Santiago was born in San Juan. After residing in various neighborhoods in the city he moved to the Nemesio Canales public housing project in his youth; he was eventually nicknamed "El Grifo de Canales" ("The kinky-haired, fair-skinned-one of Nemesio Canales") by close friends and fans. Santiago was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at a young age. He was groomed as a bolero singer (a genre he didn't feel comfortable with) and was a struggling salsa singer (at one time he sang with Rafael Cortijo) until 1971, when he joined Bobby Valentin, another type 1 diabetic, as a duo. Their first LP, "Rompecabezas", ("Puzzle") sold well, and their second LP, "Soy Boricua" ("I'm a Boricua") is considered by many to be a salsa classic and an informal patriotic anthem for Puerto Ricans. That album's title song and the Tite Curet Alonso-written "Pirata de la Mar" ("Pirate of the Seas"), both sung by Santiago, became major international hits. The duo continued making hits during the decade of the 1970s, and they were invited to form part of the Fania All Stars, an exclusive salsa conglomerate of Fania Records musicians that showcased other performers such as Celia Cruz, Rubén Blades, Pellin Rodriguez, Roberto Roena, Andy Montanez and many others.
Santiago separated and went solo apart from Valentin in 1977. In the same year he done some small work for another exclusive salsa conglomerate that was exclusive to Puerto Ricans only called the Puerto Rico All Stars (PRAS). PRAS was a rival to the Fania All Stars. The groups members changed consistently but Santiago had provided background vocals for the original established 1977 PRAS. Later in this year Santiago had a very successful pairing with producer and pianist Jorge Millet. In his solo records he improvised "soneos" (rhyming verses common to salsa) with a strong sense of alliteration, consonance and rhythm that was described once by Ruben Blades this way: "(Rhythm-wise) Marvin is capable of fitting a Mack truck into a parking space where a Volkswagen Beetle won't fit." He also used strong Puerto Rican figures of speech and slang that eventually granted him the moniker of "El Sonero del Pueblo" (The People's Sonero). He attained a major Puerto Rican hit with Cortijo's song "Fuego a la jicotea" ("(Light a) Fire to the Tortoise ( The Tortoise o Jicotea (Trachemys Stejnegeri Stejnegeri) is the unique species of native turtle that lives in pools, lagoons, dams, rivers and brooks of Puerto Rico (also he is present in Cuba). On natural history and customs of this species it is known very little.), a thinly-veiled ode to marijuana. Other hits were: "Al Son de la Lata (baila el chorizo)" -another Cortijo song-, "El Mangoneo", "La Picúa" and "Vasos de Colores".
At the height of his popularity, however, Santiago was arrested and imprisoned for cocaine possession. This was his second conviction, and the amount confiscated implied that he intended to distribute the drug. He served five out of nine years of a prison sentence. He became a born-again Christian in prison, and recorded an album, "Desde Adentro", behind bars. A minor hit spawned from the album was "Auditorio Azul" ("Blue Auditorium", based on the fact that Puerto Rico prison uniforms are usually blue in color). Blades visited him in prison, something for which Santiago would be eternally grateful to him.
After his drug conviction, Santiago's fame waned. By the time he finished his prison sentence, Jorge Millet, the musical architect of Santiago's sound, had died from a heart attack. Due to his spiritual reawakening, Santiago cleaned up the subject matter of his lyrics considerably, something that his hardcore fans did not approve of. Other notable facts that further pushed his fame's decline included the surge of merengue groups such as the Puerto Rico-based Conjunto Quisqueya and Freddie Kenton orchestras, as well as new local talent such as Eddie Santiago and Gilberto Santa Rosa, who popularized so-called "romantic salsa", which eventually displaced more urban-based subject matter in salsa songs. Santiago, however, kept a busy schedule through the 1980s, making several Latin American and inter-Puerto Rico tours and appearing on Puerto Rican television shows several times, often as a comedian in Luisito Vigoreaux's television programs. Poor vocal coaching eventually affected Santiago's vocal cords, turning it raspier with time.
Santiago's health began to decline during the 1990s, but he still went on with his music, releasing "Donde lo Dejamos" ("Where we Left It") in 1992 alongside Valentin. Later on, a "greatest hits" album of his solo songs was released.
Santiago, who adopted Marvin Hagler's "Marvelous" nickname (both because of their common first name and the fact that, at one time, his head was shaved bald like Hagler's), had begun conversations to join a Fania All Stars comeback as a tribute to Celia Cruz by the summer of 2004, but then, he became severely ill.
