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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZNIEVES, Tito(b Humberto Nieves, 4 June 1958, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico) A leading Salsa singer since the late 1980s. The family moved to Brooklyn when he was two; his father played guitar with trios and his uncle was a composer and musician. Tito studied bass, guitar and drums; turned pro '75 singing with Orquesta Cimarrón (co-led by lead singer Rafael de Jesús) followed by work with Héctor Lavoe. He first recorded as lead singer with Puerto Rican composer Johnny Ortiz's band Taibori on Johnny Ortiz y Taibori '79 on Fania; then composer/producer Ramon Rodriguez hired him to provide lead vocals on New Generation Presenta Julio Castro y Orquesta La Masacre '79 on TTH, the debut album by bandleader, conguero, flautist, singer composer and producer Julio Castro and his Orquesta La Masacre, and became a founding member of Conjunto Cl sico with Rodriguez and executive prod./percussionist/chorus singer Raymond Castro, appearing on eight of the band's albums on Lo Mejor: Los Rodriguez '79, Felicitaciones '80, Si No Bailan Con Ellos, No Bailan Con Nadie '81, Clásicas de Clásico '82, Las Puertas Abiertas '83, El Panadero '85, Llego La Ley '85 and Asi Es Mi Pueblo '86. Nieves signed with Ralph Mercado's RMM label and made his solo debut on The Classic '88, with the hit 'Sonambulo'. His follow-up Yo Quiero Cantar '89 spawned single 'I'll Always Love You', the first English-lyric salsa song to top the Puerto Rican charts, and with assistance from WBLS disc jockey Frankie Crocker a crossover hit on some NYC dance stations. Reviving salsa in English was Tito's idea: 'When I first mentioned it to Ralph Mercado, he told me that English lyrics had passed already and he didn't think it would work,' said Nieves in an interview with Rudolph Mangual. But he knew there were salseros who did not speak Spanish, and others (like his own 14-year-old son) who spoke both languages but preferred English. Nieves had another salsa in English hit in NYC with the single 'How Do You Keep The Music Playing', included on Déjame Vivir '91, featuring a duet with Alexandra, a female singer then with merengue group the New York Band. His '88-91 albums and Rompecabeza/The Puzzle '93 were produced and directed by Sergio George, RMM's staff producer, music director and arranger 1988-94: 'We work so well together that I decided to move to New Jersey and ended up around the block from Sergio. We go back to my days with Conjunto Clásico.' RMM dispatched Nieves to PR to make Un Tipo Común '95 with one of the island's foremost producers, trombonist Cuto Soto, and leading session musicians and chorus vocalists. He also participated in all-star RMM sets Combinacion Perfecta '93, Familia RMM en Vivo '94, recorded live at Miami Arena October '93, and RMM Tropical Tribute To The Beatles '96; he guested on trumpeter Charlie Sepulveda's Watermelon Man on Tropijazz and on La Junglia Latina '96 on Soho by the hip-hop outfit Tres Equis, both '96. I Like It Like That '97 on RMM compiled his salsa tracks in English with the classic boogaloo title track and Joe Cuba's '66 smash 'Bang Bang', both remixed in house versions by DJ Bobby D'Ambrosio; the title track topped some R&B radio charts and was used in a Burger Chef advertising campaign. |