Alberto Beltrán was a Dominican singer born in 1923 in La Romana whose powerful voice and versatile artistry made him one of the most celebrated Latin vocalists of the mid-twentieth century. Known as El Negrito del Batey, Beltrán possessed a rich, expressive baritone capable of conveying the full spectrum of emotion demanded by bolero and the infectious rhythmic joy required by merengue and guaracha.

He became one of the most recorded Dominican singers of his era, releasing material that achieved wide popularity across Latin America and among Hispanic communities in the United States. His interpretation of El Negrito del Batey, the song that became his signature, was a masterclass in vocal storytelling — humorous, self-deprecating, and deeply human in a way that resonated with listeners who recognized in it the dignified humor of Caribbean working-class culture.

Beltrán worked with many of the leading orchestras and musical figures of his time, and his recordings from the 1950s and 1960s document Dominican vocal artistry at some of its finest moments. He passed away in 1997, leaving behind a catalog of recordings that remains among the most joyful and emotionally satisfying in the Dominican popular music tradition.