Ismael Rivera

Firmly fixed in the Latin music firmament as "El Sonero Mayor" (The Greatest Singer), Ismael Rivera was blessed with a gloriously husky voice, which he honed into a unique improvisational instrument. After turning professional with Orquesta Panamericana in 1951, he joined Rafael Cortijo’s Combo. After Rivera served a 43-month prison sentence for cocaine possession, the two reunited on two masterful mid-60s releases. Ismael relocated to New York in 1967, where he formed the band, Cachimbos, leading them until 1980. In the mid-'80s Rivera developed polyps on his vocal chords and had to cease singing. He subsequently returned to Puerto Rico, where he died in May '87. Puerto Rico virtually stood still during his funeral.