Martín Valoy (died 2 July 2013), known as El Ahijado, was a Dominican bassist, guitarist, tres player, singer and composer. With his older brother Cuco Valoy he formed Los Ahijados, the duo that made its name with Cuban-style sones montunos from the late 1950s, and he later played bass in «Los Virtuosos», the orchestra his brother founded in 1975.

Los Ahijados

Martín learned guitar before joining his brother in Santo Domingo; together they sang serenades and boleros. By 1958, Cuco Valoy and Martín were already performing son montuno inspired by Cuba’s Los Compadres under the name Los Ahijados. The name emerged on «Buscando Estrellas», and his brother financed the first recordings. Martín played guitar and tres and sang harmony; Cuco sang lead. Their Kubaney records included «Vuelven... Los Ahijados», and songs such as «Timoteo», «El lunar», «El hombre misterioso», «El paso de la jaiba» and «Vaivén» returned in later compilations. Their repertoire also included «Qué será de mí», by Bienvenido Fabián.

«Los Virtuosos»

When Cuco Valoy built «Los Virtuosos» in 1975 — the orchestra later renamed «La Tribu» — Martín moved to the bass and sang in the chorus. He is credited on bass on «Tiza!» (1980), where Henry García was among the singers, and on «Chévere» (1982). Writing after his death, Joseph Cáceres described him as his brother’s second: low-key, and a solid presence at the bass.

«Hagan coro señores, llegó el Ahijado»

In 1981 he released his only solo album, «Hagan coro señores, llegó el Ahijado», issued in the United States by Discolor and in Venezuela by Evesol: eight sones, among them «Yo no perdono», «El guardia del arsenal» and «Canta». The brothers came back together as Los Ahijados for «De nuevo al son», a 1997 album on which both are credited as lead vocalists.

Legacy

Martín Valoy died on 2 July 2013, and, as Cáceres noted at the time, his death passed almost unnoticed in the press. His work sits in two of the family’s main projects: the son montuno of Los Ahijados in the 1960s, and the rhythm section of «Los Virtuosos» in the years of «Tiza!» and «Chévere».