Silvestre Peguero

Who is Silvestre Peguero?

Silvestrino Peguero Martinez, also known as Silvestre Peguero, is a Dominican musician, singer, songwriter. He is best known for being a leading figure, especially in the continual growth of bachata music in the late 70s and 80s, although the music was still known as Bolero Campesino or Música de Guardía. Known as "El Sentimiento Del Amargue", Peguero wrote almost all of his songs and most of them were big hits, including "El Puñalito De Acero", "De Mí No Te Conduele", "Por Esa India Morena", "Mamita", "Amor Lloré", and many more.

Peguero was born to Candida Martinez Liriano and Jesus Peguero in Gaspar Hernández, a province of Espaillat, Dominican Republic. He is the 3rd of 14 siblings and comes from a great, humble, and hard-working family. When Silvestre was young, he worked in agriculture with his father Jesus Peguero and one day playing a handmade guitar, a relative of his soon-to-be fiancé at the time told him he will be an excellent bachata artist one day. Silvestre had a machete for working in agriculture fields till that day, when he ended up throwing it away. Silvestre told him that he will become an excellent bachata artist. There, he fell in love with his fiancé and took her to Villa Duarte.

His first songs (De Mí No Te Conduele and Por Esa India Morena) were recorded at Estudio Faviola for Erminio de la Cruz in Buenos Aires de Herrera, who was also recording at the time. It was played by Edilio Paredes, Augusto Santos, El Zurdo, Polito, and Persio Lopez. Later on, Silvestre signed with Radhames Aracena a 10-year contract to Radio Guarachita, where he made numerous recordings, some of which have never been released. Later on, Silvestre recorded with Maximino Sanchez (Unidad Records), Rafael Mañon (RM Records), and La Negra.

Due to the Payola Scandal in the 90s in the Dominican Republic, Silvestre Peguero lost interest in recording new music and was only doing festivities only up until 2018 when he met Kilvio Suero. Through KS Records, Silvestre released the single Quedate Tranquila, and recorded a newer version of Pídeme Lo Que Tú Quieras. He also recorded a song composed by one of his musical companions Angel Guerrero titled Aunque Tenga Que Sufrír.

Peguero is known as one of the most authentic representatives of Bachata. For a long time, Silvestre Peguero was a fisherman in Puerto Plata up until an incident where he almost lost his life in December 2016. Silvestre Peguero's oldest son Miguel "Moreno" Peguero is also a singer/songwriter who has performed with his father in many festivities throughout the Dominican Republic.

On July 5 of 2022, Silvestre suffered a thrombosis infection and was admitted in Santo Domingo in critical condition. He has since recovered some of his ability to speak, and been in recovery mode. Silvestre Peguero currently resides in Las Terrenas in the Samaná province.