José Víctor 'Papo' Sánchez was born in 1954 in Hatillo, Puerto Rico. Raised by parents Panchita and Eligio, the latter of whom of was also a musician, Sánchez drew early influence from his family before establishing himself as a prominent figure in salsa. He achieved international recognition as a lead vocalist for Roberto Roena y Su Apollo Sound.
During his tenure with Apollo Sound, Sánchez performed on widely recognized recordings, including the prominent 1975 album 'Lucky 7'. He provided lead vocals for several of the band's most popular songs, including 'Mi Desengaño', 'Marejada Feliz', 'Estás Equivocado', and 'Guaguancó del Adiós'.
Sánchez's later catalog features works spanning the late 2000s and 2010s. His solo releases include the albums 'Estación Candela' (2008) and 'Master Class' (2014), alongside the singles 'Girl You Bad (As Hell)' in 2012 and 'Dejame Decirte' in 2014.
