Freddy Kenton is a Dominican merengue singer and choreographer best known as the lead vocalist of Bonny con Kenton, the orchestra Bonny Cepeda formed in 1978, and for a solo career on Algar Records and Top Hits through the 1980s. Based in Puerto Rico for decades, he remains active on stage, returning to the Dominican spotlight in 2026 as a guest at Ramón Orlando's 50th-anniversary concert.

Early Career and Bonny con Kenton

Before the Kenton name, Freddy had sung with Primitivo Santos y su Orquesta and, in January 1977, appeared in the new front line of Johnny Ventura's group. In 1978, when Bonny Cepeda, Tito Kenton and Luis Kenton left Los Hijos del Rey and founded Bonny con Kenton, Freddy became the act's lead singer — the front line, left to right in its first television presentation, was Bonny, Tito, Freddy and Luis. The group's front was famous for acrobatic choreography, and its early records carried hits such as «El Paso de la Lenteja», «La Misma Flor» and «Los Melones». Although the act's dancers were the Payano brothers, Freddy was not a blood brother — he adopted the Kenton name as part of the act — and by his own account he wrote much of the group's early repertoire, including «La Misma Flor», during some three years with the orchestra.

Solo Career

Freddy launched his solo career in 1980 with an Algar Records LP arranged and directed by Bonny Cepeda, fronting his own orchestra. He followed with a second Algar album in 1981 and moved to TH Records (Top Hits), the Puerto Rican tropical label, where his TH years placed him alongside Marvin Santiago under the mentorship of Andy Montañez. His 1984 Top Hits album «A La Cabeza!» includes Luis "Terror" Días's «Barrio Caliente» and Juan Gabriel's «Querida». Later records include «Merengues Calientes» (1986, shared billing with La Milagros & Los Hijos), «A Gozar» (Heavy Records, Puerto Rico, 1987) and «Abre Que Voy» (Top Ten Hits, 1989).

Discography

• «Freddy Kenton» (Algar Records, 1980)

• «Freddy Kenton» (Algar Records, 1981)

• «Oh La La» (TH Records, 1982)

• «Freddy Kenton» (TH Records, 1983)

• «A La Cabeza!» (Top Hits, 1984)

• «Merengues Calientes» — with La Milagros & Los Hijos (1986)

• «A Gozar» (Heavy Records, 1987)

• «Abre Que Voy» (Top Ten Hits, 1989)

Puerto Rico and Later Years

Freddy settled in Puerto Rico, where his family home was a gathering place for salseros such as Andy Montañez and Frankie Ruiz, and where his son, the singer Freddy K, was born. He has resurfaced with Los Kenton on Puerto Rican stages and, in 2026, enjoyed a full comeback year: municipal stages in Guayama, Wilfridín's 45th-anniversary celebration in Caguas, a guest segment at Ramón Orlando's 50th-anniversary concert at Santo Domingo's Estadio Olímpico, and Dominican television appearances. His official accounts promote Christmas-season bookings into 2027.

Legacy

Freddy Kenton stands as the singing voice of one of merengue's most theatrical front lines — the Bonny con Kenton era that helped define the choreographed merengue orchestra — and as a bridge between the Dominican and Puerto Rican tropical scenes, a figure of both the classic merengue years and the salsa world that adopted him.