cuba’s Sextet, and replaced Santitos in Curbelos’ orchestra. This opened the door for Cheo with Joe Cuba. This worked out perfectly for Cuba. Feliciano was selected to sing songs with Spanish lyrics, while Jimmy was selected to sing songs with English lyrics.
From the late 1950’s and into the early 1960’s the Sextet recorded on the Mardi Gras label, constantly increasing their popularity. In 1962, Seeco Records recorded Joe Cuba’s album “Steppin’ Out”. This album would become a “monster hit”, and Jimmy would become part of history, as on the album he sang perhaps the love song of that era, “To Be With You”.
“I thought Willie Torres was going to record it since it was his composition”, recalls Jimmy. Nick Jimenez composed the melody, but Cuba’s decision to have Jimmy sing the lyrics thrusted Sabater into almost immediate international recognition.
Cuba’s sextet signed with Tico Records in 1964. By showcasing the smooth vocal style of Sabater, the group had achieved tremendous fame, both in the United States and around the world. In 1966, they recorded two blockbuster albums, “We Must Be Doing Something Right”, and “Wanted Dead or Alive”. “…Something Right” scored big because of Jimmy and Nicky’s hit composition “El Pito (‘I’ll Never Go Back to Georgia’)”. “Wanted…” is a landmark recording because it was the first “Boogaloo” style album to sell one million records. This happened largely in part because of another smash composition of Sabater and Jimenez called “Bang Bang”.
Throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s, Jimmy also had a flourishing career as a soloist, releasing the classic albums “The Velvet Voice of Jimmy Sabater”, “El Hijo de Teresa”, and “Solo”.
In 1977 Jimmy Sabater left the Joe Cuba Sextet. From 1977 to 1981, he was the lead vocalist for Al Levy (“Alfredito). 1980 saw Jimmy record the outstanding album “Gusto” on the Fania Records label.
In 1982, Jimmy co-led “El Combo Gigante” with the fantastic Charlie Palmieri until Charlie’s untimely death in 1988.
On November 12th, 1997, Jimmy Sabater became the recipient of an award from the City of New York for his contributions to the quality of life in the city, and in appreciation of his work since 1956. He was also the recipient of the “Outstanding Musician of the Year” award from the Comptroller of the City of New York, Mr. Alan G. Hevesi.
In 1998, Mr. Sabater became the Lead Vocalist of the Latin Septet “Son Boricua” led by Maestro José Mangual Jr. Their first album, called “Son Boricua”, was the winner of the prestigious ACE Award as best new Latin release of that year.
More success would follow Mr. Sabater with "Son Boricua". A second, and third ACE Award was earned by "Son Boricua" for the CD's "Homenaje a Cortijo y Rivera", and "Mo!".
He continued to perform until 2011 as the lead singer of Son Boricua, and resided in the Bronx until the time of his passing due to complications from heart disease. In addition to his son, Jimmy Jr., he is survived by a daughter, Terry, nine grandchildren and a goddaughter, Debbie Garay.
Volare
Jimmy Sabater Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And in the hustle and bustle, no sunshine appears,
But you and I have our love always there to remind us
There is a way we can leave all the shadows behind us.
Volare, oh, oh!
Cantare, oh, oh, oh, oh!
Let's fly way up in the clouds
We can sing in the glow of a star that I know of
Where lovers enjoy peace of mind
Let us leave the confusion and all disillusion behind
Just like birds of a feather, a rainbow together we'll find
Volare, oh, oh!
Cantare, oh, oh, oh, oh!
No wonder my happy heart sings
Your love has given me wings
Your love has given me wings
Your love has given me wings
The lyrics to Jimmy Sabater's song Volare speak to the idea that despite the difficulties and challenges that life can bring, there is always a way to find happiness and joy through love. The opening lines acknowledge the pain and suffering that can be present in the world, but the song offers a solution by focusing on the love and connection between two people. The lyrics suggest that love is a way to rise above the troubles of the world and to find a sense of peace and comfort.
The chorus of the song, which repeats the lines "Volare, oh, oh! Cantare, oh, oh, oh, oh!" gives the song a joyful and uplifting tone. The words "volare" and "cantare" are Italian words that mean "to fly" and "to sing," respectively. These words are meant to convey the sense of freedom and joy that the characters in the song feel as they leave behind the world's troubles and soar through the clouds. The final lines of the song, which repeat the idea that "Your love has given me wings," drive home the message that love is a powerful force that can help people rise above their struggles and find joy.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes the world is a valley of heartaches and tears,
Life is full of sadness and difficult times.
And in the hustle and bustle, no sunshine appears,
In our busy lives, there is often no time for joy.
But you and I have our love always there to remind us
Our love for each other is a source of comfort and hope.
There is a way we can leave all the shadows behind us.
We can escape our troubles and find happiness together.
Volare, oh, oh!
Let's fly away together.
Cantare, oh, oh, oh, oh!
Let's sing our hearts out.
Let's fly way up in the clouds
Let's escape to a better place.
Away from the maddening crowds
Away from the noise and chaos of the world.
We can sing in the glow of a star that I know of
We can bask in the light of our love.
Where lovers enjoy peace of mind
A place where we can find peace and contentment.
Let us leave the confusion and all disillusion behind
Let's forget our troubles and start anew.
Just like birds of a feather, a rainbow together we'll find
Together, we can find joy and beauty in life.
No wonder my happy heart sings
I am full of joy and happiness.
Your love has given me wings
Your love has lifted me up and given me hope.
Your love has given me wings
Your love has given me the strength to overcome my hardships.
Contributed by Cole E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.