Ismael Rivera a.k.a. "El Sonero Mayor (The Primiere Improviser)" (October 5, 1931 – May 13, 1987) born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, was a renowned composer and singer of salsa music. October 5 is the 278th day of the year (279th in Leap years). ... 1931 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... May 13 is the 133rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (134th in leap years). ... 1987 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... San Juan is the capital city of Puerto Rico. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... LeAnn Rimes singing in concert For other senses of this word, see singer (disambiguation). ... Salsa music is a diverse and predominantly Caribbean and Latin genre that is popular across Latin America and among Latinos abroad; the style is the primary music played at Latin danceclubs and is the essential pulse of Latin music, according to author Ed Morales . ...

Ismael, nicknamed "Maelo", was the first of five children born to Luis and Margarita Rivera. His father, Luis, was a carpenter by profession and his mother a housewife. As a child, Ismael was always singing and banging on cans with sticks. He received his primary education at the Pablo G. Goyco elementary school and then went on to learn the art of carpentry at a vocational school. He shined shoes to help his family financially and when he was 16 years old, he worked as a carpenter. During his free time he would hang around the corner with his best friend Rafael Cortijo and sing songs. A carpenter is a skilled craftsman who performs carpentry -- a wide range of woodworking that includes constructing buildings, furniture, and other objects out of wood. ... Rafael Cortijo (January 11, 1928- October 3, 1982), was a Puerto Rican musician, orquestra leader and composer. ...

In 1948, Ismael and Rafael joined El Conjunto Monterrey, where Ismael played the conga and Rafael the bongos. Ismael was unable to work full-time as a musician, due to the fact that he worked as a carpenter. 1948 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Conga is a drum, a type of music, and a type of dance (Conga Line). ... Bongo can refer to: bongo drums a kind of antelope the Bongo GUI development tool Bongo the Clown Omar Bongo This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... A musician is a person who plays or composes music. ...

In 1952, Ismael joined the U.S. Army but, was quickly discharged from military service because he didn't speak English. When he returned to Puerto Rico he went to work with the Panamerican Orchestra, thanks to the recommendation of his friend Cortijo. Ismael recorded and scored his first "hits" with the songs "El Charlatan", "La Vieja en Camisa" (The Old Lady in a Shirt) and "La Sazon de Abuela". However, an incident between Ismael and another band member over a girl, led to his departure from the band. 1952 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

In 1954, he joined Cortijo's Combo and recorded the following songs which soon became "hits" in the American Latino community: "El Bombon de Elena", "El Negro Bembon", "Juan Jose", "Besitos de Coco", "Palo que tu me Das", "Quitate de la via Perico", "Oriza", "El Chivo de la Campana", "Maquinolandera", "El Yayo", "Maria Teresa" and "Yo Soy del Campo". Cortijo's Combo continued to gain fame and so did Ismael's reputation as a lead singer. Benny More visited the island and was impressd with Ismael's voice to the point that he baptized him with the name "El Sonero Mayor" (The Primiere Improviser). The band went to New York City and played in the famed Palladium Ballroom, where the orchestras of Tito Rodriguez, Tito Puente and Charlie Palmieri also played. In 1959, Ismael, together with Cortijo and his Combo, participated in the European produced movie titled "Calipso", starring Harry Belafonte. He traveled with Cortijo's Combo, which also included Rafael Ithier and Roberto Roena, to Europe, Central and South America. Ismael was suspected of being involved with an illegal drug transaction during a trip to Panama. He was arrested upon his arrival to Puerto Rico, convicted and sentenced to jail. This event led to the break-up of Cortijo's Combo. Shortly after, Rafael Ithier, regrouped some of the former mambers and formed El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico. 1954 was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... New York City, officially named the City of New York, is the most populous city in the United States, the most densely populated major city in North America, and is at the center of international finance, politics, entertainment, and culture. ... Tito Rodriguez a. ... Tito Puente (April 20, 1923 – May 31, 2000) was an influential Latin jazz and mambo musician. ... Charlie Palmieri a. ... 1959 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Harry Belafonte in Almanac, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1954 Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Belafonte on March 1, 1927 in Harlem, New York, United States) is a Jamaican-American calypso musician, actor and outspoken liberal who used his fame as an entertainer in the cause of human rights. ... Rafael Ithier (born 1926 in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is a Salsa musician and the creator of the highly successful orchestra, El Gran Combo. Ithier was born in the large San Juan area known as Rio Piedras. Ithier showed a passion for music since he was very young. ... Roberto Roena was one the original members of El Gran Combo of Puerto Rico, who derived from the famous Puerto Rican percussionists Rafael Cortijo. ... World map showing Europe (geographically) When considered a continent, Europe is the worlds second-smallest continent in terms of area, with an area of 10,600,000 km² (4,140,625 square miles), making it larger than Australia only. ... Central America is the region of North America located between the southern border of Mexico and the northwest border of Colombia, in South America. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... El Gran Combo is a Puerto Rican Salsa music orchestra. ...

