Efraín David Fines Nevares (born October 5, 1981) age 29 known professionally as Tito "El Bambino" is recording artist from Puerto Rico. He rose to fame as Tito of the duo Héctor & Tito.

In 2010 his song, El Amor, written with Joan Ortiz Espada, was awarded Latin Song of the Year by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). He was awarded Songwriter of the Year at the 2011 ASCAP.

Musical career

1996–2004: Héctor & Tito

Tito and his partner released a number of hit songs in their native Puerto Rico, including "Amor de Colegio" (ft. Don Omar), "Felina", "Baila Morena" (ft. Glory), and "No Le Temas a Él", a song which not only raised their popularity, it helped raise popularity for the then up-and-coming Trébol Clan. After years of working together, they separated, but not before releasing a final album, ''Season Finale'', which featured some of their greatest hits. The duo broke up due to Tito's belief of disloyalty from Hector.

Héctor y Tito released their first album in 1998. Together they became reggaeton stars releasing several successful albums and making appearances in several compilations, becoming one of the most sought-out duos in the genre. Both became the first reggeaton artists to sell out a massive concert in Puerto Rico, opening the path to other artists such as Tego Calderón, Daddy Yankee and others. Bakalao stars

2004–2006: Solo career and Top of the Line

After much delay, his first solo album was released, ''Top of the Line''. The album was a hit, reaching #1 in Puerto Rico and knocking R.K.M & Ken-Y's album, ''Masterpiece'' to #2.

''Top of the Line'' featured 20 new songs, with collaboration from artists such as Daddy Yankee, Don Omar and Beenie Man. It featured quite a number of hits, such as "Caile", "Mía" (ft. Daddy Yankee), "Tu Cintura" (ft. Don Omar), "Flow Natural" (ft. Beenie Man and Deevani) "Secreto", "Máximo", "Tuve Que Morir" and "Me Da Miedo" among others.

''Top of the Line/El Internacional'' is a limited edition of Tito's first album ''Top of the Line''. It features 5 bonus new songs that were not included in the original version: "Siente El Boom (Remix)", "Enamorado", "Calentándote", "Bailarlo" and "Voy a Mí". The first single of the album is "Siente El Boom (Remix)" that is a big hit in Argentina. "Siente El Boom" is also on ''Chosen Few II: El Documental'' featuring Randy.

In ''Top of The Line: El Internacional'', the remix features Randy, along with his partner Jowell, & De La Ghetto. The second single recently released, "Enamorado", did not get a lot of airplay as "Siente El Boom" was still a hit on Puerto Rico's radio stations. "Siente El Boom" expanded throughout Latin America, peaking at #14 in the Billboard Hot Latin charts. Apparently "Enamorado" got cancelled and now the third single is "Bailarlo" that's starting to get airplay on the radio and a video has already been released.

2007–2008: It's My Time

''It's My Time'' is the second album by Tito "El Bambino" released October 2, 2007. The first single ''Solo dime que sí'' is already getting plenty of airplay on the radio. Artists featured on It's My Time are R.K.M & Ken-Y in "Fans", Pharrell in "Booty", Toby Love in "La Busco", Jadiel in "Sol, Playa y Arena" with Arcangel and Franco "El Gorila" on the remix and with many other hits like "En La Disco" Olga Tañón on the remix and "El Tra".

2009–2010: El Patron

''El Patron'' is Tito El Bambino's third solo CD. The hit, Vamos Pa'l Agua was released before the CD to let fans know what lay ahead, but was ultimately not included in the album. The CD includes his fellow reggaeton artists Zion y Lennox, and Plan B. Some chart toppers of this album include "El Amor" and "Under", which also have chart topping videos. "El Amor" was officially remixed four times with four different artists: Yolandita Monge, Jerry Rivera, Chiky Flow, and La India.

In February 2011 Tito El Bambino's label, On Fire Music, approached producer duo group GrüvStar to create the official dance remix of the song "Llueve El Amor" to support the record during mix show play at Latin Urban radio stations.

Tito is also trying his hand as a producer, with his label ON FIRE MUSIC.

2011-Present: El Patron:Invencible

His young brother now know in his last disc "Invencible" his artist name is Emanuel ''El Bambi''. for the other side Tito said that he will still be doing this type of music in 10 years from now

Personal life

Tito married Jessica Santiago in January 2005 after a seven year relationship and got a divorce in 2009. Tito has a daughter, Jeinaliz Fines, from a previous relationship.

Discography

''Top of the Line'' (2006)

''It's My Time'' (2007)

''El Patrón'' (2009)

''El Patrón: Invencible'' (2011)

References

External links

Official Website: English/Spanish

Official MySpace

Official Twitter

Official Youtube Channel

Official Facebook Profile

Official Facebook Page

Tito El Bambino, Artista Destacado - Billboard En Español

Tito El Bambino "Llueve El Amor GruvStar Remix"

Category:1981 births Category:Living people Category:Puerto Rican male singers Category:Puerto Rican reggaeton artists Category:Puerto Rican singers Category:Reggaeton musicians

de:Tito El Bambino es:Tito el Bambino fr:Tito El Bambino it:Tito El Bambino nl:Tito "El Bambino" pt:Tito El Bambino

Name	Josip Broz Tito
Honorific-prefix	Marshal
Birth date	25 May 1892
Birth place	Kumrovec, Croatia-Slavonia, Austria-Hungary(modern Croatia)
Ethnicity	Croat
Nationality	Yugoslav
Religion	None (Atheist)(formerly Roman Catholic)
Death date	May 04, 1980
Death place	Ljubljana, Slovenia, Yugoslavia
Restingplace	House of Flowers
Restingplacecoordinates
Spouse	Pelagija Broz (1919–1939), div.Herta Haas (1940–43) Jovanka Broz (1952–1980)
Partner	Davorijanka Paunović
Children	Zlatica Broz, Hinko Broz, Žarko Leon Broz and Aleksandar Broz
Occupation	Machinist, revolutionary, resistance commander, statesman
Party	League of Communists of Yugoslavia (SKJ)
Office1	President of Yugoslavia
Order1	1st
Primeminister1	''Himself'' (1953–1963)Petar Stambolić (1963–1967)Mika Špiljak (1967–1969)Mitja Ribičič (1969–1971)Džemal Bijedić (1971–1977)Veselin Đuranović (1977–1980)
Term start1	14 January 1953
Term end1	4 May 1980
Predecessor2	Ivan Ribar(as President of the Presidency of the People's Assembly)
Successor1	Lazar Koliševski(as President of the Presidency of SFR Yugoslavia)
Office2	1st Secretary-Generalof the Non-Aligned Movement
Term start2	1 September 1961
Term end2	5 October 1964
Predecessor2	''Position created''
Successor2	Gamal Abdel Nasser
Office3	Prime Minister of Yugoslavia
Order3	22nd
President3	Ivan Ribar (1945–1953)Himself (1953–1963)
Term start3	29 November 1943
Term end3	29 June 1963
Predecessor3	Ivan Šubašić
Successor3	Petar Stambolić
Order4	1st Federal Secretary of People's Defence
Primeminister4	Himself
Term start4	7 March 1945
Term end4	14 January 1953
Predecessor4	''Position created''
Successor4	Ivan Gošnjak
Order5	7th Chairman of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia
Term start5	November 1936
Term end5	4 May 1980
Predecessor5	Milan Gorkić
Successor5	Branko Mikulić
Allegiance	Austria-Hungary Yugoslavia
Branch	Yugoslav People's Army''All'' (supreme commander)
Serviceyears	1913–19151941–1980
Rank	Marshal of Yugoslavia
Commands	Yugoslav PartisansYugoslav People's Army
Battles	World War ISpanish Civil WarWorld War II
Awards	98 international and 21 Yugoslav decorations, including20px Order of the Yugoslav Star20px ''Légion d'honneur''20px Order of the Bath20px Order of Lenin20px Order of Merit of Italy(short list below, full list in the article)
Signature	Tito signature.svg

Josip Broz Tito (; born Josip Broz; Cyrillic script: Јосип Броз Тито; 7 May 1892 – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation. He gained international attention as the chief leader of the Non-Aligned Movement, working with Jawaharlal Nehru of India and Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt.

