Hector Lavoe Movie

[Karlosism]

Apperantly Marck Anthony will be portraying Hector Lavoe, best salsa singer ever, in an upcomming movie w/ his wife as his wife. Cool...I gues I can kinda see him doing that role..what do you think?

[peachexploration]

We've been hearing this buzz over a year now. I think it would fine with Marc Anthony as the lead. My only hope is that they (movie makers) stay true to the music/his life and not the sensatinalized hollywood idea or diminish it with the supposed hollywood draw. Meaning big hollywood names does not necesarily mean good movies as we've seen in the past. I would love to see it in almost documentary form. :)

[DeeplyDippy]

I also read about this today. The working title is meant to be "Who Killed Hector Lavoe ?"

And it's also meant to star Mrs Marc Antony (J Lo).

But, reading an on-line biography, he died of Aids ? I read that he fell or was pushed off a balcony but that he survived. So, I'm confused :D

[peachexploration]

There's a biography of his life here :arrow: salsacentro.com/hectorlavoe.htm

[clemente]

I also read about this today. The working title is meant to be "Who Killed Hector Lavoe ?"

And it's also meant to star Mrs Marc Antony (J Lo).

But, reading an on-line biography, he died of Aids ? I read that he fell or was pushed off a balcony but that he survived. So, I'm confused :D

Both are true :D

He fell out of a building (apparently nobody knows quite what happened, but it was probably a suicide) in Puerto Rico after a concert in 1988, severly injuring himself, but surviving. He had been diagnosed with AIDS that same year, due to his drug use.

He died a few years later of AIDS.

While I have misgivings about the casting, I sincerely hope that this movie does justice to one of salsa's greatest soneros, who had a terrible life.

[peachexploration]

....While I have misgivings about the casting, I sincerely hope that this movie does justice to one of salsa's greatest soneros, who had a terrible life.Me too, Clemente. :)

[borikenSalsero]

Clemente, Love your Avatar!

BTW. It indeed was an attempt to take his life.

[MistressMambo]

Did anyone see the play in NYC "Quien Mato a Hector Lavoe"? It was a great play!! 98% of it was in Spanish.

Domingo Quinones played Hector Lavoe and did an AWESOME job at it! Kevin Ceballos was one of the background singers.

[clemente]

BTW. It indeed was an attempt to take his life.

Wow. Do you know why? And who?

[salsero23]

I'm just recently finding out about hector lavoe. This guy can sing. I did a search right here at salsa forums about super mario's music on his website and 2 of my favorite songs happened to be hector lavoe's. After that my friend gave me his fania legends cd's and i was very impressed with his voice and substance to his songs. You can feel the emotion he puts into his songs. Poor guy. Who killed hector lavoe indeed? I can't wait. :D

[Rey de la Pista]

BTW. It indeed was an attempt to take his life.

Wow. Do you know why? And who?

Not as in murder, but as in suicide. Boriken was saying that it was an attempt to take his own life.

[peachexploration]

In celebration of his birthday today:

The Triumph and Tragedy of Hector Lavoe

September 30,1946-June 29,1993
Excerpts taken from article compiled by: Eileen Torres
Salsamagazine.com

Hector Juan Perez was born September 30, 1946 in Ponce, Puerto Rico, one of eight children. Luis Perez who played guitar with local trios and orchestras gave musical instruction to son Hector. Luis later enrolled Hector in the Juan Morel Campos Music School. His father had dreams of Hector becoming a great saxophonist. Although Hector learned the fundamentals of Spanish music, he soon lost interest in the instrument. He felt he did not play well.

As a youngster, Hector spent much of his time at the radio listening to and singing along to jibaro (Puerto Rican folk style or country) music. Hector dreamed of becoming a singer. As a youngster, Hector's favorite singers were Chuito El de Bayamon. Odilio Gonzalez, and Daniel Santos whose voices and styles he imitated. Other singers that greatly influenced Hector were fellow Poncenos, Cheo Feliciano and Ismael Rivera, and the clear voiced Ismael Quintana.

Unknown to his father, Hector would hang out with local musicians. By the age of 14, Hector was earning money as a singer in a 10-piece band in Puerto Rico. Eighteen dollars a night was good pay in 1960 for a fourteen-year-old to earn doing something he loved. Against his father's wishes Hector arrived in New York on May 3, 1963 at the age of 17.

Shortly after his arrival, his boyhood friend, Roberto Garcia now living in New York, invited him to attend a rehearsal of a sextet that was forming. The vocalist was singing Tus Ojos. He wasn't doing a very good job so Hector suggested he try it another way. He sang the tune so the singer could make the necessary adjustments. The band immediately made Hector their lead singer. A local promoter took Hector Perez under his wing. He wanted Hector to become a star. Hector admired Felipe Rodriguez a famous singer of romantic ballads. Rodriguez was nicknamed La Voz (the voice). In that vein, the promoter christened Hector with the stage name Lavoe, a derivative of La Voz.

In the 60s, Hector spent much of his time touring the Latin music scene. He later met and worked for two weeks with the great Dominican bandleader, Johnny Pacheco. Pacheco introduced Hector to a young, up-and-coming bandleader named Willie Colon. Willie was playing Latin jazz and boogaloo. The established musicians of the time considered Willie a kid with a bad sound. Pacheco was getting ready to have Colon record his first album for the Fania label. Willie who was looking for a lead singer liked Hector's clear voice, impeccable enunciation and stylistic abilities. In addition, Hector had an enormous talent for improvisation. That introduction led to a very successful musical union--one that was nearly instantaneous.
This collaboration would produce signature songs such as “El Cantante”, a ten minute song written by Ruben Blades with its beautiful symphonic arrangement and "Mi Gente", which has been recorded a number of times by Hector and when one listens carefully, they discover lyrics in the soneo that are fitting for different occasions.

On June 29, 1993, Hector Lavoe, El Cantante de los Cantantes lost his battle with AIDS. The Salsa world mourned his death. Outside Saint Cecilia's church on East 106 Street, thousands of fans gathered and serenaded Lavoe's spirit with some of his most memorable hits. A multitude of people walked in procession to the cemetery only to be greeted by hundreds already there.

Hector Lavoe was truly a legend in his own time. He has been a great inspiration to many of today's young singers. To this day, there are still very few who can match his ability as a sonero. He set a standard to which others may aspire.

Hector's music is timeless and classic. It lives on and continues to gain popularity. His spirit lives within each of us whom he touched through his great talent and art. His spirit is as alive today as he was when he inhabited the earth. Thank you Hector, for the joy you brought and continue to bring to us. Our love for you has not diminished. You are as real to us in death as you were in life.


http://www.salsacentro.com/images/Hector.Lavoe.jpeg

[irMaxSALSA]

It should have been Benicio del Toro.

He is the spanish actor from the movie Traffic and many other great hits.

He has the hair and the perfect look for the role.

Mark better put some weight on. Dude is tooooooo skinny for Lavoe.

[MacSalsero]

Mark better put some weight on. Dude is tooooooo skinny for Lavoe.

i agree with you there :D

[DeeplyDippy]

Just read a review that says J.Lo has done an excellent job in this film. She plays Lavoe's wife while Lavoe is played by Marc Anthony.

[Pachito]

Gente chequeen siempre en www.endi.com ahi encontraran en las versiones anteriores del periodico, todo lo relaccionado a la filmacion del rodaje de la pelicula estelarizada, por Marc y Jlo, la vida de el Cantante de los Cantantes....

los quiero de gratis

"Porque no puedo ser feliz?.. Si a cada instante en todo me brindo...
Y de mi vida lo mejor
Yo a ti te lo entregué...
Volví a quedarme otravéz sin nada
porque no puedo ser feliz?
si lo deseo con el alma....

[salsachinita]

It should have been Benicio del Toro.

YESSSSSSS.....!!!!!!

[salcero2005]

I didn't see the play in NYC, but I'm looking forward to this movie. I heard the couple put some of their own money up to make it.

