Ismael "Maelo" Rivera

Name:  Ismael "Maelo" Rivera
Date of birth: October 5, 1931 (deceased May 13, 1987)
Place of birth: Santurce, Puerto Rico

Ismael Rivera, was a renowned Puerto Rican composer and singer of salsa music. He was the first born of five children, born to Luis, a carpenter and Margarita Rivera, a home maker. As a child, Rivera was always singing and banging on cans with sticks. He received his primary education at the Pedro G. Goyco Elementary School and then went on to learn carpentry at a vocational school. He also 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. Because of his work as a carpenter Rivera was unable to work full-time as a musician. Then Rivera  joined the U.S. Army but was quickly discharged because he couldnt speak English and went home to Puerto Rico.  He was  recommended by his friend Cortijo to try out with Orquesta Panamericana, and soon he recorded and scored his first hits with the songs "El Charlatan", "Ya yo sé", "La vieja en camisa" and "La Sazon de Abuela". In 1954, Rivera joined Cortijo's Combo, who participated in the European produced movie titled “Calypso”, starring Harry Belafonte. He travelled with Cortijo's Combo, which also included Rafael Ithier and Roberto Roena, to Europe, Central and South America.

Rivera was arrested for drug possession after a trip to Panama with the Cortijo Combo. After his release, he formed his own band called “Ismael Rivera and his Cachimbos”. Rivera reunited with Cortijo and recorded "Juntos otra vez". He later, went solo and did well with the recordings of "El Sonero Mayor" and "Volare". He scored his greatest hit with "Las caras lindas (de mi gente negra)" written by Tite Curet Alonso.

Ismael Rivera died on May 13, 1987, from a heart attack.

Trivia:
On October 5, 2008, Puerto Rico's governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá signed a proclaim stating that every anniversary of Rivera's birth will be celebrated as "Día Conmemorativo del Natalicio de Ismael Rivera" and 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.

Discography:
1965 ¡Bienvenido!
1968 De Colores
1971 Lo Último en La Avenida 
1972 Esto Fue Lo Que Trajo El Barco
1974 Traigo de Todo
1978 Esto Sí Es Lo Mío
1991 La Leyenda Continua
1993 Fiesta Boricua
1995 Ismael Y Cortijo


By Lourd Vijay
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About the Author: Lourd Vijay is the principal Promoter of Latin culture, music and dance in the Asian Region. He recently stood 10th at the “most Popular Entrepreneur of the year 2009” amongst 180 nominees from across the country. An innovative choreographer and a very able instructor, he is the director of the Lourd Vijay’s Dance Studios (www.lvds.in) in India.