Alberto Amancio Beltrán was born on May 5, 1923, in the batey (a company town on a sugar plantation) Palo Blanco of La Romana, Dominican Republic. Known as “El Negrito del Batey” after popularizing the iconic Dominican merengue by Héctor J. Díaz and Medardo Guzmán in 1954 with La Sonora Matancera. Beltrán had a powerful voice and grace as a singer that made him one of the greatest bolero interpreters of the Dominican Republic. His big smile, seen on so many album covers throughout his career, became a signature characteristic of this charistmaic singer. He was equally adept at interpreting slow-paced boleros in evocative tones and up-tempo merengues and guarachas with plenty of swing and cadence, which made him an international star.

Beltrán began singing in the streets of Cuidad Trujillo (Santo Domingo) as a candy seller after the loss of his mother at the age of eleven. As an adolescent, Beltrán sang on the radio H.I.T. with the sextet “Angelita” (named after Dictator Rafael Trujillo’s daughter) led by Ulises de los Santos, as well as Conjunto Alma Vegana led by Marcos Ozuna, and later with the orchestra of Crescencio Solano, earning four pesos per dance (1). Beltrán worked at the docks at the nearest port in the city at this time and did not know how to read or write. From these humble beginnings, he went on to perform on the amateur singing program of the radio station La Voz del Yuna on December 14, 1946, at the age of 23 (2). During the same year, Beltrán performed with various bands such as the Ballet Toño quintet, Brisas de Oriente sextet, and the group “Los Dominican Boys” (3). Beltrán was taught how to read and write by Dominican composer and pianist Rafael “Bullumba” Landestoy who worked at the radio station La Voz del Yuna (4). In 1947, he entered a singing school where he received the necessary training to become a definitive singer on the roster of La Voz del Yuna later that year. Beltrán took singing and music classes with Argentine baritone singer Carlos Crespo who was contracted by La Voz del Yuna to lead this school with his compatriot pianist Vlady Silva (5). Beltrán traveled outside of the country for the first time in 1950 with band “Los Happy Boys” (other sources say Los Dominican Boys) to perform in Aruba and Curazao (6). Beltrán's recording debut was with Mario Hernández y sus Diablos del Caribe between 1951-1952 for Mardi Records interpreting a few guarachas and boleros released as 78rpm records in Puerto Rico (7). In September of the same year, he traveled to New York City and performed with Josecito Roman y su orquesta Quisqueya for the “Cancionero del Merengue,” a celebration of Dominican merengue at the Manhattan Center (8). In the Dominican Republic, Beltran recorded two boleros “Bendito Amor” by Bienvenido Brens and “Hasta cuando” by Babín Echavarría with the Super Orquesta San José led by Papa Molina. He continued to perform in the Dominican Republic until his career took a defining turn in 1954.

Beltrán first arrived in Cuba on July 15, 1954, motivated by his friend, a Dominican singer Tirso Guerrero who was living in Cuba and performed on Radio Progreso. Beltrán stayed with Guerrero who introduced him to Rogelio Martínez, the musical director of La Sonora Matancera, who was constantly rotating his roster of singers and looking to replace the Cuban singer Sonero Bienvenido Granda, who left in March of 1954. Beltrán first recorded two boleros on one 78rpm record with La Sonora in September of 1954 “Ignoro tu existencia” by Rafael Pablo de la Mota and “Aunque me cuesta la vida'' by Dominican musician and composer Luis Kalaff, which became an anthem for La Sonora for many years afterward (9). Two months later, he recorded his signature tune “El Negrito Del Batey,” originally written for Joseíto Mateo, along with three boleros “Todo me gusta de tí” by Cuto Estévez, “El diecinueve” by Radhamés Reyes Alfau, and “Enamorado” by Pepo Balcácer for La Sonora (10). The merengue “El Negrito Del Batey” became an international hit for La Sonora Matancera and made Beltrán a household name for many years to come. In December of 1954, the Cuban radio announcer Germán Pinelli (other sources say Ibrahim Urbino) baptized him with the nickname “El Negrito del Batey” during a performance with La Sonora (11). He recorded a total of seven songs in 1954 with La Sonora Matancera, all by Dominican composers..

