14 Facts About Ibrahim Ferrer

Ibrahim Ferrer was a Cuban singer who played with the group Los Bocucos for nearly forty years.

Ibrahim Ferrer performed with Conjunto Sorpresa, Chepin y su Orquesta Oriental, and Mario Patterson.

Ibrahim Ferrer then toured internationally with these revival groups and recorded several solo albums for World Circuit, before his death in 2005.

Ibrahim Ferrer's mother died when he was twelve, leaving him orphaned and forcing him to sing on the streets to earn money.

In 1953, Ibrahim Ferrer began performing with Pacho Alonso's group in Santiago, Cuba.

Ibrahim Ferrer remained a member of Los Bocucos until his retirement in 1991.

Since then, Ibrahim Ferrer began to sing lead more often, instead of performing as a backing singer.

In 1996, Ibrahim Ferrer took part in Nick Gold's World Circuit sessions when it was announced that an old-style bolero singer would be required.

Ibrahim Ferrer first participated in the recording of the album A Toda Cuba le Gusta with the Afro-Cuban All Stars, which was nominated for a Grammy Award.

Ibrahim Ferrer released his second solo recording, Buenos Hermanos, in 2003 and continued touring in Europe into 2005.

Ibrahim Ferrer contributed in 2005 to the APE Vision Artists Project Earth album Rhythms Del Mundo: Cuba, a collaboration with Coldplay, U2, Sting, Dido, Faithless, Jack Johnson, Maroon 5, and others.

Ibrahim Ferrer's last recording was Mi sueno, an album devoted to the bolero.

Ibrahim Ferrer was an adherent of the Santeria faith, a blending of the traditional Nigerian Yoruba religion and Catholicism.

Ibrahim Ferrer died at age 78 of multiple organ failure on 6 August 2005, at CIMEQ hospital in Havana, after returning from a European tour.