Ray Barretto, a percussionist extraordinaire and legend in the Salsa & latin Jazz music community has left the music scene with his death in February 2006 at age 76.
Born of Puerto Rican descendence in Brooklyn during the depression, he lived with his mother in East Harlem, The South Bronx and other "boricua" districts before he joined the army, where in the latter 1940's he heard Dizzy Gillespie's hard bebop. The young man was transfixed by Dizzy Gillespie - Manteca," which featured conguero Chano Pozo.
He started sitting in at a Munich jazz club, and after his discharge, by the early 50's he had bought his own Cuban Cnga drum and was playing regularly at clubs like The Bucket of Blood. Soon Mambo was the rage, and Barretto eventually started playing with Tito Puente in 1957, replacing the famed Mongo Santamaria. He became a band leader on his own by 1961, and had a big hit with his group Charanga Moderna and their boogaloo dance craze single called "el Watusi" in 1963 that was the first Latin record to hit the Billboard top 20, and went Gold.
Barretto is credited by some for bringing the African Conga drum into popular music, and had a crossover appeal that transcended the genre boundries of mainstream music categories. He gained recognition beyond the Puerto Rican music scene, ex. played on many Blue Note albums. He beacme associated with the Latin label Fania in the 1960's and played for three decades in the popular ensemble called the Fania All Stars alongsde Willie Colon, Ruben Blades and others. His 1972 album, "Carnaval", is considered a masterpiece amongst latin Jazz afficianados with the songs "Cocinando Suave" and his interpretation of Gershwin's "Summertime".
Highlights of Barretto's run with the Fania All Stars were their tours of spots like Panama, Puerto Rico and Zaire where they played to 80,000 in Kinshasa before the Ali-Foremen fight. Undoubtedly their sell out concerts at N.Y's Yankee Stadium in 1973 & 1975 would have to be included as well.
In 1975 and 1976, Barretto earned back-to-back Grammy nominations for his solo albums "Barretto" (with the prize-winning song "Guarere") and his double "Barretto Live...Tomorrow". By 1976, although he had stopped performing & touring with his live salsa orchestra, he was regularly voted Best Conga Player in music magazine annual polls. He became interested in jazz fusion forms, and pursued this musical passion despite it's lack of commercial appeal. Barretto felt restricted by the Salsa scene, it's conventions and strict danceable format, and did not like the tag Latin Jazz either.
He teamed with singer Celia Cruz in 1983 for the first of several albums, finally winning a 1990 Grammy with her for their 1989 song "Ritmo En El Corazon". In 1992, he formed the ensemble New World Spirit, and was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame in 1999.
He had recently been named best drummer in the 2005 DownBeat poll, and received the NEA's 2006 Jazz Masters Fellowship before his health declined. His recent albums "Taboo" (1994), "My Summertime" (1998) and his final album 2005's "Time Was - Time Is" all received Grammy nominations for best Latin jazz performance.
Over the years he is said to have recorded more than 70 albums for numerous labels including Riverside, Atlantic, EMI, CTI, Fania, Tico, RCA Victor, Concord Picante, Prestige, Blue Note, Circular Moves, Sunnyside and his last for O+ Music. Amongst his many musical collaborators included Cannonball Adderly, Joe Farrell, Wes Montgomery, Cal Tjader, Charlie Palmieri, George Benson, Lou Donaldson, Dizzy Gillespie, José Curbelo , Adalberto Santiago, Steve Gadd, Hector Lavoe, Yusef Lateef, Gene Ammons, Red Garland, Ray Vega, Oscar Hernandez, Tito Gomez, and even Little Miami Steven Van Zant's Sun City project. At the time of his death in a New Jersey hospital, he was in his late 70's, and had recently had several health setbacks including suffering asthma, compounded by heart attack, bypass surgery, pneumonia , a tracheotomy and just enough damned ailments to take Fuerza Gigante down.
More Barretto Links & Sample MP3'z & Interviews available at
http://lilmikesf.blogspot.com/2006/02/conga-king-ray-barretto-rip.html
Al Ver Sus Campos
Ray Barretto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bajo el ardiente sol puertorriqueño
Un alma libre y una voz, de rebelión en la llanura
Fue un jíbaro que perdio, por absurda ley su tierra
Y al ver sus campos lloró, por que no encontró clemencia
Se lanzaba como un quijote ante la furia de su rival
Con la frente en alto, se secó su llanto y se fue a luchar
Al ver sus campos lloró, un jíbarito herido
Al ver sus campos lloró, un jíbarito herido
Por que sus tierras no cultivaba, como el hubiera querido
Al ver sus campos lloró, un jíbarito herido
Fue una leyenda que existió, bajo el ardiente sol puertorriqueño
Al ver sus campos lloró, un jíbarito herido
Un alma libre, un alma libre y una voz, que por sus tierras luchó
Al ver sus campos lloró, un jíbarito herido
Fue un jíbarito que sufrió, por que su tierra tanto adoró
Al ver sus campos lloró, un jíbarito herido
El jíbarito herido
El jíbarito herido
Hay jíbarito!