[irMaxSALSA]

The play in NYC was excellent. They have to bring it back.

Hopefully Marc will do Lavoe justice.

And hopefully Jennifer will stay humble and try not to upstage Marc with her usual cutey pie big butt crap.

I still say Benicio del Toro is the man for the part.

[borikenSalsero]

The play in NYC was excellent. They have to bring it back.

Hopefully Marc will do Lavoe justice.

And hopefully Jennifer will stay humble and try not to upstage Marc with her usual cutey pie big butt crap.

I still say Benicio del Toro is the man for the part.

Del Toro can't sing. At least with Marc you know you get a "crack-head" look-a-like that can put just as much passion from his veins into the lyrics as Lavoe. I think Mac will do him great justice.

Marc might not be as good a sonero as Lavoe, but I wouldn't bet my house that Lavoe could jump in and out of any note that Marc can't parallel or surpass.

Give marc big 70s hair, a white suit, and some glasses and he is lavoe.

[tcfunnybone]

I just had to brag... I was visiting San Juan for my very first time, and came upon Marc Antony & J.Lo filming their movie (a pool party scene) at my hotel! Granted, I'm anti-J.Lo, but still a little starstruck (more so by Marc, than the wifey)!

[Karlosism]

I was watching "Ray" earlier this week and I realized how much dedication Jamie Foxx devoted to the role of ray charles..He even acted blind for most of it, gained weight, etc, studied his vocals..he gave it, from what I saw, 100%...hence why it was soo good...I was thinking how shameful it would be if Marc Anthony doesn't do that and just half-ass the acting, singing,prducing, financing etc since lavoe was a charater himself aswell... Im'm just saying this since I hear he refused to gain weight, depict his relationships to women truthfully (what I mean by that is that I hope he didn't emphasize one relationship over the other to give more screen time to his own beloved),etc...
I mean the movie itself has to be more than good it has to be great for sole reason that 99.9% of the world doesn't know who Lavoe is...

[JaneMas]

Sadly marc will be using his voice instead of lipsyncing. It would be a tragedy to attempt play Hector in a movie and have the character sound like MARC ANTHONY!

RAUL CARBONELL JR.
http://www.prpop.org/noticias/mar05/fotos/raul_carbonell_lavoe.jpg

HECTOR LAVOE
http://senorboriqua.net/Famous%20Puerto%20Ricans/lavoe.jpg

http://www.fuego-magazine.com/candela/2005/fall/hector-lavoe.jpg
________
Daisygirl (http://www.girlcamfriend.com/cam/Daisygirl/)

[Azera]

Apperantly Marck Anthony will be portraying Hector Lavoe, best salsa singer ever, in an upcomming movie w/ his wife as his wife. Cool...I gues I can kinda see him doing that role..what do you think?


Its an insult for a guy like Marc Anthony to play the part of Hector Lavoe. Lavoe was a king.
Dont get me wrong, Marc Anthony is a big star and I respect him for that. But playing Hector Lavoe in a movie has to be perfect. Can he manage? And if he does go through with it i just hope he wont add some of his own style into the character he is playing cause that would mess it all up. Honestly, when you compare these 2 guys Marc Anthony is a wannabe loser. Leave the part for someone serious Marc. And dont try to get money out of someone that was a hundred times more of an artist then you could ever be. And i could bet on all ive got that Marc anthony would never come close to wha Jamie Fox did in the movie Ray.
Ow and one more thing, what does J-Lo have to do with any of this? Spotlight is on Lavoe this time honey, not on your ass. 8)

[irMaxSALSA]

I'm sure that Marc would do justice to the movie as well as Lavoe. It's too late to think who could've done a better job. *Ahem! Del Toro!

I'm sure Marc feels the weight getting heavier on his shoulders, as a result of his huge puerto rican fan base.

He knows that if he does anything less than excellent it could hurt him, especially with his older fans.

[Claude]

I am a fanatic of classic salsa and I am allergic to romantic and contemporary salsa.

Yet, I will never understnd this prejudicial hostility towards Marc Anthony.

I mean: he happens to be a contemporary romantic salsa idol, but nobody - except himself - is able to say whether he really love Lavoe songs and copnsequentially he really be proud to interprete him in a movie.

Let's have a look at this movie and then we'll judge!!!

By the way,

In Italy this movie will come oput next year, what about the US?

[Azera]

I truly hope so too.
Wouldnt want anybody that doesnt know Lavoe to get the wrong idea.
And very very true, if he messes up hell suffer the price.
Pretty damn curious now.

[ELMALO]

The movie is set to come out in june july 0f 07 it was played at the toronto film festival it has gotten mixed reviews some people loved it others have said it wasnt that good and some people are talking oscar nods for marc and jlo

marc has done a great job with the sound track and the reason for marc not lipsinc is because of the diffrences in the voices it would not look right the changes in the voices from when marc is talking and then when he sings is a whole diffrent voice it would not work

well in this movie your going to see jlo like you have never seeing her before cursing most of the movie and doing drugs and she does get alot of air time because she is narrating the movie as puchie hectors wife by the way the movie is not called who killed hector lavoe its called el cantante the singer here is a link

youtube.com/watch?v=S3zf8EJ3Wuk













I am a fanatic of classic salsa and I am allergic to romantic and contemporary salsa.

Yet, I will never understnd this prejudicial hostility towards Marc Anthony.

I mean: he happens to be a contemporary romantic salsa idol, but nobody - except himself - is able to say whether he really love Lavoe songs and copnsequentially he really be proud to interprete him in a movie.

Let's have a look at this movie and then we'll judge!!!

By the way,

In Italy this movie will come oput next year, what about the US?

[cathyx]

So i'm new on here but about Hector Lavoe's biopic i just read it was about to be done and it wasn't done yet.... I'm confused. 8)

[peachexploration]

Welcome to Salsa Forums Cathyx. :) I heard it has been screen tested. Some good reviews and some bad. I'd rather wait to see it for myself.

[cathyx]

Thanks for your welcome peachexploration!
Your "voice" sounds like one's i know still..... 8)

[Salsera-Danij]

Benecio Del Toro does look like he could play Hector Lavoe! Isn't the name of this movie called Cantante or is that something else? I don't know about Marc's acting skills, but im not worried about the singing part. Marc is a wonderful singer!

[peachexploration]

I also think Marc is a good actor. Certainly not Benecio status but still good. He has done a few earlier roles that were okay but has anyone seen 'Man on Fire'? Very good in that and if given a chance, could be a really solid actor.

[Salsera-Danij]

Duhhh!!! I completely forgot about Man on Fire. Yea, that was a great movie and he did good in it.

Is this name of the movie called Cantante?

[peachexploration]

I'm not sure what's is called. Hmm...anyone know?

[pr]

Welcome to Salsa Forums Cathyx. :)
Ditto! :D

[JoeyE]

this looks to be an excellent movie, I cannot wait.
recently on puerto rican television they aired thr "E True hollywood Story"
the life of hector lavoe.

you can watch it in its entirety at the link below

youtube.com/watch?v=XB9QEP1h1fA&mode=related&search=

[pr]

Welcome JoeyE!!! :D

[salsabrava]

is that movie EVER coming out ??

[SALSAKID49]

Apperantly Marck Anthony will be portraying Hector Lavoe, best salsa singer ever, in an upcomming movie w/ his wife as his wife. Cool...I gues I can kinda see him doing that role..what do you think?

You mean Hector when you wrote "best salsa singer ever"...? correct?
I would not have gone gone with Marc, he has very limited acting skills.... Benito would have been a better choice since is a trained actor, where as Marc has very little training.
He's an OK POP singer but not a REAL Sonero. But he since is one of the Producer.... ;) I'm a NYRICAN and I wish both Marc and Jennifer full success in their film. The movie called "EL CANTENTE" will out in the summer of 07'
faniarecords.com/Fania/site/News.aspx?ID=2602

[El Minotauro]

SALSAKID49,

You are a very opinionated individual! :roll:

If you don't like or diagree with somebody or something you're quick to make insults! Do you feel you're "The Authority" on Salsa and everything and everybody opposed to your ponint of view "sucks?"

