The Associated Press says that “Lalo” Rodrguez, a Puerto Rican salsa musician who was once in Eddie Palmieri’s band, died on Tuesday at the age of 64.
The singer of “Ven, devórame otra vez” was found dead in a public housing project in the US territory, according to the Associated Press. The Associated Press says that the cause of death is still unknown, but Rodrguez’s body showed no signs of violence.
Born in 1958, Ubaldo Rodrguez Santos started his career as a child, singing at local events and festivals and on radio and TV.
In 1973, when he was still a teen, he joined Palmieri’s band. There, he took the stage name “Lalo.” The salsa singer played on Palmieri’s album “Sun of Latin Music,” which was the first Latin record to win a Grammy in 1976.
After the band broke up, Rodrguez had a successful solo career that lasted until the late 2000s. The AP said that the salsasero had problems with drugs and alcohol, and he was charged with possessing cocaine.
Puerto Rican and salsa musicians paid tribute to Rodríguez on social media. Eddie Palmieri said of his former bandmate that “in so many ways, he was a giant.”
“I am very saddened by the death of Lalo Rodrguez,” Palmieri said. “He was so important to me, to our music and culture, and to the rest of the world.”
Grupo Niche, a salsa band that won a Grammy, called Rodrguez “one of the most well-known salsa voices in the world” on Twitter. They wrote, “A lot of courage for his family, fans, and friends.”
Elvis Crespo, a Puerto Rican musician, tweeted that Rodrguez had “one of the most beautiful voices I’ve ever heard and will ever hear.” Crespo said that the tone, tune, and power of his music made it last forever. “My deepest condolences go out to his family and fans.”
The Grammy-winning musician was called “immortal” by Benjamn Torres Gotay. “He will always be remembered through works like ‘Devórame otra vez,’ ‘Máximo Chamorro,’ and ‘Deseo salvaje,'” Gotay said. “Today, a real hero passed away.”
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