Papo Cocote - Orgullo Comerieño (La Entrevista)

This is another project to preserve the historical memory of Comerío and it forms part of the Comerío Historical Archive and the Creative Industries of the Mountains. On May 28, 1950, the Cielito neighborhood of Comerío welcomed one of its most beloved sons: Antonio Rivera Pereira (Papo Cocote). The son of Antonio Rivera Ferrer and Luz María Pereira, Papo is the only boy and the youngest of four siblings. He has five children: Madeline and Jessica, from previous relationships; and Anthony, Henry, and Yanzel Malee, from his current marriage to Lydia Vanessa Rosado Rivera, whom he married on January 4, 1979. Alongside his work for the Municipality, in the late 1960s, he began his artistic career. He got his start with the local group El Nuevo Tumbao before joining Roberto y su Nuevo Montuno, along with other musicians from Comerío such as David López, Quique Dávila, and Josean Huertas. His hits with El Nuevo Montuno have become true classics of traditional salsa: “Monina y Ramón,” “Margarita,” “Muñeca,” “Carreta no va,” “Virazón,” “Triste arrabal,” “El yerbero del barrio,” “Llamé a Changó,” among many others. Papo has received well-deserved tributes and recognition in countless cities across the United States, Latin America, and Europe, where he has also performed, getting thousands of fans singing and dancing to his music. He has performed twice at Zeta 93's National Salsa Day. In 2025, he was one of several artists honored on National Salsa Day. Antonio Rivera Pereira (Papo Cocote) was inducted into the Comerío Sports and Culture Hall of Fame for his significant contributions to tropical music, Puerto Rican culture, and for representing our town of Comerío with distinction. (Biography provided by the Comerío Sports and Culture Hall of Fame). Interview and video were conducted in November 2024 by Wilson Torres Rosario and José Daniel (Chapa) Rodríguez.