Just asking! Please don't unleash on me!

[SALSAKID49]

SALSAKID49,

YOU ARE A VERY OPINIONATED INDIVIDUAL! :roll:

IF YOU DON'T LIKE OR DISAGREE WITH SOMBODY OR SOMETHING YOU'RE QUICK TO MAKE INSULTS! DO YOU FEEL YOU'RE "THE AUTHORITY" ON SALSA AND EVERYTHING AND EVERYBODY OPPOSED TO YOUR POINT OF VIEW "SUCKS?"

JUST ASKING! PLEASE DON'T UNLEASH ON ME!


Is that you MARC ANTHONY?????? :lol: :lol: :lol:

Anyway back to El Minotauro I do not KNOW what are your background or experience with SALSA MUSIC????????

BUT it's just IMHO.... In a subject I grew up & lived in....
When did I insult someone....? I did asked a question in ref: to a comment about a salsa singer....! No snide in my remarks, nor do I mean any harm to someone in what I say. It's my POV in what I read, see and feel when it comes to the LATIN MUSIC (SALSA) THAT I grew up in and got to experience in NYC during my youth. So are WE to agree on someone's idea/belief on what they may assume to be true.....? :roll: :lol:

[botijana]

The El Cantante movie will be exciting because of the music and the 20 million dollars invested, but like everything we see and taste for the 1st time, after viewing it 1 or 2 times I'm sure everyone will agree the story is not the true story of Hector Lavoe which does an injustice to the facts. No matter how good the music may sound we would of preferred a better script then Jlo's the hollywood lie-fantasy-version of one horrible selfish/drug/controlling wife who was never a contributor to the music.

Here's the one I'm waiting for........

imdb.com/gallery/ss/0811069/Ss/0811069/iid_1170674.jpg?path=gallery&path_key=0811069

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k229/janemas/TheSinger.jpg

THE SINGER IS COMPLETED!

Cast (in alphabetical order)

Angel Berrios .... Don Luis Pérez
Raúl Carbonell .... Hector Lavoe
Oscar A. Colon .... Riche Bonilla
Miriam Cruz .... Angie Maisonave
María DiDomenico .... Liz
Santiago Douglas .... Joe Cuba
Melanie Felton .... Norma Pérez
Luz M. Fuentes .... Busty Girl #1
Millie Fuentes .... Busty Girl #1
Jaime García .... Pete 'El Conde' Rodriguez
Héctor González .... Masucci
Quincy Hunter .... Paramedic
India .... Priscilla Perez
Reynaldo Jorge .... Piano Player
Nicholas Kaiassas .... Drug Dealer #1
Ray De La Paz .... MC
Anibal O. Lleras .... Body Guard
Luis Lopez .... Willie Colon
Patricia Manterola .... Carmen
Chiko Mendez .... Alberto ......................

If you knew HL then you would agree Carbonell will not only look and mimic him correctly but will speak the language Hector spoke. HL was NOT proficient in english, not even conversational english.

imdb.com/gallery/hh/2064962/iid_1142546.jpg.html?path=pgallery&path_key=Lopez,%20Luis%20(V)&seq=9

[quixotedlm]

Has there ever been a salsa movie that was actually good and received good reviews? Just curious...

[peachexploration]

Probably not Q. We can be a 'hard to please' bunch sometimes. :lol: I know you've been here a while but welcome to the other side. :D

[El Caobo]

No matter how good the music may sound we would of preferred a better script then Jlo's the hollywood lie-fantasy-version of one horrible selfish/drug/controlling wife who was never a contributor to the music.

Can you please elaborate on this. I personally don't know the story of Lavoe's wife. So, please tell me what the "true" story is.

[KP-salsa]

Okay, I saw the trailer for this movie while I was in Chicago (before Pan's Labyrinth, which is an absolutely stonking movie, although a bit gorier that I expected). Has this film been released in the States yet? From the trailer, I think this could be a good movie. MA has a great voice and is, for all we know, a huge fan of Levoe's (who wouldn't be), J-Lo can be a superb actress (such as in that Steven Soderberg movie with George Clooney) and they have a fan-base outside the usual LAtin Music circles.

Whether or not this film tells the "true" story of Lavoe, what do people think that the effect will be on the public perception of Latin music in general and salsa music in particular. Will this be an "I Walk the Line" or a Movie of the Week?

Also, does anyone think this is likely to get a general release in the UK?

[salsero]

The trailer is up now at apple.com/trailers/picturehouse/elcantante/

[DeeplyDippy]

That must be serious if they stole it twice.

[KP-salsa]

Hey - wasn't there another movie about Hector Lavoe supposed to be coming out sometime soon? I've heard everyone talking about El Cantante, with El Lopez and Marc Anthony but nobody's says anything about that other one - what was it called "The Singster" or something?

Whatever happened to that film?

*EDIT: Well, now that the previous 6 posts have been moderaterified this post just looks silly * :lol:

[Swannie]

Hey - wasn't there another movie about Hector Lavoe supposed to be coming out sometime soon? I've heard everyone talking about El Cantante, with El Lopez and Marc Anthony but nobody's says anything about that other one - what was it called "The Singster" or something?

Whatever happened to that film?

LOL

No idea KP - maybe "The Singing One"?

[El Caobo]

A reliable source from Emusica, the label that bought and is remastering all the entire Fania catalog, told me that the Héctor Lavoe movie is coming out in August. He gave me the exact date, but I forgot what he said. I'm pretty sure that it was the first half of August though, maybe even the 1st.

He also told me the reasons for the delay. The movie has been completed for quite some time now, but everytime they planned to release it, they discoved that there were other "big name" movies that they did not want to compete with. It seems that the August date is for certain.

[El Caobo]

I forgot to mention that there will be a new CD coming out called "Héctor Lavoe, The Originals" (or something like that); that will have all the songs that Marc Anthony sings in the movie except they will be all the original versions by Héctor Lavoe.

[salcero2005]

I have not seen the film yet, but there are rumors that people are purchasing bootleg copies in NYC of the movie. This was a review that someone gave on another website:

BOOTLEG HECTOR LAVOE FILM ON DVD-not worth the $5.00 premieres Latin Film Festival July

Picked up the "EL CANTANTE" film on the 6 TRAIN yesterday returning home from TOMPKINS SQUARE PARK and while the quality of the DVD transfer is excellent the film itself is one of the biggest pieces of popcorn BS - that should be really called LA PUTALO since far from being a depiction of the significance of Lavoes life its Jennifer Lopez latching onto Lavoe's destructive co dependant wife Poochie.

Once again Cuban political hack LEON ICHASO has managed to stick it to the Nuyorican experience by deciding to do a bait and switch - offering a look at Lavoes life while really delivering a poor JLO vehicle.

Premiering later this month at the NY Latino International Festival the film is expected to do a little more business than Ichaso's hatchet job PINERO but not expected to last through August in NY movie theaters and two weeks max in general US release.

Theres only about a dozen people who can really tell Hector's story and that's the members of his former band: Cats like Professor Joe Torres and Congero Milton Cardona and none of them are willing to speak about the experience - not out of disgust with Hector but to allow him some privacy in death.

You can forget about people Willie Colon and promoter Ralphie Mercado (most recently featured in the LA LUPE documentary) Colon has freely admitted abandoning Lavoe in his last days and Mercado - the alleged tax evading/mob affiliated NY Promoter whose managed to drain the life out of a number of Latino musicians in the Big Apple - reportedly was one of the ones who toyed with Lavoes addiction in order to keep him controlled.

We're debating releasing scenes from the Bootleg on our public WEPAwebTV site (the whole program is running on the private 3D project)

[El Caobo]

Wow! This is by far the strongest and best articulated comments I've seen regarding the Hector Lavoe movie! I read it at another site and thought you might want to read it.


