Born in Puerto Rico but raised in the States, Tito Nieves is a true pioneer of the New York salsa sound. He started his career playing with the New York-based orchestra Cimarron. Later, in 1977, he joined up with Héctor Lavoe and then Conjunto Clasico. Finally, in 1986, Nieves decided to become a solo artist. He had no trouble setting himself apart, as he was the only performer in salsa who sang in English. As one of the lead artists on the label RMM, he helped pave the way for modern salsa artists like Marc Anthony and India.