Rafael Ángel Leavitt Rey, known professionally as Raphy Leavitt, was a Puerto Rican musician and singer-songwriter born on September 17, 1948, in San Juan. He began his musical journey with the accordion and later studied business administration at the University of Puerto Rico. His professional debut came as part of Combo Los Reyes. In 1966, he formed his first orchestra, initially named Los Señoriales, which evolved into La Selecta in 1970. A tragic accident in 1971 led to the creation of the iconic song "La Cuna Blanca." He collaborated with artists such as Sammy Marrero and Tony Vega, and received the Rafael Hernández Golden Bust Award for compositions including "Payaso," "Jíbaro Soy," and "La Cuna Blanca." Leavitt passed away on August 5, 2015, in Miami due to complications from a hip replacement surgery.
