El Cantante - Mark Anthony as Hector Lavoe

El Cantante is biopic based on the life of salsa singer Hector Lavoe and his wife Nilda “Puchi” Lavoe. In the film, real life married couple Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez will play Hector and Puchi. Leon Ichaso is directing from a script by David Darmstaeder, Todd Anthony Bello, and himself. The film is being distributed by Picturehouse with a release date of August 3rd, 2007.

El Cantante chronicles Lavoe’s rise to film, his struggle with drugs, his attempted suicide, and his early death from AIDS. Filmgoers, particularly those who knew something of Hector Lavoe, were surprised at how much of the film focuses on Jennifer Lopez’s character Puchi, whereas in real life, Hector’s wife didn’t have much influence on his career. If I were to wager a guess, I would simply attribute that change to Jennifer Lopez’s star power.

Hector Lavoe was born and raised in Puerto Rico, before moving to New York City when he was just 17. Upon arriving, he immediately landed as the vocalist of a sextet formed by Roberto Garcia. In 1967, Hector joined Willie Colon’s band as the band vocalist. When Colon retired, Hector went solo and formed his own band, where he again performed as lead vocalist. This is when Lavoe’s career really took off.

In 1979, Lavoe went through an immensely rough patch where he was addicted to drugs and surrounded by death in his father, son, and mother-in-law. To make things worse, he was also diagnosed with HIV, which would ultimately lead to his death.

Marc Anthony, who portrays Hector Lavoe, is a salsa singer who was born in New York City to Puerto Rican parents. Although his film career is small compared to his music career, he’s held his own, appearing in such films as Tony Scott’s Man on Fire with Denzel Washington.

Check out the trailer for the biopic El Cantante: