florencio morales "flor" ramos (september 5, 1915 &ndash; february 23, 1989), better known as ramito, was a famous puerto rican singer, trovador, and composer who was a native of caguas, puerto rico. he is considered the king of jÃ­baro music. his brothers luis ("luisito") and juan marÃ­a ("moralito") also attained major recognition as jÃ­baro singers. == early years == ramito was born in the bairoa subsection of caguas, puerto rico (very close to where bairoa gym, headquarters for many puerto rican prizefighters and boxing champions, stands nowadays); "caguitas" (little caguas) was a boyhood nickname of his, used by his closest friends. he left school in fourth grade ("but an old-time fourth grade at that!", he mentioned whenever asked) to assist his parents, who were parenting twelve other children (including six of their own), and whose thereby economic situation was precarious. his mother had been an amateur singer and improviser and he would sing her favorite songs at the sugar cane fields where he served, first as a water boy and later as a messenger and sugar cane cutter. regarded as a good singer by his peers, he was already singing for money at the age of thirteen. in 1932 he participated at a local trova singers contest in caguas. that was the beginning of fame for "ramito". == musical career == ten years later, in 1942, he inaugurated the wiac radio station, a station with national reach. he also sang in the inaugural broadcast of wkjb-am in mayagÃ¼ez, in 1948. later he animated the radio show "la hora del volante", from bayamÃ³n. his affable stage presence and reputation as a fast improviser and bright lyricist earned him a large following in puerto rico and growing communities of puerto rican migrants to the northeastern united states. "ramito" was featured in the short musical film "truya" (1950), along the most reputed puerto rican jÃ­baro singers and musicians of the time, including jesÃºs sÃ¡nchez erazo "chuÃ­to el de bayamÃ³n", ernestina reyes, "la calandria", maso rivera and others. he also appeared on television multiple times and he released a wide number of trova albums, of which many were best sellers in puerto rico and other latin american countries. between 1960 and 1972 he nominally moved to new york, where he worked on the radio show "la montaÃ±a canta" on the whom station. he maintained a constant presence in puerto rico, however, virtually living between both places. "ramito" became an icon to fans of trova music in puerto rico, specially those in the mountainside areas of that island. he toured intensely in latin america and the united states, and had a particularly strong following among the pu
1915_births 1989_deaths People_from_Caguas,_Puerto_Rico Puerto_Rican_male_singers