"Marvin Santiago" has been added to your list of bookmarked artists
close
Marvin Santiago
Biography
Salsa legend Marvin Santiago was born December 26, 1947, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Marvin was born into a musically active family. His brother (Billivan Santiago) became a successful plena vocalist, and he was groomed from a young age to be a bolero singer. Preferring the rhythmically exciting salsa style, Marvin aspired to sing with the popular dance bands of the day, eventually landing a gig with one of Puerto Rico's most famous bandleaders, Rafael Cortijo. In 1971 Santiago joined up with another struggling vocalist, Bobby Valentín, to form a duo that would quickly become a national sensation. The duo's debut, Rompecabezas, was followed by a record that would become a salsa classic, Soy Boricua. The album's title cut became an anthem of Puerto Rican pride in a decade that saw many boricuas moving to the United States, seeking alternatives to economic hardship.

Valentín and Santiago rose in popularity, and were soon honored with an invitation to join the star-studded Fania All-Stars, alongside salsa royalty like Celia Cruz, Rubén Blades, and Andy Montañez, to name a few. In 1977, like many Fania All-Stars veterans, Santiago went solo. Through his solo repertoire he earned a reputation as a master improviser.
Selected Discography
report abuse