Isaac Felipe Delgado Ramírez

Cuban salsa singer. He was born in Marianao, Havana on September 11, 1962. Also known as El Chévere de la Salsa Cubana.

His father, Luís Delgado, was a tailor and his mother, Lina Ramírez, was an actress, dancer and singer at the Musical Theater of Havana, founder of the trio of dancers Las mulatas de fuego.

At ten years old he enters the Amadeo Roldán Conservatory where he studied cello, an instrument that was never of much interest to him. Two years later, after abandoning musical studies, he transfers to the School of Sports Initiation to devote himself entirely to his passion for football.

Once he finished university (1979), Issac began a degree in sports at the Manuel Fajardo Superior Institute of Physical Culture. At 18 years old Issac joined the group "Proyecto" at the request of his virtuoso pianist friend Gonzalo Rubalcaba. This fact awakened his innate love for music once again.

At this moment he decided to study vocal technique with one of the best teachers in Cuba, Mariana De Gonish. He also enrolled in the school for professional musicians Ignacio Cervantes.

In 1983 he propels his professional career by becoming one of the members of the "Orquesta de Pacho Alonso" as lead vocalist. He began traveling around the world with the orchestra and recorded his first compact disc (CD).

By the end of the 80s, Issac Delgado had traveled extensively with recognized figures to Australia, Holland, France, Spain, Italy, Czechoslovakia, Panama, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. In 1987 he becomes the vocalist of "Galaxia" and records his second CD.

In 1988 he leads the group "NG La Banda" as vocalist. With this group he achieves great fame, recorded three CDs and was awarded the EGREM prize 1990-1991, which grants them the awards for best musical quality and most popular group in the nation. In 1991 he creates his own band and records the CD, "Dando la Hora" under the artistic direction of Gonzalo Rubalcaba. This album receives the EGREM award 1992. Subsequently they record the CD "Con Ganas" which receives the EGREM award 1993. In 1994 he receives this award again for El Chévere de la Salsa and El Caballero del Son.

He travels to the United States where he performs at the 'Salsa Festival' at the New York Madison Square Garden with Celia Cruz, José Alberto "El Canario" and Grupo Niche. In New York he recorded another album, titled "Otra Idea". In 1997 he performs at the 'Salsa War' festival with La India, Rey Ruiz and Tony Vega.

In 2006 he crossed the USA-Mexico border and entered Laredo, Texas, taking with him only his family (his wife Massiel Valdés, and his two daughters Dalina and Alessia).

In 2010 he released his CD titled Love. He lived in Tampa, Florida. In this country he continued his professional career as his reputation and talent support him. He released the album Love in 2010 and in October 2011 Supercubano.

In March 2013, after seven years without visiting his country, he returns to Havana due to an invitation from singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez and performs with him a concert in the Tamarindo neighborhood, of the municipality Diez de Octubre. But his first public appearance took place at the Carlos Varela Concert for his 30 years of artistic life, on January 13 at the National Theater.

Delgado returned to live in Cuba in 2013 with his wife and children, after residing in the United States since 2006. He lived in Tampa, Miami, New York and Puerto Rico before returning to the island, which he has never wanted to describe as repatriation because his homeland has always been Cuba. Currently he is also owner of the restaurant, Area+53 –whose name refers to Cuba's international telephone code–, located in Vedado, near the Meliá Cohíbar hotel, which serves Cuban and Caribbean food.

Discography
1991-Dando la hora
1993 - Con ganas
1994- Chevere de la Salsa/El caballero del Son
1995- El Año Que Viene
1997-Exclusivo Para Cuba/Otra Idea
1998-Desde Europa Con Sabor (La Primera Noche)
2000-Los Grandes Éxitos de Isaac Delgado/Malecón
2001-La Fórmula
2002-Versos en el Cielo
2005 - Prohibido
2007-En Primera Plana
2008 - Asi soy
2010- L-O-V-E

Discographic productions with other groups
LP Pachito Alonso y su Kini Kini (CBS, España)
LP La Mujer Precisa (Fonoson, Colombia)
CD No te compliques. NG La Banda (EGREM)
CD NG en la Calle. NG La Banda (EGREM)
CD No se puede tapar el Sol. NG La Banda (EGREM)

From the launch of his third solo album, El año que viene, followed by Otra idea, Issac Delgado becomes part of the most representative figures of the genre at an international level.