Salsa Legend José Alberto Reveals Fania All Stars’ Missed Chance After 50 Years in Music
San Juan, Puerto Rico – After a remarkable half-century in music, salsa icon José Alberto “El Canario” is reflecting on his career and a critical misstep by teh legendary Fania All Stars: their failure to cultivate a new generation of stars to replace its original lineup. In a recent interview, Alberto detailed how this lack of foresight ultimately led to the group’s decline, despite a wealth of emerging talent.
Alberto, celebrating his 50th artistic anniversary on November 26th at the Coca-Cola Music Hall, spoke candidly about not being included in the Fania All Stars during his rise to prominence.However, he emphasized this wasn’t a source of bitterness. “He wasn’t forced, and he didn’t have the need,” Alberto explained. “The guy was involved with the greats, and it was an empire that he managed, where artists like Héctor Lavoe, like Ismael Miranda, like Cheo Feliciano, like Larry Harlow, like ray Barreto, like all these great artists, were capturing attention around the world.”
The core of his assessment centers on Fania’s inability to plan for the future.”That was the failure in part of fania.Fania never created a replacement,” Alberto stated. “If it had created a replacement, Fania All Stars would have existed as the first pigeon peas today. Because there have been talents who were born later and were superstars.” He cited a wave of artists who emerged after the original All Stars – Frankie Ruiz, Lalo Rodríguez, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Tito Nieves, Tony Vega, and Tito Rojas – as potential successors who were never given the opportunity. “Many came who could have been Fania all Stars, but they weren’t. There was no such vision of a future.”
Despite this, Alberto acknowledges the support he received from many figures within the salsa world, including Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Andy Montañez, Pete “El conde” Rodríguez, and even Johnny Pacheco, who later produced an album with Alberto and toured with him. “And it is indeed so true that I got to record with Pacheco and he came to produce me.I got to accompany him with my orchestra and travel with him, so that you can see what life is. And I made an album in tribute to him,” he saeid, noting the irony of their eventual collaboration.
throughout his career, Alberto credits his enduring success to a ideology of forgiveness and forward momentum, instilled by his mother: “my son, always move forward, never hate. Don’t hold a grudge.” he believes harboring negativity hinders emotional progress.
Now,reflecting on five decades in the industry,Alberto expresses contentment. “My career,a success. My life, a success. I am happy, the father of four children, married, I feel good, I am still in love with life, I like to live well and I get used to everything, as long as it doesn’t hurt me,” he shared.
Tickets for José alberto “El Canario’s” 50th anniversary concert on November 26th are available at Ticketera.