Roberto “Bobby” Valentín (born on June 9, 1941) is a legendary Puertorrican musician and bandleader, known in the salsa scene as “El Rey del Bajo” (“The King of Bass”). Originally a self-taught musician, Valentín relocated to the US in 1956 with his family and went on to study music at George Washington High School during his teenage years. After a brief stint playing bass in salsa ensembles, he debuted as a bandleader in 1965 and released his studio debut Young Man With A Horn through Fania Records. He went on to release a stint of successful singles during the early 70s, most notably “Huracán,” “Soy Boricua,” and “Jíbaro y la Naturaleza.” Following his departure from Fania in 1975, Valentín created his own label, Bronco Records, through which he released Va a la Cárcel Vol. 1 & 2, two live albums recorded in a Puertorrican prison that were released that same year. During the 1980s, his fruitful partnership with singers Carlos “Cano” Estremera and Rafu Warner spawned the hits “El Gato,” “Cuando Uno Se Enamora,” and “El Caimán.” Estremera left the band in 1985 to pursue a solo career, after which Valentín released two Spanish covers that became huge hits: “Amor a Medio Tiempo” (Stevie Wonder’s “Part Time Lover) in 1986 and “Yo No Te Dejo de Amar” (Michael Jackson’s “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You”) in 1988. Valentín’s releases during the 90s were few and far between, with Como Nunca (1990) and Symbol of Prestige (1996) as the most obvious highlights. The turn of the century found the bandleader still going strong and collaborating with salsa artists Néstor Sánchez, Luigi Texidor, and Frankie Hernández for 2000’s La Gran Reunión, which was followed by Mi Ritmo Es Bueno (2016) and the Latin Jazz-inspired Mind of A Master (2018).
