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Ismael Rivera: El Sonero Mayor

Ismael Rivera, also known as ‘Maelo’ or El Sonero Mayor, was an Afro Puerto Rican singer and composer of salsa music. He is recognized as foundational to salsa for his strong emotional effect and his skill with soneo, or vocal improvisation.

Black and white screen painting of a 5 by 5 grid of Ismael Rivera's face painted on a red wall. White paint drops down over the lines of the grid. Green graffiti text is visible at the bottom overlapping with the bottom row of the grid
Serigrafía sobre pared / Screen printing on wall. Learn more about Ismael Rivera, the first Black singer to appear singing on national television in Puerto Rico and whose music speaks against racism.

Photo by -PMC-, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0, Flickr.

Maelo was born in Santurce, the largest neighborhood in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1931. He worked as a shoeshiner and construction worker while playing music. He began playing percussion for Conjunto Monterrey de Munchito Muley in 1948 before singing with the Orquesta Panamericana in 1952. Maelo was the lead singer for Cortijo y su Combo from 1954 to 1962, performing music like bomba and plena with Rafael Cortijo on radio and television. These were Afro Puerto Rican musical genres, and Maelo was the first Black singer to appear singing on national television in Puerto Rico. From the beginning of his career, Maelo’s music has spoken out against racism against Black Puerto Ricans.

Songs like “El negro bembón,” which brings to light racist police brutality in Puerto Rico, demonstrate how Maelo used his music, his role as El Sonero Mayor, and the all-Black ensemble Cortijo y su Combo to speak out about racial politics. For Maelo, salsa was a way to show the world through music that Blackness is vital to Puerto Rican identities while critiquing racial stereotypes.

While Maelo performed across Las Américas, his experience in New York City brought him his reputation as El Sonero Mayor and many performance experiences with his band. He performed in the famous Palladium Ballroom with Cortijo y su Combo. In the 1960s, he gained the reputation of El Sonero Mayor. Some say this title was awarded to him after performing at the Bronx Casino by owner Ángel Maceda, while others believe it was gifted by Benny Moré at a rehearsal at the Escambrón.

Maelo was briefly incarcerated in Puerto Rico for drug charges, resulting in a four-year hiatus from music-making. An important effect of this was that Cortijo y su Combo split into El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico. Upon his release Maelo returned to Puerto Rico and formed his own band, Ismael Rivera y sus Cachimbos. They debuted in 1968 and lasted for eight years. He then spent time performing as a soloist, culminating in his legendary song “Las Caras Lindas” written by Tite Curet Alonso. Maelo died in 1987 from a heart attack after a struggle with vocal illness.

Maelo’s fans, who call themselves maeleros and maelistas, have formed communities around Maelo’s music because they find that it reflects their everyday lives. Today, a street in Santurce is named Calle Ismael Rivera to honor the great Maelo. There is also a statue and plaque dedicated to Ismael Rivera in Plaza de los Salseros in Villa Palmeras, also in Santurce. Maelo’s distinctive voice and ability to connect with his audiences while advocating for Afro Puerto Ricans has made him a memorable and vital icon to salsa history and its ongoing communities.

This article was researched and written by Hermán Luis Chávez, NCPE Intern, Cultural Resources Office of Interpretation and Education.

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Last updated: August 2, 2023