Marcos Ayala Riquelme was, for twenty years, the manager of Paulo FG, and just as this Tuesday marks one month since the death of the Cuban musician in a traffic accident at 3rd and Malecón, in Havana, he announces on CiberCuba that he is organizing a tribute to Paulito, which will take place on April 12 at Kuba Cabana in Doral (Miami). In an interview with this platform, he also recalled anecdotes from the musician's life, including the rivalry with Manolín, El Médico de la Salsa.
"The rivalry between Paulo and Manolín was real," says Ayala after confirming that it began during a concert that Paulito gave at the Marina Hemingway, which El Médico de la Salsa attended. At one point, he got on stage and started the 'tiradera.' It might not have escalated further if it hadn't been for the fact that the concert was being recorded and the controversy spread.
In any case, Ayala clarifies that the rivalry between them had its ups and downs. On one occasion, during a concert in Madrid, they both appeared on stage wearing the same outfit, without having agreed on it beforehand, and they found it very funny. Upon arriving in the Spanish capital, both purchased their clothes at the famous department store El Corte Inglés, and they both liked the same thing, although separately.
There were also moments, according to Ayala's testimony, when Paulo FG loaned his musicians to Manolín for a tour in Europe. From that period of harmony came the famous chorus: "How beautiful Paulito, how beautiful Manolito, dressed in black, they look like little brothers," said the manager.
Ayala also shared with CiberCuba what Paulo FG thought of Manolín: "He said that Manolín, when doing a chorus, it's crazy because it highlights the ego he has," Ayala joked, who was also the manager of El Médico de la Salsa.
However, after Paulo's death, the manager recalls that Manolín was the first to call him to express his condolences. Not once, but twice, and he also mentioned that he had asked his sister, who was in Havana, to attend Paulito's funeral.
Regarding the tribute being prepared for Paulito FG this April 12, Ayala explained that it will be a concert that has already confirmed the participation of Yulien Oviedo, Dayran, El Niño y La Verdad and William Sánchez, among others, as there are also some who have already given their approval to the event organizer but do not want publicity. In any case, the idea is for all participants to reinterpret a dozen of the most important songs from the "Sofocador de la Salsa" that night.
In response to CiberCuba's question about the controversial political stance of Paulo FG, which cost him criticism from the exile community in Miami and even being declared a persona non grata, Ayala simply stated that Paulo FG had never participated in any political event in Cuba.
He also clarified that the artist had at least one other traffic accident prior to the one that cost him his life, and that in no case was it due to being under the influence of alcohol or drugs, as Paulito FG was a healthy person who rarely drank, did not use drugs, or anything at all, and tried not to draw attention to his private life.
When asked what he thinks is the worst part of fame, Marcos Ayala emphasized that, in his opinion, the worst part is feeling like you're losing it. "The worst part of fame is seeing it start to slip away. You begin to feel desperate, and it doesn’t allow you to think. Fame is neither bad nor good. You have to know how to handle it," he concluded.
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