Mayito Rivera Biography

Mario Enrique “Mayito” Rivera Godines (vocals)
Born in Pinar del Río, Cuba on January 19, 1966.
Mayito ranks among the five most famous singers of the present-day Latin music scene. For many years he was the front man of the legendary Cuban salsa band Juan Formell y Los Van Van. Countless tours through Latin America, the United States, Canada, Japan, China, the former Soviet Union, and nearly all of Europe have put him among the best-known Cuban voices and faces today. But Mayito has also shared the stage with many other stars including Pío Leyva, Osdalgia, Tirso Duarte, Alexander Abreu & Habana D’Primera, Waldo Mendoza, El Zorro, Haila Mompié, José Luis Barba, Telmary, Dos Four, and Timbalive, to mention only a few.
He played one of the main roles in Wim Wenders’ film production “Sons of Cuba” (Buena Vista Next Generation). During the course of his career he has received multiple national and international awards for his outstanding vocals. They include a Grammy together with Los Van Van as well as a Grammy nomination in the category “Best Salsa Album of the Year” for his solo album “Negrito Bailador” (Timba Records 2006). Since the beginning of 2012 he has been a permanent member of Soneros de Verdad, whose founder and leader, Luis Frank Arias, has been a good friend of his for decades.