The experienced Puerto Rican salsero Tito Rojas, who died of a suspected heart attack at the age of 65 last Saturday, was veiled this Tuesday, December 29, in his hometown of Humacao, Puerto Rico, and will be buried Wednesday.
The crowd outside the Marcelo Trujillo Panisse Coliseum sang with one voice his success “No One Is Eternal”, calling people not to suffer for those who die. Some people danced salsa and others cried.
The Puerto Rican media chronicle Primera Hora describes that the arrival of the hearse at the Marcelo Trujillo Panisse Coliseum, around 1pm, sparked the enthusiasm of the fans who challenged the risks of the COVID-19 pandemic to honor those who acknowledge , not only because of its salsa power, but also because of its human quality.
Cries of ‘Tito, Tito’ and others that evoked some of his popular expressions, such as ‘Perdona sae’ and ‘Coge pa’ tu casa ‘, framed the moment when several musicians from Rojas’ orchestra carried the chest into the Colosseum to the public vigil which lasted until 6:00 pm
A Puerto Rican flag served as the backdrop on the platform where the chest was located, which was opened for the observation of the hundreds of admirers who came to say goodbye to their idol. Tears, gestures and words of disbelief reflected the emotion of the people at the sudden loss of the interpreter.
Tito Rojas’ funeral is tomorrow, Wednesday December 30, at a cemetery in the same town of Humacao, but exclusively for the family.
Rojas, known as “El Gallo salsero”, popularized the songs “Siempre seré”, “Señora de madrugada” and “Es mi mujer”. It was very popular in the Dominican Republic.
The interpreter’s relatives were the ones who found him on the ground and without vital signs on the balcony of a home in the Tejas neighborhood of Humacao, a congregation on the east coast of Puerto Rico.
The mayor of his hometown of Humacao, Luis Raúl Sánchez Hernández, ordered five days of mourning from Saturday.