Josip was born as the seventh child of Franjo and Marija Broz in the village of Kumrovec within Austria-Hungary (modern-day Croatia). Drafted into the army, he distinguished himself, becoming the youngest Sergeant Major in the Austro-Hungarian Army. Josip was sent to a work camp in the Ural Mountains, after being seriously wounded and captured by the Russians. He participated in the October Revolution, and later joined a Red Guard unit in Omsk. Upon his return home, Broz found himself in a newly created Kingdom of Yugoslavia, where he joined the Communist Party of Yugoslavia.

He was Secretary-General (later President) of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia (1939–80), and went on to lead the World War II Yugoslav guerrilla movement, the Yugoslav Partisans (1941–45). After the war, he was the Prime Minister (1943–63) and later President (1953–80) of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). From 1943 to his death in 1980, he held the rank of Marshal of Yugoslavia, serving as the supreme commander of the Yugoslav military, the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA). With a highly favourable reputation abroad in both Cold War blocs, Josip Broz Tito received some 98 foreign decorations, including the Legion of Honour and the Order of the Bath.

Tito was the chief architect of the "second Yugoslavia", a socialist federation that lasted from World War II until 1991. Despite being one of the founders of Cominform, he was also the first (and the only successful) Cominform member to defy Soviet hegemony. A backer of independent roads to socialism (sometimes referred to as "national communism" or "Titoism"), he was one of the main founders and promoters of the Non-Aligned Movement, and its first Secretary-General. He supported the policy of nonalignment between the two hostile blocs in the Cold War. Such successful diplomatic and economic policies allowed Tito to preside over the Yugoslav economic boom and expansion of the 1960s and '70s. His internal policies included the suppression of nationalist sentiment and the promotion of the "brotherhood and unity" of the six Yugoslav nations. After Tito's death in 1980, tensions between the Yugoslav republics emerged and in 1991 the country disintegrated and went into a series of civil wars and unrest that lasted the rest of the decade and continue to impact most of the former Yugoslav republics to this day. He remains a controversial figure in the Balkans.

Early life

Pre World War I

Josip Broz was born on 7 May 1892 in Kumrovec, Croatia-Hrvatsko Zagorje, Austria-Hungary. He was the seventh child of Franjo and Marija Broz. His father, Franjo Broz, was a Croat, while his mother Marija (born Javeršek) was a Slovene. After spending part of his childhood years with his maternal grandfather in village of Podsreda, he entered primary school in 1900 at Kumrovec, he failed the 2nd grade and graduated in 1905. In 1907 he moved out of the rural environment and started working as a machinist's apprentice in Sisak. There, he became aware of the labour movement and celebrated 1 May – Labour Day for the first time. In 1910, he joined the union of metallurgy workers and at the same time the Social-Democratic Party of Croatia and Slavonia. Between 1911 and 1913, Broz worked for shorter periods in Kamnik, Cenkovo, Munich and Mannheim, where he worked for the Benz car factory; he then went to Wiener Neustadt, Austria, and worked as a test driver for Daimler.

In the autumn of 1913, he was conscripted into the Austro-Hungarian Army. He was sent to a school for non-commissioned officers and became a sergeant, serving in the 25th Croatian Regiment based in Zagreb. In May 1914, Broz won a silver medal at an army fencing competition in Budapest. At the outbreak of World War I in 1914, he was sent to Ruma, where he was arrested for anti-war propaganda and imprisoned in the Petrovaradin fortress. In January 1915, he was sent to the Eastern Front in Galicia to fight against Russia. He distinguished himself as a capable soldier, becoming the youngest Sergeant Major in the Austro-Hungarian Army. For his bravery in the face of the enemy, he was recommended for the Silver Bravery Medal but was taken prisoner of war before it could be formally presented. On Easter 25 March 1915, while in Bukovina, he was seriously wounded and captured by the Russians.

Prisoner and revolutionary

After 13 months at the hospital, Broz was sent to a work camp in the Ural Mountains where prisoners selected him for their camp leader. In February 1917, revolting workers broke into the prison and freed the prisoners. Broz subsequently joined a Bolshevik group. In April 1917, he was arrested again but managed to escape and participate in the July Days demonstrations in Petrograd (St. Petersburg) on 16–17 July 1917. On his way to Finland, Broz was caught and imprisoned in the Petropavlovsk fortress for three weeks. He was again sent to Kungur, but escaped from the train. He hid out with a Russian family in Omsk, Siberia where he met his future wife Pelagija Belousova. After the October Revolution, he joined a Red Guard unit in Omsk. Following a White counteroffensive, he fled to Kirgiziya and subsequently returned to Omsk, where he married Belousova. In the spring of 1918, he joined the Yugoslav section of the Russian Communist Party. By June of the same year, Broz left Omsk to find work and support his family, and was employed as a mechanic near Omsk for a year. In January 1920, he and his wife made a long and difficult journey home to Yugoslavia where he arrived in September.

Upon his return, Broz joined the Communist Party of Yugoslavia. The CPY's influence on the political life of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was growing rapidly. In the 1920 elections the Communists won 59 seats in the parliament and became the third strongest party. Winning numerous local elections, they even gained a stronghold in the second largest city of Zagreb, electing Svetozar Delić for mayor. However, after the assassination of Milorad Drašković, the Yugoslav Minister of the Interior, by a young communist on 2 August 1921, the CPY was declared illegal under the Yugoslav State Security Act of 1921. During 1920 and 1921 all Communist-won mandates were nullified. Broz continued his work underground despite pressure on Communists from the government. As 1921 began he moved to Veliko Trojstvo near Bjelovar and found work as a machinist. In 1925, Broz moved to Kraljevica where he started working at a shipyard. He was elected as a union leader and a year later he led a shipyard strike. He was fired and moved to Belgrade, where he worked in a train coach factory in Smederevska Palanka. He was elected as Workers' Commissary but was sacked as soon as his CPY membership was revealed. Broz then moved to Zagreb, where he was appointed secretary of Metal Workers' Union of Croatia. In 1928, he became the Zagreb Branch Secretary of the CPY. In the same year he was arrested, tried in court for his illegal communist activities, and sent to jail. During his five years at Lepoglava prison he met Moša Pijade, who became his ideological mentor. After his release, he lived ''incognito'' and assumed a number of ''noms de guerre'', among them "Walter" and "Tito".

In 1934 the Zagreb Provincial Committee sent Tito to Vienna where all the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia had sought refuge. He was appointed to the Committee and started to appoint allies to him, among them Edvard Kardelj, Milovan Đilas, Aleksandar Ranković and Boris Kidrič. In 1935, Tito travelled to the Soviet Union, working for a year in the Balkans section of Comintern. He was a member of the Soviet Communist Party and the Soviet secret police (NKVD). In 1936, the Comintern sent "Comrade ''Walter''" (i.e. Tito) back to Yugoslavia to purge the Communist Party there. In 1937, Stalin had the Secretary-General of the CPY, Milan Gorkić, murdered in Moscow. Subsequently Tito was appointed Secretary-General of the still-outlawed CPY.

World War II leader

People's Liberation War

On 6 April 1941, German, Italian and Hungarian forces launched an invasion of Yugoslavia. On 10 April 1941, Slavko Kvaternik proclaimed the Independent State of Croatia, Tito responded by forming a Military Committee within the Central Committee of the Yugoslav Communist Party. Attacked from all sides, the armed forces of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia quickly crumbled. On 17 April 1941, after King Peter II and other members of the government fled the country, the remaining representatives of the government and military met with the German officials in Belgrade. They quickly agreed to end military resistance. On 1 May 1941, Tito issued a pamphlet calling on the people to unite in a battle against the occupation. On 27 June 1941, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia appointed Tito Commander in Chief of all project national liberation military forces. On 1 July 1941, the Comintern sent precise instructions calling for immediate action.

Despite conflicts with the collaborating Chetnik movement, Tito's Partisans succeeded in liberating territory, notably the "Republic of Užice". During this period, Tito held talks with Chetnik leader Draža Mihailović on 19 September and 27 October 1941. It is said that Tito ordered his forces to assist escaping Jews, and that more than 2,000 Jews fought directly for Tito.

On 21 December 1941, the Partisans created the First Proletarian Brigade (commanded by Koča Popović) and on 1 March 1942, Tito created the Second Proletarian Brigade. In liberated territories, the Partisans organised People's Committees to act as civilian government. The Anti-Fascist Council of National Liberation of Yugoslavia (AVNOJ) convened in Bihać on 26–27 November 1942 and in Jajce on 29 November 1943. In the two sessions, the resistance representatives established the basis for post-war organisation of the country, deciding on a federation of the Yugoslav nations. In Jajce, a 67-member "presidency" was elected and established a nine-member National Committee of Liberation (five communist members) as a de facto provisional government. Tito was named President of the National Committee of Liberation.

With the growing possibility of an Allied invasion in the Balkans, the Axis began to divert more resources to the destruction of the Partisans main force and its high command. This meant, among other things, a concerted German effort to capture Josip Broz Tito personally. On 25 May 1944, he managed to evade the Germans after the Raid on Drvar (''Operation Rösselsprung''), an airborne assault outside his Drvar headquarters in Bosnia.

After the Partisans managed to endure and avoid these intense Axis attacks between January and June 1943, and the extent of Chetnik collaboration became evident, Allied leaders switched their support from Draža Mihailović to Tito. King Peter II, American President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill joined Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin in officially recognising Tito and the Partisans at the Tehran Conference. This resulted in Allied aid being parachuted behind Axis lines to assist the Partisans. On 17 June 1944 on the Dalmatian island of Vis, the Treaty of Vis (''Viški sporazum'') was signed in an attempt to merge Tito's government (the AVNOJ) with the government in exile of King Peter II. The Balkan Air Force was formed in June 1944 to control operations that were mainly aimed at aiding his forces.

On 12 September 1944, King Peter II called on all Yugoslavs to come together under Tito's leadership and stated that those who did not were "traitors." On 28 September 1944, the Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union (TASS) reported that Tito signed an agreement with the U.S.S.R. allowing "temporary entry" of Soviet troops into Yugoslav territory which allowed the Red Army to assist in operations in the northeastern areas of Yugoslavia. With their strategic right flank secured by the Allied advance, the Partisans prepared and executed a massive general offensive which succeeded in breaking through German lines and forcing a retreat beyond Yugoslav borders. After the Partisan victory and the end of hostilities in Europe, all external forces were ordered off Yugoslav territory.

Aftermath of World War II

On 7 March 1945, the provisional government of the Democratic Federal Yugoslavia (''Demokratska Federativna Jugoslavija'', DFY) was assembled in Belgrade by Josip Broz Tito, while the provisional name allowed for either a republic or monarchy. This government was headed by Tito as provisional Yugoslav Prime Minister and included representatives from the royalist government-in-exile, among others Ivan Šubašić. In accordance with the agreement between resistance leaders and the government-in-exile, post-war elections were held to determine the form of government. In November 1945, Tito's pro-republican People's Front, led by the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, won the elections with an overwhelming majority, the vote having been boycotted by monarchists. During the period, Tito evidently enjoyed massive popular support due to being generally viewed by the populace as the liberator of Yugoslavia. The Yugoslav administration in the immediate post-war period managed to unite a country that had been severely affected by ultra-nationalist upheavals and war devastation, while successfully suppressing the nationalist sentiments of the various nations in favor of tolerance, and the common Yugoslav goal. After the overwhelming electoral victory, Tito was confirmed as the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the DFY. The country was soon renamed the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia (FPRY) (later finally renamed into Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, SFRY). On 29 November 1945, King Peter II was formally deposed by the Yugoslav Constituent Assembly. The Assembly drafted a new republican constitution soon afterwards.

Yugoslavia organized the Yugoslav People's Army (''Jugoslavenska narodna armija'', or JNA) from the Partisan movement and became the fourth strongest army in Europe at the time. The State Security Administration (''Uprava državne bezbednosti''/''sigurnosti''/''varnosti'', UDBA) was also formed as the new secret police, along with a security agency, the Department of People's Security (''Organ Zaštite Naroda (Armije)'', OZNA). Yugoslav intelligence was charged with imprisoning and bringing to trial large numbers of Nazi collaborators; controversially, this included Catholic clergymen due to the widespread involvement of Croatian Catholic clergy with the Ustaša regime. Draža Mihailović was found guilty of collaboration, high treason and war crimes and was subsequently executed by firing squad in July 1946.

Prime Minister Josip Broz Tito met with the president of the Bishops' Conference of Yugoslavia, Aloysius Stepinac on 4 June 1945, two days after his release from imprisonment. The two could not reach an agreement on the state of the Catholic Church. Under Stepinac's leadership, the bishops' conference released a letter condemning alleged Partisan war crimes in September, 1945. The following year Stepinac was arrested and put on trial. In October 1946, in its first special session for 75 years, the Vatican excommunicated Tito and the Yugoslav government for sentencing Stepinac to 16 years in prison on charges of assisting Ustaše terror and of supporting forced conversions of Serbs to Catholicism. Stepinac received preferential treatment in recognition of his status and the sentence was soon shortened and reduced to house-arrest, with the option of emigration open to the archbishop. At the conclusion of the "Informbiro period", reforms rendered Yugoslavia considerably more religiously liberal than the Eastern Bloc states.

In the first post war years Tito was widely considered a communist leader very loyal to Moscow, indeed, he was often viewed as second only to Stalin in the Eastern Bloc. Yugoslav forces shot down American aircraft flying over Yugoslav territory, and relations with the West were strained. In fact, Stalin and Tito had an uneasy alliance from the start, with Stalin considering Tito too independent.

President of Yugoslavia

Tito-Stalin split

Unlike the other new communist states in east-central Europe, Yugoslavia liberated itself from Axis domination with limited direct support from the Red Army. Tito's leading role in liberating Yugoslavia not only greatly strengthened his position in his party and among the Yugoslav people, but also caused him to be more insistent that Yugoslavia had more room to follow its own interests than other Bloc leaders who had more reasons (and pressures) to recognize Soviet efforts in helping them liberate their own countries from Axis control. This had already led to some friction between the two countries before World War II was even over. Although Tito was formally an ally of Stalin after World War II, the Soviets had set up a spy ring in the Yugoslav party as early as 1945, giving way to an uneasy alliance.

In the immediate aftermath of World War II, there occurred several armed incidents between Yugoslavia and the Western Allies. Following the war, Yugoslavia acquired the Italian territory of Istria as well as the cities of Zadar and Rijeka. Yugoslav leadership was looking to incorporate Trieste into the country as well, which was opposed by the Western Allies. This led to several armed incidents, notably attacks by Yugoslav fighter planes on US transport aircraft, causing bitter criticism from the west. From 1945 to 1948, at least four US aircraft were shot down. Stalin was opposed to these provocations, as he felt the USSR unready to face the West in open war so soon after the losses of World War II. In addition, Tito was openly supportive of the Communist side in the Greek Civil War, while Stalin kept his distance, having agreed with Churchill not to pursue Soviet interests there, although he did support the Greek communist struggle politically, as demonstrated in several assemblies of the UN Security Council. In 1948, motivated by the desire to create a strong independent economy, Tito modeled his economic development plan independently from Moscow, which resulted in a diplomatic escalation followed by a bitter exchange of letters in which Tito affirmed that

}} The Soviet answer on 4 May admonished Tito and the Communist Party of Yugoslavia (CPY) for failing to admit and correct its mistakes, and went on to accuse them of being too proud of their successes against the Germans, maintaining that the Red Army had saved them from destruction. Tito's response on 17 May suggested that the matter be settled at the meeting of the Cominform to be held that June. However, Tito did not attend the second meeting of the Cominform, fearing that Yugoslavia was to be openly attacked. At this point the crisis nearly escalated into an armed conflict, as Hungarian and Soviet forces were massing on the northern Yugoslav frontier. On 28 June, the other member countries expelled Yugoslavia, citing "nationalist elements" that had "managed in the course of the past five or six months to reach a dominant position in the leadership" of the CPY. The expulsion effectively banished Yugoslavia from the international association of socialist states, while other socialist states of Eastern Europe subsequently underwent purges of alleged "Titoists". Stalin took the matter personally – for once, and attempted, unsuccessfully, to assassinate Tito on several occasions. In a correspondence between the two leaders, Tito openly wrote: }}

However, Tito used the estrangement from the USSR to attain US aid via the Marshall Plan, as well as to involve Yugoslavia in the Non-Aligned Movement, in which he assured a leading position for Yugoslavia. The event was significant not only for Yugoslavia and Tito, but also for the global development of socialism, since it was the first major split between Communist states, casting doubt on Comintern's claims for socialism to be a unified force that would eventually control the whole world, as Tito became the first (and the only successful) socialist leader to defy Stalin's leadership in the COMINFORM. This rift with the Soviet Union brought Tito much international recognition, but also triggered a period of instability often referred to as the Informbiro period. Tito's form of communism was labeled "Titoism" by Moscow, which encouraged purges against suspected "Titoites'" throughout the Eastern bloc.

On 26 June 1950, the National Assembly supported a crucial bill written by Milovan Đilas and Tito about "self-management" (''samoupravljanje''): a type of independent socialism that experimented with profit sharing with workers in state-run enterprises. On 13 January 1953, they established that the law on self-management was the basis of the entire social order in Yugoslavia. Tito also succeeded Ivan Ribar as the President of Yugoslavia on 14 January 1953. After Stalin's death Tito rejected the USSR's invitation for a visit to discuss normalization of relations between two nations. Nikita Khrushchev and Nikolai Bulganin visited Tito in Belgrade in 1955 and apologized for wrongdoings by Stalin's administration. Tito visited the USSR in 1956, which signaled to the world that animosity between Yugoslavia and USSR was easing. However, the relationship between the USSR and Yugoslavia would reach another low in the late 1960s. Commenting on the crisis, Tito concluded that: }}

Non-aligned Yugoslavia

Under Tito's leadership, Yugoslavia became a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement. In 1961, Tito co-founded the movement with Egypt's Gamal Abdel Nasser, India's Jawaharlal Nehru, Indonesia's Sukarno and Ghana's Kwame Nkrumah, in an action called The Initiative of Five (Tito, Nehru, Nasser, Sukarno, Nkrumah), thus establishing strong ties with third world countries. This move did much to improve Yugoslavia's diplomatic position. On 1 September 1961, Josip Broz Tito became the first Secretary-General of the Non-Aligned Movement.

On 7 April 1963, the country changed its official name to the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Reforms encouraged private enterprise and greatly relaxed restrictions on freedom of speech and religious expression. Tito subsequently went on a tour of the Americas. In Chile, two government ministers resigned over his visit to that country. Tito spoke at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, with his visit being protested by both Croat and Serb emigrants. US Senator Thomas Dodd subsequently said Tito had "bloodied hands." Prior to his visit to California at the invitation of Governor Pat Brown, protesters in San Pedro drowned an effigy of Tito.

In 1966 an agreement with the Vatican, spawned by the death of Stepinac in 1960 and the decisions of the Second Vatican Council, was signed according new freedom to the Yugoslav Roman Catholic Church, particularly to teach the catechism and open seminaries. The agreement also eased tensions, which had prevented the naming of new bishops in Yugoslavia since 1945. Tito's new socialism met opposition from traditional communists culminating in conspiracy headed by Aleksandar Ranković. In the same year Tito declared that Communists must henceforth chart Yugoslavia's course by the force of their arguments (implying a granting of freedom of discussion and an abandonment of dictatorship). The state security agency (UDBA) saw its power scaled back and its staff reduced to 5000.

On 1 January 1967, Yugoslavia was the first communist country to open its borders to all foreign visitors and abolish visa requirements. In the same year Tito became active in promoting a peaceful resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict. His plan called for Arabs to recognize the state of Israel in exchange for territories Israel gained.

In 1967, Tito offered Czechoslovak leader Alexander Dubček to fly to Prague on three hours notice if Dubček needed help in facing down the Soviets. In April 1969, Tito sacked generals Ivan Gošnjak and Rade Hamović in the aftermath of the invasion of Czechoslovakia due to the unpreparedness of the Yugoslav army to respond to a similar invasion of Yugoslavia. In 1971, Tito was re-elected as President of Yugoslavia for the sixth time. In his speech in front of the Federal Assembly he introduced 20 sweeping constitutional amendments that would provide an updated framework on which the country would be based. The amendments provided for a collective presidency, a 22 member body consisting of elected representatives from six republics and two autonomous provinces. The body would have a single chairman of the presidency and chairmanship would rotate among six republics. When the Federal Assembly fails to agree on legislation, the collective presidency would have the power to rule by decree. Amendments also provided for stronger cabinet with considerable power to initiate and pursue legislature independently from the Communist Party. Džemal Bijedić was chosen as the Premier. The new amendments aimed to decentralize the country by granting greater autonomy to republics and provinces. The federal government would retain authority only over foreign affairs, defense, internal security, monetary affairs, free trade within Yugoslavia, and development loans to poorer regions. Control of education, healthcare, and housing would be exercised entirely by the governments of the republics and the autonomous provinces.

Tito's greatest strength, in the eyes of the western communists, had been in suppressing nationalist insurrections and maintaining unity throughout the country. It was Tito's call for unity, and related methods, that held together the people of Yugoslavia. This ability was put to a test several times during his reign, notably during the Croatian Spring (also referred to as ''masovni pokret'', ''maspok'', meaning "mass movement") when the government had to suppress both public demonstrations and dissenting opinions within the Communist Party. Despite this suppression, much of maspok's demands were later realized with the new constitution, heavily backed by Tito himself against opposition from the Serbian branch of the party. On 16 May 1974, the new Constitution was passed, and the aging Tito was named president for life, a status which he would enjoy for five years.

Foreign policy

Tito was notable for pursuing a foreign policy of neutrality during the Cold War and for establishing close ties with developing countries. Tito's strong belief in self-determination caused early rift with Stalin and consequently, the Eastern Bloc. His public speeches often reiterated that policy of neutrality and cooperation with all countries would be natural as long as these countries did not use their influence to pressure Yugoslavia to take sides. Relations with the United States and Western European nations were generally cordial.

Yugoslavia had a liberal travel policy permitting foreigners to freely travel through the country and its citizens to travel worldwide, whereas it was limited by most Communist countries. A number of Yugoslav citizens worked throughout Western Europe. Tito met many world leaders during his rule, such as Soviet rulers Joseph Stalin, Nikita Khrushchev and Leonid Brezhnev; Egypt's Gamal Abdel Nasser, Indian politicians Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi; British Prime Ministers Winston Churchill, James Callaghan and Margaret Thatcher; U.S. Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter; other political leaders and heads of state Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, Arafat, Willy Brandt, Helmut Schmidt, Georges Pompidou, Queen Elizabeth II, Hua Guofeng, Kim Il Sung, Sukarno, Suharto, Idi Amin, Haile Selassie, Kenneth Kaunda, Gaddafi, Erich Honecker, Ceausescu and Janos Kadar. He also met numerous celebrities.

Tito also developed warm relations with Burma under U Nu, travelling to the country in 1955 and again in 1959, though he didn't receive the same treatment in 1959 from the new leader, Ne Win.

Because of its neutrality, Yugoslavia would often be rare among Communist countries to have diplomatic relations with right-wing, anti-Communist governments. For example, Yugoslavia was the only communist country allowed to have an embassy in Alfredo Stroessner's Paraguay. However, one notable exception to Yugoslavia's neutral stance toward anti-communist countries was Chile under Pinochet; Yugoslavia was one of many left-wing countries which severed diplomatic relations with Chile after Salvador Allende was overthrown. Yugoslavia also provided military aid and arms supplies to staunchly anti-Communist regimes such as that of Guatemala under Kjell Eugenio Laugerud García.

Final years and aftermath

After the constitutional changes of 1974, Tito began reducing his role in the day-to-day running of the state. He continued to travel abroad and receive foreign visitors, going to Beijing in 1977 and reconciling with a Chinese leadership that had once branded him a revisionist. In turn, Chairman Hua Guofeng visited Yugoslavia in 1979. In 1978, Tito traveled to the United States. During the visit strict security was imposed in Washington, D.C. owing to protests by anti-communist Croat, Serb and Albanian groups.

