Félix Manuel, born Matías Modesto Cruz, is a Dominican salsa singer. He works in salsa romántica, and his catalogue is built largely on rebuilding other people’s songs in it.

Early years and formation

He was born on 24 February in Imbert and raised in Luperón, a coastal municipality in Puerto Plata. The year is not published. He left for Europe as a young man and spent twenty-two years there; he gave up Austria and came home to start as a singer.

Mi Razón

Mi Razón, from 2017, is the record that carried furthest by a wide margin. Víctor Waill wrote the arrangement — Waill was one of the most in-demand arrangers in Dominican music, and having him on a salsa record placed it immediately.

Y Ahora Resulta, Se Te Paró el Reloj and Me Estoy Acostumbrando a Ti belong to the same stretch, and by 2015 the Dominican trade press was already listing him among the salseros with something on the radio.

Te Hubieras Ido Antes

Te Hubieras Ido Antes is a Joss Favela and Luciano Luna Díaz song, written for another genre entirely, which he took into salsa romántica. His channel credits Víctor Waill as the musical producer on it and Christopher R. Ureña on the video.

The video went up in 2026. Waill died on 8 July 2019, so the recording had been sitting for years before it was released.