VITÍN AVILÉS

Often in the shadow of his younger super-star friend Tito Rodríguez, and sadly overlooked during the later years of the salsa boom, Puerto Rican-born Vitín Avilés (1930 – 2004) nonetheless enjoyed a long and rich musical career in New York. He was a versatile vocalist equally adept at crooning slow, romantic tunes, as he was at belting out up-tempo dance numbers. At the age of thirteen, Avilés began his career in Puerto Rico as a featured singer in various orchestras. He later moved to New York in 1946. By 1956, he was ready to lead his own big band, having already achieved success with numerous orchestras, including those of Xavier Cugat, Tito Puente, Pupi Campos, and Tito Rodríguez. However, his greatest success was with La Playa Sextet from 1955 to 1957.

-Pablo Yglesias