The urban merenguero Jose Rodriguez, known like Kike Mangú, died this Friday from a car accident in New York City.
The information handled so far indicates that the singer was driving a heavy truck as an employee of a New York company.
In the crash, Kike Mangu, known as “The Original” allegedly received blows to the chest and face.
The performer of “What Do You Want Me to Tell You” and “Tiruri” was taken by ambulance to a hospital in New York, but did not resist an emergency operation.
Kike died at the age of 47 and left three children in orphanage; two girls and a man.
His representative Nenry Brand told Free Diary that yet they have not given the corpse to relatives.
Kike also performed as the first trumpet of the merengue orchestra Fire.
“It’s devastating information we received today. Unfortunately we don’t know the cause but it was a terrible accident,” said Nenry Brand, who represented him through Miami-based Nenry Management.
As explained by his manager when contacted by Free diary, He was left alive and the other driver as well, “were two big trucks that collided like in front,” he said.
He went on to say that they tried to operate on him through surgery, but he could not resist due to the blows he received to his chest and head, according to the information given to him by the musician’s mother.
He expressed that there were many plans with Kike.
“We had one sauce production. He already wanted to change his line of urban meringue to a finer meringue and at the same time try the sauce. Last year, 2020, we couldn’t do anything about the pandemic. “
He and Kike had been friends for 20 years. “Both his family and I shared a lot. It was an excellent work and family relationship.”
“Go with God my brother, More than 20 years of friendship and work in an industry as difficult as the music industry is little to say; my friend, my soldier in the good and the bad,” Nenry concluded .
José Altagracia Rodríguez Hernández (Kike Mangu, the original) was born on January 21, 1973 and died just days after his 48th birthday. He had been living in New York for more than a decade.
the meringue Fire he used his Instagram account to express his grief over the departure of who was his conductor in his early days.
“What sad news, a friend more than dismissal today, we know we will all one day have to leave this world but when deaths happen like this one feels shocked and very sad. You were director of my group in my beginnings, a hardworking man and good friend, peace to your soul and my condolences to his whole family. Rip Kike Mangu, ”wrote the performer of“ Susana ”.
About his career
It took the nickname of “Mangu” as a result of the meringue that with that name stuck in the popular taste in 2001.
Other well-known songs include “Lettuce”, “Let’s Give a Night Out”, “The Vanity”, “I Don’t Know What to Do With You”, “You Said It”, “Crazy with the Cassava”, “La tirruri” and “I got tired already.”
Originally from the Els Peralejos sector, he adapted the meringue into the songs “Si sabessis” and “El ràdio está tocando la canción”.
According to reports, Rodríguez trained at the Elila Mena Elementary School of Music, of the General Directorate of Fine Arts.
His father was an accordionist, and knowing his penchant for art urged him to participate in a musical group as a teenager.
Kike Mangu was in popular meringue groups like Group Me, Juanchy Vásquez, Barceló Orchestra, Benny Sadel, Dry Earth, and with Tulile, like trompetista and arranger.
A press release from 2018 indicated that he was on tour in Mexico City promoting the song “El vas dir” and was on the program La Cullera with Fabián.