Tito became increasingly ill over the course of 1979. During this time ''Vila Srna'' was built for his use near Morović in the event of his recovery. On 7 January and again on 11 January 1980, Tito was admitted to the Medical Centre Ljubljana (in Ljubljana, SR Slovenia) with circulation problems in his legs. His left leg was amputated soon afterward due to arterial blockages and he died of gangrene at the Medical Centre Ljubljana on 4 May 1980 at 3:05 pm, three days short of his 88th birthday. His funeral drew many world statesmen. Based on the number of attending politicians and state delegations, at the time it was the largest state funeral in history. They included four kings, 31 presidents, six princes, 22 prime ministers and 47 ministers of foreign affairs. They came from both sides of the Cold War, from 128 different countries out of 154 UNO members at the time.

Reporting on his death ''The New York Times'' commented }}

Tito was buried in a mausoleum in Belgrade, which forms part of a memorial complex in the grounds of the Museum of Yugoslav History (formerly called "Museum 25 May" and "Museum of the Revolution"). The actual mausoleum is called House of Flowers (''Kuća Cveća'') and numerous people visit the place as a shrine to "better times". The museum keeps the gifts Tito received during his presidency. The collection also includes original prints of ''Los Caprichos'' by Francisco Goya, and many others. The Government of Serbia has planned to merge it into the Museum of the History of Serbia. At the time of his death, speculation began about whether his successors could continue to hold Yugoslavia together. Ethnic divisions and conflict grew and eventually erupted in a series of Yugoslav wars a decade after his death. During his life and especially in the first year after his death, several places were named after Tito. Several of these places have since returned to their original names, such as Podgorica, formerly Titograd, Užice, formerly Titovo Užice (though Podgorica's international airport is still identified by the code TGD), which reverted to its original name in 1992. Streets in Belgrade, the capital, have all reverted back to their original pre–World War II and pre-communist names as well. In 2004, Antun Augustinčić's statue of Broz in his birthplace of Kumrovec was decapitated in an explosion. It was subsequently repaired. Twice in 2008, protests took place in Zagreb's Marshal Tito Square, organized by a group called Circle for the Square (''Krug za Trg''), with an aim to force the city government to rename it to its previous name, while a counter-protest by Citizens' Initiative Against Ustašism (''Građanska inicijativa protiv ustaštva'') accused the "Circle for the Square" of historical revisionism and neo-fascism. Croatian president Stjepan Mesić criticized the demonstration to change the name. In the Croatian coastal city of Opatija the main street (also its longest street) still bears the name of Marshal Tito, as do streets in numerous towns in Serbia, mostly in the country's north. One of the two main streets in Sarajevo is called Marshal Tito Street.

Family and personal life

Tito carried on numerous affairs and was married several times. In 1918 he was brought to Omsk, Russia as a prisoner of war. There he met Pelagija Belousova who was then thirteen; he married her a year later, and she moved with him to Yugoslavia. Polka bore him five children but only their son Žarko Leon (born 4 February, 1924) survived. When Tito was jailed in 1928, she returned to Russia. After the divorce in 1936 she later remarried.

In 1936, when Tito stayed at the Hotel Lux in Moscow, he met the Austrian comrade Lucia Bauer. They married in October 1936, but the records of this marriage were later erased.

His next relationship was with Herta Haas, whom he married in 1940. Broz left for Belgrade after the April War, leaving Haas pregnant. In May 1941, she gave birth to their son, Aleksandar "Mišo" Broz. All throughout his relationship with Haas, Tito had maintained a promiscuous life and had a parallel relationship with Davorjanka Paunović, who, under the codename "Zdenka", served as a courier in the resistance and subsequently became his personal secretary. Haas and Tito suddenly parted company in 1943 in Jajce during the second meeting of AVNOJ after she reportedly walked in on him and Davorjanka. The last time Haas saw Broz was in 1946. Davorjanka died of tuberculosis in 1946 and Tito insisted that she be buried in the backyard of the Beli Dvor, his Belgrade residence.

His best known wife was Jovanka Broz. Tito was just shy of his 59th birthday, while she was 27, when they finally married in April 1952, with state security chief Aleksandar Ranković as the best man. Their eventual marriage came about somewhat unexpectedly since Tito actually rejected her some years earlier when his confidante Ivan Krajacic brought her in originally. At that time, she was in her early 20s and Tito, objecting to her energetic personality, opted for the more mature opera singer Zinka Kunc instead. Not one to be discouraged easily, Jovanka continued working at Beli Dvor, where she managed the staff of servants and eventually got another chance after Tito's strange relationship with Zinka failed. Since Jovanka was the only female companion he married while in power, she also went down in history as Yugoslavia's first lady. Their relationship was not a happy one, however. It had gone through many, often public, ups and downs with episodes of infidelities and even allegations of preparation for a ''coup d'état'' by the latter pair. Certain unofficial reports suggest Tito and Jovanka even formally divorced in the late 1970s, shortly before his death. However, during Tito's funeral she was officially present as his wife, and later claimed rights for inheritance. The couple did not have any children. Tito's notable grandchildren include Aleksandra Broz, a prominent theatre director in Croatia, Svetlana Broz, a cardiologist and writer in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Josip "Joška" Broz, Edvard Broz and Natali Klasevski, an artisan of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

As the leader of Yugoslavia Tito maintained a lavish lifestyle and kept several mansions. In Belgrade he resided in the official palace, Beli dvor, and maintained a separate private residence; he spent much time at his private island of Brijuni, an official residence from 1949 on, and at his palace at the Bled lake. His grounds at Karadjordjevo were the site of "diplomatic hunts". By 1974 Tito had 32 official residences.

As regards knowledge of languages, Tito replied that he spoke Yugoslav, German, Russian, and some English. A biographer also stated that he spoke "Serbo-Croatian ... Russian, Czech, Slovenian ... German (with a Viennese accent) ... understands and reads French and Italian ... [and] also speaks Kirghiz."

Every federal unit had a town or city with historic significance from the World War II period renamed to have Tito's name included. These were mostly smaller towns, with the exception of Titovo Užice and Titograd (now Podgorica), the capital city of Montenegro. Also with the exception of Titograd, the cities were renamed simply by the addition of the adjective "Tito's" ("''Titov''"). The cities were:

! Republic !! City !! Original name
style="width:240px;"
		style="font-size:90%;"
	::	::		: Titova Mitrovica	: Titov Vrbas		Kosovska Mitrovica>Mitrovica	Vrbas (town)>Vrbas

Origin of the name "Tito"

Various explanations exist for the origin of the name ''Tito''. One proposes that ''Tito'' comes from the Serbo-Croatian variation of the name of Roman Emperor Titus. Tito's biographer, Vladimir Dedijer, however claimed that it came from the Croatian romantic writer, Tituš Brezovački. Another popular explanation of the sobriquet claims that it is a conjunction of two Serbo-Croatian words, "''ti''" (meaning "you") and "''to''" (meaning "that"). As the story goes, during the frantic times of his command, he would issue commands with those two words, by pointing to the person, and then task. This explanation for the name's origin is provided in Fitzroy Maclean's 1949 book, ''Eastern Approaches''. Maclean later revisited and dispelled this explanation in his 1957 biography of Tito, ''The Heretic''. There he states, "I have always liked this story. But I am assured by Tito himself, who I suppose should know, that it is apocryphal."

Historical criticism

Despite accusations of culpability in the Bleiburg massacre, Josip Broz Tito repeatedly issued calls for surrender to the retreating column, offering amnesty and attempting to avoid a disorderly surrender. On 14 May he dispatched a telegram to the supreme headquarters Slovene Partisan Army prohibiting "in the sternest language" the execution of prisoners of war and commanding the transfer of the possible suspects to a military court.

During World War II, the German minority in occupied Yugoslavia enjoyed a status of superiority over the Yugoslav population. The ''Volksdeutsche'' (as they were called) were under heavy Nazi influence and served as the fifth column during the invasion of Yugoslavia. The Germans had been given control over the Yugoslav region of Banat in which they ruled over the local Slav majority, forming Waffen SS volunteer formations. This was primarily the 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division ''Prinz Eugen'', one of the most infamous SS units, responsible for the killing of tens of thousands of Yugoslav civilians, as well as brutal reprisals resulting in the desolation of entire areas. The AVNOJ Presidium signed a decree that ordered the government confiscation of all property of the German Reich and its citizens in Yugoslavia, persons of German nationality (regardless of citizenship), and collaborators. The decision acquired the force of law on 6 February 1945.

