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
Errante y Bohemio
Ray Barretto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No me quieren ni las mujeres,
Que lindas son. (Bis)
Qué bonito cuando empieza china,
La radiante primavera. (Bis)
Verla contigo quisiera,
Pues sin ti no me interesa.
Errante y bohemio,
No me quieren ni las mujeres,
Que lindas son. (Bis)
Si yo fuera cantador mi vida,
Cosas linda te dijera. (Bis)
Para que siempre vivieras,
Llena de dicha y amor.
Errante y bohemio,
No me quieren ni las mujeres,
Que lindas son. (Bis)
(Interludio)
SACUDE POTOKIO.
(Interludio)
A COMER CON LA MODERNA.
(Interludio)
Errante y bohemio,
No me quieren ni las mujeres,
Que lindas son.
Errante y bohemio,
No me quieren ni las mujeres,
Que lindas son.
Errante y bohemio,
No me quieren ni las mujeres,
Que lindas son.
Errante y bohemio,
No me quieren ni las mujeres,
Que lindas son...
The lyrics of Ray Barretto's song "Errante y Bohemio" express the singer's feelings of being an outsider and rejected by women. The repetition of the line "no me quieren ni las mujeres, que lindas son" emphasizes his frustration and sense of being unloved.
The singer longs for a beautiful woman, just like the radiant spring, and expresses a desire to be with her. The lyrics convey a sense of yearning and a belief that being with this woman would bring meaning and joy to his life. However, the singer acknowledges that without her, he is not interested in anything else. This reflects his belief that love and companionship are essential for a fulfilling existence.
The lyrics also mention the idea of being a singer and using powerful words to convey beauty and happiness. The singer contemplates how, if he were a singer, he would use his talent to uplift and enrich the life of the woman he desires. This further demonstrates his longing for connection and his understanding of the transformative power of music and expression.
The song includes several interludes with phrases like "Sacude Potokio" and "A comer con la moderna," which may add an element of humor or serve as breaks between verses. These interludes, along with the repetition of the chorus, contribute to the overall structure and rhythm of the song.
In conclusion, "Errante y Bohemio" portrays the feelings of rejection and longing for love and connection. The lyrics highlight the singer's desire for a beautiful woman and his belief in the power of music and expression to bring happiness and fulfillment.
Line by Line Meaning
Errante y bohemio,
Wandering and bohemian,
No me quieren ni las mujeres,
Women don't love me,
Que lindas son. (Bis)
How beautiful they are. (Repeat)
Qué bonito cuando empieza china,
How beautiful it is when spring begins,
La radiante primavera. (Bis)
The radiant springtime. (Repeat)
Verla contigo quisiera,
I wish to see it with you,
Pues sin ti no me interesa.
Because without you, it doesn't interest me.
Si yo fuera cantador mi vida,
If I were a singer, my life,
Cosas lindas te dijera. (Bis)
I would tell you beautiful things. (Repeat)
Para que siempre vivieras,
So that you would always live,
Llena de dicha y amor.
Full of joy and love.
(Interludio) SACUDE POTOKIO.
(Interlude) SHAKE POTOKIO.
(Interludio) A COMER CON LA MODERNA.
(Interlude) EAT WITH THE MODERNA.
Errante y bohemio,
Wandering and bohemian,
No me quieren ni las mujeres,
Women don't love me,
Que lindas son.
How beautiful they are.
Errante y bohemio,
Wandering and bohemian,
No me quieren ni las mujeres,
Women don't love me,
Que lindas son.
How beautiful they are.
Errante y bohemio,
Wandering and bohemian,
No me quieren ni las mujeres,
Women don't love me,
Que lindas son.
How beautiful they are.
Errante y bohemio,
Wandering and bohemian,
No me quieren ni las mujeres,
Women don't love me,
Que lindas son...
How beautiful they are...
Writer(s): Rafael Lopez
Contributed by Christian W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@user-gd9mf2tv7s
Hermoso tema 🎉una joya musical ❤
@juancarlososorio5652
Maestro de maestros, lo escuché en los 80 y sigue vigente, q temazo
@johnsebastiannoriegamina475
Un excelente cantante Manny Román 🎺🎺🎶🎹🥁🎙️
@judidelatorre3133
Exelente melodia ray brreto el mejor q viva la salsa por siempre😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@juanpablogarciabarrios8136
Una magnifica, descomunal y sublime creación al mejor estilo en la interpretación de un gran maestro: El señor Ray Barreto
@solemgi
Por dios que tema, te transporta lo escucho con mi madre y es un deleite escucharlo y bailarlo, cantarlooooo. para esta cuarentena 2020
a pesar de las vicisitudes, he dicho, caso cerradoooo :D
@octaviovidales2128
Exelent full tema
@lagrosseteteamehdi8981
Super. Que de souvenirs
@eisenhowerhernandez3530
Ray Barreto es un Mounstro... Una obra de tema!
@diegoperez-ci1tt
canta manny roman, excelente voz, para todo tipo de musica (salsa, bolero etc) desde cali colombia