30 years ago, Miguelito Valdes died in the Red Room of the Hotel Tequendama
"Excuse me, gentlemen!" He exclaimed with anguish painted on his face. He dropped the microphone and, obeying their instincts, put his hands to his chest.The nickname 'Mister Babalu' put it on Harry S. Truman, US president, who introduced Valdes asked to sing '' Babalu 'your favorite song, and overnight the artist called' Mister Babalu.
Desperately he tried to unbutton his shirt. He gave a speech unintelligible, turned his back to the audience and wanted to leave the stage, but fell spectacularly.
Everything happened in fractions of a second. Within hours, news agencies reported him to the world, victim of a heart attack, the king of African melodies, the rumba and the guarachas, had ceased to exist in full concert, she sang.
The abrupt scene took place Thursday night November 9, 1978 in the hall of the Hotel Tequendama Monserrate, Bogota. "Everything was so sudden that we wonder annulled any immediate reaction," said Mario Gareña after the barranquillero singer who alternated in that evening with the Cuban.
"It has been really big. The void left us is immense," said Celia Cruz from Miami.
Eugenio Miguel Angel Lazaro Valdes and Zechariah Izquierdo Hernández, as contained in his baptismal, better known by Miguelito Valdes or 'Mister Babalu', was born on September 6, 1912 in the popular district of Bethlehem in Havana.
Sixty-six years, two months and three days after the death surprised him in his law, on his own, as had happened in the arena to the famous Spanish bullfighter Manolete; in the ring to Cuban world champion boxer and Benny 'Kid' Paret; on stage the Venezuelan singer Victor Piñero, and many other famous and anonymous in their favorite trades to throughout history mortals.
Miguelito had come to sing in the Tequendama and then a tour of different cities, hired by "The Tenor of Antilles' René Cabel, habanero, singer and businessman residing in Bogota.
Source - http://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/CMS-4655845