hector lavoe is el cantante

the singer, the icon that transcended afro-cuban music to what people call salsa nowadays

it all began when you were just a local cat from puerto rico

your ability to just sing was raw talent unequivically

you took your talent to new york and migrated your journey in the bronx

where my life started in that same borough 

same place that arisen your stardom

sell out crowds 

show after show

hector perez became hector lavoe, the man and his voice

until you met the devil by the name of drugs that injected poison to your vulnerable body

your veins popped out of your arms screaming for more

it began to kill your soul, destroy your magnificent voice that captures lives of boricuas and everyone from around the world

you met a woman

she was about spirituality

she once said the evil eye was dangerous

that same evil eye was deadly

she gave you beads of protection

before your next show

i saw how you were sprayed with spiritual remedy

as a way of cleansing yourself from demons

some may say it's witchcraft

i say it was your way of asking god for forgiveness

then i can hear the roars of animals in the jungle screaming

i can feel the anticipation, the sound, and the musical instrument when you introduce this powerful song by singing

AGUANILE, EEEEEEEEEE,EEEEEEEE

AGUAAAAANIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLEEEEEEE

SANTOS DIOOOOOOOOOOOOO

SANTOS FUERTEEEEEEEEEEE

SANTOS IMMORTAAAAAAAAA

el cantante sang about the love and relationship you build with god that night

and you were good, kept you sober

until the drugs kept calling your name 

you took off your beads, and gave in to what stripped your livelihood away

it just got worse and worse

but your voice continues to soar like a eagle flying with grace

as you gracefully moved the crowd with record breaking hits

12 albums you did in one year

that's incredible

incredible

no matter the god given talent you been blessed with

the drugs will always win

it lead to you contracting HIV 

your son by killed by his best friend, who accidently shot him in the stomach for spinning a revolver thinking it was a toy that fired off one shot that lead to his untimely fatality

poochie moved on to the next man

at that point, you felt there was nothing left

you jumped from your own balcony

bounced off an air conditioner

and survived

you sang to a crowd of 100 people in madison square garden

it didn't matter because you wanted to sing

your voice inspires people to love you

everybody believed in you except YOU

when you passed away from AIDS, you were only 46 years young

you were young manito

your music lives on and continues to aspire 

it inspires me to write about you even if it may offend others

i heard about you when i was a kid, but never paid to much attention until i became an adult

and listen to your style of afro-cuban

i embrace your iconic hits, your greatest hits

and it's tragically sad that you were gone before your time

i say it then, i say it now, i will always say it

saddest thing in life is wasted talent

the choices you make will shape your life forever

regardless of what people will say 

i will always acknowledge you as not only a musical genuis, but EL CANTANTE

SALUTE my boricua brother!!!!!!!!!!