Caribbean music community mourns deaths of Manolo del Valle and Vitico Hiraldo

The Caribbean music community is mourning the loss of two influential musicians.

Manolo del Valle, a prominent Cuban bolero singer, has passed away at the age of 84. Born Manuel Batista Salgado in Manzanillo, he rose to fame as a key vocalist for the prestigious group Original de Manzanillo for fourteen years before establishing a successful solo career in Havana. He is remembered for his elegance and his contribution to the romantic bolero genre.

In the Dominican Republic, renowned accordionist Víctor Hiraldo Reyes, known as Vitico Hiraldo or Vitico el Pompo, has died at age 90. A central figure in merengue típico, Hiraldo was a celebrated musician from Puerto Plata who founded his first musical group in 1963. He was noted for his deep connection to traditional rural celebrations and his ability to balance his musical passion with life as an agriculturist.