Upon his release from jail, Ismael formed his own band called Ismael Rivera and his Cachimbos. The successful band lasted for eight years. Ismael reunited with Cortijo and recorded "Juntos Otra Vez" (Together Again). Later, Ismael went solo and did well with the recordings of "El Sonero Mayor" and "Volare (salsa style)". He was to score his greatest "hit" with "Las Cara Lindas (De Mi Gente Negra)" (The Pretty Faces (Of My Black People).

The death of his childhood friend, Rafael Cortijo in 1982, affected him emotionally to the point that he couldn't sing in the tribute to Cortijo celebrated at the Roberto Clemente Colesium. Ismael was actively involved in the creation of a historical museum which depects the contributions made to the cultural life of Puerto Rico by the black Puerto Ricans. 1982 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Roberto Clemente Walker (August 18, 1934 – December 31, 1972) was a Major League Baseball right fielder and right-handed batter. ...

Ismael Rivera died on May 13, 1987 in the arms of his mother Margarita, from a heart attack. A myocardial infarction occurs when an atherosclerotic plaque slowly builds up in the inner lining of a coronary artery and then suddenly ruptures, totally occluding the artery and preventing blood flow downstream. ...

Among the written works about Ismael Rivera are the following: "Ismael Rivera, El Sonero Mayor" (1993) by Cesar Pagano (Colombia), "Salsa, sabor y control!, sicologia de la musica tropical"" (1998) by Angel G. Quintero Rivera, "Dos Libros sobre Maelo", "Dialogo" (1998) by Francisco Cabarilles (Ohio), "Bailando en casa del Trompo" (1999) by Lil Rodriguez (Venezuela) and "Isamel Rivera, El sonero mayor" by Rafael Fiqueroa Hernandez. 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... State nickname: The Buckeye State Other U.S. States Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Governor Bob Taft (R) Senators Mike DeWine (R) George Voinovich (R) Official languages None Area 116,096 km² (34th)  - Land 106,154 km²  - Water 10,044 km² (8. ... 1999 is a common year starting on Friday Anno Domini (or the Current Era), and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

Celia Cruz recorded a tribute to Ismael and so did Dario y su ComboRican. On September 27, 2001, the Puerto Rican Senate approved the law #134 declaring October 5, as "Ismael Rivera Day". In Villa Palmeras, Santurce, Puerto Rico, there is a plaza named "Plaza de los Salseros" which has a statue and plaque dedicated to Ismael. Celia Cruz Celia Cruz (Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso) (October 21, 19251 – July 16, 2003) was a Cuban salsa singer who spent most of her career living and working in the United States. ... Jump to: navigation, search September 27 is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 95 days remaining. ... Jump to: navigation, search 2001: A Space Odyssey. ...

See also

• List of famous Puerto Ricans