Héctor Maisonave

Héctor Maisonave (June 30, 1930 – December 13, 2022) was a music entrepreneur and talent manager. During a sixty-year career, from 1954 through 2014, Maisonave organized over 7,000 Latin music concerts on five continents.

In 2010, in New York's Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, he received their Lifetime Achievement Award for leadership and contributions to the world of music.

Early years Maisonave was born on June 30, 1930, in Barceloneta, Puerto Rico,

Music promotion and talent management

Upon his return to New York, Maisonave studied at the Delhente Institute of Technology and graduated in 1957 with a degree in Musicology. Celia Cruz, La Lupe, El Gran Combo, Cortijo y su Combo, Tito Rodriguez, La India, Joe Cuba, Willie Colón, Ismael Rivera, Sonora Ponceña, and dozens of others.

Casa Blanca Club In the late 1970s Maisonave was also a dance club promoter in New York City and worked for Robert Tirado who was the owner of the famous Casablanca nightclub. Casablanca was the home for many famous Latin entertainers who performed throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Casablanca was located on 1674 Broadway, which is also the site of the old Birdland club. With a music format that included popular radio DJs and four live bands nightly, Maisonave helped Robert Tirado double the club attendance.

Casa Blanca often drew crowds larger than Studio 54 - its neighbor just two blocks away - with lines that extended down Broadway, and spilled onto West 52nd Street. He also continued to manage the musical careers of La India and Tito Nieves.

La India is set to release her tenth studio album with Top Stop Music.

Awards and recognition The following is a partial listing of Maisonave's professional citations and awards over the years:

Lifetime Achievement Award, Lincoln Center (2010) Medal of Honor, Senate of Puerto Rico (2010) Philadelphia City Council Proclamation (2012) Grand Marshal of the Philadelphia Puerto Rican Day Parade (2013) Grand Marshal of the New York City Three Kings Day Parade (2014) Grammy Award (received jointly with Grupo Manía) Billboard, ACE, and Lo Nuestro awards Congressional Gold Medal, as a member of the Borinqueneers (2015) The city of West New York, New Jersey officially named the corner of 59th St. and Park Ave, near his long-time residence, as "PV1 Hector Maisonave Way" at a 2018 ceremony and street signage unveiling by Mayor Felix Roque Nominated by Margaret Santiago for the Taine Award, Hector Maisonave won the award by the popular vote, the award was presented to him on March 30, 2019 by The Taino Nation Entertainment LLC April 11, 2019, he received The Key to the City of West New York by Mayor Felix Roque