Joe Arroyo
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Álvaro José Arroyo González (also known as Joe Arroyo or El Joe; 1 November 1955 – 26 July 2011) was a Colombian salsa and tropical music singer, composer and songwriter. He is considered one of the greatest performers of Caribbean and salsa music in his country and across Latin America. In 2018 ''
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'' counted Arroyo's song "La Rebelión" as one of the "15 Best Salsa Songs Ever".


Life and career


1955–1970: Early life

Joe Arroyo was born and raised in the Nariño neighborhood of Cartagena. His mother was Ángela González, a hotel manager. His father was Guillermo Arroyo, who fathered in total 39 children, with six wives, all named Ángela. At the age of eight Arroyo began singing in brothels in Tesca, a
red-light district A red-light district or pleasure district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex industry, sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters, are found. In most cases, red-light district ...
of Cartagena, which he did for several years.


1970–1981: Early career

Arroyo's first credited release as vocalist was in 1970 with ''Manuel Villanueva Y Su Orquesta'' on their LP ''Hasta La Madrugada....!''. He also sang with ''El Super Combo Los Diamantes'' in
Sincelejo Sincelejo () is the capital and largest city of the Colombian department of Sucre in the Caribbean region. It is also the capital of the department's subregion, ''Sabanas'', and is the 25th largest city by population of the country.http://www ...
, and in 1970 performed vocals on their LP ''Capullito''. Rubén Darío Salcedo, the leader of Los Diamantes, gave Arroyo the nickname ''El Joe''. Arroyo also spent some time singing with ''La Protesta'' in
Barranquilla Barranquilla () is the capital district of the Atlántico department in Colombia. It is located near the Caribbean Sea and is the largest city and third port in the Caribbean region of Colombia, Caribbean coast region; as of 2018, it had a popul ...
. In 1971 Arroyo was invited to join Fruko y sus Tesos by Julio Ernesto Estrada, the bassist and director of the band. By the end of the decade Arroyo had recorded 15 albums with Fruko y sus Tesos, alongside 4 more with The Latin Brothers, all for Colombian record label Discos Fuentes. Of Arroyo's tenure with Fruko y sus Tesos, El Tiempo wrote "Thus began the legend of the first great salsa orchestra in Colombia, with which Arroyo managed to impose a stamp that Colombia still dances to today". (Spanish: "".) He performed with the band for ten years until 1981, when he began his solo career leading his band, named "La Verdad" ''(The truth)''.


1981-2011:

In 1981 Arroyo formed his own group, named ''Joe Arroyo y La Verdad'', with whom he played around the world. The group recorded more than 20 albums between 1981 and 2007. Arroyo became very successful by mixing salsa,
cumbia Cumbia refers to a number of musical rhythms and folk dance traditions of Latin America, generally involving musical and cultural elements from American Indigenous peoples, Europeans, and Africans during colonial times. Cumbia is said to have com ...
,
porro The porro is a musical style and dance from the Caribbean region of Colombia. It is a Colombian cumbia rhythm that developed into its own subgenre. It was originally a folkloric expression from the Sinú River area that evolved into a ballr ...
, soca,
compas Compas (; ; ), also known as konpa or kompa, is a modern méringue dance music genre of Haiti. The genre was created by Nemours Jean-Baptiste following the creation of Ensemble Aux Callebasses in 1955, which became Ensemble Nemours Jean-Bapti ...
(or ''konpa''),
zouk Zouk is a musical movement and dance pioneered by the French Antillean band Kassav' in the early 1980s. It was originally characterized by a fast tempo (120–145 bpm), a percussion-driven rhythm, and a loud horn section. Musicians from Mart ...
and other music from the African Diaspora in a unique style. Some of his most famous songs are " Rebelión", "La Noche", "Tania", "El Ausente" and " En Barranquilla Me Quedo".


Health issues and death

Arroyo suffered from health problems throughout his career, which forced him to cancel several performances. On at least one occasion he was falsely reported dead. In September 1983 Arroyo was nearly killed by a thyroid problem, and in 2000 a combination of diabetes and pneumonia brought him close to death while touring in Spain. He had to go through surgery because of problems with his eyes. Arroyo's health issues have been attributed, in varying degrees, to drug use. He denied the involvement of drugs in his September 1983 illness. Arroyo died in Barranquilla on 26 July 2011, after spending nearly a month in hospital due to multiorgan failure. The day before his death, he was given his final sacrament by the local bishop. Arroyo died at around 7:45 local time.


Legacy

Between June and December 2011 the RCN channel broadcast a soap opera based on the singer's life called ''El Joe, la leyenda (The Joe, the legend)''. On 9 November 2011, Shakira was honored as Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year and performed a cover of Arroyo's song " En Barranquilla Me Quedo" at the
Mandalay Bay Events Center The Michelob Ultra Arena, formerly the Mandalay Bay Events Center, is a 12,000-seat multi-purpose indoor arena at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by MGM Resorts Int ...
as a tribute to the singer. A three-meter tall bronze and copper statue of Arroyo was unveiled in Cartagena, Colombia in 2013. '' Geotrigona joearroyoi'', a species of bee discovered in 2014 in Colombia, was named in honour of Arroyo.


Discography

*''Arroyando'' (1981) *''Con Gusto y Gana'' (1981) *''El Campeón'' (1982) *''Actuando'' (1983) *''Hasta Amanecé'' (1984) *''Me le Fugué a la Candela'' (1985) *''Musa Original'' (1986) *''Echao Pa' Lante'' (1987) *''Fuego En Mi Mente'' (1988) *''En Acción'' (1989) *''La Guerra de los Callados'' (1990) *''Toque de Clase'' (1991) *''Fuego'' (1993) *''Sus Razones Tendrá'' (1994) *''Mi Libertad'' (1995) *'' Reinando en Vida'' (1996) *'' Deja Que Te Cante'' (1997) *''Cruzando el Milenio'' (1998) *'' En Sol Mayor'' (1999) *''Marcando Terreno'' (2001) *'' Se Armo la Moña en Carnaval'' (2005) *'' El Súper Joe'' (2007)


Awards and nominations


Latin Grammy Awards

A Latin Grammy Award is an accolade by the
Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences The Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc., trading as The Latin Recording Academy (; ), is a multinational membership-based association composed of Latin music industry professionals, musicians, producers, recording engineers, and ...
to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry. Joe Arroyo received two nominations, and in 2011 he was presented with a posthumous career award. , - , 2000 , , '' En Sol Mayor'' , , Best Traditional Tropical Album , , , - , 2008 , , '' El Súper Joe'' , , Best Contemporary Tropical Album , , , - , 2011 , , ''Special Awards (Posthumous)'' , ,
Lifetime Achievement Award Lifetime achievement awards are awarded by various organizations, to recognize contributions over the whole of a career, rather than or in addition to single contributions. Such awards, and organizations presenting them, include: A * A.C. ...
, , , -


Arroyo has won the prestigious Congo de Oro prize of the Barranquilla Carnival 10 times. In 1990 the festival created the award specifically to celebrate Arroyo.


See also

* Fruko y sus Tesos * Grupo Niche * The Latin Brothers


References


External links


Information and images
*
El Joe fue 'la rebelión'
El Tiempo {{DEFAULTSORT:Arroyo, Joe 1955 births 2011 deaths People from Cartagena, Colombia 21st-century Colombian male singers Latin American folk singers Salsa musicians Tropical musicians Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Latin music songwriters Colombian people of African descent 20th-century Colombian male singers Deaths from multiple organ failure