Born in Puerto Rico but raised in the U.S., Tito Nieves (born Humberto Nieves) began his career while participating in Cimarron, a New York-based orchestra. He then teamed up with Héctor Lavoe in 1977 and joined Conjunto Clásico soon after. Nieves started his solo career in 1986, setting himself apart by singing salsa in English. He became a chart-topper in 1997 with a song called “I Like It Like That.” Among his key albums are Classic (1988), Yo Quiero Cantar (1989), Fabricando Fantasias (2004), Hoy, Manana y Siempre (2006), Pura Salsa Live (2007), and 2008’s tribute offering Canciones Clasicas de Marco Antonio Solis, which landed at number 15 on Latin Heatseekers and 23 on the Top Latin albums charts. While Nieves busied himself touring the latter album for more than a year, his 2010 studio offering, Entre Familia, reached number 15 at Top Latin Albums and number two on the Tropical Albums list, followed by Que Seas Feliz two years later at number 23. Nieves’ chart presence remained strong.
His singles regularly placed in the Top 20 over the next few years and his albums continued to chart. 2014’s Mis Mejores Recuerdos placed at seven on Tropical Albums while its successor, the following year’s En Dos Idiomas on his newly created Tito Nieves Creations label, did even better, reaching number four. Though he was now his own boss, Nieves had no time to take it easy. He toured hard over the next two years, surfacing again in 2017 with Canciones Que No Se Olvidan, followed later that year by the Christmas album Navidad a Mi Estilo. Collaborating with producer Sergio George, Nieves released the compilation Una Historia Musical in late 2018, featuring a mix of live tracks and previously unreleased material.
