Cuban soul star Francisco 'el Gran' Fellove has died in Mexico, aged 89.

Dubbed the founder of the filin Cuban jazz genre, Fellove is famous for his tropical music on songs like El Jamaiquino and Mango Mangue, which was recorded by Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco, among others.

A longtime resident of Mexico City, he died in hospital on Friday (15Feb13).

Actor Matt Dillon, who recently worked with Fellove on an upcoming documentary on Afro-Caribbean music he is producing, offered up a tribute to the singer/songwriter at a press conference in Mexico City on Tuesday (19Feb13).

He said, "He was a great artist and he left a great musical legacy... It was a privilege for me to be able to work and spend time with him."