Ray Barretto | Artist
Raymundo "Ray" Barretto was an American percussionist and bandleader of Puerto Rican descent, born 1929 in Brooklyn, New York. He played a wide variety of Latin music styles, as well as Latin jazz. His first hit, "El Watusi", was recorded by his Charanga Moderna in 1962, becoming the most successful pachanga song in the United States. In the late 1960s, Barretto became one of the leading exponents of boogaloo and what would later be known as salsa. Barretto's parents moved to New York from Puerto Rico in the early 1920s, looking for a better life. His father left when Barretto was four, and his mother Delores moved the family to first Spanish Harlem (El Barrio) on NYC's East Side, then to the Bronx. From a young age Ray was influenced by his mother's love of music and by the jazz of Duke Ellington and Count Basie. In 1949, when Barretto returned home from military service, he visited clubs and participated in jam sessions, where he perfected his conga playing. He is credited as being the first US born percussionist to incorporate the conga drum into jazz. Charlie Parker heard Barretto play and invited him to play in his band, and later he was asked to play for José Curbelo and Tito Puente. In 1963 Barreto played conga on Kenny Burrell's album Midnight Blue, noted by critics as one of the greatest jazz albums. In 1965, Barretto signed with United Artists' Latino label, and began recording a series of albums which merged rhythm and blues with Latin music. On his album El Ray Criollo, Barretto explored the modern Latin sounds of New York, combining features of charanga and conjunto to birth a new style which would later be known as salsa. After recording four albums for the UA label, he joined the Fania record label in 1967, and his first recording for the new label was the 1968 album Acid, which is often cited as one of the most enduring boogaloo albums. Barrett went on to release over 40 albums, many with his own ensemble. Standout releases include Acid (1968), Indestructible (1973), Rican/Struction (1980), La Cuna (1981), and Portraits in Jazz and Clave (2000). Barretto also played the conga in recording sessions for the Rolling Stones and the Bee Gees. He performed on Herbie Mann's Discotheque album and, in 1975, was nominated for a Grammy Award for the album Barretto. Barretto was the father of American vocalist and saxophonist Chris Barretto, best known for being the former singer of Progressive Metal bands Monuments and Periphery.
Artist Website: wikipedia/Ray_Barretto
Featured Albums: Ray Barretto
Related Artists: Fania All Stars, New World Spirit, Tito Puente
