Biography
From his humble beginnings in typical Puerto Rican music to the present, Willito Otero has been nourished by influences and enriching experiences that have led him to conquer scenarios in Puerto Rico, America and Europe.
Willito Otero Biography/
Wilfredo "Willito" Otero Matos was born in Naranjito, Puerto Rico, on April 20, 1984, the son of Wilfredo Otero Santiago, a professional carpenter and self-taught musician, and Carmen D. Matos Cotto. Born in a home where music was always present, Willito began to develop in that discipline in 1991 when, motivated by his first grade teacher, Mrs. Lilliam Colón, sang a few tenths in six fajardeño in the competition of troubadours Of the Week of the Spanish Language.
A year later, Willito became a Puerto Rican national troubadour when he won the same competition, now at the insular level, playing a six celinese at La Perla Theater in Ponce.
Throughout his studies at elementary level, Willito continued developing in the music and developing his abilities of troubadour and improviser inspired by figures like Ramito, "Chuito" the one of Bayamón, Ubaldo "Lalo" Rodríguez, Ramón Luis "Chamaco" Ramírez, José Luis "Cheo" Feliciano and Héctor Lavoe. He was part of the group of children troubadours La Nueva Cepa directed by the Reyes family with which he appeared in different public squares throughout Puerto Rico.
In his seventh grade, Willito performed in the theatrical work of folk music "Le Lo Lai" presented at the Center of Fine Arts of Guaynabo in which artists such as Luis Miranda, Mariano Cotto, Vicente Caratini and the Singers of San Juan, among others.
Throughout his studies at intermediate level, Willito explored different avenues in the music practicing several instruments (emphasizing in the alto saxophone) and singing popular subjects of other sorts, like the sauce. It was within this genre that the young naranjiteño began to expose himself professionally to the 17 years of age like singer of the orchestra La Clave of trumpeter Ricardo Morales. Together with this group Willito recorded his first demo in the studio of renowned musician and arranger Ángel "Cucco" Peña playing the theme "Vagabundo" by Andy Montañez in 2001.
The following year, Sonero became a member of Son's Orchestra directed by musician Sammy Velez where he met Timbalero Edwin Clemente, with whom he recorded his first professional production "Timbal pa'l Bailador" in 2005. In the Genre of the bomb and full, Willito recorded the album "La Trulla without Precedents" with the group Plena Juventud that same year.
Willito joined the Comborican ensemble, with which he performed weekly at the Nuyorican Cafe in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, for over 10 years. It was during this period of time that the young sonero honed his musical skills, formed his Salsa City orchestra and exposed himself to prominent figures of popular music like the teacher William Cepeda with whom he traveled to Hostos College of New York to record a live concert .
In New York, Willito met the well-known trombonist Jimmy Bosch. Impressed by his talent, Bosch invited him to sing in his musical production "A Millón" in 2009 and later to appear in countries like Slovenia, Israel, France, Holland, Spain and Venezuela in addition to North American cities like Boston and Connecticut. In that same year, the young naranjiteño participated in the 15th anniversary of the Madera Fina orchestra in the Lehman Center of the Bronx, New York, sharing stage with prominent salsa figures such as Hermán Oliveras, Carlos Santos, Carlos Enrique "El Cano" Estremera and The master King Santos.
The following year, Willito became part of the orchestra Los Escogidos of Dr. Jorge Torres, where he recorded the production "Aguacero" directed by the world-renowned trumpet player David '' Piro '' Rodriguez. In this production Willito recorded main voice, minor percussion and all the choirs in addition to being released like composer of the subject "Mi Bomba Es".
In 2014, Willito participated in the prestigious television special that annually performs the Banco Popular de Puerto Rico interpreting the theme "Romance del Campesino" by Mayagüezan composer Roberto Cole. That same year, the director "Tito" Román Rivera made the documentary "El Antillano" on the life of the Puerto Rican hero Ramón Emeterio Betances and invited Willito to participate in the production of the sound track of the project, entitled "Betances Suena Así". For the same, Willito composed and interpreted the theme "The Doctor of the Poor" accompanied by the recognized cuatrista Christian Nieves and arranged by the pianist Manolo Navarro.
A year later, the world-famous orchestra El Gran Combo of Puerto Rico considered Willito to occupy the space left in the group by veteran singer Charlie Aponte. In March of the same year, renowned percussionist Pete Perignón launched his production "Aqui Llegó" in which Willito participated as an interpreter of the song "Sugar Pa 'an Amarga'o" while Edwin Clemente turned to the already outstanding sonero to interpret "Tito" Allen, Adalberto Santiago, "Tito" Rojas, Alex D'Castro and NG2, among other exponents of the salsa, "Poker de Aces" in his record production "Dos Generaciones en Salsa".
Also in 2015 was released the production "De Severo a la Calma" from the group Los Pleneros de Severo, in which he paid tribute to the music of Ismael Rivera. On this occasion Willito was in charge of interpreting all the songs of the disc, including "Mi Negrita Me Espera", "Cúcala", "Borinqueneando" and other successes of Maelo to the rate of the full and the bomb. The production also counted on the talents of Ricardo Pons, Manolo Navarro, Guillermo Calderón and Ariel Robles in the arrangements and Edgar Abraham, Ricardo Lugo and Charlie Pizarro in the musical direction. In fact, the three musical projects in which Willitoese year participated were recognized within the best 20 albums produced in Puerto Rico in the year 2015 according to the National Foundation for Popular Culture.
Willito's talent has been evidenced both in the number of productions in which he has participated and in the groupings he has been invited to, such as Batacumbele, Salsa Libre, the Cimarrón Orchestra and the orchestras of Bobby Valentín, Johnny Bravo, "Pupy" Cantor and Pete Perignón, with which he took the stage of the 33rd National Zalsa Day, held at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in March 2016.
Proving once again his quality as a singer, sonero and composer, Willito is about to release a new record production under his name and in which he has themes by the famous author Jorge Luis Piloto and his own authorship. Titled "Let the Function Begin", it contains nine songs arranged by Carlos "Cuto" Soto and Ramón Sánchez. Raising the Puerto Rican salsa to a level of musical quality worthy of international recognition and with the support of the MDR Music label, Willito Otero lends himself to continue conquering scenarios around the world with "Let the Function Begin"!
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