Luis Kalaff

{{expand Spanish|topic=bio|date=September 2024}}

Luis Kalaff (October 11, 1916{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/CUNY.DSI/posts/luis-kalaf-p%C3%A9rez-was-a-musician-composer-and-interpreter-involved-in-various-pop/10155251549334184/|title=Luis Kalaf Pérez was a...|publisher=City University of New York Dominican Studies Institute|date=2017-04-24|access-date=2024-09-21|via=Facebook}}-July 2, 2010{{cite news|last=Ramos|first=Jorge|url=https://hoy.com.do/a-seis-anos-de-la-partida-de-luis-kalaff/|title=A seis años de la partida de Luis Kalaff|newspaper={{ill|Hoy (Dominican Republic)|lt=Hoy|es|Hoy (República Dominicana)}}|date=2016-07-03|access-date=2024-09-23}} was a Dominican singer and guitarist.

His father, Juan Kalaf, was of Lebanese origins. His mother was Bernavelina Perez.

He joined the band "Los Alegeres Dominicanos" and at some time traveled to the United States. Through a contract with Peer International Corp. he had joined an American record label. Ballroom Dance Magazine described him as being proficient in merengue music.{{cite book|title=Ballroom Dance Magazine Volume 1|via=Google Books|page=[https://www.google.com/books/edition/Ballroom_Dance_Magazine/nWkhn0gIF6wC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=Luis+Kalaff&dq=Luis+Kalaff&printsec=frontcover 21]|year=1960}} Deborah Pancini Hernández, author of Bachata: A Social History of a Dominican Popular Music, described him as "popular".{{cite book|last=Hernandez|first=Deborah Pancini|title=Bachata A Social History of a Dominican Popular Music|year=1995|publisher=Temple University Press|isbn=9781566393003|page=[https://www.google.com/books/edition/Bachata/oLdkCugOAOcC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Luis+Kalaff+best&pg=PA57 57]}}

In 1958 he moved to New York City.{{cite web|url=http://dominicanmusicusa.com/narratives/1960s-the-birth-of-salsa-and-the-rise-of-a-u-s-dominican-mentality/9|title=Narrative: 1960s: The Birth of Salsa and the Rise of a U.S. Dominican Mentality|website=Dominican Music USA|publisher=City University of New York|access-date=2024-09-23}}

Kalaff used boogaloo and merengue as influences in his work. Other artists like Celia Cruz and Julio Iglesias began playing songs written by Kalaff. The Dominican Studies Institute of City University of New York stated that Kalaff "popularized típico merengue in New York during the 1950s".{{cite web|url=http://dominicanmusicusa.com/genres/merengue/35|title=Genre Guide: Merengue|website=Dominican Music USA|publisher=City University of New York|access-date=2024-09-23}} In 2000, Kalaff was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame.{{cite news|title=International Latin Music Hall of Fame Announces Year 2000 Inductees|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/international-latin-music-hall-of-fame-announces-year-2000-inductees-72842402.html|access-date=31 October 2015|date=1 March 2000|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306081458/http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/international-latin-music-hall-of-fame-announces-year-2000-inductees-72842402.html|archive-date=6 March 2016|url-status=dead}}