In a 2016 discussion with SAG-AFTRA Jennifer Lopez cited El Cantante as the film she is most proud of in her career.
According to the DVD commentary, the film was shot in only 33 days.
Willie Colón, close friend and collaborator of Héctor Lavoe, whom this film is based on, has stated that a mere 10 or 15 percent of the film really happened in real life.
The title translates in English as "The Singer".