Awards and decorations

:''Main article: Awards and decorations of Josip Broz Tito (full list of awards)'' Josip Broz Tito received a total of 119 awards and decorations from 60 countries around the world (59 countries and Yugoslavia). 21 decorations were from Yugoslavia itself, 18 having been awarded once, and the Order of the People's Hero on three occasions. Of the 98 international awards and decorations, 92 were received once, and three on two occasions (Order of the White Lion, Polonia Restituta, and Karl Marx). The most notable awards being the French Légion d'honneur and Ordre national du Mérite, the British Most Honourable Order of the Bath, the Soviet Order of Lenin, the Japanese Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum, the German Federal Cross of Merit, and the Italian Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana.

The decorations were seldom displayed, however. After the Tito-Stalin split of 1948 and his inauguration as president in 1953, Tito rarely wore his uniform except when present in a military function, and then (with rare exception) only wore his Yugoslav ribbons for obvious practical reasons. The awards were displayed in full number only at his funeral in 1980. Tito's reputation as one of the Allied leaders of World War II, along with his diplomatic position as the founder of the Non-Aligned Movement, was primarily the cause of the favorable international recognition.

Here follows a short list including some of the more notable awards and decorations of Josip Broz Tito.

Award or decoration		Country	Date	Place	Note	! Ref
					style="font-size:90%;"
		style="font-size:90%;"			style="font-size:90%;"|The highest order of Czechoslovakia.
					style="font-size:90%;"
		style="font-size:90%;"
					style="font-size:90%;"
					style="font-size:90%;"|Order of the Netherlands which was first created by the first King of the Netherlands, King William I.
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See also

List of places named after Tito

List of Yugoslav politicians

Yugoslav People's Liberation War

References

;Notes ;Footnotes ;Bibliography

Further reading

External links

Josip Broz Tito Reference Archive at the Marxists Internet Archive

Unseen pictures from US Archives

Sign the first virtual memorial of Marshal Tito

Tito's Children – Part One

Tito's Children – Part Two

Tito's Children – Part Three

Tito's Children – Part Four

Tito's Children – Part Five

Category:1892 births Category:1980 deaths Category:Austro-Hungarian military personnel of World War I Category:Bandung Conference attendees Category:Cold War leaders Category:Collars of the Order of the White Lion Category:Croatian communists Category:Croatian partisans Category:Croatian atheists Category:Former Roman Catholics Category:Croatian people of Slovenian descent Category:Croatian people of World War II Category:Croatian politicians Category:Grand Cordons of the Order of Leopold (Belgium) Category:Grand Cordons of the Order of the Nile Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of the Redeemer Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of the Star of Romania Category:Grand Croix of the Légion d'honneur Category:Grand Croix of the Ordre national du Mérite Category:Grand Crosses Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Category:Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Category:Knights of the Elephant Category:Knights of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion Category:Knights Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of St. Olav Category:League of Communists of Yugoslavia politicians Category:Marshals Category:Members of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina Category:Members of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts Category:People excommunicated by the Roman Catholic Church Category:People from Kumrovec Category:Presidents for life Category:Recipients of the Croix de Guerre (France) Category:Recipients of the Croix du combattant volontaire Category:Recipients of the Cross of Grunwald Category:Recipients of the Czechoslovak War Cross Category:Recipients of the Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria Category:Recipients of the Médaille Militaire Category:Recipients of the Nishan-e-Pakistan Category:Recipients of the Order of Al Rafidhain Category:Recipients of the Order of Carol I Category:Recipients of the Order of Independence Category:Recipients of the Order of Karl Marx Category:Recipients of the Order of Lenin Category:Recipients of the Order of Manuel Amador Guerrero Category:Recipients of the Order of Merit (Chile) Category:Knights Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Category:Recipients of the Order of Michael the Brave Category:Recipients of the Order of Pahlevi Category:Recipients of the Order of Polonia Restituta (1944-1989) Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of Polonia Restituta Category:Recipients of the Order of Prince Henry Category:Recipients of the Order of Saint James of the Sword Category:Recipients of the Order of Suvorov Category:Recipients of the Order of the Aztec Eagle Category:Recipients of the Order of the Chrysanthemum Category:Recipients of the Order of the Condor of the Andes Category:Recipients of the Order of the Liberator Category:Recipients of the Order of the October Revolution Category:Recipients of the Order of the Partisan Star Category:Recipients of the Order of the People's Hero of Yugoslavia Category:Recipients of the Order of the Seraphim Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of the Southern Cross Category:Recipients of the Order of the White Rose of Finland Category:Recipients of the Order of the Yugoslav Star Category:Recipients of the Order of Victory Category:Recipients of the Partisan Cross Category:Recipients of the Royal Order of Cambodia Category:Grand Crosses of the Virtuti Militari Category:Recipients of the Virtuti Militari (1943-1989) Category:World War I prisoners of war held by Russia Category:World War II political leaders Category:Yugoslav partisans Category:Yugoslav soldiers

af:Josip Broz Tito ar:جوزيف بروز تيتو an:Josip Broz Tito ast:Josip Broz Tito az:İosip Broz Tito be:Іосіп Броз Ціта bs:Josip Broz Tito bg:Йосип Броз Тито ca:Josip Broz Tito cs:Josip Broz Tito da:Josip Broz Tito de:Josip Broz Tito dsb:Josip Broz Tito et:Josip Broz Tito el:Γιόσιπ Μπροζ Τίτο es:Josip Broz Tito eo:Josip Broz Tito eu:Josip Broz Tito fa:یوسیپ بروز تیتو fr:Josip Broz Tito fy:Josip Broz Tito ga:Josip Broz Tito gd:Jozip Broz Tito gl:Josip Broz Tito ko:요시프 브로즈 티토 hi:जोसिप बरोज़ टिटो hsb:Josip Broz Tito hr:Josip Broz Tito io:Josip Broz Tito id:Josip Broz Tito it:Josip Broz Tito he:יוסיפ ברוז טיטו la:Iosephus Broz Tito lv:Josips Brozs Tito lb:Josip Broz Tito lt:Josip Broz Tito hu:Josip Broz Tito mk:Јосип Броз - Тито mr:जोसेफ ब्रोझ टिटो arz:تيتو nl:Josip Broz Tito ja:ヨシップ・ブロズ・チトー no:Josip Broz Tito nn:Josip Broz Tito oc:Tito (Josip Broz) pl:Josip Broz Tito pt:Josip Broz Tito ro:Iosip Broz Tito qu:Josip Broz Tito ru:Броз Тито, Иосип sc:Josip Broz Tito sq:Josip Broz Tito simple:Josip Broz Tito sk:Josip Broz Tito sl:Josip Broz - Tito sr:Јосип Броз Тито sh:Josip Broz Tito fi:Josip Broz Tito sv:Josip Broz Tito tl:Josip Broz Tito th:ยอซีป บรอซ ตีโต tg:Йосип Броз Тито tr:Josip Broz Tito uk:Йосип Броз Тіто ur:مارشل ٹیٹو vec:Josip Broz Tito vi:Josip Broz Tito yo:Josip Broz Tito zh:约瑟普·布罗兹·铁托

name	Toby Love
background	solo_singer
birth name	Octavio Rivera
origin	New York City
genre	Bachata, R&B;, hip hop
instrument	Vocals
occupation	songwriter
years active	1999-present
label	Sony BMG
website	Official }}

Toby Love, is a Puerto Rican bachata musician born in 1986 in The Bronx, New York, USA. Love is known for performing a style of bachata music that combines traditional and urban singing and production.

Background

Toby Love was born and raised in The Bronx. While both of his parents are Puerto Rican, his mother eventually married a Dominican man. As a result, Toby was raised listening to bachata music.

Toby Love was a originally a backup singer for the bachata band Aventura before beginning a solo career with his 2006 LP, ''Toby Love'', released on Sony Records. In 2008, he received four nominations to the Billboard Latin Music Awards for songs included in his debut album. Love won awards for two categories, Tropical Airplay Song of the Year, and Latin Rap / Hip Hop Album of the Year.

Toby Love is recognized as the artist that made the subgenre of crunkchata popular. As the result of having recorded half of his debut album in Miami, Love became a fan of crunk music, and incorporated it into his bachata music.

