Tito Nieves, born Humberto Nieves on June 4, 1958, in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, is known as the "Pavarotti of Salsa" for his clear and powerful voice. Moving to New York City as a child, he grew up in a family of musicians and began his professional career in 1975 with Orquesta Cimarrón. He later worked with Héctor Lavoe, debuted with Johnny Ortiz's Taibori in 1978, and co-founded Conjunto Clásico, recording eight albums with the group before launching his solo career. His solo debut Classic (1988) went gold, followed by Yo Quiero Cantar (1989), which also went gold and featured the groundbreaking English-language salsa hit "I'll Always Love You." His 1990 album Déjame Vivir achieved platinum status, and I Like It Like That (1997), an all-English salsa album, brought mainstream exposure, including a performance with Stevie Wonder at the Alma Awards. Tito's later albums, including Dale Cara a la Vida (1998) and Clase Aparte (1999), showcase his blend of salsa, pop, and R&B influences.