You already know what I think of this flick. You'll be able to make
your own judgement call once you see it. In terms of the movie
production itself, it's not bad. I'ts pretty darn okay considering
it took only 6 weeks to make. But what the hell do I know?

I also thought J-Lo did well in her part as Puchi. If these
characters were fictitious, they might be as memorable and become
part of the cultural landscape as a "Benny Blanco From The Bronx"
did in CARLITO'S WAY or Cesar Castillo, the older mnore business
savvy brother in THE MAMBO KINGS. But all these people being
depicted in EL CANTANTE were real life people, who were very active
in the limelight not that long ago. And if you know them or about
them, you can't help but shake your head and be like "What a crock
of ****!

The characters portraying Ralph Mercado, Jerry Masucci and Johnny
Pacheco all come off as totally one-dimensional. Marc in particular
is completely lifeless/souless as El Cantante. I've always thought
he STUNK as an actor. I've never seen him truly take a part and make
it his own in any flick he's been in. I think his greatest role was
in BIG NIGHT where he had a total of 3 words in the whole film. The
guy playing Willie Colon is especially revolting for me personally.
I wanted to jump into the screen and say "You're not Willie you
***sucker!!" lmao!

If Willie doesn't give this film three thumbs down and is pleased
with how his personal comes across in the film then we know that
Satan (Not Ralph Mercado, the other one) HAS taken over the world.
(Or he's been Body Snatched by Aliens...)

Most important of all FOR ME is not the manner that Puchi is being
portrayed (as if she were the "Yoko Ono of Salsa") or even Hector as
having single handedly sold out Madison Square Garden by himself
(which is false!). What bothers me supremely is the implication
being made that Hector LaVoe was the KING OF SALSA of his day; Was
the genius behind the fusions that were prevalent in certain hit
songs; And that a brand spanking new sound with new rhythms was
concocted between the musical approaches and musical inspiration
drawn towards Hector and Willie, with Johnny Pacheco as the
marketing guru behind the entire "Salsa" design. In other words, the
whole 70s Salsa boom was hatched in some board room on Broadway and
with a simple decree of "And we'll call it....Salsa!"

C'mon now. {*rolling eyes*}

There's a scene where Johnny Pacheco says to Willie: "YOU!....You
got that New York flavor. Mambo, Jazz, Boogaloo, Cha-Cha-Cha....and
and.....and YOU! ..." pointing to Hector, "You got that ...that
Puerto Rico flava....Bomba, Plena, RUMBA(?), MERENGUE(?!?)...".

I'm like... WTF?!? >:-\

Quite honestly, I really don't care enough about Hector LaVoe if he
becomes known only as a junkie with talent amongst an audience who
may not otherwise have known about him previous to this film. What I
do care about is how the culture is being portrayed. All the myths
and cliches we've all possibly heard of regarding LaVoe, Salsa,
Fania, etc., is in this flick.

Much like the PINERO film, the folks behind EL CANTANTE took real
life occurences, people, places and scenarios and ran with as much
creative license as possible.

I've heard all of the passes and excuses people make everytime a
latino-oriented film emerges that happens to suck royally. I'm
already tired of hearing/reading the same ol' same ol' about how a
new generation will discover "Salsa" and blah blah blah.

I say **** them! ;-)

Let the johnny-come-lately tourists buy their "I Love Salsa" coffee
mugs and T-Shirts on 43rd & 8th in between the Bagel Shop and XXX
Peep Show theater and give the REAL aficionados and enthusiasts of
this music LIKE US a REAL gosh darn high quality film based on fact
and NOT fiction. There's so many interesting events, highlights, and
anecdotes to choose from that really went down. But in order to push
the envelope and be as "Creatively Dark" (in the Hollywood sense) as
possible, Leon Ichaso/Jenniffer Lopez/David Maldonado, etc. have to
conjure up a scene implying that Willie and Hector were "intimate" (original word used by author has been editted) buddies
(Homosexuals for those of you playing at home) and ignore all of the
real historical happenings.

I think it's a shame and an embarrasment when I, a latin-
american, come to the conclusion that someone like Oliver Stone or
Spike Lee would've probably done a film on our music much more
justice than members of my own community. Eso si que ta' cabron.

And don't ask me what I REALLY REALLY think because I got a lot to
say. People don't know...

;-) lol!

[peachexploration]

It's really a shame that this movie never had a fighting chance it seems. Plagued from the start......

[El Caobo]

It's really a shame that this movie never had a fighting chance it seems. Plagued from the start.......

Yeah, it's a shame.

I will definitely be seeing the movie though.

[quixotedlm]

Anyone know why the movie showtimes are not listed on any websites yet, given that we are barely a week away from the supposed release date?

[El Caobo]

Anyone know why the movie showtimes are not listed on any websites yet, given that we are barely a week away from the supposed release date?

All I could find out was the AMC will be carring the movie. That information did not help me much, but perhaps will help someone.

[tj]

Just saw it tonight (early screening for a bunch of us salser@s). Didn't like it. They chose to only show one side of the people, so they came off as being flat and two-dimensional. And the same fights and flaws over and over again.

But hey, the music was outstanding at least! Loved Victor Manuelle's scene.

[quixotedlm]

the showtimes are out on fandango, at least for my local theatres. so all's good :)

[El Caobo]

I saw the movie.

I enjoyed it, but wasn't overly impressed.

Two things kept my expectations at a minimum:

1. The trailer announced the disclaimer that the movie was "inspired" by a true story. This kind of disclaimer gives filmakers the artistic discretion to do what they want, since they do not claim the movie to be the biography or biopic of Héctor Lavoe. In fact, I've noticed that only critics have been using the term "biopic," not the movie makers.

2. The movie portrays the events through the eyes of Héctor's wife, Puchi. This makes the movie uni-dimensional. One person could not have been omnipresent in the life of Héctor Lavoe. Also, if any two people describe a single event, undoubtedly their versions would be somewhat disparate. In the beginning of the movie, Puchi says "Yes, it's my version. If you want someone else's version let them come." That pretty much says it all. Since this was Puchi's versions of the "facts" and J-Lo consulted with her in making the film, I have to accept it as just that: Puchi's version. Willie's would be different. Pacheco's would be different. The fans' versions would be different, etcetera.

So, perhaps others will bring forth their versions of the "facts." Somewhere on the long continuum of disparate versions, many events will coincide. Yet, at the same time, at the extreme ends of that continuum there will be contradictions.

As for the production itself, I enjoyed the movie. It was well done.

[peachexploration]

Thanks for the insightful review, El Caobo. :)

[Salsabor!]

I saw the movie.

I enjoyed it, but wasn't overly impressed.

Two things kept my expectations at a minimum:

1. The trailer announced the disclaimer that the movie was "inspired" by a true story. This kind of disclaimer gives filmakers the artistic discretion to do what they want, since they do not claim the movie to be the biography or biopic of Héctor Lavoe. In fact, I've noticed that only critics have been using the term "biopic," not the movie makers.

2. The movie portrays the events through the eyes of Héctor's wife, Puchi. This makes the movie uni-dimensional. One person could not have been omnipresent in the life of Héctor Lavoe. Also, if any two people describe a single event, undoubtedly their versions would be somewhat disparate. In the beginning of the movie, Puchi says "Yes, it's my version. If you want someone else's version let them come." That pretty much says it all. Since this was Puchi's versions of the "facts" and J-Lo consulted with her in making the film, I have to accept it as just that: Puchi's version. Willie's would be different. Pacheco's would be different. The fans' versions would be different, etcetera.

So, perhaps others will bring forth their versions of the "facts." Somewhere on the long continuum of disparate versions, many events will coincide. Yet, at the same time, at the extreme ends of that continuum there will be contradictions.

As for the production itself, I enjoyed the movie. It was well done.

