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Isaac Felipe Delgado Ramirez was the second child in a small of three born on September 11th, 1962 in Mariano in the city of Havana. His father, Luis Delgado, was a tailor and his mother Lina Ramirez an actress, dancer, and singer in the Teatro Musical de La Habana who in the late forties founded the internationally renown group, Las Mulatas del Fuego, under the direction of the famous choreographed Roderico (Rodney) Neyra.
Issac's oldest brother, Nelson was a singer, guitarist, and composer. His father, Angel Diaz, is an outstanding musician and equally talented composer who united Jose Antonio Mendez and Cesar Portillo de la Luz and initiated the movement known as "Filin" popularized in the forties.
Issac Delgado's childhood is greatly influenced by observing his eldest brother play guitar and also by witnessing the work and efforts of his mother who at that time was a very well-known actress performing regularly an the capital's theaters and sharing the stage with such legendary actors as Carlos Pous, Maria de los Angeles Santana, and Candita Quintana.
Issac's primary school education took place in Ciudad Libertad and at age ten he entered into the Amadeo Roldan Conservatory where he studied the violoncello-an instrument that never interested him especially at an age when sports were most important to him. At age twelve, after leaving his studies of the violoncello behind, he passes the entrance exams for the Escuela de Iniciacion Deportiva where he dedicated himself completely to his love of soccer. During these very physically demanding years, Issac made his way through high school years, but ironically, his interest in the salsa artists like Ruben Blades and Cheo Feliciano begins to peak at about this time.
Once his university years were completed (1979), Issac entered the Instituto Superior de Cultura Fisica Manuel Fajardo to become licensed in sports. When he was 18 years old, Issac joins the group "Proyecto" at the request of the virtuoso pianist, Gonzalo Rubalcaba. The group's music, categorized by the modernization of old popular Cuban music, sparked Issac's innate love of music. It was at this point that he decided to study vocal technique with Mariana De Gonich, one of the best vocal instructors in the country. He also enrolls in the school for professional musicians, "Ignacio Cervantes," where he begins a serious study of music.
After playing as an amateur for two years, he launches his professional career in 1983 as one of the members of the Orquestra de Pacho Alonso. It is in this orchestra that he tours internationally for the first time and makes his first recording produced by CBS in Spain.
In 1987, he becomes the vocalist for the group, Galaxia, made up of other young talented musicians such as Ramon Huerta, Diego Valdez, Angel Bonne, and Jose Miguel Crego. With this group, his second international tour is realized and his second LP is recorded in Colombia.
That same year, Issac became the soloist in the famous Tropicana cabaret spectacle. During his time as part of the show, he shared the stage with the percussionist Tata Guines, with the "Senora Sentimento" Elena Burke, and with her daughter Malena Burke and the quartet Los Papines.
By the late 80's, Issac Delgado had already toured extensively and performed with famous international figures in Australia, Holland, France, Spain, Italy, Czechoslovakia, Panama, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru.
In 1988, he became the vocalist in the group NG LA BANDA which was created with the intention of bringing together some of the country's most talented instrumentalist to create a contemporary sound out of the fusion of traditional influences and popular contemporary rhythms. It is in this group that Issac reaches great popularity and fame throughout the country. With this group he tours internationally, records three more CDs and is awarded the EGREM 1990-1991 prize for being the band with the most developed technical level musically, and for having the greatest popularity.
In April, 1991, the talented performer decides to create his band, "Issac Delgado y su Grupo," comprised of only the most technically developed young musicians. This project brings on a rigorous and busy stage of his life as he selects quality texts and excellent arrangements including songs by Pablo Milanes, Pedro Luis Ferrer, Amaury Perez, and Giraldo Piloto. He records his first CD with his group, "Dando La Hora," in Venezeula under the artistic direction and composition of Gonzalo Rublacaba. The album receives the EGREM 1992 prize for best album recorded in a foreign country.
A year after its foundation, Issac inaugurates the discotheque "Azucar" in Cancun, Mexico. He also performs in the Canary Islands, and on TV in Barcelona, La Expo in Seville, and in Germany.
He then begins to work on his second CD along with Gonzalo Rubalcaba as producer once again. The title album "Con Ganas," recorded in both Venezuela and La Habana, is honored with two EGREM 1993 awards for "best dance music album" and the "critic's award."
In 1994, after recording with Adaleberto y Su Son the CD "El Chevere De La Salsa y el Caballero del Son," he is awarded the EGREM 1994 for popularity. That same year, he is invited to the Festival of the Son "Miguel Matamorros" in Santiago de Cuba.
A year later, Issac Delgado manages to break through to a greater market due to two key events. First, he records his third solo album, "El Ano Que Viene," and second, he sign a contract as an exclusive figure under Ralph Mercado's label, RMM, which exposes him to greater international recognition and success.
In Panama, he participates in the traditional Telethon 2030 where the most prestigious music figures in Latin America come together in an effort to help children through this famous fund drive. That summer, he tours Europe once again where he performes 30 concerts.
That same year, Issac Delgado travels to the United to perform in the Festival of Salsa in New York's Madison Square Garden with artists such as Celia Cruz, El Canario, and Grupo Niche. While in New York, he also performed at Hostos University, at S.O.B.'s, and at Jimmy's Cafe. He also did yet another telethon to gather funds and resources for the victims of the hurricane that hit the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
While in New York, the press recognizes his artisitic talent with the following comments on his performance:
"when he sang, he sounded as if he'd never strained at anything in his life...Mr. Delgado was rhythmically imperturbable, and when he sang against just the drums, his voice never faltered, concrete and hard and sure of its position...is was the Cuban form of the blues."
- Peter Watrous, The New York Times
Issac recorded his fourth album in New York, "Otra Idea," under the RMM label. The album, produced by Issac and the maestro Isidro Infante was the fusion of the sounds of New York salsa with the Cuban and the result was a cutting edge album.
That same year, Issac organizes the Festival of Popular Music "Benny More," and as its president, invites some of the most renown artists of Venezuela, Puerto Rico, the United States and Cuba to perform in the event that has become one of the most notable cultural events of our time.
In 1997, Issac establishes great popularity in Peru with the song "Que Pasa Loco" from the CD "Con Ganas." This success is the motive for his invitation to the Festival, "La Guerra de la Salsa" where he performed with La India, Rey Ruiz, and Tony Vega.
In June, he begins his tour with his band "Norteamerica '97" which includes Puerto Rico. It is here that he performs for the first time with Robert Roena in the Luis Munoz Marin Coliseum in San Juan with an audience of approximately five thousand fans. This tour also included performances in the Wolf Trap Jazz and Blues Festival in Washington D.C., and the International Festival of Arts and Ideas in Hew Haven, Connecticut. His performance in New York took place in Central Park Summerstage where more than ten thousand people came together to see the powerful and fiery talent of Issac Delgado and his group. Final performances in New York for this tour included Battery Park and Irving Plaza. The tour was wrapped up with important shows in four of Canada's most significant Festivals: Sunfest '97 of London, Heineken Urban Village, Toronto, International Jazz Festival '97, Montreal, and Festival D'Ete International de Quebec.
As a part of this year's tour, the group has traveled to Europe where they performed in England for the first time. Issac also worked on the documentary film "Yo Soy del Son a la Salsa" as a singer and composer. The film, produced by the film division of RMM, has received much recognition internationally and in Cuba, as well, where it was awarded "El coral del Festival de Cine Latinoamericano de La Habana.
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