Ubaldo Rodríguez Santos, known professionally as Lalo Rodríguez, is a Puerto Ricansalsa singer and musician best known for his 1988 hit "Ven, Devórame Otra Vez".
In 1973, at only 15 years of age, with the help of producer Harvey Averne, Rodríguez joined Eddie Palmieri's band. He was the featured vocalist on Palmieri's Grammy-winning album Sun of Latin Music. A year later he sang on Unfinished Masterpiece, also with Palmieri, who gave him his new first name "Lalo". Rodríguez also worked with Machito and Tommy Olivencia's group. In 1980, he "went solo." Lalo has been compared to other famous salseros like Eddie Santiago, José Alberto "El Canario", and Frankie Ruiz. Rodríguez is known for a charismatic stage presence and he often interacts with his audience in the tradition of the great Cheo Feliciano. Rodríguez was awarded "Tropical Song of the Year" at the Lo Nuestro Awards in 1989 for the hit, "Ven, Devórame Otra Vez". Rodríguez continued to record and produce new albums throughout the early and mid 1990s. In 1994, Lalo was brought back to the Copacabana of New York by Chino Rodríguez, who became Lalo's manager for a short period and had Harvey Averne talk to Capital EMI Latin to re-record Lalo with the projectNací Para Cantar, which sold RIAA Platinum. Lalo Rodríguez's final album to date, Estoy Aquí, was released in 1996. After a long absence from recording, Rodríguez returned in the late 2000s with a new album entitled Con TodoMi Corazon, an album that has not been released to the public as of 2013. On January 30, 2020, Rodríguez has announced that the release of this album will officially happen later in the year, though an exact date has not been confirmed.
Personal life
Marriage and family
Lalo Rodríguez currently resides in Orlando, Florida with his wife Wanda Torres, whom he married in 1986. The couple have four children, one of whom was adopted in 2006.
Legal issues
Throughout much of his career, Rodríguez has had a history of drug and alcohol abuse, which led him to problems with his family and the law. Rodríguez was arrested on March 20, 2011 and charged with domestic violence, accused of attempting to strangle his wife Wanda. He posted $1,500 shortly afterwards, but was arrested again in May for possession of cocaine and violating his restraining order by contacting his wife. In an interview with Primera Hora, Lalo Rodríguez recalled the events differently from what his wife had originally told the media, citing that he had accused her of infidelity and wanted a divorce. Rodríguez was eventually released in July and placed on two years of probation and drug rehabilitation.
