Tony Vega

Eladio Antonio Vega Ayala (July 13, 1957), better known by his stage name Tony Vega, is a salsa singer from Salinas, Puerto Rico. Born into a family of musicians, he began mastering the bongos and conga from a very young age. After moving to New York with his family in 1968, he got his start as a percussionist in several Latin rock bands and later joined the salsa ensemble Orquesta La Preferida from 1971 to 1973. It was around this time that Tony Vega started his singing career, which continued in the following years on Raphy Leavitt's La Selecta with hits like "Cosquillita," "Sheila Taina," and "El Picaflor." From 1981 to 1986, he shared the stage with the likes of Willie Rosario and Louie Ramirez. In 1988, he made his official solo debut on the album ¡Yo Me Quedo!, which entered Billboard's salsa charts a year later. Lo Mio Es Amor, his first gold record, appeared in 1990 and was followed by the astounding success of 1991's Uno Mismo. Driven by the massive hit "Esa Mujer," the album achieved platinum sales and cemented his reputation as one of the strongest performers in the Latin music scene. Even though his popularity waned during the rest of the decade, Tony Vega continued to record and perform well into the 21st century, becoming a born-again Christian in the early aughts.

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