Héctor Lavoe’s 1978 masterpiece 'Comedia' Returns to Vinyl on April 10th

Craft Latino proudly announces a reissue of Comedia, the 1978 masterpiece from legendary salsa singer Héctor Lavoe. Produced by his longtime collaborator Willie Colón, Lavoe’s third solo album features his signature hit—the Rubén Blades-penned “El Cantante”—alongside such favorites as “Songoro Cosongo,” “Porque te conocí?,” and “Comedia.” Arriving April 10th, and available for pre-order today, the album features all-analog (AAA) lacquers cut from the original master tapes and is pressed on 180-gram vinyl. A tip-on jacket replicates Yoshi Ohara’s iconic photograph of Lavoe, who masquerades as one of the greatest comedic actors of all time, Charlie Chaplin. Music collectors can also find a limited-edition Clear Smoke color pressing (only 300 copies), as a stand-alone or bundled with collectible T-shirts, including a “Comedia” T-shirt featuring the cover art and the classic “El Cantante” black tee, available at Fania.com. Fans can also enjoy the remastered album in both standard and HD digital audio available now on digital music platforms.

Known for his impeccably bright vocals, seamless phrasing, and ad-libbed anecdotes, singer Héctor Lavoe (1946–1993) was one of the greatest voices in salsa music and an influential force in popularizing the genre. Born Héctor Juan Pérez Martínez in Ponce, Puerto Rico, the artist relocated to New York City at 17, where he adopted his stage name and began performing in bands led by Roberto García, Kako, and Fania Records founder Johnny Pacheco. It was through Pacheco that Lavoe met 16-year-old Willie Colón, with whom he would form one of Latin music’s most celebrated partnerships.

Beginning in 1967, Lavoe appeared as a vocalist on ten legendary studio albums with the Willie Colón Orchestra, including the boogaloo classic El malo (1967), as well as bestsellers like Cosa nuestra (1970), Asalto Navideño (1971), and Lo mato (1973). In the mid-’70s, Lavoe embarked on a solo career and soon became one of salsa music’s biggest stars, thanks to his enormously popular 1975 debut, La voz, and its 1976 follow-up, De ti depende. Two years later, he returned with Comedia, another critical and commercial success that would become a cornerstone of his beloved body of work.

Produced by Colón, the album opens with the cinematic “El Cantante,” which would become a career-defining hit for Lavoe. Penned by singer, songwriter, and activist Rubén Blades, the song is written from the point of view of a popular recording artist reflecting on his humanity and vulnerabilities when he steps off the stage. For Lavoe—who had spent the previous year away from the spotlight amid struggles with his mental health and substance abuse—the song is particularly poignant.

The album also spawned a second significant hit for Lavoe—a mambo-inspired reimagining of the 1930s Cuban classic “Songoro Cosongo.” The joyful track, which closes Comedia, showcases Lavoe’s famous soneos (improvised solos). Other highlights include the lively “La verdad” and “Tiempos pasados,” while emotive ballads like “Porque te conocí” and “Comedia” take a stylistic cue from “El Cantante,” featuring soaring orchestral arrangements.

Comedia proved to be another bestseller for Lavoe, while “El Cantante” became an instant classic and his signature song. In 2024, the track was added to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry. Rolling Stone wrote, “An autobiographical epic, ‘El Cantante’ finds the Holy Trinity of salsa in a state of grace: Rubén Blades wrote it; Lavoe performed it, and Colón amped up the gravitas with a string arrangement that drips with fatalism.”

Comedia, meanwhile, remains one of the most revered albums in salsa music. In 2024, Rolling Stone ranked Comedia No.3 on their 50 Greatest Salsa Albums of All Time list, declaring that it transformed the genre into “high art; a spiritual experience.” In a retrospective review, AllMusic hailed, “Nobody could make a song sing quite like Héctor Lavoe…and his commanding air over this record made it his third straight classic.”

Today, long after his passing, Lavoe’s legacy continues to live on through his vibrant catalog of music. In addition to his ten solo albums and classic collaborations with Colón, Lavoe was a regular guest with the celebrated supergroup Fania All Stars, appearing on more than a dozen live and studio albums. Over the decades, his extensive contributions to Latin music have been honored in New York and Puerto Rico through a myriad of street dedications, statues, and murals. His life also inspired an off-Broadway play, a tribute album, and two feature films, including the Marc Anthony/Jennifer Lopez–led El Cantante (2006). In 2000, Lavoe was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame.

Click here to pre-order El Cantante.

Click here to find the exclusive bundle including the Clear Smoke limited-edition color vinyl with a collectible “Comedia” or “El Cantante” T-shirt.

Comedia tracklist:

Side A

1. El Cantante

2. Comedia

3. La Verdad

4. Tiempos Pasados

Side B

1. Bandolera

2. Porque Te Conocí?

3. Songoro Cosongo

About Fania:

Highly influential, both musically and culturally, Fania Records spread the sound of salsa music from the clubs of New York City to the rest of the world and became a revered global brand in the process. Fania’s master recording catalog is the definitive home for genres such as Latin big band, Afro-Cuban jazz, boogaloo, salsa and Latin Soul, and includes artistic giants such as Celia Cruz, Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe and Rubén Blades. With the creation of the international supergroup known as the Fania All-Stars, the label’s signature musical style became known as the “Fania Sound.” Fania’s rich master catalog also includes the Pete Rodriguez’s boogaloo classic “I Like It Like That” which was sampled by Cardi B in her #1 hit “I Like It.” Additionally, three Fania Recordings, Celia & Johnny by Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco, Azucar Pa’ Ti by Eddie Palmieri and Live at Yankee Stadium by the Fania All-Stars, appear in the National Recording Registry, a list of sound recordings that “are culturally, historically or aesthetically important, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States.” For more info, visit Fania.com and follow on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

About Craft Latino:

Craft Latino is home to one of the largest and most prestigious collections of Latin music master recordings and compositions in the world. Its rich and storied repertoire includes legendary artists such as Antonio Aguilar, Joan Sebastian, Pepe Aguilar, Celia Cruz, Héctor Lavoe, Willie Colón, Ray Barretto, La Lupe, Ruben Blades and the Fania All Stars, Daddy Yankee to name just a few. Renowned imprints with catalogs issued under the Craft banner include Musart, Fania, TH, Panart, West Side Latino and Kubaney, among many others. Craft creates thoughtfully curated packages, with a meticulous devotion to quality and a commitment to preservation, ensuring that these recordings endure for new generations to discover.

Craft Latino is the Latin repertoire arm of Craft Recordings, the catalog label team for Concord. For more info, visit CraftRecordings.com.

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Al Mega: I'm Al Mega the CEO of Comic Crusaders, CEO of the Undercover Capes Podcast Network, CEO of Geekery Magazine & Owner of Splintered Press (coming soon). I'm a fan of comics, cartoons and old school video games. Make sure to check out our podcasts/vidcasts and more!