Daniel Santos
Born into poverty in Puerto Rico, Daniel Santos became one of the most influential singers and songwriters in Latin and South America during the middle of the century. From the pen of Pedro Flores, his early love-lost lyrics -- a series of aching, mostly one-word hits such as "Despedida," "Obsesión," "Irresistible," "Perdón," "Venganza" -- influenced author Gabriel García Márquez as much as other singers, while his later, patriotic material riled American intelligence officers and inspired Fidel Castro's Cuban Revolution.
Santos was born in 1916 in Santurce, Puerto Rico. Though he was transplanted from school to the workforce to supplement his family's wages, he later returned to sing in the school choir and also learned English. Still, he was living on his own by the age of 14 and joined the local Trio Lírico for several years. Like many of his countrymen, Santos made the move to New York in the mid-'30s, and impressed Puerto Rican songwriter Pedro Flores with his reading of the maestro's "Amor Perdido."
By 1938, Daniel Santos was performing and recording with the Flores Quartet, with whom he recorded most of his early hits: "Tú Serás Mía," "Venganza," "Esperanza Inútil," "Perdón," "Irresistible," and the definitive version of Flores' best composition, "Despedida." After Miguelito Valdés left Xavier Cugat's Orchestra for a solo career in 1942, Santos hopped from Flores into Cugat's famous orchestra, but soon after, he was drafted to serve in the military.
Santos returned from war with a renewed sense of purpose for his singing career. He began recording and writing patriotic material, working in conjunction with Pedro Ortiz Dávila on "Los Patriotas." Beginning in 1946, he spent much time performing in Cuba and was inspired to write dozens of songs, one of which ("Sierra Maestra") was broadcast by Castro during the Movimiento 26 de Julio. By 1961, however, Santos grew wary of the movement, specifically the policy of training children to fight in the army. He continued performing in the United States as well as Latin America, performing his most famous songs and relating many anecdotes concerning his wild private life (during his early years, he'd reportedly spent time in jails all over the continent). He was living in quiet retirement in Florida at his death from a heart attack in 1992.
© John Bush /TiVo
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Tercia De Ases, Vol. 4
Daniel Santos, Olimpo Cardenas, Julio Jaramillo
World - Released by IMT Records on 1 Jan 2019
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Éxitos De Oro
Daniel Santos, La Sonora Matancera
World - Released by Fania on 1 Jan 1959
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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La Cantina
Daniel Santos, Julio Jaramillo
Latin America - Released by 2015 Discos Continental, S.A. de C.V. on 1 Jul 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
La Voz de Siempre
Classical - Released by Multimusic México on 2 Aug 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Homenaje a Jose Alfredo
World - Released by WM Mexico on 1 Apr 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
En la Cantina
Daniel Santos, Julio Jaramillo
Classical - Released by Teca Music on 1 Oct 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Daniel Doroteo de los Santos Betancourt
World - Released by White Room Music on 7 Jun 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Los Éxitos Románticos Del Jefe
World - Released by YOYO USA, Inc. on 1 Jan 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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La Cantina en Vivo
Daniel Santos, Julio Jaramillo
Bolero - Released by DISCOMODA on 6 Nov 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
15 Exitos
Daniel Santos, La Sonora Matancera
World - Released by Eben Entertainment on 18 Mar 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Santos y Conjunto Clásico: Santos y Contreras
Daniel Santos, Orlando Contreras
World - Released by Preludio Soluciones on 20 Sep 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
El Disco de Oro: Daniel Santos
World - Released by GCM - Matrak on 1 Feb 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Daniel Santos "El Anacobero"
World - Released by 2024 Artyvoz Digital on 29 Feb 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tercia De Ases, Vol. 3
Daniel Santos, Julio Jaramillo, Olimpo Cardenas
World - Released by IMT Records on 1 Jan 2019
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Frente A Frente
Daniel Santos, Bienvenido Granda
World - Released by Musart-Balboa on 26 Aug 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -