The Singer (50th Anniversary) (Remastered 2026) Digital Album

Puerto Rican singer Cheo Feliciano moved with his family to New York City as a teen in 1952. After performing with various bands as a percussionist, he eventually landed a spot in Joe Cuba’s band as a singer where he quickly became a favorite. He remained in the Cuba’s band until 1967, then took time to participate in rehab. By 1971, Feliciano signed a recording contract with Vaya (a Fania subsidiary) and became a member of the Fania All Stars. His albums with Vaya were major successes, and by 1976, he recorded his sixth solo album The Singer. Recorded in New York, under the direction of Fania co-founder Johnny Pacheco, the album included the participation of heavy hitters in the studio with Papo Lucca on piano, Jorge Millet on vibes, Eddie “Gua Gua” Rivera on bass, Nicky Marrero on timbales, Roberto Roena on bongos, Johnny Rodriguez on conga, Ismael Quintana on percussion, Louis “Perico” Ortiz on trumpet and Barry Rogers and Tom Malone on trombones. We can't forget the coro singers, which included Rubén Blades, Tito Allen and Adalberto Santiago. Three songs were written by long-time friend and collaborator Tite Curet Alonso who would have been 100 years-old this year (“Salsaludando,” “Domitila,” and “Felicitaciones”). There are also a couple of tracks by Rubén Blades ("Es muy facil" and "No vuelvo mas"), but the unmistakable hit and now classic on the album is the opening track “Canta,” a seven-minute dreamy romantic bolero with a cha-cha-cha rhythm.“Salsaludando” is a salute to Venezuela from Puerto Rico and it’s an exciting hard salsa jam, which is followed by the uniquely funky romantic bolero “Incomparable.” It’s a truly fun album that takes you from upbeat salsa, bomba, merengue to smooth boleros, showing off Cheo’s talent and range. The Singer has been remastered and releasing as a digital (standard & hi-res audio) reissue in celebration of its 50th anniversary.