I agree completely after seeing it myself. And as you said about the whole inspired by a true story thing the writers did change numerous things around in the story. The whole thing in the beginning and how Hector joins Willie Colon's band. The way Lavoe inherited the band from Willie, etc was changed. Also the chronological order in which Lavoe performs the songs.

I do have one question is the song Escandalo an original for the movie?

[salcero2005]

This was a great movie for me, and I hope those that love salsa will see it and encourage others to see it. I've seen numerous biographies and there will always be critics. Seeing the big picture, hopefully this movie will enlighten many about Lavoe and spark interest in our musical genre. There were many aspects of the movie I enjoyed including the acting by Marc Anthony, the music, the story line, and seeing salseros like Edwin Rivera (portrayed Roberto Roena), Tomas Guerrero, Griselle Ponce, Chachi and others on the big screen. Hopefully, we will see more movies about salsa or with salsa music in them. :lol:

[El Caobo]

I ran into a very interesting article that was posted in a salsa related Yahoo group:

El Cantante Hits the Stars, Misses the Roots
New America Media, Commentary, Roberto Lovato, Posted: Aug 07, 2007

Editor's Note: The new movie about salsa legend Hector Lavoe has been criticized for focusing too much on its star, Jennifer Lopez, but its real omission is it fails to tell the story of the Puerto Rican community that inspired the music. Roberto Lovato is a New America Media contributing editor based in New York.


NEW YORK - For a single memorable moment, it appeared that real life and film had actually intersected in El Cantante. During the opening night at a cineplex near Times Square of the J-Lo and Marc Anthony movie about the salsa music legend Hector Lavoe, the digital film projector went out, sending the staff scrambling to fix the problem for fear of what the sellout crowd of mostly Puerto Ricans in the audience might do. There were grumblings, some whistling and calls for "refund" but in the end, enthusiasm for salsa music prevailed.

As the audience started clapping a clave (beat arrangement around which the complex, ancient rhythms & syncopations of African & Afro-Cuban music are organized) a handsome, goateed young Boricua (Puerto Rican) man in a colorful guayabera (summer shirt) got up from his seat near the front of the theater and started the call and response with "Mi Gente," one of the Lavoe songs featured in the movie. "La- la- la- la- la- la- la," called the young man, and the men, women and children in the audience, some of whom got up from their seats to dance, responded "Que baile mi gente" (let my people dance). As this went on for several minutes, you could feel how the music on-screen, and in us, still provided a sense of belonging. It was also a respite from the new Nueva Yolk, a city that is pushing poor Puerto Ricans and others out of El Bronx (now sold to salsa-dancing hipsters as "SoBro" by realtors), El Barrio (sold as "SpaHa," aka Spanish Harlem) and other neighborhoods where salsa once spilled out on the concrete bringing relief like water from a fire hydrant in August.

While the mere fact of seeing something like the salsa street fairs we grew up with on the big screen for the first time was enough to make some of our eyes watery, the film failed to tell us about the intimate link between the music and the people who were bobbing and tapping, singing and dancing, and calling and responding in the theater that night. While most reviewers criticized the movie for centering around J-Lo's character, Puchi, and not Marc Anthony's mostly drugged out Lavoe character, they failed to note the flattest characters in the movie: the Nuyoricans. There is no sense of the community that inspired Lavoe to croon in his paean to Puerto Ricanness, "Mi Gente."

Vinieron todos para oirme guarachar;
pero como soy de ustedes,
yo los invitara a cantar
(You all came to hear me sing/ but because I am of you/ I invite you to sing).

It is understandable that the movie tells the story of Lavoe and Puchi. But to do so without also telling at least part of the story of the rise and challenges of the Puerto Rican people that salsa embodies in its upbeat and often sad lyrics of love, death and politics makes El Cantante an incomplete movie at best. Spanish Harlem Latin jazz legend Eddie Palmieri once told me his aspiration had always been to "write the background music to a revolution."

A woman who owned a salsa music store in El Barrio that had been in existence for almost a decade before Lavoe, Willie Colon, Johnny Pacheco and many others ushered in the salsa era in the 1970s, told me that, "Yes, there were lots of drugs around at that time. We used to have to clear the entrance to the store because there were so many drug users. But the way that [salsa musicians] told our stories in these buildings around here and in 'El Bronx'... that was amazing. That's what made the music - "the comunidad (community). "

Longtime community activist and scholar Angelo Falcon agrees. "The movie missed a great opportunity to educate people, especially young people and the larger public, about the context of salsa," said Falcon, who, like many Nuyoricans, was active in the 1970s around the many issues (open admissions, creating Puerto Rican Studies, housing rights, Puerto Rican independence) that defined Puerto Rican identity along with the music. "They promoted [El Cantante] as a movie that would show how the music changed things, but they didn't tell us what it changed. The music fueled pride and was an integral part of the movement. The movement was also an integral part of the music. They were inseparable, but somehow the movie managed to separate them."

Still, in the end, many of us are moved and grateful that something of our reality -the intimate, smoke-filled little apartment parties packed with men and women sporting leather coats, the pre-corporate and Pentagon-sponsored salsa street fairs, the concerts only we went to- was captured for the first time in the history of big cinema. Now, at a time when Puerto Ricans and other Latinos are again marching and organizing for immigrant and other rights by the millions, it is a matter of getting history to acknowledge the intimate link between the movements of our bodies, our communities and the musica. Que Baile Mi Gente

[El Caobo]

I don't think I've seen the following article by Willie Colón here.

Here it is:

"The Creators of El Cantante missed an opportunity to do something of relevance for our community. The real story was about Hector fighting the obstacles of a non-supportive industry that took advantage of
entertainers with his charisma and talent. Instead they did another movie about two Puerto Rican junkies. The impact of drugs in the entertainment industry is nothing new; look at Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and Whitney Houston today.

I think Hector deserves the recognition the movie pretended to give him. However, as someone who advised the producers, it's painfully obvious that they didn't understand what made him so important. It was the music. It was his talent. They didn't understand or respect the true importance of this music to people around the world. It's difficult to comprehend how two individuals who are in the music business like Marc and Jennifer are not aware of the damage and the consequences of
promoting only the negative side of our Latin music culture.

I was disappointed that there wasn't a minimal effort to correct what I felt were serious chronological and factual errors. Similarly, the wrong story was told in The Capeman with disastrous economic consequences.

After the premier of El Cantante in Puerto Rico there was several statements of protest by people who had supported and participated in the project until they saw it.

Their complaints were not about sour grapes or J-lo and Marc bashing but from a sense of betrayal and disappoinment. We are all invested in the world that this movie represents. For many of us the hope of our story finally being told sank into the horizon with the final version of this film."

Willie A. Colon

[peachexploration]

And why wasn't Willie Colon a producer again? :?

[KP-salsa]

I does rather seem that this movie is getting reviewed more for what it isn't rather than what it is and, in some quarters, could be the best movie of the year and would still be slammed because of the attitude it takes to its lead characters.

Still, despite the appearance of J-Lo and MA, it will be interesting to see if it gets a general cinema release in the UK.

[numberneal]

i simply loved it just because it was about hector lavoe.

it's sad that they didn't focus more on obstacles he did overcome; but this should also serve as an impetus to the creative lavoists of the world to target other aspects of his life; batman begins was a lot better than the michael keaton batman. "lavoe" can be better than "el cantante."

nonetheless, there was so little on lavoe in the mainstream that i commend anthony and lopez for having brought any part of his story to life; now there's all kinds of specials broadcasts on the spanish network; what's i dislike is that they spin it towards the abuse and his downfall.

i'd like to see something that portrays his neighborhood life in new york, like what side jobs he had to take while he got his singing going; how he probably joked and gossiped with the urban new york city folklore; how he got inspiration for "juanita alimana," probably witnessing the lifestyles of criminals just as ruthless or hearing about them.

there was a time when all i sang and played in my car's stereo were "juanita alimana, calle luna calle sol, aguanile, timbalero, que bien te vez, etc." all that music got me through some tough times, so the movie indeed moved me;

the day after i saw the hector lavoe movie, i had "aguanile" looping in my head to the point that i had to upload my rendition:

alobravo.com/2007/08/08/hector-lavoe-movie-music-gets-me-through-workout/

[peachexploration]

Welcome to Salsa Forums, Numberneal. :)

[JaneMas]

Peach, Mr. Colon wasn't hired as director or consultant because after viewing the script and correcting chrono errors as well as events that never happened Nuyorican Productions went along and did it their way.


