Overview
- He died Saturday, Feb. 21, according to a statement posted by his family on his official Facebook page, which also asked for privacy.
- Multiple outlets reported he had been hospitalized in New York days earlier with respiratory problems, a development noted publicly by Rubén Blades; no official cause was released.
- His longtime manager, Pietro Carlos, praised him as an “architect of the New York sound” in a tribute shared after the announcement.
- A seminal figure of the Fania era, he debuted with El Malo in 1967, partnered with Héctor Lavoe and later Rubén Blades, recorded more than 40 albums, and earned nine gold, five platinum records and eight Grammy nominations.
- Local reports cite his last major Puerto Rico concert as a sold‑out San Juan performance with the Puerto Rico Philharmonic Orchestra on Aug. 9, 2025.