Richie Ray | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ricardo Maldonado Morales |
| Also known as | "El Embajador del Piano" (The Piano Ambassador) |
| Born | February 15, 1945 Brooklyn, New York |
| Genres | Salsa |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, pianist, music arranger, composer and religious minister |
| Instrument | Piano |
| Years active | 1965–present |
Ricardo "Richie" Ray (born February 15, 1945) is a Nuyorican (a New York-born Puerto Rican) virtuoso pianist, singer, music arranger, composer and religious minister known for his success beginning in 1965 as part of the duo Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz. He is known as "El Embajador del Piano" (The Ambassador of the Piano).
Ray (birth name: Richard Maldonado Morales [note 1] ) was born in Brooklyn, New York City of Puerto Rican parents. They lived on Hoyt Street. Ray's father, Pacifico Maldonado, was an accomplished guitarist in his native Bayamón, and as such was the Maldonado family's early musical influence. [1]
Ray's parents had him take piano lessons when he was seven years old. His life-long partnership with Robert "Bobby" Cruz Feliciano started five years later in 1957 when Ray played bass in a group led by Cruz. This combination was the beginning of one of the greatest salsa duos in the salsa music industry. [2]
He attended the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, the famed High School of Performing Arts, and the Juilliard School of Music. These experiences served to further develop and refine his musical training. In addition, he became well-versed in various Latin music genres which were popular at that time – the Guajira, the Cha-cha-cha, the Bolero and others. [1]
Ray left Juilliard in 1963, after just one year. He made this choice so that he could get organized and dedicate himself to his own band. This was a year after Cruz joined in as the lead vocalist. In 1965, he signed with Fonseca Records and released his debut album, Ricardo Ray Arrives-Comején. The album included the outstanding hit songs "Mambo Jazz", "Comején", "Viva Richie Ray", "El Mulato", "Suavito", "Pa' Chismoso Tú" and the bolero-cha "Si Te Contaran". The famous pair recorded some of their finest work during the period that they were with the Fonseca label. [2]
In 1966, the group switched to the Alegre label, coinciding with the arrival of the boogaloo. Ray recorded nine albums with Alegre. He was a part of Tico/Alegre Records until 1970, and during that time he produce such hits as "Richie's Jala Jala", "Mr. Trumpet Man", "Señor Embajador", "Agúzate" (Gold Record Award winner), "Amparo Arrebato", "Traigo de Todo", and the Spanish version of Claude François 's "Comme d'habitude", called "A Mi Manera" in reference to Frank Sinatra's version "My Way". This song went on to be the most radio played Spanish version of "comme d'habitude" (and so of "My Way") during 1970; the song also won the duo a Gold Record Award. [1]
While with Alegre, Ray also recorded two albums for UA Latino. These included "Viva Ricardo" and "El Diferente" (Gold Record Award winner). The band scored a number one hit with the song "Colorín Colorado", while "El Diferente", "Feria En Manizales" and "Ay, Compay!", became number one hits in Latin America. [2]
In 1968, Ray and Cruz had been together professionally for five years, had written most of their songs together, and for the first time in the album Los Durísimos, they shared equal billing in an album cover. This album had such hits as "Agallú", "Pancho Cristal", "Adasa", and "Yo Soy (Babalú)". Since then the band became officially known as Richie Ray and Bobby Cruz. [1]
In 1970, Ray and Cruz left New York and moved to San Juan, Puerto Rico, for professional and personal reasons. They opened a nightclub, but managing it required too much of their time. Shortly after, they decided to sell the establishment to focus on their artistic commitments. That same year, Ray and Cruz signed with the new Vaya Records label, a subsidiary of Fania Records. [1]
In 1971, they released "El Bestial Sonido de Ricardo Ray y Bobby Cruz", the first ever release on Vaya Records, and was one of their better albums on that label. The album went gold, and it took them to the top of the charts once again. It included hits such as Joan Manuel Serrat's "Señora", the bolero version of the Gardel/Lepera tango "Volver", and the Rubén Blades composition "Guaguancó Triste", as well as the salsa version of James Taylor's "Fire And Rain". This album also included his most impressive and well-known hit called "Sonido Bestial", which has a Latin-flavoured arrangement of Chopin's Etude 10/12, and is considered a classic masterpiece of salsa music. [1]
In 1974 The Dynamic Duo won the title "The Kings Of Salsa" at the "Coliseo Roberto Clemente" in San Juan, Puerto Rico. For a period of 12 hours, 24 bands had competed for the coveted title, and Ray and Cruz emerged triumphant. Contracts started to pour in, requests for interviews and TV appearances, and even movie offers. [2]
All of these things spoke of success, but Ray suffered strong emotional problems during this time. The despair he felt led him into alcohol and drug abuse. He felt tormented by his addictions, however, and wanted to change his life. [1]
In August of that year, he surprised many when he announced that he had become a born-again evangelical Christian. The professed experience radically changed his career and life. At first, Cruz refused to accept Ray's change, but within two months Cruz himself became a convert.
