El cantante (2006)

The life story of Hector Lavoe who started the salsa movement in 1975 and brought it to the United States.

Director:

Leon Ichaso

Writers:

Leon Ichaso (screenplay), David Darmstaeder (screenplay),

Stars:

Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez, John Ortiz

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Marc Anthony	...	Hector Lavoe
Jennifer Lopez	...	Puchi
John Ortiz	...	Willie Colon
Manny Perez	...	Eddie
Vincent Laresca	...	Ralph
Federico Castelluccio	...	Jerry Masucci
Nelson Vasquez	...	Johnny Pacheco
Antone Pagan	...	Papo
Romi Dias	...	Priscilla
Jared Everleth	...	Tito (4 yrs.)
Bernard Hernandez	...	Tito (7 yrs.)
Christopher Becerra	...	Tito (12-15 yrs.)
Andrea Navedo	...	Zaida
Ismael Miranda	...	Hector's Father
Tito Allen	...	Singer

Storyline

The rise and fall of salsa singer, Héctor Lavoe (1946-1993), as told from the perspective of his wife Puchi, who looks back from 2002. In the early 1960s, Héctor arrives in New York from Ponce, Puerto Rico. Success comes quickly. "The more he grew as an artist," Puchi says, "the more he sank as a person." It's a tale of talent - creating salsa with Willie Colón, with the Fania All Stars, and as a soloist - and a story of disintegration - fueled by drugs, alcohol, partying, and depression. Puchi's voice - proud and querulous - dominates off-stage as Héctor's does on.

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Plot Keywords:

1970s | dance | title spoken by character

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Taglines:

America discovered him. One woman understood him. But no one could save him from himself....

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for drug use, pervasive language and some sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [jp] Official site [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

Spanish English

Release Date:

3 August 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Who Killed Hector Lavoe?

Filming Locations:

New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$3,202,035 (USA) (3 August 2007)

Gross:

$7,556,004 (USA) (28 September 2007)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nuyorican Productions, R-Caro Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min 116 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The title translates in English as "The Singer".

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Goofs

In the scene where Hector Perez signs his contract with Jerry Masucci, and is given the name Hector La Voe. Willie Colon is standing behind him. On the wall behind Willie is a framed album cover of "The Hustler", the second album they made together. At this point in the story they have not yet recorded together.

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Quotes

Puchi: What's the first thing you're gonna do?
Hector Lavoe: What?
Puchi: When you're famous, silly.
Hector Lavoe: Why are you so sure that I'm gonna be famous?
Puchi: Because I know these things, that's why.

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Connections

Referenced in The Sound and the Heat of El Cantante (2007)

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Soundtracks

"Soy Boricua"
Written by Robert Anglero
Performed by Bobby Valentin
Published by Fania Music (BMI)
Courtesy of Emusica Records, LLC

User Reviews

Hector Lavoe's life on the big screen

I knew very little about Hector Lavoe or his music before seeing this film and I must admit that apart from knowing a few of his songs, I still can't say that I know the man or why he was the way he was. The film almost glorified his tragic lifestyle and choices but gave us no real insight into what motivated the man.

I take the film 'Ray' as an example. We go deep into Ray's childhood to understand why he does what he does, positive and negative, and why he thinks and feels the way he does. We never see Hector as a child, I don't know what happened to his mother and never get a sense of the relationship between him and his father.

Honestly, and sadly, this film doesn't make me see Hector Lavoe the man or the even Hector Lavoe, the musical genius. From the first sequence, this film was about a drug addict who also sang who was named Hector Lavoe.

I think he deserved more than that.

With that said, the music is very well done and there were flashes of brilliance but there was too much quick cutting and jumping away from dramatic moments. It's fine if you wanted the music sequences to be fast paced but even dramatic moments were rushed along and stylized to the point of taking me out of the film.

Good film but poorly directed and not a classic which, like I said, Hector deserved better. He deserved the full 'Ray' treatment of this being a shining testament to his genius and not a movie about Puchi's husband.