Roberto Torres | |
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Background information | |
Born | Güines, Cuba | 10 February 1938
Genres | Charanga, vallenata, son cubano, salsa |
Occupation(s) | Musician, producer, record executive |
Instrument(s) | Vocals, percussion |
Years active | 1956–present |
Labels | Guajiro, SAR |
Roberto Torres (born 10 February 1938) [1] is a Cuban singer, percussionist, bandleader and producer. Born in Güines, Cuba, [1] he moved to the United States in 1959, where he became involved in the Latin music scenes of New York and Miami. [2] In 1979, he founded two record labels, Guajiro Records and its subsidiary, SAR, both devoted to Cuban music. [2] As a singer and musician, he is famous for his combination of Cuban and Colombian music, which he termed " charanga vallenata". His biggest hit was a cover version of Simón Díaz's " Caballo Viejo". [3] He was a member of the Sonora Matancera for three years. [1] He has also appeared in music documentaries such as Son sabrosón: antesala de la salsa.
On 2 June 2011, the Cuban-American community of Union City, New Jersey honored Torres with a star on the Walk of Fame at Celia Cruz Plaza. [4]