In spite of these dramatic changes, Ray & Cruz fans continued to support the duo. The 1976 release of Reconstrucción went "Gold" (their ninth). The album included their smash hit single "Juan En La Ciudad". They followed with Viven in 1977, De Nuevo 'Los Durísimos' Again (1980), and their final release on Vaya Records, Los Inconfundibles (1987), in which Ray and Cruz announced their retirement from Salsa music. All of these were successful releases. [2]
Richie Ray and Bobby Cruz lost most of their fans and found opposition among the members of their own faith when they suggested the idea of Christian salsa. They stood their ground, however, and little by little, they started to regain the confidence of their fans and fellow Christians. They abandoned secular salsa and recorded salsa with a Christian message, reworking many of their worldly hits into religious themes. Some of these include "El Sonido La Bestia", "Más Que Vencedores", and "Aguzate". They also created some new ones, like "Los Fariseos", "Timoteo", and "Sipriano"
The sincerity of their Christian beliefs was not just conveyed in their music. Both Ray and Cruz are pastors, and they have founded more than 70 churches throughout Puerto Rico and the United States. In addition, Ray founded the Salvation Records label as an outlet for Christian music. Then, he continued his music career although his long-time friend, Cruz, had retired. During "retirement", however, both Cruz and Ray released albums with previously recorded numbers and with other bands or singers. Richie Ray is now a pastor in Miami under Spring of Life Fellowship. [3]
In 1991, Ray and Cruz reunited for successful concert appearances in San Juan, and again in New York. They reunited again in 1999 for the "Sonido Bestial VIP" concert in the Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez located in Bayamón. The duo sang some of their early hits together along with some of their religious songs, and the concert was recorded live. The outcome was so impressive that they were offered a contract by Universal Records. The recording was selected as one of the best recordings of 1999, and helped bring the pair back into the limelight of the Puerto Rican music scene. The pair has continued to be active in the music scene since. [2]
In 2000, Ray and Cruz held a series of concerts that were completely sold out at the Antonio Paoli Hall of the Luis A. Ferré Performing Arts Center in San Juan. They were also honored with a National Day of Salsa in Bayamón. In 2002, Richie Ray and Bobby Cruz were inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame. [2]
In 2003, Ray recorded "Al Ritmo del Piano" for Warner Music Latina. Ray and Cruz continue to make appearances in places such as the Copacabana Club in New York. In December 2005, Ray & Cruz released a totally new album under the label "Tropisounds". The album was recorded in Colombia under the musical direction of its producer Diego Galé. "Que Vuelva La Música" has 14 new tracks – "El gallo y La Vaca", "La Bailarina", "Quim Bon Bori", "Vive Contento", "Soy Boricua" and "Va a Llover" among others, are just a few of the titles. The album was an instant hit in Colombia and Latin America. "El gallo y la vaca" (Nov. 25) and "Salsa La Celebracion" (April 7) appeared in the top 100 salsa songs charts in North America through 2006. In 2006, Richie Ray and Bobby Cruz won a Latin-Grammy Award for "Lifetime Achievement". That year, they also recorded a CD and DVD titled "A lifetime of hits" (live at Centro de Bellas Artes, San Juan, Puerto Rico) which was nominated for a Latin Grammy in the "Best Contemporary Tropical Album" category. [1]
Ray currently lives in Florida with his wife Angie Ray and besides being musically active, he is also busy attending the churches which he and Cruz founded in the United States, Caribbean and Latin-America. Ray is still considered along with Eddie Palmieri and Papo Lucca as one of the best and most influential pianists of all time in Salsa music. On August 16, 2008, Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz celebrated 45 years in the musical business, with a concert at José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum. [4] Prior to the presentation, the duo noted that the concert would last at least three hours. [5] The duo also expressed that it might be their last "big scale concert". [6]
