Later Years
Rivera was a faithful pilgrim of the Black Christ procession in Portobelo, Panama, from 1975 to 1985, and even wrote a song about the Black Christ, known affectionately as "El Nazareno". Rivera was baptized as the "Brujo de Borinquen" in Panama.
The death of his childhood friend, Rafael Cortijo in 1982, affected him emotionally to the point that he couldn't sing in the tribute to Cortijo celebrated at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum. Rivera was actively involved in the creation of a historical museum which depicts the contributions made to the cultural life of Puerto Rico by the black Puerto Ricans.
Ismael Rivera died on May 13, 1987 in the arms of his mother Margarita, from a heart attack. He was buried at the Villa Palmeras cemetery in Santurce, Puerto Rico.
Read more about this topic: Ismael Rivera
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