{
  "slug": "hector-lavoe",
  "name": "Héctor Lavoe",
  "description": "Héctor Lavoe appears 2 times in our Salsa and Dancing to Bad News lists, placing as high as No. 4. Hand-curated, with a reason for every pick.",
  "updated": "2026-08-30",
  "url": "https://waxonia.com/artist/hector-lavoe/",
  "appearanceCount": 2,
  "distinctRecordings": 1,
  "years": {
    "first": 1978,
    "last": 1978
  },
  "highestPlacing": {
    "rank": 4,
    "list": "Salsa"
  },
  "appearsOn": [
    {
      "kind": "genre",
      "slug": "salsa",
      "name": "Salsa",
      "url": "https://waxonia.com/genre/salsa/",
      "entries": 1
    },
    {
      "kind": "curator",
      "slug": "dancing-to-bad-news",
      "name": "Dancing to Bad News",
      "url": "https://waxonia.com/theme/dancing-to-bad-news/",
      "entries": 1
    }
  ],
  "tracks": [
    {
      "trackKey": "hector-lavoe--el-cantante",
      "trackUrl": "https://waxonia.com/track/hector-lavoe--el-cantante/",
      "title": "El Cantante",
      "year": 1978,
      "label": "Fania",
      "isrc": null,
      "whyItMatters": "Written by Blades for Lavoe: the singer everyone comes to hear, whom nobody asks how he is. Given what happened to Lavoe afterwards, it is hard to hear now.",
      "alsoOn": [
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "dancing-to-bad-news",
          "name": "Dancing to Bad News",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/theme/dancing-to-bad-news/"
        }
      ],
      "links": {
        "spotify": {
          "url": "https://open.spotify.com/search/H%C3%A9ctor%20Lavoe%20El%20Cantante",
          "exact": false
        },
        "youtubeMusic": {
          "url": "https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=bT-3s4ZQEhs",
          "exact": true
        }
      },
      "rank": 4,
      "on": {
        "kind": "genre",
        "slug": "salsa",
        "name": "Salsa",
        "url": "https://waxonia.com/genre/salsa/"
      },
      "artist": "Héctor Lavoe"
    },
    {
      "trackKey": "hector-lavoe--el-cantante",
      "trackUrl": "https://waxonia.com/track/hector-lavoe--el-cantante/",
      "title": "El Cantante",
      "year": 1978,
      "label": "Fania",
      "isrc": null,
      "whyItMatters": "Rubén Blades wrote it for Lavoe: the singer everybody comes to hear and nobody asks how he is. Full Fania horns, a floor-filler at every party since, and a man describing his own disappearance in the middle of it.",
      "alsoOn": [
        {
          "kind": "genre",
          "slug": "salsa",
          "name": "Salsa",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/genre/salsa/"
        }
      ],
      "links": {
        "spotify": {
          "url": "https://open.spotify.com/search/H%C3%A9ctor%20Lavoe%20El%20Cantante",
          "exact": false
        },
        "youtubeMusic": {
          "url": "https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=bT-3s4ZQEhs",
          "exact": true
        }
      },
      "rank": null,
      "on": {
        "kind": "curator",
        "slug": "dancing-to-bad-news",
        "name": "Dancing to Bad News",
        "url": "https://waxonia.com/theme/dancing-to-bad-news/"
      },
      "artist": "Héctor Lavoe"
    }
  ],
  "curates": null
}