Luis Kalaff
Luis Kalaff (October 11, 1916 -July 2, 2010) was a Dominican singer, composer and guitarist.
Luis Kalaff
- Born
- 1916
- Died
- 2010 · Santo Domingo.
- Nationality
- Dominican Republic
- Occupation
- composer · singer · guitarist · musician · bandleader
In this article
Key facts
• Name — Luis Kalaff • Birth Name — Luis Kalaff Pérez • Born — 1916 10 16 • Birthplace — Pimentel, Duarte, Dominican Republic • Died — 2010 07 02 • Place of death — Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic • Occupation — Singer, composer, guitarist, songwriter • Genre — merengue • Instrument — Vocals, guitar • Years Active — 1939-2010
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.
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.
Citations
References
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reference work
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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
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