Luis Kalaff
Luis Kalaff (October 11, 1916 -July 2, 2010) was a Dominican singer, composer and guitarist.
Luis Kalaff
- Name
- Luis Kalaff
- Birth Name
- Luis Kalaff Pérez
- Born
- 16 October 1916
- Birthplace
- Pimentel, Duarte, Dominican Republic
- Died
- 2 July 2010
- Place of death
- Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
- Occupation
- Singer, composer, guitarist, songwriter
- Nationality
- Dominican Republic
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Luis Kalaff. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.
Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q1876448 · wikipedia · Luis Kalaff
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Luis Kalaff • Birth Name — Luis Kalaff Pérez • Born — 16 October 1916 • Birthplace — Pimentel, Duarte, Dominican Republic • Died — 2 July 2010 • Place of death — Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic • Occupation — Singer, composer, guitarist, songwriter • Genre — merengue • Instrument — Vocals, guitar • Years Active — 1939-2010
Life and career
Life and career
His father, Juan Kalaf, was of Lebanese origins. His mother was Bernavelina Perez. He joined the band "Los Alegeres Dominicanos" and at some time traveled to the United States. Through a contract with Peer International Corp. he had joined an American record label. Ballroom Dance Magazine described him as being proficient in merengue music. Deborah Pancini Hernández, author of Bachata: A Social History of a Dominican Popular Music, described him as "popular". In 1958 he moved to New York City. Kalaff used boogaloo and merengue as influences in his work. Other artists like Celia Cruz and Julio Iglesias began playing songs written by Kalaff. The Dominican Studies Institute of City University of New York stated that Kalaff "popularized típico merengue in New York during the 1950s". In 2000, Kalaff was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame.
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Luis Kalaff, revision 1370469565 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.City University of New York Dominican Studies Institute. Luis Kalaf Pérez was a. 2017-04-24.
- 2.Ramos, Jorge. A seis años de la partida de Luis Kalaff. 2016-07-03.
- 3.Ballroom Dance Magazine Volume 1. 21. 1960.
- 4.Hernandez, Deborah Pancini. Bachata A Social History of a Dominican Popular Music. Temple University Press. 57. 1995. 9781566393003.
- 5.City University of New York. Narrative: 1960s: The Birth of Salsa and the Rise of a U.S. Dominican Mentality. Dominican Music USA.
- 6.City University of New York. Genre Guide: Merengue. Dominican Music USA.
- 7.International Latin Music Hall of Fame Announces Year 2000 Inductees. 1 March 2000.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 24 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Music memorabilia
44,023 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Luis GianneoPerson
- Luis H. SalgadoPerson
- Luis Herrera de la FuentePerson
- Luís JardimPerson
- Luis MarianoPerson
- Luis NaónPerson
- Luis PerdomoPerson
- Luis RegoPerson
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Luis Kalaff?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.