Ricardo "Richie" Ray (born February 15, 1945) is a virtuoso pianist, singer… Read Full Bio ↴Ricardo "Richie" Ray (born February 15, 1945) is a virtuoso pianist, singer, music arranger, composer and religious minister. He is known as "El Embajador del Piano" (The Piano Ambassador).
Early life
Ray (born "Ricardo Maldonado") was born in Brooklyn, New York City of Puerto Rican parents. They lived in Hoyt Street. Ray's father, Pacifico Maldonado, was an accomplished guitarist in his native Bayamón, and as such was the Maldonado family's early musical influence.
Ray's parents had him take lessons and he started to play the piano when he was only seven years old. His life-long partnership with Bobby Cruz started five years later in 1957 when Ray played bass in a group led by Cruz. This combination was the beginning of one the greatest salsa duos in the salsa music industry.
He attended the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, the famed High School of Performing Arts, and the Juilliard School of Music. This experience served to further develop and refine his musical training. In addition, he became well versed in various Latin music genres which were popular at that time the Guajira, the Cha-cha-cha, the Bolero and others.
[edit] Musical career
Ray left Juilliard in 1963, after just one year. He made this choice so that he could get organized and dedicate himself to his own band. This was a year after Cruz joined in as the lead vocalist. In 1964, he signed with Fonseca Records and released his debut album, Ricardo Ray Arrives-Comején. The album included the outstanding hit songs "Mambo Jazz", "Comején", "Viva Richie Ray", "El Mulato", "Suavito", "Pa' Chismoso Tú" and the bolero-cha "Si Te Contaran". The famous pair recorded some of their finest work during the period that they were with the Fonseca label.
In 1966 The group switched to the Alegre label, coinciding with the arrival of the boogaloo, Ray recorded nine albums with Alegre. He was a part of Tico/Alegre Records until 1970, and during that time he produce such hits as "Richies Jala Jala", "Mr. Trumpet Man", "Señor Embajador", "Aguzate" (Gold Record Award winner), "Amparo Arrebato", "Traigo De Todo", and the Spanish version of Frank Sinatra's "My Way", called "A Mi Manera". This song went on to be the most radio played Spanish version of "My Way" during 1970; the song also won the duo a Gold Record Award.
While with Alegre, Ray also recorded two albums for UA Latino. These included "Viva Ricardo" and "El Diferente" (Gold Record Award winner). The band scored a number one hit with the song "Colorín Colorado", while "El Diferente", "Feria En Manizales" and "Ay, Compay!", became number one hits in Latin America.
In 1968, Ray and Cruz had been together professionally for five years, had written most of their songs together, and for the first time in the album Los Durísimos, they shared equal billing in an album cover. This album had such hits as "Agallú", "Pancho Cristal", "Adasa", and "Yo Soy (Babalú)". Since then the band became officially known as Richie Ray and Bobby Cruz.
[edit] The 1970s
In 1970, Ray and Cruz left New York and moved to San Juan, Puerto Rico, for professional and personal reasons. They opened a nightclub, but managing it required too much of their time. Shortly after, they decided to sell the establishment to focus on their artistic commitments. That same year, Ray and Cruz signed with the new Vaya Records label, a subsidiary of Fania Records.
In 1971, they released "El Bestial Sonido de Ricardo Ray y Bobby Cruz", the first ever release on Vaya Records, and was one of their better albums on that label. The album went gold, and it took them to the top of the charts once again. It included hits such as Juan Manuel Serrat's "Señora", the bolero version of the Gardel/Lepera tango "Volver", and the Rubén Blades composition "Guaguancó Triste", as well as the salsa version of James Taylor's "Fire And Rain". This album also included his most impressive and well-known hit called "Sonido Bestial", which has a Latin-flavoured arrangement of Chopin's Etude 10/12, and is considered a classic masterpiece of salsa music.
In 1974 The Dynamic Duo won the title "The Kings Of Salsa" at the "Coliseo Roberto Clemente" in San Juan, Puerto Rico. For a period of 12 hours, 24 bands had competed for the coveted title, and Ray and Cruz emerged triumphant. Contracts started to pour in, requests for interviews and TV appearances, and even movie offers.