[edit] Death
Already having lost a leg (and later the other) to diabetes through amputation, Santiago lost vision from one eye and suffered severe kidney, heart and liver damage on the weeks prior to his death. At about noon (AST) on October 6, 2004, he died at a Bayamón hospital.
Fuego A La Jicotea
Marvin Santiago Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The lyrics to Marvin Santiago's song Fuego A La Jicotea tell a story of a woman named Dorotea who is being held by a Jicotea (a type of turtle), and the singer is urging someone to set the turtle on fire to make it release her. It is said that Dorotea is behaving in a wild and uncontrollable manner, like a horse, and is kicking and causing trouble. The singer advises caution when dealing with her, warning that she should not be approached unless fire is present. Additionally, he warns that Jicotea is injured and unable to move properly, and not to get too close or risk getting sick.
The song appears to be set in a rural environment where the characters and their surroundings are familiar to those who live and work there. It reveals the singer's insights into the cultural norms and customs of the community, using colloquial expressions and slang. The song expresses underlying themes of caution, danger, and the need to take risks in life. The chorus of the song, which repeats the phrase "Fuego a la Jicotea para que suelte a Dorotea" ("Fire to Jicotea to release Dorotea"), actively encourages the pursuit of daring and risky behavior. The song seems to be an emotional, intense, and captivating experience that connects with the listener in a unique way.
Line by Line Meaning
Fuego a la Jicotea para que suelte a Dorotea, Fuego a la Jicotea para que suelte a Dorotea.
We need to set fire to the Jicotea tree to make it release Dorotea. We have to do it twice to make sure it works.
Fuego a la Jicotea para que suelte a Dorotea esa negrita esta endiabla como yegua, esa mamota patea.
Dorotea is struggling to escape from the Jicotea tree. She's like a wild mare bucking and kicking.
Fuego mira mamcita la Jicotea ya no puede caminar pues le falta una patita no da pa'lante ni tampoco pa'tras.
The Jicotea tree is damaged and can't move properly. It's stuck and can't go forward or backward.
Tu ten cuidao con esa negra mulato, esta como yegua mira why patea.
Be careful around Dorotea, she's a strong and unpredictable woman who can kick like a horse.
No te metas en el agua si no tiene fuego. Buscate el cantaro why la manguera.
Don't jump into the water if it's not heated. Get a bucket and a hose instead.
Como que te cacho mira Jicotea. Como que te cacho why te me aleja.
I think I caught you, Jicotea. You're trying to run away from me.
Pero no te metas en el agua que catarro te me va dal, why te me sacan pa' fuera.
Don't go into the water, you'll catch a cold and they'll take you out.
Saca esa negrita tempranito why llevala pa' la azotea.
Take Dorotea out early and bring her to the rooftop.
Alla en Bayamon Chemon, que rumbon en casa de Aleja.
There's a party at Aleja's house in Bayamon, we should go.
Que rico quitate que va pasar. Margarita vente pa' ca pa' que goze orita why cuidao.
Let's have fun and enjoy ourselves. Margarita, come here and be careful.
Lyrics © Ultra Tunes
Written by: ROSENDO RUIZ QUEVEDO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@RogelioIvanAvilaGuzman
Un rumbon!!! Saludos desde veracruz puerto!!! Mexico
@Salsosito
Muchas gracias por el saludo, un abrazo grande hasta México 🇲🇽
@josecchavezzamora1210
VENTUROSO AÑO 2024, SALUDOS DESDE LIMA PERÚ. Bailando con Marvin Santiago de Puerto Rico.
@Salsosito
Igualmente para ti, muchas bendiciones en el 2024🙏🫂
@josecchavezzamora1210
MARVIN SANTIAGO pone a gozar a toda hispanoamerica. Saludos cordiales desde Lima Perú :D
@Salsosito
Muchas gracias
Saludos hermanos peruanos, 🫂🎶
@danielcasasorozco2978
Esta vaina lo coge a uno y lo levanta del suelo con toda, un saludo al alma bondadosa que montó este tema a YouTube! 🇨🇴🇨🇺
@Salsosito
jaja...saludos cordiales hermano, gracias por tus comentarios, que también me levantan el animo.
@juanchoolivares6143
Y ESTO ES... O F I C I A L‼️
PARA TODOS LOS QUE TODAVÍA ESCUCHAN AL SONERO DEL PUEBLO, MARVELOUS, UN FELIZ AÑO 2.023
@Salsosito
Gracias por el saludo, feliz año 2023🎶🫂