Yes it should have been called LA ESPOSA

1. Pacheco invents the word Salsa when he sees Willie and Hector together. Can someone tell him El Dia de Mi Suerte and many other songs do not include Cuban genres. That it was he who played 100% Cuban music/cover tunes?

2. Masucci names Hector ?Lavoe? because ?Perez? is too common? amazing, everyone else is Rodriguez, Valdez, Gomez, Gonzalez, Vasquez, ez, ez, ez, but Perez is a welfare name and La Voe means La Voz as if 2 previous singers were never named La Voz. According to Mangual, Hector was named Lavoe by Arturo Franquiz.

3. Everyone knows this Eddie guy, the supposed made up character of 5 different guys into one, who?s suppose to be his best friend was originally Cookie in the script. Cookie swore he would sue if they try to claim he was the one who introduced Hector to heroin in the bathroom scene. I guess the word got to them.

4. Taxi driver recognizes Hector Perez (not Lavoe at this point) as well known singer just as strangers do before he records with Willie Colon. Did I miss the part on how he is informed of the location of Puchi's unannounced party? Oh they show us afterwards.

5. Puchi throws girl (Carmen, his first wife) out of Fania studio during Willie?s recording session (Something Willie would never allow)? Hey they got something right....The studio is set up in the right direction with the door being on the right when facing the glass from the recording room.

6. It jumps from Puchi throwing something in Willie?s direction for the ring to the I Do?s then to the not so sure if it?s the Fania All Stars or Willie?s Band (with Pacheco in every performance from the beginning of the movie) performing in San Juan?to a dazed collection of flashbacks intended to inform the audience of what has transpired between whatever beginning point of the story to that moment?. a total misdirection/confusion. It is said the wedding did not take place like that people.

7. Never thought Marc could screw up Willie?s aguinaldos!

8. Victor Manuelle does a great RB accent in a fictitious scene! The man has a great voice. The best part of the movie was listening to VM if only to take my mind off the overdose of Jlo's presence. People Mr. Colon fought tooth and nail for the song from Ruben Blades so Hector could record it. Paula Campbell aka Paula C has the same story as Mr. Colon.

9. The El Cantante recording session started out fine, although they messed with the arrangements a bit on purpose it ended up disappointing with another interrupted drug scene.

10. Flashes of Fania and Willie?s albums must confuse the public as to who Hector played with at any given time after and before the breakup. The film does not prepare the audience well. Except for a couple of FAS flashing ads was it Hector's band? FAS? Was Hector the only FAS singer on stage? In the Buddy Holly Story and La Bamba the films gave stage to all the rock and roll artists travelling with them on the road. Was it too difficult for the Jlo camp to show other talent?

11. Ok they implied there was a possibility of a foursome that night (which to my understanding it's men switching female partners in the open) by Jlo saying ?It was normal for us? with the help of her hopping on top of Willie?s girl. All this time "some" people were claiming it implied Willie and Hector had something going on. Boy algunas gente cannot listen well..but then again this movie was confusing.

12. The whole Cheetah scene is allllll wrong?. Marc?s comment never happened or am I wrong? I was one of the first people in that place that night and didn't leave my spot on the corner of the right side of the stage till the end. He?s even singing the other soneros soneo?s in Quitate Tu! Did they avoid seeing the FAS film? That was suppose to be THE FANIA ALL STARS night, everyone was a star that evening. Where are all the rest of the singers? That place was PACKED! By the way for the Puchi fans, Puchi wore brown shirt and hotpants that evening.

13. She says Hector?s fk ups had him sinking deeper as a person? How about hers? Mr. Colon is right about this comment. Not only is it demoralizing, but saying it made him one of us is insulting to every one of us. What a dump stupid line; no wonder that lady wanted a boycott.

14. Funny how her daughter is never shown as if she was a virgin when she met Hector. Let's not get into how the son really died.

15. Aguanille comes during Hector?s SOLO career? The number is not as great as the original Aguanille! People gotta stop playing with the arrangements if it?s intended to imitate life.

16. In the beginning Willie claims he can?t speak Spanish, but later on he?s talking to Hector in Spanish. And Hector did not speak English except for a few phrases.

17. She claims her house burned down but meanwhile they are living in a luxury high rise in Manhattan throughout the movie, raise their son there, and supposedly died there a very young man; meanwhile their son had a son of his own before his death.

18. People there's a difference on being a Bitch and being Tough.

19. They met after Hector hooked up with Willie not before.

This movie was not the worst in film history, but it wasn?t good either. I decided this project was a Jlo/Marc wanna make a movie their way at the expense of a legend due to the illogical explanation by supporting critics of her having a financial investment. Sadly those who did not grow up in that era would absorb all of it as fact. Like most critics stated, I too felt if it weren?t for the music there would be no movie. Thanks to the music the na?ve public is entertained enough to sit through the whole movie and endure the 6th grade script which had no developing story.... only a series of moments never explaining why. In a script there has to be a main character, but in Jlo's film one is not sure who is the main character. It fails to have important elements in script writing 101:


Dramatic premise ? what is the film about.
Dramatic Situation ? the dramatic circumstances surrounding the story?
Confrontation - the main character encounters obstacles that keep him from achieving his dramatic need. Dramatic need is what the main character wants to win, gain, get, or achieve during the screenplay.
And finally Resolution.


In El Cantante, the only confrontation is Puchi. Did Marc pull off the Hector character? No. Did we learn who Hector was other than a singing junkie? No. What caused his pain other then Marc saying "I don't like talking about it"? No. Marc came across as someone who had problems getting into character. Jlo on the other hand made Puchi the unofficial main character so she could be in every scene, and the Masucci actor looked a bit and sounded like Dustin Hoffman.

This couple who had the money and the opportunity to make a great movie about Hector Lavoe failed because they were so self absorbed and self promoting at the expense of a man, who with all his faults and personal failures, was a part of a movement, a culture, and musical era alongside one of the most brilliant men in Latin Music?Willie Colon, and that's the truth Ms. Lopez! The story of one cannot be told without the other which is probably why Jlo and the script writers decided to focus on the Puchi character and expand on it. It might be true this movie could spark an interest in the Fania artists, but it?s also true the real story of Hector Lavoe without excluding his drug problems would spark the same interest, if not more, and do more good for the Puerto Rican/Nuyorican people instead of showing the world how we continue to fk up all the opportunities that come our way because it is all they are shown when opportunity knocks. The people do not know about our successes and will not know until someone has the guts to do a story which focuses on success vs failure. May the recent numbers be a lesson to this couple who are now aware failure doesn't always pay at the box office. Watch her Reggaeton project be a total flop. Jlo's not as smart as Salma Hayak when it comes to cultural pride.

I look forward to one day seeing a movie done with the original voice and no fiddling around with the arrangements to claim it yours. Georgie boy must stop copying arrangements and messing around with masterpiece work. It?s time for him to create his own masterpiece........ if he can.
________
Paulete live (http://camslivesexy.com/cam/Paulete)

[peachexploration]

Hi JaneMas. Nice to "see" you again! :D

[JaneMas]

Nice to be here....

Now where's my London friend?
________
Washington Dispensaries (http://washington.dispensaries.org/)

[El Caobo]

Okay, just how have we benefitted from the current discussion; which are mostly negative, about the movie?

That is my question.

