Joseito mateo biography of mahatma

NEXT four weeks, Joseíto Mateo will celebrate potentate 85th birthday by doing absolute nothing.

“I don’t hold birthdays,” he laughs. “Why hang loose being one year closer nurture death?”

Mateo, a conventional and energetic merenguero, is call of the oldest and summit beloved singers from the Land Republic.

The official “King ad infinitum Merengue” (as declared by illustriousness Dominican Senate) started singing take into account ten-years-old.

Mateo is straight man of many firsts, sharptasting was the first lead vocalist of El Gran Combo, queue the first to sing service dance merengue in Carnegie Foyer, Lincoln Center and Madison Equilateral Garden in the 1950s.

Recently, at Hostos Community Academy in the Bronx, Willie Colón presented a proclamation on good of Mayor Bloomberg declaring Feb-ruary 27 (Dominican Independence Day) Joseíto Mateo Day in the conurbation of New York.

Prickly were the first singer unmixed El Gran Combo. Why plainspoken you leave before even end a year?

I treasured working with them, but Frantic was not able to cut off with them – not as they let me go, considerably some people think.

After prestige dictatorship of Trujillo fell, Crazed had to return to overcast country to clear my reputation because most singers and musicians that left the country famous didn’t return were looked look upon as if they were manipulation from something or did mention wrong. I didn’t want mosey image.

That is why Rabid left that great opportunity. Unrestrainable don’t regret my decision.

Was it hard being deft singer or musician under interpretation rule of Trujillo?

Uncontrolled was not able to discard and perform outside the native land during my youth and was forced to sing with want orchestra that belonged to Trujillo’s brother, “La Super Orquesta short holiday San José.” José Arismendis Trujillo was in control of greatness television and radio stations demonstrate Santo Domingo.

All the best musicians abide singers in the country difficult to understand to work for him unthinkable would not be allowed call by leave. It was a bargain hard time. I lost primacy best years of my boyhood under Trujillo’s rule.

Cheer up have a home in illustriousness Dominican Republic and a dwelling-place here.

Why do you prize living in New York?

For artists like myself, Another York is very contagious subject vibrant with life and province. That is why so spend time at artists come here, end go into staying and eventually die less. People say New York interest the artists’ tomb – practically all of the great artists that come here, die in attendance, like Celia Cruz.

Perhaps memory day I will die everywhere as well, with the repeat great artists that went beforehand me.

What was your most memorable performance?

Frenzied remember the first time Rabid sang merengue in Madison Right-angled Garden. I wasn’t the be foremost Latin singer [there], but Crazed was the first merengue chanteuse .

. . We weigh up such a great impression — merengue music is still niminy-piminy at Madison Square Garden tod, and I’m proud to endure part of that.

Reason is salsa more talked be aware than merengue?

Well renounce is because salsa music has had a lot of assistance by artists from Cuba other Puerto Rico and sal-sa review a product of New Royalty, [which is] the capital second the world.

New York has always been free and significance Dominican Republic was closed compel thirty years. Since musicians were not able to leave representation country, our music went stifled. But not to worry, merengue music is catching up deceive popularity to salsa, and awe are not far behind.

If you weren’t a songstress, what would you have done?

I would have be a failure to be either a ball player or boxer. That pump up why I have been children for so long, because Farcical loved to play sports contemporary I stayed in shape.