Justo Betancourt (born December 6, 1940) is a Cuban singer famous for his interpretation of "Pa' bravo yo". He was born in

Matanzas Matanzas (Cuban ; ) is the capital of the Cuban province of Matanzas Province, Matanzas. Known for its poets, culture, and Afro-American religions, Afro-Cuban folklore, it is located on the northern shore of the island of Cuba, on the Bay of Mat ...

, Cuba, but has lived a significant amount of time in

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

. Betancourt led a group called Borincuba (Conjunto Borincuba), a combination of the names Cuba and Borinquen, a name for Puerto Rico of

Taíno The Taíno are the Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, Indigenous peoples of the Greater Antilles and surrounding islands. At the time of European contact in the late 15th century, they were the principal inhabitants of most of what is now The ...

origin.Charley Gerard, Music from Cuba: Mongo Santamaría, Chocolate Armenteros, and Cuban musicians, Praeger, 2001.
/ref> In addition to recording a number of solo albums, he has played with the

Fania All Stars The Fania All-Stars is a musical group formed in 1968 as a showcase for the musicians on Fania Records, the leading salsa music record label of the time. History Beginnings In 1964, Fania Records was founded in New York City by Jerry Masucc ...

and

Sonora Matancera La Sonora Matancera is a Cuban band that played Latin American urban popular dance music. Founded in 1924 and led for more than five decades by guitarist, vocalist, composer, and producer Rogelio Martínez, musicologists consider it an icon o ...

, as well as performing with musicians and singers such as

Celia Cruz Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso (21 October 1925 – 16 July 2003), known as Celia Cruz, was a Cuban singer and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century. Cruz rose to fame in Cuba during the 1950s as a singer of , earning the nickna ...

Mongo Santamaría Ramón "Mongo" Santamaría Rodríguez (April 7, 1917 – February 1, 2003) was a Cuban percussionist and bandleader who spent most of his career in the United States. Primarily a conga drummer, Santamaría was a leading figure in the pachanga an ...

Eddie Palmieri Eddie Palmieri (born December 15, 1936) is an American Grammy Award-winning pianist, bandleader, musician, and composer of Corsican and Puerto Rican ancestry. He is the founder of the bands La Perfecta, La Perfecta II, and Harlem River Drive. ...

and

Ray Barretto Raymundo "Ray" Barretto Pagán (April 29, 1929 – February 17, 2006) was an American percussionist and bandleader of Puerto Rican descent. Throughout his career as a percussionist, he played a wide variety of Latin music styles, as well as Lati ...

, among others.His rhythmic phrasing, tonality and expression display exceptional artistry and place him among the most skillful of singer rumberos in the salsa tradition
Artists - Betancourt, Justo, www.musicofpuertorico.com, Jan. 3, 2010.
/ref>

Discography

* ''El Explosivo'' (1968) * ''El Que Sabe, Sabe'' (1970) * ''Los Dinamicos'' (1971) with

Johnny Pacheco Juan Pablo Knipping Pacheco (25 March 1935 – 15 February 2021), known as Johnny Pacheco, was a Dominican musician, arranger, composer, bandleader, and record producer. Born in the Dominican Republic, Pacheco became a leading figure in the New ...

. * ''Pa' Bravo Yo'' (1972) * ''Sigo Bravo'' (1974) * ''Lo Sabemos'' (1975) * ''Ubane'' (1976) * ''Distinto y Differente'' (1977) * ''The Best of Justo Betancourt'' (1977) * ''¡Presencia!'' (1978) * ''Yo Sin Ti'' (1979) * ''La Sonora Matancera con Justo Betancourt'' (1981) * ''Leguleya No'' (1982) * ''El Bravo de Siempre'' (1992) * ''Mato'' (1998)

References

Salsa musicians Living people 1940 births Cuban expatriates in Puerto Rico Fania All-Stars members {{Cuba-singer-stub