Interestingly, the less one knows about Héctor Lavoe, the more likely one will enjoy the movie. I concede that much was omitted that should have been included. Much was included that should have been omitted. Some scenes were out right fabrications. The chronology was not accurate. An opportunity to educate the community was lost. The movie focused on the wrong aspects of Lavoe's life. Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

I took a group of non-Latino high school students to the movie after only cursorily telling them who Héctor Lavoe was. They enjoyed the movie and after debriefing them following the movie, it was clear that they did learn much about the evolution of what we now generically call salsa. More importantly, they were interested in the story and wanted to know more and asked many good questions. So, the movie was far from a complete failure.

To all the "criticones," to use Héctor's word to describe them, we should really consider dropping the pontification. Yes, I also concede that some critics are experts and privileged to know, not only what is wrong with this movie, but every detail of the entire salsa movement. I know, some of them were there, weren't they? Or, they are so fortunate as to know someone who was there and who told them the "sanctified" version of the story. Surely, their understanding of the "facts" and "what's wrong" is far superior to ours.

I assert that there is no perfect biography, nor autobiography. Any story is told from a certain perspective or certain perspectives. None of this pontifcation, including mine, is of much consequence.

I've been reading much about the other movie, "The Singer." Many people are projecting it as the "true" story, as missed by "El Cantante." Well, I hope it comes out soon. We'll all see that the "criticones" won't fully embrace it either.

[Gigi]

I wish I would have read the discussion on this forum BEFORE watching the movie :cry:

Somehow, I expected to see a depiction of the influences of Hector Lavoe on the salsascene... I expected to learn what inspired the man behind the voice...I expected to hear top-quality music...

Needless, to say I left the theatre very disappointed :(

And, indeed, I agree that the the movie should have been named "La Esposa" :!:

[JaneMas]

Criticones? Are you not doing the same to me? 8) Oh that's right it's her money I forgot. How could you not benefit from finding out what never transpired? Or are we suppose to swallow everything without question?

I took a group of non-Latino high school students to the movie after only cursorily telling them who H?ctor Lavoe was. They enjoyed the movie and after debriefing them following the movie, it was clear that they did learn much about the evolution of what we now generically call salsa.

Did they enjoy the movie or the music in the movie? :lol: What and how did they learn about the evolution of Salsa from the movie? Did I miss that part? Oh Pacheco says so in the club scene, that's right. Was there another scene I missed? So tell me what is generic about El Dia de Mi Suerte, La Murga, etc? How about the Christmas song? I'd like to know which genres these three songs are arranged in for starters? Please let your students know:
1. She was never in the studio let alone throw Carmen out.
2. She never danced on stage or on the side of the stage.
3. She was not the manager. Booking agents collected money and gave them to the real managers or the bandleader.
4. She and Hector met after he recorded Che Che Cole with Willie.
5. They never lived in a place like that...none of them had it that good.
6. Willie never scold him for being late at the Cheetah cause Hector wasn't late and it was FAS night. The Willie Colon Orq wasn't playing that night nor was he the only one singing...everyone was solo that evening.


More importantly, they were interested in the story and wanted to know more and asked many good questions. So, the movie was far from a complete failure.

Ok, if you say there was a story, there was a story. So what was hurting Hector so much making him succumbed to drugs besides Papi mad at him for going to NY? What kind of personality did he have? When he wasn't singing or doing drugs what did he do? Can I have a synopsis of the movie from you?
________
MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES DILLON MT (http://www.dispensaries.org/)

[JaneMas]

I wish I would have read the discussion on this forum BEFORE watching the movie :cry:

Somehow, I expected to see a depiction of the influences of Hector Lavoe on the salsascene... I expected to learn what inspired the man behind the voice...I expected to hear top-quality music...

Needless, to say I left the theatre very disappointed :(

And, indeed, I agree that the the movie should have been named "La Esposa" :!:

Exactly, and we the nuyoricans or ricans shouldn't sell ourselves cheap by saying this was a great movie with a great story. Being "negative" when it rightfully deserves it is having the guts to say I'd rather keep reading great Spanish literature then to continue seeing Boricua Bond type movies. But the music was not top quality? If they would of played the original arrangements instead implementing different cuts and breaks and used the original voice you might have enjoyed it, or maybe this is not the way for you to be introduced to this type of music... could be you might be use to hearing the waterdown salsa... no offense.
________
xxSexyReaxx live (http://camslivesexy.com/cam/xxSexyReaxx)

[El Caobo]

Criticones? Are you not doing the same to me?

If I were addressing you personally, my message would have made it perfectly clear. Nearly this entire thread is comprised of negative comments relative to the moive. So, you should not have taken what I wrote personally. However, since you are addressing me, I'll answer your questions as best I can:

Did they enjoy the movie or the music in the movie?

I believe that I was very explicit when I wrote "They enjoyed the movie." However, you are entitled to second guess.

Please let your students know:
1. She was never in the studio let alone throw Carmen out.
2. She never danced on stage or on the side of the stage.
3. She was not the manager. Booking agents collected money and gave them to the real managers or the bandleader.
4. She and Hector met after he recorded Che Che Cole with Willie.
5. They never lived in a place like that...none of them had it that good.
6. Willie never scold him for being late at the Cheetah cause Hector wasn't late and it was FAS night. The Willie Colon Orq wasn't playing that night nor was he the only one singing...everyone was solo that evening.


Those are just the details that make the movie more enjoyable for those who are not so emotionally attached to the man or the circumstances around him that they are unable to enjoy the movie for what it is worth. Those points are obviously very important to you; not to my students and frankly, not to me either! Seems to be personal concerns of someone who either did not like Puchi or does not like J-Lo, or both. Not only that, I find it striking when anyone speaks in absolutes. For example, to be able to truthfully say that Puchi was "never" in the studio, would mean that you were "always" in the studio and hence are in a position to make such an absolute comment. Likewise, to be able to say that Puchi "never" danced on the side of the stage would mean that you were "always" on the side of the stage, or where you could see the side of the stage, to be able to make that absolute comment, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. I obviously don't know who you really are. Perhaps you were omnipresent in the life of Héctor Lavoe and are qualified to make those absolute assertions. If so, how fortunate for you. If not, it would mean that your comments are driven by an emotional state that exceeds the limits of rationality.

Ok, if you say there was a story, there was a story. So what was hurting Hector so much making him succumbed to drugs besides Papi mad at him for going to NY?

Well, before I answer that question, perhaps you can tell us why Elvis did drugs? How about Jimmy Hendrix? Miles Davis? Frankie Ruiz? Mon Rivera? Cheo Feliciano? James Brown? Britney Spears? Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan? Shall I go on? The point is that drug use is extremely pervasive in the music/entertainment industry.

What kind of personality did he have? When he wasn't singing or doing drugs what did he do? Can I have a synopsis of the movie from you?

The movie did not answer those questions. I've already conceded that the movie had its shortcomings. Yet, I enjoyed it. You did not. Such is the subjectivity of human likes and dislikes.

I cannot answer the personal questions about Héctor Lavoe's life, but at this point I am rather conversant regarding his discography and professional trajectory. I'm not sure how much more I even want to know about his personal life. For example, I could not care less whether or not Puchi threw Carmen out of the studio one day! Personally, I would be more than content to get more information on his professional life.

I have written what I wanted to say relative to the movie. Beyond that, no, you may not have a synopsis from me. If it is important for you that we know these things and you are in a position to tell us, then by all means, please do! In fact, it would be most productive if you did tell us what you know from first hand experience. Based on your absolute comments about Puchi, you were there all the time, right?

We've already read the scathing diatribes against the movie from those who obviously possess an omniscience regarding Héctor's life, or felt that the movie should have been more transcendental. What we, or at least I, would like to read are credible stories that tell us more about who Héctor Lavoe was; such as about his personality, as you mentioned. So, in addition to telling us what's wrong with the movie, please honor us by telling us what you know about Héctor and how it is that you know it.

¡Ya yo ya! Punto y aparte.