Love produces the majority of the music used in his albums, along with co-producer Eddie Perez.

Personal life

In addition to living in New York, Toby Love also spends his time between homes in Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo, and New Jersey. Love hopes to begin working as an actor, in addition to his career as a musician.

Discography

Studio albums

''Toby Love'' (Sony BMG, 2006) US Billboard Heatseekers #36, US Latin Albums #27

''Toby Love Reloaded'' (Sony BMG, 2007)

''Love Is Back'' (2008)

''La Voz De La Juventud'' (Slated for May 2011 release)

Singles

Year	Title	Chart Positions
		Billboard Hot 100	U.S. Hot Latin Tracks	U.S. Latin Tropical Airplay
2006	"Please Don't Cry"	! -	! #13	! #22
2006	"Tengo Un Amor"	! #100	! #2	! #3
2007	"Amores Como El Tuyo"	! -	! -	! -
2008	"Llorar Lloviendo"	! -	! #22	! #2
2008	"Lloras Por Mi" - J.Flo Ft. Toby Love (Remix)	! -	! #4	! -

Featurings

Tito El Bambino : La Busco

Alexis & Fido - Soy igual que tu

Grupo Yankees - Jasmine

Chosen Few Movement - Grind It Up (featuring Toby Love & Lumidee)

Omega - Tu No Ta Pa Mi (Remix)

Magic Juan - La Otra Noche

Aventura - Enséñame A Olvidar (Sold Out At Madison Square Garden)

Aventura - Por Que No [Reggaeton]

Tony CJ - Mi Primer Amor (Salsa Version)

Fanny Lu - Y si te digo (bachata, 2007)

References

External links

MET Agency Booking

Official Website

Official MySpace

Official YouTube

Category:Bachata musicians Category:Musicians from New York Category:Living people Category:Puerto Rican singers Category:Puerto Rican male singers Category:1986 births

es:Toby Love fr:Toby Love it:Toby Love

Name	Daddy Yankee
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez
Alias	El CangriEl JefeThe Big BossKing Of Reggaeton
Born	February 03, 1977
Origin	San Juan, Puerto Rico
Genre	Reggaeton
Years active	1992–present
Label	El Cartel, Interscope, Sony Music Latin
Website	www.daddyyankee.com }}

Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez (February 3, 1977), known artistically as Daddy Yankee, is a Latin Grammy Award winning Puerto Rican reggaeton recording artist. Ayala was born in Río Piedras, the largest district of San Juan, where he became interested in music at a young age. In his youth he was interested in baseball, and aspired to become a Major League Baseball player. He was unable to continue this sport when he received an injury to one of his legs, leaving him unable to walk correctly. He then became involved in the underground rap movement that was in its early stages in Puerto Rico, later to be called reggaeton. After receiving lessons from several artists within the genre, he developed an independent career, first recording in a production titled ''Playero 37''. After this he began to produce independent albums. His first solo album was ''No Mercy''. He subsequently formed a duo with Nicky Jam, and then continued his solo career with the releases of ''El Cartel'' and ''El Cartel II''. This led him be one of many pioneers of the reggaeton genre earning him the nickname Papi Vaquero.

In 2002 ''El Cangri.com'' became Ayala's first album with international success, receiving coverage in the markets of New York and Miami. ''Barrio Fino'' was released in 2004, and the album received numerous awards, including a Premio Lo Nuestro and a Latin Billboard, as well as receiving nominations for the Latin Grammy and MTV Video Music Awards. ''Barrio Fino'' performed well in the sales charts of the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Japan. On June 5, 2007, El Cartel Records released ''El Cartel: The Big Boss'', which was ranked as the top-selling album in Latin music genres in 2007. He promoted the album with an international tour which began in the United States and continued through Latin America, breaking attendance records in Ecuador and Bolivia.

His performances have appeared on more than 70 albums, including compilations such as ''Mas Flow 2'' and ''Blin Blin vol.1''. Outside of his work as a musician, Ayala has also worked as an actor and producer. Throughout his career, he has been generally reluctant to discuss his personal life, but has publicly expressed the importance of his wife and children to him.

Early life

Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and was influenced by several musicians in his family, including his father and some of his mother's relatives. During his childhood he practiced singing and focused on lyrical improvisation. Although Ayala first aspired to join the ranks of baseball’s Major Leagues, he abandoned this goal after being involved in an incident—at age seventeen, he was caught in the crossfire of a barrio gun battle and received two bullet wounds. One bullet grazed his arm and the other, from an AK-47, hit him in the right thigh and left him with a permanent limp.

Following the incident, he became interested in the underground rap movement, which at the time was in an early organizational stage. He also took more interest in the events that took place in the neighborhood in which he was raised, a public housing project named Villa Kennedy. Early in his career he attempted to imitate the style of Vico C. He went on to emulate other artists in the genre, including DJ Playero, DJ Nelson, and DJ Goldy, taking elements from their styles in order to develop an original style. In doing so, he eventually abandoned the traditional model of rap and became one of the first artists to perform reggaeton. Ayala first recorded with DJ Playero as a featured artist in a production titled ''Playero 37'', which was released in 1992.

Musical career

Independent productions

His first album, titled ''No Mercy'', was produced in 1995 when Ayala was eighteen years old. The production did not sell well, and he continued his work within the genre for the rest of the decade, eventually forming a duo with Nicky Jam. One of the duo's songs, "Posición", was included in the soundtrack of ''One Tough Cop'', a movie directed by Bruno Barreto, that was released in 1998. Beginning in 2000, Ayala began concentrating more on his solo career, releasing albums produced outside studios. The first production he released was titled ''El Cartel'', featuring elements of the mixtape style. In 2001 ''El Cartel II'' was released, a direct sequel to the previous production, and influenced by similar genres.

In 2002 ''El Cangri.com'' was released, and became the first album in Ayala's career to sell well outside Puerto Rico, mostly in the United States. The album was produced by VI Music, an independent recording studio in Puerto Rico, and was not supported by a major label. The most successful single from the album was "Latigazo", which received significant play on radio stations in New York and Miami. The album reached #43 on Billboard's Top Latin Albums chart. Following the release of this disc, Ayala performed at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum before 12,000 fans. The following year VI Music produced ''Los Homerun-es''. The album became the leader in sales in Puerto Rico during a year in which several other reggaeton artists released significant productions, including Luny Tune's ''Mas Flow'', Don Omar's ''The Last Don'', and Tego Calderón's ''El Abayarde''. The album's success helped Ayala receive the publicity required for a crossover to the United States market, and marked the last album he released with VI music before signing a contract with Universal.

2004–2005

Ayala's next album, ''Barrio Fino'', was produced by Luny Tunes and released in July 2004 by El Cartel Records and VI Music. It was the most highly anticipated album in the reggaeton community. Ayala had enjoyed salsa music since he was young, and this led him to include music of genres besides reggaeton in the album. The most prominent of these cross-genre singles was "Melao", in which he performed with Andy Montañez. The album was described as his most complete, and with it he intended to introduce combinations of reggaeton and other genres to the English-speaking market. ''Barrio Fino'' was followed up by an international tour with performances in numerous countries including the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Honduras, Spain, Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela, and the United States. The album has sold over 500,000 copies in the United States alone and has sold well throughout Latin America and worldwide.

In 2005 Ayala won several international awards, making him one of the most recognized reggaeton artists within the music industry. The first award of the year was a Premio Lo Nuestro within the "Latin music" category, which he received for ''Barrio Fino''. In this event he performed "Gasolina" in a performance that was described as "innovative". ''Barrio Fino'' also won the "Reggaeton Album of the Year" award in the Latin Billboard that took place on April 28, 2005, where he performed a mix of three of his songs in a duo with P. Diddy. The album was promoted throughout Latin America, the United States, and Europe, reaching certified gold in Japan. Due to the album's success, Ayala received promotional contracts with radio stations and soda companies, including Pepsi. His single "Gasolina" received the majority of votes cast for the second edition of ''Premios Juventud'', in which it received eight nominations and won seven awards. Ayala also made a live presentation during the award ceremony. "Gasolina" received nominations in the Latin Grammy and MTV Video Music Awards.

