The Salsa King of NY Radio, Polito Vega dies (PHOTOS)

• The Salsa King of New York Radio dies at 84.
• Polito Vega introduced New York audiences to Latin music in the sixties.
• He was a radio legend.

Polito Vega dies. One of the most famous radio hosts in the United States has passed away. Polito Vega was a beloved New York radio personality and a proud Puerto Rican. He worked at several radio stations in New York and was known as the The King of Salsa.

The New York Times reported that Polito died at the age of 84. He will be remembered as one of the the most captivating Latino voices in the United States.

Polito Vega dies

Polito Vega introduced Latin music to radio listeners in New York, putting sazón on it, and quickly became a tastemaker. According to the New York Times, he was «the architect of Hispanic radio at a global level.»

Polito became quite popular in the 1960s. He passed away on March 9 in North Bergen, New Jersey at 84 years old. So far, the cause of death of the famous broadcaster hasn’t been revealed.

Polito Vega was one of the most influential Latino radio hosts

In addition to devoting himself to voice-over, Polito Vega had a great love for music, and he originally pursued a singing career. As a host, his voice quickly became well-known and people called him ‘The King of Radio’ due to his charisma.

According to the New York Times, Vega was quite an admirer of the Yankees, reportedly always wearing a Yankee cap, as well as a starched white guayabera, white goatee, and bushy sideburns.

Polito’s legacy in the US

“Vega’s importance to Latin music cannot be overstated,” Leila Cobo, author of Decoding ‘Despacito’: An Oral History of Latin Music wrote in an obituary for Billboard. Polito was key to introducing Salsa to a wider market.

“He was the most influential tastemaker in the country’s top market, dating back to when tropical music first became popular in the city in the 1960s and 1970s and stretching all the way to the 21st century,” Leila Cobo wrote according to the New York Times.

People say goodbye to Polito Vega

Thousands of people remember and deeply mourn the death of the Salsa King of NY Radio and they continue to recognize his contribution to Latin music in the US. “At the dance halls and up in the Catskills you would hear the Tito Puente and Machito orchestras tearing things up, but on the radio the kind of thing you heard was romantic trios, unless you were tuning in to Symphony Sid,» Polito Vega told the NY Times in 2009.

On Twitter, hundreds of netizens offered their condolences to his family. “You cannot let this week end without acknowledging the death of «El Rey de la Radio», #PolitoVega. He was synonymous with the rise and consumption of #Latin #Music, not only in NYC, but in the United States. What a remarkable legacy. RIP.” “I am honored to have shared my thoughts on the legacy of #PolitoVega, “El Rey de la Radio”, who helped shape the Latin music scene in New York and beyond. Rest in peace, teacher,» wrote colleagues and fans of the late broadcaster.