[JaneMas]

I would assume your a teacher? If so, then providing an open door that would disseminate any false events should be welcomed vs called criticones. Like I stated in my observations, I, like you, liked the movie, well some what, but only because of the music. The film had no story. If you don't believe those numbering points then you don't believe Willie Colon either since he has verified all of that. No scolding at the Cheetah, no studio visits, no high rise luxury, no baby teen death, no such wedding, no Ruben Blades writing and giving Hector the song El Cantante at the Corso, no meeting Hector till after Che Che Cole release, no managing, etc. But can you answer this:

When he wasn't singing or doing drugs what did he do? Or at least what have we all learned about the evolution of the music from the movie?
________
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[El Caobo]

I would assume your a teacher? If so, then providing an open door that would disseminate any false events should be welcomed vs called criticones. Like I stated in my observations, I, like you, liked the movie, well some what, but only because of the music. The film had no story. If you don't believe those numbering points then you don't believe Willie Colon either since he has verified all of that. No scolding at the Cheetah, no studio visits, no high rise luxury, no baby teen death, no such wedding, no Ruben Blades writing and giving Hector the song El Cantante at the Corso, no meeting Hector till after Che Che Cole release, no managing, etc. But can you answer this:

When he wasn't singing or doing drugs what did he do? Or at least what have we all learned about the evolution of the music from the movie?

Perhaps you missed it the first time:

The movie did not answer those questions. I've already conceded that the movie had its shortcomings.

[pricanfredo]

I saw the movie and i have to say i was disapointed. I saw this movie as an attempt to make some money over a tribute to El Cantante de los cantantes. I understand that he had a big drug problem and that Puchi was his wife of many years but they put a lot more enphasis to the drug problem than the legacy he left to the world. As of Marc singing Hector's music in the movie i think he over did it and im not saying he didnt do a god job, i think he did great and im planning on buying his cd, but i also think that he should have let most of the songs by the original cantante Hector Lavoe after all it was supose to be about him...right???

[sonerorico2]

You guys should watch the "second" better and real version of the movie
El Cantante, named THE SINGER with Raul Carbonell as Hector, Patricia Monterola as Carmen and LA INDIA as Puchi...

[MacMoto]

Apparently the movie El Cantante is scheduled for general release in Japan this summer. Not sure why it took so long (and what made distributors decide to do it) but I'm gonna check it out when it opens :)

[terence]

Apparently the movie El Cantante is scheduled for general release in Japan this summer. Not sure why it took so long (and what made distributors decide to do it)
)




Like most non spanish speaking countries ( USA apart ) the demographics, on the surface, do not seem like a viable financial proposition... I doubt it will ever be shown in the UK ( I hope I,m wrong !)

[la_gringa]

ugh, don't waste your money. seriously.

[PielCanela]

I agree with the shortcomings that have been stated, however I actually enjoyed the movie, it is Hollywood and all, but it was fun to see what it was like it during those days when salsa exploded, Movies never do justice to reality but while imperfect, at least for me it was the only way, albeit imperfect, to see what it was like back then.

This was not billed as a documentary but as movie and I took it as such, until something better comes along, I think this is something to see in a slow weekend afternoon

[KP-salsa]

ugh, don't waste your money. seriously.

I've heard the soundtrack and seen the concert sequences, for these alone it would be worth watching.

[bailar y tocar]

I've heard the soundtrack and seen the concert sequences, for these alone it would be worth watching.

If the movie had been only soundtrack and concert sequences it would have been worth watching. It would have been ok by me if MA and JeLo had cut most of their own "acting" scenes out of the final version.

[KP-salsa]

If the movie had been only soundtrack and concert sequences it would have been worth watching. It would have been ok by me if MA and JeLo had cut most of their own "acting" scenes out of the final version.

Well, chances of me ever seeing it are slim to non-existent through official means, as it will never get a proper release over here in the UK - the chances of seeing the "other" movie people keep suggesting are non-existent to micropscopic.

[bailar y tocar]

Well, chances of me ever seeing it are slim to non-existent through official means, as it will never get a proper release over here in the UK - the chances of seeing the "other" movie people keep suggesting are non-existent to micropscopic.
If you're lucky someone uploads it in sections on youtube and you manage to catch it before its janked.

[sunsoul]

Apparently the movie El Cantante is scheduled for general release in Japan this summer. Not sure why it took so long (and what made distributors decide to do it) but I'm gonna check it out when it opens :)

I saw it last night. Don't know why it took so long to get here. The music and concert scenes are great. Anthony really excels in recreating the energy of Lavoe. Lopez does well in bringing out all that angry and hurt from within... but the story itself is depressing, and I don't think that it really fully explores all the characters, and what as going on at the time in an objective way.

I will buy the soundtrack.

[KP-salsa]

Lopez does well in bringing out all that angry and hurt from within... but the story itself is depressing, and I don't think that it really fully explores all the characters, and what as going on at the time in an objective way.

I will buy the soundtrack.

Trouble is that is a film and not a documentary.

That's what so many people are forgetting.

By the way, apart from J-Lo's last track, the soundtrack is fantastic (and yes, the Lavoe originals are usually better, but let's not get daft).

[MacMoto]

I saw it last night. Don't know why it took so long to get here. The music and concert scenes are great. Anthony really excels in recreating the energy of Lavoe. Lopez does well in bringing out all that angry and hurt from within... but the story itself is depressing, and I don't think that it really fully explores all the characters, and what as going on at the time in an objective way.
To me the problem of the film was that it was essentially not about Hector Lavoe at all but about the turbulent relationship between Hector and Puchi. It should have been titled 'El Cantante's Wife' to avoid people getting the wrong idea :rolleyes: The birth and rise of salsa and Hector's (and Fania's) success were treated merely as a backdrop to the 'Hector & Puchi story' (or is it the 'Puchi & Hector story' :rolleyes:) - episodes of good times were included simply as a context needed to describe what a fantastic time Puchi had with Hector, and Hector's drug problems got the main focus instead so that the film could depict all the drama in the Lavoe household. That might have been an interesting angle to take if the film was about someone of universal fame who didn't need any intrdocution (like a Hollywood movie star), but since not many people outside the latino communities and salsa scenes know who Hector Lavoe is, it just doesn't work. It was a shame really - I thought the concert scenes were great and Marc Anthony did a good job. If they had cut most of Puchi's screen time and told the story of salsa properly through the life of Hector Lavoe instead, it might have actually turned out as a good music biopic. It's ironic that JLo was the one who got this film made but she also ruined it...

[sunsoul]

Agree with more or less everything you said, MacMoto. I would add that the soundtrack is amazing. The quality of the musical reproduction is very high. Well done to the filmmakers for getting that right. Going a little controversial, I would even say that I prefer Anthony's version of the songs to the original Lavoe tracks in most cases..... Anthony's voice just has that added range, and he brings some power to the songs that I don't quite feel in the originals. But that is my personal taste.

[chuitolavoe]

i Agree Completely After Seeing It Myself. And As You Said About The Whole Inspired By A True Story Thing The Writers Did Change Numerous Things Around In The Story. The Whole Thing In The Beginning And How Hector Joins Willie Colon's Band. The Way Lavoe Inherited The Band From Willie, Etc Was Changed. Also The Chronological Order In Which Lavoe Performs The Songs.

I Do Have One Question Is The Song Escandalo An Original For The Movie?

Has Anyone Answered This Question??? I'm Very Curious To Know The Answer. Does Anyone Know If Marc Just Made This Song Up And Added It In The Film As Hector's Song? I Have Searched And Searched For The Hector Version Of "Escandalo" And Cannot Find It. I Like The Song, But I Wouldn't Appreciate It If Marc Added It In For A Little Recognition, It Just Wouldn't Make Sense To Me Why He Would Do Such A Thing. Hector Lavoe Has Such A Vast Selection Of Boleros That Could've Been Used For "El Cantante" That Are Far More Passionate.

[andreiro]

I have a version of "Escandalo" by Johnny Vazquez that's much better than Marc's. Better = I enjoy dancing on it more.