The successful single, "Gasolina", was covered by artists from different music genres. This led to a controversy when Los Lagos, a Mexican banda group, did a cover with the original beat but changed the song's lyrics. The group's label had solicited the copyright permission to perform the single and translate it to a different music style, but did not receive consent to change the lyrics; legal action followed. Speaking for the artist, Ayala's lawyer stated that having his songs covered was an "honor, but it must be done the right way."

2006–present

On April 30, 2006, Ayala was named one of the 100 most influential people by ''Time'' magazine, which cited the 2 million copies of ''Barrio Fino'' sold, Ayala's $20 million contract with Interscope, and his Pepsi endorsement. During this period, Ayala and William Omar Landrón (more commonly known by his artistic name Don Omar) were involved in a rivalry within the genre, dubbed "tiraera". The rivalry received significant press coverage despite being denied early on by both artists. It originated with a lyrical conflict between the artists begun by Ayala's comments in a remix single, where he criticized Landron's common usage of the nickname "King of Kings". Don Omar responded to this in a song titled "Ahora Son Mejor", part of his album ''Los Rompediscotecas''.

''El Cartel: The Big Boss'' was released by Interscope on June 5, 2007. Ayala stated that the album marked a return to his hip-hop roots as opposed to being considered a strictly reggaeton album. The album was produced in 2006, and included the participation of will.i.am, Scott Storch, Tainy Tunes, Neli, and personnel from Ayala's label. Singles were produced with Hector El Father, Fergie, Nicole Scherzinger and Akon. The first single from the album was titled "Impacto", and was released prior to the completion of the album. The album was promoted by a tour throughout the United States, which continued throughout Latin America. He performed in Mexico, first in Monterrey, where 10,000 attended the concert, and later at San Luis Potosí coliseum, where the concert sold out, leaving hundreds of fans outside the building. Ayala performed in Chile as well, and established a record for attendance in Ecuador. He also performed in Bolivia, setting another record when 50,000 fans attended his Santa Cruz de la Sierra concert. This show was later described as "the best show with the biggest attendance in history" and as "something never seen in our country" by the local media. The show lasted for two hours, and the audience sang along with the artist.

According to ''Billboard'' magazine, ''El Cartel: The Big Boss'' was the top-selling album among all Latin music categories in 2007. At the moment of release, the album had sold 500,000 copies in the United States and 50,000 in Mexico. In an interview, Ayala said that he was happy that his album had sold more than those of Juan Luis Guerra and Juanes, and that this was an "official proof that reggaeton's principal exponent defeated the rest of the genres". Ayala made a guest appearance in an album titled "Caribbean Connection" released on June 24, 2008. The production included participation by other Latin American artists such as Wisin & Yandel, Don Omar and Héctor Delgado, along with Jamaican musicians such as Inner Circle, Bounty Killer, Elephant Man and Wayne Wonder. In July 2008, Ayala announced that as part of his work, he would produce a cover version of Thalía's song, Ten Paciencia. Prior to the album's release, Ayala scheduled several activities, including an in-store contract signing. On February 27, 2009, he performed at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival in Chile. In this event, the artists receive awards based on the public's reaction. After performing "Rompe", "Llamado de emergencia", "Tú me dejaste caer", "Gasolina", "Limpia parabrisas" and "Lo que pasó, pasó" over the course of two hours, Ayala received the "Silver Torch", "Gold Torch" and "Silver Seagull" recognitions. On April 24, 2009, he received the Spirit of Hope Award as part of the Latin Billboard Music Awards ceremony. The recognition is given to the artists that participate in community or social efforts throughout the year. The single "Grito Mundial" was released on October 8, 2009, in order to promote his ninth album, ''Mundial''. Despite releasing "El Ritmo No Perdona (Prende)" more than a month before, that single was not considered the first official promotional single.

Film and other career projects

Ayala has negotiated promotional deals with several companies outside of the music industry, releasing merchandise under his name. In 2005, he became the first Latin artist to sign a deal with Reebok, in order to produce accessories, including the licensed clothing line "DY", which was released in 2006. He also teamed up with the company to have his own shoes and sporting goods made, which were first distributed on May 23, 2006. Reebok continued the partnership with the introduction of the Travel Trainer collection in July 2007. In August 2007, Pepsi began an advertising campaign titled "Puertas", in which Ayala is depicted returning to his youth by opening a series of doors.

In 2008, Ayala participated in a campaign to promote voting in the 2008 general elections in Puerto Rico. This initiative included a concert titled "Vota o quédate callao". On August 25, 2008, Ayala endorsed John McCain's candidacy for President of the United States, stating that McCain "has been a fighter for the Hispanic community". As part of this campaign, Ayala moderated a debate titled “Vota o quédate callao: los candidatos responden a los jóvenes”, which was aired on October 9, 2008.

Ayala has worked in the film industry as both an actor and producer. His acting debut was the lead role of ''Vampiros'', a film directed by Eduardo Ortiz and filmed in Puerto Rico. The film premiered at the Festival of Latin American Cinema in New York, where it received a positive reaction. This led Image Entertainment to produce a DVD, internationally released in March 2005. Ayala played the main role "Edgar" in ''Talento de Barrio'', which was filmed in Puerto Rico and directed by José Iván Santiago. Ayala produced the film, which is based on his experience of growing up in a poor city neighborhood. While the film is not directly a biography, Ayala has stated that it mirrors his early life. ''Talento de Barrio's'' debut was scheduled for July 23, 2008, in New York's Latino Film Festival. After the premier, Ayala expressed satisfaction, saying that he had been invited to audition for other producers. On release, ''Talento de Barrio'' broke the record held by ''Maldeamores'' for the most tickets to a Puerto Rican movie sold in a single day in Caribbean Cinemas.

Ayala has been involved in the administration of three organizations, the first being El Cartel Records which he co-owns with Andres Hernandez. He also created the ''Fundación Corazón Guerrero'', a charitable organization in Puerto Rico which works with young incarcerated people. On April 26, 2008, he was presented with a "Latino of the Year Award" by the student organization ''Presencia Latina'' of Harvard College, receiving it for his work with Puerto Rican youth and creating ''Corazón Guerrero''. On February 6, 2008, Ayala announced in a Baloncesto Superior Nacional press conference that he had bought part of the Criollos de Caguas' ownership.

Personal life

Ayala married Mireddys González when he was seventeen years old. The couple have three children: Yamilette, Jeremy and Jesairis. Throughout his career Ayala has kept most of his personal life private, rarely speaking about it in interviews. He has said that he avoids doing so because such details are the only aspect of his life that are not public and that they are like a "little treasure". He made an exception in 2006 when he spoke about his relationship with his wife and children in an interview with María Celeste Arrarás in Al Rojo Vivo. He stated that his marriage is strong because he and his wife are "friends above anything", adding that he has tried to ignore other temptations because "weakness is the reason for the downfall of several artists." He also described his "very close" communication with his children, in which he tries to offer advice against drugs and negative influences. His first daughter was born when he was seventeen years old, which he has described as confusing at first, adding that raising a daughter at that age was a hard experience.

Studio albums

1995: ''No Mercy''

2002: ''El Cangri.com''

2004: ''Barrio Fino''

2007: ''El Cartel: The Big Boss''

2010: ''Daddy Yankee Mundial''

2011: ''Daddy Yankee Prestige''

Filmography

;Film

! Year	! Title	! Role	! Note
2005	''Vampiros''	Daddy Yankee - Himself
2008	''Talento de Barrio''	Edgar Dinero

;Television

! Year	! Title	! Role	! Note
2007		Daddy Yankee - Himself
2010	''The Bold and the Beautiful''	Daddy Yankee - Himself	6 episodes

See also

Latin American music

List of Caribbean music genres

List of famous Puerto Ricans

List of Puerto Rican songwriters

Urban contemporary

References

External links

Official site

Daddy Yankee's page on Reggaetonline

http://msnlatino.telemundo.com/entretenimiento/Premios_Billboard_2011/finalistas

Category:1977 births Category:Living people Category:American shooting survivors Category:People from San Juan, Puerto Rico Category:Puerto Rican rappers Category:Puerto Rican reggaeton artists Category:Puerto Rican singers Category:Puerto Rican male singers Category:Latin Grammy Award winners Category:Reggaeton musicians

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