Ismael Rivera – El Nazareno, Apuntes preliminares para un viaje literario

Abstract

This study is dedicated to the life of the so-called “sonero mayor”, Ismael
Rivera. Presents both, his journey to become a tropical music exponent at an international
level and his personal experiences. The article contains references to past interviews,
and books, as fragments of new interviews conducted by the author to close friends of
the famous singer. A tour of the different facets of Maelo's life, such as his combination
of ethno-religious roots (yoruba / orisha, catholic, and the Black Christ tradition), his
nationality, his drug problem, but above all, its sovereignty. In the end, the paper reflects
how the life of Ismael Rivera was at various levels, reflecting on the life of, what we call,
a sovereign Caribbean Cimarron