Daniel Santos

Legendary singer, composer, and all around entertainer who appeared occasionally in films, and whose music has been featured in the soundtracks of several movies. Considered one of the most important and influential Latin recording personalities of the XX century, Daniel's voice had a unique timbre which was totally different from other Latin crooners of any era. That special voice, along with a most personal singing style, made him a success on radio and on juke boxes everywhere. His beginnings were very humble in Puerto Rico, his birth land. His father was a carpenter who seldom worked, while his mother was a low-payed seamstress working from home. In the late 1920s, the family moved to New York City looking for better opportunities which seldom materialized. Little Daniel hit the streets as a shoe-shiner in order to help with the family income. According to several sources, at age 14 Daniel left home for good upon discovering he had a singing talent. He started earning a modest living as a vocalist in little known musical groups that performed mainly at Puerto Rican birthday parties and weddings. In the 1930s he was hired by more reputable bands such as Trio Lírico and the Cuban Conjunto Yumurí which were the headliners at the Cuban Casino. It was there that famous Puerto Rican musician and composer Pedro Flores heard Daniel and was quite impressed by the young vocalist. Mr. Flores invited him to join his Pedro Flores Quartet and soon was writing songs suitable for Daniel's unique sound. Great success followed and by the early 1940s Daniel Santos' name was strong enough to sign a solo recording contract without abandoning his connection to Mr. Flores. The collaboration yielded several hit records including the iconic "Despedida" (Farewell) inspired by the thousands of Puerto Ricans who were enlisted by Uncle Sam to fight in World War II. In the lyrics, the departing soldier bids farewell to his friends, his sweetheart, and finally to his mother, wondering if he'll ever see her again. The impact on audiences was astounding and "Despedida" became Daniel's signature song. It also had a profound political impact since many Puerto Ricans began questioning their involvement in a war they could not understand, nor the fact they had to fight it for The United States in far away countries. From then on, Daniel became associated with the movement for the independence of Puerto Rico and was quite vocal about the cause. In 1941, Daniel was asked by Xavier Cugat to join his orchestra as a substitute for departing vocalist Miguelito Valdés. Daniel accepted promptly, but his association with Cugat did not last long. By the end of the year Daniel was recruited by the U.S. Army and the song "Despedida" became a reality in his own life. He was sent to Maui and later to Okinawa as part of the U.S. Army Infantry but there is no evidence that he did any actual fighting. In later years he claimed to "have been saved from the front lines" by his "ability to sing and play the guitar" but that never changed his dislike for the military which grew more bitter after experiencing in the service the same racism extended to all minorities by the establishment. At the end of the war, he went back to New York intending to relaunch his career. Pedro Flores was eagerly awaiting him with new songs to record including "Linda" but by then Daniel's personal life, which had never been exemplary, made a turn for the worse. Women, alcohol and drugs became a central part of his life and, strangely, it all added to his celebrity. In spite of it all "Linda", inspired by one of Daniel's many girlfriends, became a huge hit that remained forever in his repertoire. Beginning in 1946 Daniel started a long residency in Havana, Cuba where he was offered a contract to sing on radio broadcasts. First at RHC Cadena Azul and later at Radio Suaritos, his voice reached all over the island turning him into a true radio superstar. It was at this time that a radio announcer started calling him "el inquieto anacobero" or "the restless devil", a nick name that stuck with audiences and remained with him for the rest of his life. Havana was then the show business capital of Latin America and the working opportunities for talented vocalists were boundless in the many night clubs, casinos and theaters. Daniel became an integral part of Havana's glamorous, if often frantic, night scene, but his biggest break came in 1950 when he was signed by Radio Progreso to sing and record with the ever popular big band Sonora Matancera. His recordings with that musical ensemble produced several hits which made Daniel's voice enormously popular from Argentina to Mexico. He was now an internationally celebrated artist and one of the highest paid entertainers in the American continent. One of his biggest fans in Havana was no less than the President of Cuba, Carlos Prío Socarrás, who invited Daniel to perform at several official events and even had him for an informal dinner at his home. This newly found fame and financial bonanza plunged the singer into all kinds of excesses. About this time he was arrested by Havana police for possession of an illegal substance although many observers ventured that the real reason was Daniel romancing the wife of the Chief of Police. Whatever the reason, the singer was dumped in jail and was awaiting to see a judge when the President intervened granting him a presidential pardon. This protection ended abruptly in 1952 when President Prío Socarrás was ousted in a military coup led by Colonel Fulgencio Batista. It was clear to Daniel that he was no longer safe in Cuba and he decided to leave the island for good. Undaunted, Daniel went into an extended tour of Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Colombia where he was an uncontested idol. His performances in Guayaquil, Ecuador, also added to his legend when he lost his voice causing a riot among his audience, but he later returned and sang non-stop for three hours to delirious public acclaim. Continuing his tumultuous life style, he was arrested in the Dominican Republic after a violent brawl at a bar, and such incidents followed the singer throughout his career. In 1957 Daniel openly supported the cause of the Cuban Revolution by composing and recording "Sierra Maestra" an ode to the fighting rebels led by Fidel Castro in the Sierra Maestra mountains, donating all the profits of the record sales to Castro and his minions. After the triumph of the Revolution in 1959, he went back to Havana and had a hero's welcome by the new regime. However, always independent and rebellious, not long after his triumphant return, he sensed that a ruthless communist dictatorship was being instituted in the island. Fearless as usual, Daniel personally confronted Raúl Castro and Ernesto "Che" Guevara, accusing them of deceiving him and the Cuban people. Soon after he left Cuba never to return. Daniel Santos continued recording and touring the Americas during the 1960s and 1970s always returning to his beloved Puerto Rico where he kept supporting the cause of independence. During his long career, apart from the many scandals, Daniel was celebrated for his generosity contributing money and his talent to several charities that benefited the sick, the needy and, especially, men in prison. By the early 1980s his health deteriorated and he decided to settle down with his twelfth wife in Ocala, Florida where he purchased a ranch he named "Anacobero Ranch" and a neighborhood supermarket he personally attended. On certain occasions he returned to singing and accepted gigs, which became less and less frequent, in Colombia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, New York, and Los Angeles. It all came to a sudden halt on November 27, 1992 when his heart stopped beating at his Ocala home. By his own request he was buried in San Juan, Puerto Rico at the Santa María Pazzi Cemetery where his tomb is located not far from his mentor Pedro Flores and from Albizu Campos, the leader of the independence movement in Puerto Rico. After his departure, books have been written about his extraordinary life and he has been the subject of documentaries and television specials while his recordings are in constant release.The legend that is Daniel Santos does not seem to be ending soon.