Ney Nilo is the stage name of Manuel Modesto Cabrera Salas, a Dominican singer, musician and composer born in Villa Bisonó, commonly known as Navarrete, in Santiago province. His career belongs to the Dominican romantic ballad tradition and gained particular prominence during the 1980s and 1990s.

Training and singing career

He studied music as a child, beginning with trombone and also learning piano and guitar. He later concentrated on singing, composing and arranging his own repertoire. His voice has been described as a popular lyric tenor. His songs include «Paloma dime por qué», «Lejos de ti amada mía», «La tristeza de mi carta», «Estoy amando» and «Quiero volver a Navarrete». He spent part of his career in the United States, where he lived for several years.

The composer’s repertoire

ACEMLA lists numerous titles under his name, including «Balada para mi país», «Mensaje», «Himno a las Águilas» and «Himno a los Leones del Escogido». His work as an author also led to claims concerning the use of his compositions. In 2012 he brought a claim against Antony Santos relating to «La tristeza de mi carta» and «Mensaje».

The «Estoy amando» case

In a separate dispute over the unauthorized exploitation of «Estoy amando», he was awarded two million Dominican pesos in damages against Bienvenido Rodríguez. On February 19, 2014, the joined chambers of the Supreme Court of Justice rejected Rodríguez’s cassation appeal against the decision awarding that compensation. The case concerned the transformation of the ballad into merengue and its use without the author’s authorization.

Time away and digital availability

Health problems interrupted his live career. In 2016 journalist Jorge Jiménez, who had worked with him, published a message in which the singer expressed his wish to return to the stage. His repertoire remained available digitally: a collection of his hits appeared in 2014, followed in November 2015 by the three-song release «En Navidad te quiero más», also containing «El último aguinaldo» and «Qué Navidad tan bella». These dates refer to digital editions and do not establish the original recording dates of individual songs.

Legacy

His career brings together romantic singing, an original songwriting repertoire and the defense of composers’ rights. Songs such as «Paloma dime por qué» and «Lejos de ti amada mía» preserve his connection with Dominican ballad music and the community of Navarrete.