Manuel "Manolín" González Hernández, is a Cuban timba and salsa songwriter, singer, and band leader. Manolín was an amateur songwriter, when NG La Banda's leader José Luis "El Tosco" Cortés discovered him at medical school and famously dubbed him "El Médico de la Salsa".
Manolín's music was as different from Charanga Habanera as Charanga Habanera was from NG La Banda. His creative team included several arrangers, including pianist Luis Bu and Chaka Nápoles. Manolín's rhythm section was one of the most popular in Cuba. Manolín's unprecedented earning power had an seismic impact on the timba scene, causing a level of excitement among musicians that had not been seen since the 1950s, if ever.
"El médico de la Salsa" had many conflicts with the Cuban government, ultimately leading to his famous chorus "El puente," and his subsequent flight from Cuba.[2] He was a legal resident of Miami, Florida for some time. As of 2013, Manolín has moved back to Cuba, and has been touring the island with Pachito Alonso y su Kini-Kini.
