Translated by Emmanuel Espinal
April 8, 2020
Ray «Chino» Díaz
Many people do not know how my relationship and friendship with Bartolo Alvarado started. It began at a very young age. Before meeting him in person, when I was about nine years old my sister took my two nephews and I to see a show with El Cieguito de Nagua (as he was affectionately called), in a place where many Latin American musicians and artists like José Luís Rodríguez «El Puma» (Venezuelan singer), Angélica María (Mexican actress and singer) two huge singers and many traditional Puerto Rican musicians played. In the early seventies in southern Manhattan, between what is known as the Lower East Side and Little Italy, there was a música típica movement that was being started. There was a lady named Irma Díaz, who was the owner of various Dominican restaurants where típico bands were invited to play. Many of the major típico musicians like Chichito Villa, Miguel Santana and the other legend Tatico Henríquez and his musicians came to play. Wow, what parties these were! There is where the great Bartolo Alvarado and I met. By this time I am about ten or twelve years old.
When I was about twelve years old they took me to participate in one of the shows he played at two iconic New York theaters. One of them was the Jefferson Theatre that was near the famous Palladium on 14 Street in Manhattan. As the years passed we kept in contact one way or another. He would always tell my father jokingly, “compay Mende, let me take “Chinito” or “Mañú”, the latter was how my father used to call me from time to time, to Santiago to play for me. That never happened, but in 1981 I went to the Dominican Republic on tour for the first time with another great accordionist, King de la Rosa. On one of those tours I actually stayed at Bartolo’s house to spend some time with him. There is a lot more I could say about our friendship over the years but I want people to know just how great and special you were in my life Bartolo, as a person and as a musician. About a month ago I visited him for the first time in a while, what a joy and at the same time it gave me sadness to see him in the state he was in, a man that always had such a great humor and a smile on his face. All I can tell you is… Bartolo, I will always remember you and you will always be in my heart. Until next time I see you old friend Bartolo Alvarado «El Cieguito De Nagua».
Ray «Chino» Díaz
