Tito Gómez (Puerto Rican singer)
Encyclopedia
Tito Gómez was a well-known Puerto Rican
salsa
singer.
's band sharing vocal duties with Ruben Blades
most notably on the 1975 Barretto album.
by Gómez and Ruben Blades. The following year he returned to La Sonora Ponceña where he remained for two years. In 1979 he moved to Venezuela
to join La Amistad, a short-lived project with former members of La Dimension Latina. In 1982 he went solo once again and returned to Puerto Rico.
In 1985, he joined Colombia
n band Grupo Niche
, relocated to Colombia, and sang lead vocals with them for eight years.
"Dejala".
Gómez's musical career came to a temporary end when he was convicted for transporting counterfeit
money in the United States in 2000, serving time in a federal prison
. Upon release in 2004 he relaunched his solo career. He was in the middle of a reunion tour of Colombia with Grupo Niche when he died of a heart attack on June 11, 2007 in Cali
, Colombia
.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
salsa
Salsa music
Salsa music is a genre of music, generally defined as a modern style of playing Cuban Son, Son Montuno, and Guaracha with touches from other genres of music...
singer.
Group career
His musical career started at the age of 15 singing with the Conjunto Antoanetti before joining the renowned Sonora Ponceña as co-lead vocalist in 1967. In 1973 Ponceña trumpeter Joe Rodriguez, percussionist Mikey Ortiz and Gómez broke away and formed La Terrifica. Later, Gómez joined Ray BarrettoRay Barretto
Ray Barretto was a Grammy Award-winning Puerto Rican jazz musician.-Early years:Barretto was born in New York City of Puerto Rican descent...
's band sharing vocal duties with Ruben Blades
Rubén Blades
Rubén Blades Bellido de Luna is a Panamanian salsa singer, songwriter, lawyer, actor, Latin jazz musician, and politician, performing musically most often in the Afro-Cuban and Latin jazz genres...
most notably on the 1975 Barretto album.
by Gómez and Ruben Blades. The following year he returned to La Sonora Ponceña where he remained for two years. In 1979 he moved to Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
to join La Amistad, a short-lived project with former members of La Dimension Latina. In 1982 he went solo once again and returned to Puerto Rico.
In 1985, he joined Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n band Grupo Niche
Grupo Niche
Grupo Niche is a salsa group founded in 1978 in Bogotá, Colombia. Currently based in Cali, Colombia, it enjoys great popularity throughout Latin America. It was founded by Jairo Varela and Alexis Lozano. Jairo Varela has stayed with the group becoming producer, director, songwriter, vocalist and...
, relocated to Colombia, and sang lead vocals with them for eight years.
Solo career and death
He went solo in the early 1990s making seven albums in nine years for Miami-based Musical Productions. His debut Un Nuevo Horizonte featured a hit single"Dejala".
Gómez's musical career came to a temporary end when he was convicted for transporting counterfeit
Counterfeit
To counterfeit means to illegally imitate something. Counterfeit products are often produced with the intent to take advantage of the superior value of the imitated product...
money in the United States in 2000, serving time in a federal prison
Federal Bureau of Prisons
The Federal Bureau of Prisons is a federal law enforcement agency subdivision of the United States Department of Justice and is responsible for the administration of the federal prison system. The system also handles prisoners who committed acts considered felonies under the District of Columbia's...
. Upon release in 2004 he relaunched his solo career. He was in the middle of a reunion tour of Colombia with Grupo Niche when he died of a heart attack on June 11, 2007 in Cali
Calì
Calì, also written in English as Cali, is an Italian surname, widespread mainly in the Ionian side of Sicily.For the surname Calì is assumed the origin of the Greek word kalos , or from its Sanskrit root kali, "time."The surname refers to:...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
.