Tribute to salsa legend José Luis “Cheo” Feliciano (1935, Puerto Rico) presented by Top Stop Music. During his career, Feliciano gained many accolades and was most notably referred to as the giant of the salsa genre he so well represented. He made a name for himself in New York as a musician and singer. In the heyday of New York’s thriving salsa scene in the 1970s, he sang with the long-running Fania All Stars. His music embodied the rhythm of Puerto Ricans living in New York City and his lyrics helped tell their collective story as migrants. “Cheo was one of the most important stalwarts and forces of our music,” said Juan Moreno Velazquez, a New York-based journalist who has written biographies of salsa’s biggest stars.
On 17 April 2014, Cheo died tragically in a fatal car accident in Puerto Rico. The passing of this icon left an immense pain throughout Latin America and his home country. Considered salsa royalty, Feliciano was awarded a Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.