From Futuro media and PRX it's Latino USA. I'm Marianne

Jose. Today, Puerto Rican singer and songwriter, Draco Rosa, burst onto the music scene in the mid-1980s in a boy band

you might have heard of. Menudo was a hugely popular teen group that was known for retiring their singers at the ripe age of 16.

When it was time for him to leave Menudo,

Traco began a prolific songwriting career, including writing hits

for his close friend and probably most famous menudo alum Ricky Martin

Draco is the songwriter behind La Vida Loca and she bangs just to name a few.

But Traco has also managed to have a very successful career as a solo artist.

But Traco has also managed to have a very successful career as a solo artist

very different stylistically from his pop songwriting. In 1996 he released his classic album, in New York she's gonna mind

if you're gonna' oo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o' he released his classic album, Bacabundo, which Billboard magazine named

as one of the 50 greatest Latin albums of the past 50 years.

Then in 2011, Rocorosa's life would take a big turn. He was diagnosed with non-Hodchkin's lymphoma cancer and

while he beat it he relapsed in 2013, but he was declared cancer-free a second time in 2014, and this

experience gave him a new perspective on life, one that influenced his album, Monte Zagrado, which would be translated to

Sacred Hill. Earlier this year, Draco Rosa released an album titled Reflegos deoeterno, where he reflects on his 40-year career.

And in July, Draco was awarded the Latin Grammy's Lifetime Achievement Award.

Latino USA sat down with Draco Rosa in 2018 and we're happy to bring him back to you today.

In his own words, here's Draco Rosa.

My name is Draco Rosa. My name is Draco Rosa.

I mostly consider myself a songwriter

and then I've gotten better at singing.

...