| Fonseca Records | Alegre Records | 'United Artists |
|---|---|---|
| Ricardo Ray Arrives – Comején 1965 | Se Soltó (On The Loose) 1966 | El Diferente 1970 |
| On the Scene 1966 | Jala Jala y Boogaloo 1967 | Viva Ricardo 1969 |
| 3 Dimensions 1966 | Jala Jala y Boogaloo Vol. 2 1968 | |
| Richie Ray Introducing Bobby Cruz A-Go-Go 1966 | Los Durísimos/The Strong Ones 1968 | |
| En Fiesta Navideña 1966 | Let's Get Down to the Real Nitty Gritty 1968 | |
| Los Durísimos y Yo (Nidya Caro) 1969 | ||
| Agúzate 1970 | ||
| Vaya Records | Ray & Bo Records | Appearances with Fania All-Stars |
| El Bestial Sonido 1971 | A Su Nombre Gloria 1978 | Our Latin Thing 1971 Ahora Vengo Yo |
| Felices Pascuas 1972 | Renovando la Salsa 1979 | Live at the Red Garter Vol. 1 1972 (1968) Richies Bag |
| Jammin' Live 1972 | Abriendo Surcos 1979 | Fania All Stars at the Cheetah Vol. 2 1974 (1971) Ahora Vengo Yo |
| Amor en la Escuela 1974 | En Familia 1983 | Latin-Soul-Rock 1974 El ratón |
| 1975 1974 | Más Que Vencedores 1984 | Live at the Yankee Stadium Vol. 2 1975 Hermandad Fania |
| 10 Aniversario 1975 | Maravilloso 1985 | |
| Reconstrucción 1976 | Adelante Juventud 1988 | |
| Viven 1977 | Angie, Mi Piano y Yo 1992 | |
| El Sonido de la Bestia 1980 | ||
| Las Águilas/The Eagles 1982 | ||
| Los Inconfundibles 1987 | Releases After the Year 2000 | |
| Voz Palabra y Júbilo 2000 WEA Latina | Lo Nuevo y lo Mejor 2001 WEA Latina | Caminando 2002 Rejoice Music |
| Casa de Alabanza Vol. 1 2003 (Rejoice Music) WEA Latina | 40 Aniversario en Vivo 2004 Combo Records | Que Vuelva la Música 2005 Tropisounds |
| A Lifetime of Hits (Live at Centro de Bellas Artes de Puerto Rico 2006 |
Boogaloo or bugalú is a genre of Latin music and dance which was popular in the United States in the 1960s. Boogaloo originated in New York City mainly by stateside Puerto Ricans with African American music influences. The style was a fusion of popular African American rhythm and blues (R&B) and soul music with mambo and son montuno, with songs in both English and Spanish. The American Bandstand television program introduced the dance and the music to the mainstream American audience. Pete Rodríguez's "I Like It like That" was a famous boogaloo song.
Héctor Juan Pérez Martínez, better known as Héctor Lavoe, was a Puerto Rican salsa singer. Lavoe is considered to be possibly the best and most important singer and interpreter in the history of salsa music because he helped to establish the popularity of this musical genre in the decades of 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. His personality, style and the qualities of his voice led him to a successful artistic career in the whole field of Latin music and salsa during the 1970s and 1980s. The cleanness and brightness of his voice, coupled with impeccable diction and the ability to sing long and fast phrases with total naturalness, made him one of the favorite singers of the Latin public.
El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, commonly known as El Gran Combo, is a Puerto Rican salsa orchestra based in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2012, it was often considered Puerto Rico's most successful musical group. The group received the moniker La Universidad de la Salsa in Colombia, due to the sheer number of famous salsa musicians and singers who developed their careers with it, who started with the group, or who were occasionally backed up by the band and La India.
Bobby Cruz is a Puerto Rico salsa singer and religious minister. He was part of the duo Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz. Both Cruz and Ray became religious ministers and as such founded over 70 Christian churches during the time they retired from popular music, which lasted about 16 years.
Raphy Leavitt was a Puerto Rican composer and founder of the salsa orchestra, La Selecta.