In 1955, Beltrán recorded “Contestación a: Aunque me cueste la vida” with Celia Cruz -- a bolero rítmico composed by E.L. Sureda in response to Luis Kalaff’s “Aunque me cuesta la vida” -- and the bolero-mambo “Te miro a ti“ by J.C. Boden with the accompaniment of La Sonora Matancera. According to Walter S. Magaña, Beltrán was persuaded in 1955 to leave La Sonora by an unnamed promoter during a tour and sign a contract to sing with the Conjunto Casino, which was going to pay him far more than La Sonora (12). So, after two successful years with La Sonora Matancera, he decided to take his chances capitalizing on his fame and popularity in Cuba to leave the band. He recorded the 10-inch LP “El Negrito del Batey” with Conjunto Casino for the Panart label. In 1956, Beltrán and the legendary merengue típico group El Trío Reynoso were chosen as representatives of the Dominican Republic at the Second Annual Music Festival, in the city of Miami. They were ranked first, along with the musical representatives of Panama. While still residing in Cuba, Beltrán often returned to the Dominican Republic since he was part of the cast of singers of the radio and tv station La Voz Dominicana. Beltrán’s LP with the Conjunto Casino was a bust, but he continued to perform and record in Cuba with Trio La Rosa the following year, and later with his own conjunto called “Alberto Beltrán y sus Dominican-Cubans” presumably in 1957 for Panart records (13). In 1958, Beltrán recorded the LP “Evocación” with Dominican bandleader Billo Frómeta in Cuba for the Venevox label, released in 1959, consisting of guarachas, boleros, and merengues. He also recorded with Severino Jiménez y su conjunto and Conjunto Batey de Sosa to close out the decade. In the 1960s, Beltrán spent time living, performing, and recording in many countries like Mexico, New York City, Peru, and Spain. As a soloist, he led his own orchestra (or conjunto), which had a sound and influence of bands he previously worked with in Cuba. During that time he also recorded with the orchestras of René Hernández, Super Orquesta Batey, La Orquesta de Chucho Rodríguez, Willie Rosario, and Lucho Macedo among others (14). Beltrán was back in New York City by the early 1970s, and after spending some time abroad was now a veteran singer amid the NY salsa boom. He immediately reconnected with fellow veteran Dominican musicians Primitivo Santos, Joseíto Mateo,Yoyito Cabrera, and others who were performing at popular venues like the Club Caborrojeño. During the time when Beltrán was resettling in the city, the merengue típico scene was beginning to establish its roots within the Dominican community (15). So, when the opportunity came along for Beltrán to record a merengue típico album in 1975 for Ansonia Records, the Dominican community was more than ready for it; it reintroduced him to a new generation of fans. Beltrán continued to extend his influence and fantastic vocals interpreting old-school Cuban boleros, guarachas, and merengues from a bygone era that included Cuban composer Salvador Veneíto Vázquez on the LP “Alberto Beltrán Interpreta a Salvador Veneíto” released in 1976. In 1980, Beltrán returned to record the album “Interpreta Los Exitos De Panchito Riset” for Ansonia Records. Beltrán recorded 47 studio albums in his solo career, spanning almost fifty years in the music business. In 1997, Beltrán passed away at the age of 73 in Miami, never to be forgotten for his extensive contributions to Afro-Caribbean music. In Cuba, the National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba organized a posthumous tribute to Beltrán and his extraordinary career at the XVI Festival de Boleros de Oro, held in June of 2002.

"Alberto Beltrán y su Conjunto Típico – Merengues” (SALP 1531) is the only full-length merengue típico LP by the veteran Dominican singer Alberto Beltrán, who possessed a powerful voice interpreting merengues backed up by a big band orchestra early in his career. Recorded on April 25, 1975 at Beltone Studios in Manhattan, the album sounds as amazing today as it did over forty years ago. The LP is an homage to classic merengue compositions from the Dominican merengue songbook that were popularized during the 1950s by the top big band orchestras of the Dominican Republic such as Orquesta Presidente Trujillo, Super Orquesta San José, and Antonio Morel y su Orquesta to name a few. The most popular merengue típico ensemble of the Trujillo era, El Trio Reynoso recorded many of these well-known merengues as well. Not to mention the popular Ansonia conjuntos and orchestras in New York City of Ángel Viloria, Luis Kalaff, Luis Quintero, Ramón García, Damiron & Negrito Chapuseaux, and Dioris Valladares. Beltrán is accompanied by a modern merengue típico quintet consisting of a diatonic button accordion, electric bass, güira (metal rasp or scraper), tambora (double-headed drum), and alto saxophone. This album united his experiences and influences performing merengues with the Trio Reynoso, Joseíto Mateo who popularized the conjunto típico sound in the 1960s in NYC for Ansonia, and the classic merengue repertoire he came up under with numerous orchestras.

The album kicks off with one of the most popular merengues of all time: “Caña Brava”
composed by legendary accordionist Toño Abreu in the 1930s for a rum company of the same name. This merengue showcases an impressive, improvised solo by the accordionist as the saxophonist improvised riffs around the accordion’s melodies. The album extensively features this harmonizing improvisation between the accordionist and alto saxophonist during the riff-based mambo sections of the merengues.

There is a great rendition of “La Empaliza” and “La Yuca” originally recorded and composed by Luis Kalaff, a popular songwriter of mostly big band merengues and boleros. Then, you have a fun merengue pambiche (pambiche is a slower and more harmonious merengue and the tambora is played at a slightly slower tempo) version of “El hombre marinero” composed by Ricardo Rico. The song is about a seaman who should not get married because when he is with a ship on the open seas or in Puerto Rico, New York, Japan or really any place in the world away from home, he would cheat on his wife.The tune features a short, but vibrant saxophone solo along with the güira and tambora improvisations towards the end of the song.