Al ver sus campos lloró, un jíbarito herido
Oye por que sus tierras no cultivaba
The song "Al Ver Sus Campos" by Ray Barretto tells the story of a legendary jíbaro (country person) living in Puerto Rico under the hot sun. The jíbaro loses his land due to an absurd law and is left with nothing. As he looks upon his once-beautiful fields, he cries because he cannot find mercy.
This jíbaro was a powerful figure, with a rebellious soul and a voice that echoed across the plains. Despite his loss, he remained bold and faced his oppressors head-on. He did so with dignity, his head held high so that others could see him as an example of perseverance.
The chorus repeats the phrase "Al ver sus campos lloró, un jíbarito herido" (He cried when he saw his fields, a wounded jíbaro), emphasizing the deep pain felt by the jíbaro. The song serves as a tribute to the Puerto Rican culture and the beauty of the land itself, highlighting the struggles that those who live off the land can face.
Line by Line Meaning
Fue una leyenda que existió
There was a legend that existed
Bajo el ardiente sol puertorriqueño
Under the scorching Puerto Rican sun
Un alma libre y una voz, de rebelión en la llanura
A free soul and a voice of rebellion on the plain
Fue un jíbaro que perdio, por absurda ley su tierra
He was a jíbaro who lost his land due to an absurd law
Y al ver sus campos lloró, por que no encontró clemencia
And upon seeing his fields, he wept because he found no mercy
Se lanzaba como un quijote ante la furia de su rival
He charged like a quixotic hero at the fury of his adversary
Con la frente en alto, se secó su llanto y se fue a luchar
With his head held high, he dried his tears and went to fight
Al ver sus campos lloró, un jíbarito herido
Upon seeing his fields, a wounded jíbarito wept
Por que sus tierras no cultivaba, como el hubiera querido
Because his land was not cultivated as he would have liked
Fue una leyenda que existió, bajo el ardiente sol puertorriqueño
There was a legend that existed under the scorching Puerto Rican sun
Un alma libre, un alma libre y una voz, que por sus tierras luchó
A free soul with a voice that fought for his land
Fue un jíbarito que sufrió, por que su tierra tanto adoró
He was a jíbarito who suffered because he loved his land so much
El jíbarito herido
The wounded jíbarito
El jíbarito herido
The wounded jíbarito
Hay jíbarito!
There is a jíbarito!
Al ver sus campos lloró, un jíbarito herido
Upon seeing his fields, a wounded jíbarito wept
Oye por que sus tierras no cultivaba
Hey, why was his land not being cultivated?
Writer(s): Juan R. Ortiz
Contributed by Dominic I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@cesaraugustohuertasarango4118
PARA MI LA MEJOR PRODUCCION DE RAY BARRETO, ES ESTE LP,TREMENDOS MUSICOS,COROS Y LA GRAN VOZ DE ADALBERTO SANTIAGO.
@JoseSantiago-wm6pw
La música de Barretto no tiene comparación......Barretto el mejor 💪🇵🇷
@habrasevisto
"El valor más permanente en el hombre es el valor. El valor es la suprema virtud del hombre y se cultiva como se cultiva toda virtud y se puede perder como se pierde toda virtud. El valor en el individuo es un supremo bien. De nada vale al hombre estar lleno de sabiduría y de vitalidad física si le falta el valor. De nada vale a un pueblo estar lleno de vitalidad, y de sabiduría si le falta el valor." Pedro Albizu Campos, 1936.
@titofania6047
"Albizu Campo lloro,
un Jibarito herido" 🇵🇷
@ortizramon
Wow tremendo tema es una historia cantada un homenaje a un luchador por Puerto rico PEDRO ALBIZU CAMPOS.
@jaime61932
Hermosa melodia SalceRa Puero riqueña, muy triste pero con sabor caribeño, que viva Puerto Rico libre yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
@miguelmorales9841
Tremendo tema un gran saludos desde Caracas Viva Barreto qepd/////
@CarlosArturoSierraAcosta
Grandioso
@janethvelazco6358
Tremendo bajo con trompeta brutaaaaaaal
@HUGOPOSSU.7
CON ESTOS NUMEROS ME TRASLADO 20 AÑOS ATRAS GRACIAS MI HERMANO POR SUBIR ESTE TIPO DE MOLODIAS UN ABRAZO