FRANKIE MORALES BIOGRAPHY - Courtesy of Delleast.org

Efrain "Frankie" Morales is an artist who has perfected his  craft at every stop along the way of his career. Having benefited from world class classical training at an early age, with an emphasis in voice and percussion at the Boys Harbor Conservatory in East Harlem, Frankie sang background vocals for the legendary Joe Bataan at the tender age of fourteen. He also sang background vocals for Celia Cruz and several other prominent Latin music artists on his rise to stardom.

His first album, "Sabor del Barrio," was the foundation for ten years of hit recordings with the group Bad Street Boys. While recording, he caught the ears of the Lebron Brothers, who needed someone to record an album in place of a sick vocalist, and Frankie was their man. Calman Records produced two albums featuring Morales that exposed him to a broader audience, "Frankie Morales: En su Fumo" and "Standing Out." The ventures enhanced Morales's experience and reputation, and eventually led to him being invited as an independent vocalist with The Fania All Stars.

Morales's career got a major boost when he was offered the job of lead vocalist for the orchestra of El Rey del Timbal, conducted by Ernest "Tito" Puente. The gig took Morales around the world singing for people of all cultures, under the tutelage of one of the greatest Latin maestros of our time. In 1998, he was the featured vocalist on Calman Records' ACE Award winning song, "Son Boricua," led by musical director José Mangual, Jr. and producer Hamberto Corredor.

Tito Puente's final album and a collaboration with the great Eddie Palmieri gave Frankie a prized opportunity to record two international block busters: "Tito Puente Mambo Birdland" and "Masterpiece." Both albums took home Grammy Awards.


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from: www.delleast.org