The lively merengue “A Bailar,” composed by José Lázaro Sosa, is an up-tempo tune that invites everyone to the dancefloor with nonstop jaleos (riffs) by the saxophonist and accordionist. The song also features Beltrán's occasional ad libs throughout, making this quite the feel-good jam for merengue típico fans.

“Compadre Pedro Juan” is a historic and significant merengue composed by Luis Alberti that Beltrán does justice with his excellent vocals, and it includes the classic marchlike introduction (paseo) used to invite your partner to the dancefloor.

The merengue that made Beltrán a household name in 1954, “El Negrito del Batey,” which was originally written for Joseíto Mateo by Héctor J. Díaz and musical arrangement done by Medardo Guzman, has now been reinterpreted with fiery accordion and swinging jaleos. This signature tune is highly recommended as it is one of the best cover tunes on the record.

And then there is a driving rendition of “A lo oscuro,” a merengue composed by Ricardo Rico with its catchy chorus “A lo oscuro metí la mano/A lo oscuro metí los pies/A lo oscuro hice mi lío/A lo oscuro lo desaté” describing all the things you could get away with in the dark. The merengue was originally popularized by Ángel Viloria y su Conjunto Típico Cibaeño in 1953 for Ansonia Records.

The next two tunes are played in the pambiche rhythm: “Siña Juanica” composed by Félix López, a merengue attributed to the peasants, where they denounce the poverty that the rural population lived in during the Trujillo era. The merengue “La Cruz de Palo Bonito” composed by Ricardo Rico is done in an alluring fashion and one of the highlights on the record. This pambiche changes the vibe for a bit and you get to really appreciate Beltrán’s vocal rendition.

The record picks up the pace again with the highly danceable merengue “La Maricutana,” composed by Radhamés Reyes Alfau and originally popularized by Damirón and Chapuseaux in Puerto Rico in 1949.

The album closes out on the mid-tempo merengue “El Sancocho Prieto” composed by Luis Alberti with a slight alteration to the catchy chorus that includes the refrain “pa' ti y pa' tu mamá” that will keep you swinging and dancing to this tune.

Unfortunately, the musicians are not credited on this record, with the exception of his compatriot and friend Joseíto Mateo, who you hear doing backup vocals on the tunes “Caña Brava,” “La Empaliza,” “La Yuca,” and “El Sancocho Prieto.” Thankfully, you can still enjoy the prominently displayed vocals of the great Alberto Beltrán in this wonderful tribute to the Dominican merengue repertoire that has spanned generations.

(1) Torres Tejeda, Jesús. Fichero artístico dominicano. Santo Domingo: Intergrafic, 1996, 23
(2) Torres Tejeda, Jesús. Fichero artístico dominicano, 23
(3) Glass Santana, Ramón Antonio. Merengue: ritmo que contagia!: historia del merengue en México. México, Plaza y Valdés Editores, 2005, 59
(4) “Entrevista Alberto Beltrán.” Sabadisimo, Santo Domingo, October 6, 1993
(5) Socías, Augusto. “Alberto Beltrán: Una gloria del arte popular dominicano.” Revista ¡Ahora!,Año XL, no. 1260, June 24, 2002, 45
(6) Magaña, Walter S.“Alberto Beltrán.” Herencia latina, 2021.
www.herencialatina.com/Biografias_Walter_Magana/Alberto_Beltran_Walter_Magana.htm
(7) Magaña, “Alberto Beltrán.” 202 and “Ven a mí /Jaleo.” Radio Gladys Palmera, 2021, gladyspalmera.com/coleccion/disco/22842/
(8) CUNY Dominican Studies Institute,“Narrative 1950s: Here comes the Dominican merengue: Mambo and Cha Cha make way.” A History of Dominican Music in the United States, 2021, dominicanmusicusa.com/narratives/1950s-here-comes-the-dominican-merengue-mambo-and-cha-cha-make-way/8
(9) Magaña, “Alberto Beltrán.” 2021
(10) Torres Tejeda, Fichero artístico dominicano, 25
(11) Glass Santana, Merengue: ritmo que contagia!, 60
(12) Magaña, “Alberto Beltrán.” 2021
(13) “Pero di qué has hecho/ baila la rumba sabrosa.” Radio Gladys Palmera, 2021
(14) Duque Castillo, Elvia. Aportes del pueblo afrodescendiente: la historia oculta de América Latina. Indiana: iUniverse, 2013, 285
(15) Hutchinson, Sydney. “Merengue Típico in New York City: A History.” Camino Real, vol. 3, no. 4, 2011, 121

-Jhensen Ortiz