Carlos Manuel "Charlie" Palmieri was a Puerto Rican bandleader and musical director of salsa music. He was known as the "Giant of the Keyboards".
Cheo Feliciano was a Puerto Rican singer and composer of salsa and bolero music. Feliciano was the owner of a recording company called "Coche Records". He was the first tropical singer to perform at the "Amira de la Rosa Theater" in Barranquilla, Colombia, and in 1987 he played the role of Roberto Clemente's father in the musical Clemente.
Gilberto Santa Rosa Cortés, nicknamed "El Caballero de la Salsa", is a Puerto Rican bandleader and singer of salsa and bolero. He is a six-time Grammy Award winner and has sold over three million records in the United States and Puerto Rico. Santa Rosa also starred in a comedy.
Víctor Manuel Ruiz Velázquez, known professionally as Víctor Manuelle, is a Puerto Rican salsa singer, known to his fans as El Sonero de la Juventud. He is identified primarily with salsa romántica or "salsa monga". Víctor Manuelle has neither recorded in English, nor made a Latin pop album, nor ventured into acting, preferring to remain a musician grounded within salsa music.
Juan Pablo Knipping Pacheco, known as Johnny Pacheco, was a Dominican musician, arranger, composer, bandleader, and record producer. Born in the Dominican Republic, Pacheco became a leading figure in the New York salsa scene in the 1960s and 1970s as the founder and musical director of Fania Records.
Melina Almodóvar, also known as La Muñeca de la Salsa and La Chica Del Bling, is a Puerto Rican salsa singer, songwriter, dancer, and entertainer. Known for her high-energy performances and salsa dancing skills, she combines old-school salsa moves with contemporary styles of dancing and singing. She established the Orquesta Caliente salsa orchestra in the Southern United States.
José Nogueras is a composer, music producer, singer, guitarist, and performer of modern-day Puerto Rican music.
Cruz Manuel Hernández Santiago, known artistically as Manny Manuel, is a Puerto Rican musician and singer of merengue, bolero, and tropical music. He became famous first as a member of the group Los Sabrosos del Merengue, before launching a successful solo career in 1994.
Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz are a Puerto Rican musical duo, consisting of Ricardo "Richie" Ray and Roberto "Bobby" Cruz. The duo was formed in 1963 and rose to fame in the mid-1960s. They are one of the most famous interpreters of 'salsa brava' music.
Jala Jala y Boogaloo is an album released by the salsa music duet Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz. Released in 1967, the album is influenced not only by Latin rhythms such as the Puerto Rican Jala Jala, but also by beat music.
Jala Jala Boogaloo Volume II is an album released by the salsa music duet Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz. Released in 1968, the album continues with the sound of its predecessor Jala Jala y Boogaloo, influenced by Latin rhythms such as the Puerto Rican Jala Jala, as well as by soul and Beat music.
El Bestial Sonido de Ricardo Ray y Bobby Cruz (The Bestial Sound of Ricardo Ray and Bobby Cruz) is the thirteenth studio album released in 1971 by the salsa music duet Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz. Released at the height of their popularity, the album inaugurated a new era in salsa with the inauguration of a new Fania Records subsidiary: Vaya Records. The album, notable for the inclusion of new elements into salsa such as classical music, was an international success, and its title track Sonido Bestial became one of salsa's most popular songs. The album consecrated Richie Ray as a prodigious pianist, capable of playing a fusion of several rhythms and styles.
Sonido Tré is a latin music trio comprising vocalists Mayda Belén Rivera and Edgar Ríos, and Quique Domenech on Cuatro. All three members were born in Puerto Rico. Domenech studied the cuatro from the age of six. At 11 he entered a five-year program at the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture studying the cuatro and music theory. He has been nominated twice for a Latin Grammy. Rivera was a semifinalist on Latin American Idol. The newest member of Sonido Tré is Edgar Ríos. Ríos was a member of the a cappella group Nota, winners of the NBC show The Sing-Off.
Harry Fraticelli Santiago is a Puerto Rican singer and musician. He has been a member of various musical groups and released a number of albums, both as a group member and as a solo artist.
This article includes an overview of the major events and trends in Latin music in the 1970s, namely in Ibero-America. This includes recordings, festivals, award ceremonies, births and deaths of Latin music artists, and the rise and fall of various subgenres in Latin music from 1970 to 1979.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
