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
Salsa Y Dulzura
Ray Barretto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Te traigo salsa y dulzura para gozar
Cuando la gente oyeron!
El ritmo de mi montuno
Cuando la gente oyeron!
El ritmo de mi montuno
Tirando pasos dijeron:
Te traigo salsa y dulzura para gozar
Te traigo salsa y dulzura para gozar
Quiero que todos lo sepan,
Cuando le ofrezco mi mano
Ay Quiero que todos lo sepan,
Cuando le ofrezco mi mano
Oigan boricua y cubano
Dios nos hizo hermanos
Te traigo salsa y dulzura para gozar
Te traigo salsa y dulzura para gozar.
(Solo de piano)
Linda melodía, con salsa!
Qué rico!
Salsa y dulzura
Salsa y dulzura
Salsa y dulzura
Salsa y dulzura
Salsa y dulzura
Salsa y dulzura
Salsa y dulzura
Salsa y dulzura
Salsa y dulzura
Salsa y dulzura
Te traigo salsa y dulzura
Para gozar
Te traigo salsa y dulzura
Para gozar.
The lyrics to Ray Barretto's song "Salsa Y Dulzura" presents a call to enjoy the joy and sweetness of salsa, as well as the unity between Puerto Ricans and Cubans. The repetition of "te traigo salsa y dulzura para gozar" emphasizes the invitation to enjoy the music and the sweetness it brings. In the second verse, Barretto highlights the unity between different cultures, particularly between Puerto Ricans and Cubans. He emphasizes that regardless of one's cultural background, they can come together to enjoy and appreciate salsa music.
The lyrics convey a sense of pride and celebration, particularly with the line "Cómo Barretto no hay uno!" This line translates to "There's no one like Barretto!" and affirms his musical talent and the uniqueness of his contribution to the salsa genre. The instrumental solo towards the end of the song further highlights the musical prowess and energy that salsa brings.
Overall, the lyrics to "Salsa Y Dulzura" express the joy, sweetness, and unity that salsa music can inspire, as well as the talent and uniqueness of its musicians.
Line by Line Meaning
Te traigo salsa y dulzura para gozar
I bring you the rhythm and sweetness of Salsa so that you can enjoy it fully.
Cuando la gente oyeron! El ritmo de mi montuno
When people heard the rhythm of my Montuno, they couldn't resist dancing to it.
Tirando pasos dijeron: Cómo Barretto no hay uno!
While moving their feet to the rhythm, they said: 'There's no one like Barretto!'
Quiero que todos lo sepan, Cuando le ofrezco mi mano
I want everyone to know that when I offer my hand, I bring the essence of my Puerto Rican and Cuban heritage.
Ay Quiero que todos lo sepan, Cuando le ofrezco mi mano
Oh, I really want everyone to know this when I offer my hand.
Oigan boricua y cubano Dios nos hizo hermanos
Listen up, Puerto Ricans and Cubans! God made us brothers.
(Solo de piano) Linda melodía, con salsa! Qué rico!
The piano solo is a beautiful melody, and it's even better with the flavor of Salsa!
Salsa y dulzura
Salsa and sweetness.
Te traigo salsa y dulzura para gozar
I bring you the rhythm and sweetness of Salsa so that you can enjoy it fully.
Writer(s): Ray Barretto
Contributed by Xavier M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sailor473
Sigues hablando pendejadas por aqui? Cuentame que hoy te traigo unas cuantas:
Ray Barreto COPIO y PLAGIO este tema de:
Ven Pa La Loma. Carlos Barberia Y Su Orquesta Banda Kubavana 1959. Canta: Carlos Embele.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BMQb5cTHsc&ab_channel=MAURICIOEDUARDOMONTOYA
Ahhh no pero esperate. Conocias este del cual Pacheco Copio el nombre de la disquera y PLAGIO el tema FANIA: HAHHAHA...
Tema: FANÍA del Conjunto Estrellas de Chocolate. 1959. Cuba.
Esperate, Esperate....y este:
ARIÑAÑARA - CHEO MARQUETTI & HIS CONJUNTO LOS SALSEROS 1955. Cuba
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beEGx06N9FE
Na...esperate. Te dejo con el tema:
Salsa Negra - Rosendo Ruiz Jr And His Orquestra Cuba - 1959.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUtar54Tz68&feature=emb_logo
Mas de mil temas cubanos los copiones y plagiadores de NYC se robaron descaradamente sin pagar derechos de autor.
JUAN CARLOS RODRÍGUEZ QIUNTERO Gonzalez
buenas tardes señores ESTE TEMA PARA MI CONCEPTO ES EL MEJOR DE ESTE ANIMAL. POR DIOS LOS ARREGLOS SON DE OTRO MUNDO
Alvaro De la Cruz
En el piano y los arreglos el gran y excelentísimo músico colombiano EDY MARTINEZ oriundo de la ciudad de Pasto ubicada al sur occidente del país.
SALSA TOTAL
asi es
Ricardo. A.C.E
Esta es la Musica mi clasica desde niño escucho en mi hogar mi barrio desde Caracas Antimano mis saludos a mis hermano del continente Latino
SIAM Naturals
Este Lp es uno de los mejores de la salsa y de Ray Barretto , Salsa y dulzura, Margie, Descarga Criollo, etc de las mejores interpretadas por Willie Garcia, todavia con el violín que venía de la Moderna. Nunca he conseguido este en CD.
Virgilio Vásquez
Hecha la aclaratoria, me atrevo a decir, que las mejores fiestas que disfruté y la mejor salsa que escuché y bailé fue en el 23 de Enero, en la decada de los 70, música del maestro Ray Barreto, Eddie Palmieri, Héctor Lavoe y Willie Colón, entre otros.
German Machado
amigo virgilio al trombonista william cambel casi nadie lo nombra,,, era de la orquesta brava de willi colon
Rodrigo Higuita
excelente Ray Barreto con el vocalista Willy garcia solo salsa y dulzura para todos los salseros a gozarrrrrrrrrr
German Machado
buena esa
ROBINSON RODRIGUEZ ACUÑA
Extraordinario Tema ..Excelente Interpretacion Musical