Manuel Batista Salgado

Manuel Batista Salgado, known on stage as Manolo del Valle, was born on May 7, 1942, in Manzanillo, in what is now Granma province. He began singing in 1958 in his hometown's clubs and, from the late 1950s until 1961, also performed on Havana stages. He sang with the Trío Ideal and the Trío Los Bohemios.

In 1964 he joined the Orquesta Original de Manzanillo, founded the previous year, and remained one of its singers for 14 years, performing sones and boleros at concerts and festivals across Cuba. He then settled in Havana as a soloist, appeared at nightclubs such as Dos Gardenias and toured abroad.

He is remembered for songs including "Es mejor vivir así," the title track of a 1981 album, "Celos del viento y el mar," "No renunciaré a tu amor," "Ni tu cama ni tu almohada" and "Será la última carta." He received several cultural honors and appeared at bolero festivals in Cuba and abroad.

In his later years he lived in Florida, where he died on October 11, 2026, at age 84.