Ros was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad. His mother was an Afro-Venezuelan and his father was of Scottish descent. He was the eldest of four children, having two sisters, Ruby and Eleanor, followed by a half-brother, Hugo. His parents separated after Hugo was born, and after various false steps Edmundo was enrolled in a military academy. There he became interested in music and learned to play the euphonium. From 1927-37 his family lived in Caracas, Venezuela. He played in the Venezuelan Military Academy Band as well as being a tympanist in the Venezuela Symphony Orchestra. Later he received a music scholarship from the government, and, from 1937–42, studied harmony, composition and orchestration at the Royal Academy of Music. At the same time he was the vocalist and percussionist in Don Marino Baretto's band at the Embassy Club, and also recorded several sides as a sideman to Fats Waller, who was visiting London in 1938.
In the 2000 New Year's Honours List, Ros (then aged 90), was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). He turned 100 on 7 December 2010.
Ros was a Freeman of the City of London, having been admitted to the Freedom of the Worshipful Company of Poulters on 5 January 1965 and subsequently clothed with the Livery of the Poulters' Company on 22 June 1965. He was a Mason, a member of Sprig of Acacia Lodge No 41, Javea, Spain.
Ros married twice: first to Britt Johansen in 1950. The first marriage produced two children, Douglas and Louisa. He designed and built a large house in Page Street, Mill Hill, London NW7, which he named Edritt House, after himself and his first wife. The house still stands, next to Copthall Girls' School. He remarried in 1971.
In August 1940, Ros formed his own rumba band, performing as Edmundo Ros and His Rumba Band. In 1941 he cut his first tracks with Parlophone, the first number being "Los Hijos de Buda". The band played regularly at the Coconut Grove club in Regent Street, attracting members of high society. Ros's bands were always based in London nightclubs or restaurants. The first was the Cosmo Club in Wardour Street; then followed the St Regis Hotel, Cork Street, the Coconut Grove and the Bagatelle Restaurant. At the Bagatelle a visit from Princess Elizabeth and party made his name. The future queen danced in public for the first time to Edmundo's music. In later years his orchestra was often invited to play at Buckingham Palace.
By 1946 Ros owned a club, a dance school, a record company and an artistes' agency. His band grew to 16 musicians and was renamed Edmundo Ros and His Orchestra. His number "The Wedding Samba", 1949, sold three million 78s. His album Rhythms of The South (1958) was one of the first high-quality LP stereo records: it sold a million copies. He was with Decca Records from 1944 to 1974, and altogether he made more than 800 recordings.
In 1951 Ros bought the Coconut Grove on Regent Street and in 1964 renamed it Edmundo Ros's Dinner and Supper Club. The club became popular for its atmosphere and music, but it closed in 1965, when legalised casino gambling had drawn away many of its best customers. During the 1950s and 1960s the Ros orchestra appeared frequently on BBC Radio, continuing into the early 1970s on Radio Two Ballroom.
In 1975, during Ros's seventh tour of Japan, his band's Musicians' Union shop steward tried to usurp Ros's authority by making arrangements with venues behind his back. Upon their return to the UK Ros organised a celebratory dinner after a BBC recording session and announced the disbanding of the orchestra. He destroyed almost all the charts (arrangement sheets), which conclusively ended the orchestra's existence.
Ros retired and moved to Jávea, Alicante, Spain. He gave his last public performance on 8 January 1994.
Ramona
Edmundo Ros Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where the mountains high
Seem to kiss the sky
Someone is out yonder, o'er the hills
Waiting patiently, Waiting just for me
Ramona, I hear the mission bells above
Ramona, they're ringing out our song of love
To always remember the rambling rose you wear in your hair
Ramona, when day is done you'll hear my call
Ramona, we'll meet beside the water fall
I dread the dawn when I awake to find you gone
Ramona I need you my own
Let's wander out yonder o'er the hills
By a babbling brook
Where we'll find a nook
To build our own love nest, o'er the hills
Darling of my heart, Never more to part
Ramona, I hear the mission bells above
Ramona, they're ringing out our song of love
I press you, caress you, and bless the day you taught me to care
To always remember the rambling rose you wear in your hair
Ramona, when day is done you'll hear my call
Ramona, we'll meet beside the water fall
I dread the dawn when I awake to find you gone
Ramona I need you my own
The song "Ramona" by Edmundo Ros and His Orchestra tells the story of a man who is on a search for his love, Ramona. He is wandering out yonder over the hills where the mountains are high and seem to kiss the sky. He knows that Ramona is out there somewhere, waiting patiently for him. The lyrics speak of a deep desire to find Ramona and to be with her forever.
Throughout the song, the man expresses his love for Ramona and how much he needs her. He hears the mission bells ringing out their song of love and he knows that he has found someone special. He promises to always remember the rambling rose she wears in her hair and to build a love nest where they will never be apart. The man dreams of meeting her beside a waterfall and he fears the dawn when he might awake to find her gone.
Overall, the song is a romantic vision of love and the search for the perfect partner. It speaks to the longing that we all feel for someone special in our lives and the hope that we will find that person someday.
Line by Line Meaning
I wander out yonder o'er the hills
I walk over the hills that resemble giants, which seem so close to the sky you could say they caress it.
Where the mountains high
Where the tall rocky peaks stand.
Seem to kiss the sky
They appear so close to the heavens, as if they were giving it a peck.
Someone is out yonder, o'er the hills
Someone is waiting patiently at the edge of the hills.
Waiting patiently, Waiting just for me
Eagerly anticipating my arrival, and waiting specifically for me.
Ramona, I hear the mission bells above
Ramona, I hear the sound of the mission bells overhead.
Ramona, they're ringing out our song of love
The bells are echoing the song of love that we both share.
I press you, caress you, and bless the day you taught me to care
I hold you close, touch you softly, and feel grateful for the day you taught me to love and appreciate you.
To always remember the rambling rose you wear in your hair
To never forget the rose that you wear in your hair, that symbolizes your beauty and grace.
Ramona, when day is done you'll hear my call
Ramona, when the sun sets, I will call out for you.
Ramona, we'll meet beside the water fall
Ramona, we'll come together next to the waterfall, as we have planned.
I dread the dawn when I awake to find you gone
I fear the rising of the sun, knowing that you will no longer be by my side.
Ramona I need you my own
Oh Ramona, I need you with me always, by my side, and forever mine.
Let's wander out yonder o'er the hills
Let us stroll hand in hand across the hills.
By a babbling brook
Next a small stream of water that murmurs softly.
Where we'll find a nook
Where we will discover a secluded little spot.
To build our own love nest, o'er the hills
We will create our own private place to love, on the far side of the hills.
Darling of my heart, Never more to part
My love for you will always remain strong, and we will never be apart for long.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group
Written by: L. Wolfe Gilbert, Mabel Wayne
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Enrico Sanchez
Estupenda melodía, de mis preferidas. Por qué ya no existen este tipo de orquestas? Hemos pérdido muchísimo.
Miguel Angel Olondriz
Losmotivos por los que ahora no existen estas orquestas son muchos y muy variados
Enrico Sanchez
Hermosísima interpretación de una de mis melodías preferidas. por qué ya no hay de esto?