Rojas, whose real name was Julio César Rojas, was a figure in the salsa world, who managed 49 tracks in the Advertising panelat the Tropical Airplay chart from its beginning in the mid-1990s to this year. His No. 1 hits include “Esperándote” from 1995 and “Por mujeres como tú” from 1999, a song that also reached 3rd place in the Advertising panelon the company’s Hot Latin Songs chart, and would later be reissued in the regional Mexican format.
Rojas gained prominence in the late 1980s and early 1990s, during the commercial peak of salsa, and for a long time signed with the independent tropical MP, known for his blatant Puerto Rican acts of salsa. During that period, Rojas was nominated for a Grammy in 2003 for Perseverance, in the Best Salsa / Merengue album category. Later, MP merged with another tropical music powerhouse, JN Records
But Rojas never stopped recording or performing, even during periods of lull in salsa popularity. This year, he was nominated for a Latin Grammy in the category of best salsa album for A Gallo para la Historia, and also appeared on the album of friend Gilberto Santa Rosa, Colleagues.
Rojas’ last performance was a Christmas special, “Canta Gallo, Canta en Navidad”, where he performed dance hits with his full band and which was broadcast free to fans on YouTube. See below.
The reaction to Rojas’ death was quick on social media. “A man of the people, humble, charismatic and of incomparable energy, among the best singers”, wrote Maelo Ruiz. Elvis Crespo called him “a unique artist in his class.” And Don Omar added: “Nobody is eternal in the world, even though they have a heart that feels and longs for life and love”.
In the homeland of Rojas, Humacao, the mayor asked for five days of mourning. Preparations for the funeral have not yet been announced.