[edit] Born-again Christian
All of these things spoke of success, but Ray suffered strong emotional problems during this time. The despair he felt led him into alcohol and drug abuse. He felt tormented by his addictions, however, and wanted to change his life.
In August of that year, he surprised many when he announced that he had become a born-again evangelical Christian. The professed experience radically changed his career and life. At first, Cruz refused to accept Ray's change, but within four months Cruz himself became a convert.
In spite of these dramatic changes, Ray & Cruz fans continued to support the duo. The 1976 release of Reconstrucción went "Gold" (their ninth). The album included their smash hit single "Juan En La Ciudad". They followed with Viven in 1977, De Nuevo 'Los Durísimos' Again (1980), and their final release on Vaya Records, Inconfundibles (1987) in which Ray and Cruz announced their retirement from Salsa music. All of these were successful releases.
Richie Ray and Bobby Cruz lost most of their fans and found opposition among the members of their own faith when they suggested the idea of Christian Salsa. They stood their ground, however, and little by little, they started to regain the confidence of their fans and fellow Christians. They abandoned secular salsa and recorded salsa with a Christian message, reworking many of their worldly hits into religious themes. Some of these include "El Sonido La Bestia", "Más Que Vencedores", and "Aguzate". They also created some new ones, like "Los Fariseos", "Timoteo", and "Sipriano"
The sincerity of their Christian beliefs was not just conveyed in their music. Both Ray and Cruz are pastors, and they have founded more than 20 churches throughout Puerto Rico and the United States. In addition, Ray founded the Salvation Records label as an outlet for Christian music. Then, he continued his music career although his long-time friend, Cruz, had retired. During "retirement", however, both Cruz and Ray released albums with previously recorded numbers and with other bands or singers. Richie Ray is now a pastor in Cape Coral under the CLM fellowship.
In 1991, Ray and Cruz reunited for successful concert appearances in San Juan and again in New York. They reunited again in 1999 for the "Sonido Bestial" concert in the Rubén Rodríguez Coliseum located in Bayamón, they sang some of their early hits together with some of their religious songs and the concert was recorded live. The outcome was so impressive that they were offered a contract by Universal Records, the recording was selected as one of the best recordings of 1999 and helped bring the pair back into the limelight of the Puerto Rican music scene. The pair has continued active in the music scene since.
[edit] Later years
In 2000, Ray and Cruz held a series of concerts that were completely sold out at the Antonio Paoli Hall of the Luis A. Ferre Center of Beautiful Arts in San Juan. They were also honored with a National Day of Salsa in Bayamón. In 2002, Richie Ray and Bobby Cruz were inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame.
In 2003, Ray recorded "Al Ritmo del Piano" for Warner Music Latina. Ray and Cruz continue to make appearances in places such as the Copacabana Club in New York. In December 2005 Ray & Cruz release a totally *new* album under the label Tropisounds the album was recorded in Colombia under the musical direction of its producer by Diego Galé, Que Vuelva La Música has 14 new tracks "El gallo y la vaca", "La bailarina", "Quim Bon Bori", "Vive contento", "Soy boricua" y "Va a llover" are just a few of the titles. The Album was an instant hit in Colombia and Latin America. "El gallo y la vaca" (25th Nov) and "Salsa La Celebracion" (7th two weeks in April) appeared in the top 100 salsa songs charts in North America through 2006. In 2006 Richie Ray and Bobby Cruz won a Latin-Grammy Award for "Lifetime Achievement", this year they also recorded a CD and DVD titled "A lifetime of hits" (live at Centro de Bellas Artes, San Juan, Puerto Rico) which was nominated for a Latin Grammy in the "Best Contemporary Tropical Album" category.
Ray currently lives in Florida with his wife Angie Ray and besides being musically active, he is also busy attending the churches which he and Cruz found in the United States, Caribbean and Latin-America. Ricardo "Richie" Ray is still considered along with Eddie Palmieri and Papo Lucca one of the best and more influential pianists of all times in Salsa music. On August 16, 2008, Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz celebrated 45 years in the musical business, with a concert at José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum.[1] Prior to the presentation, the duo noted that the concert would last at least three hours.[2] The duo has expressed that this might be their last "big scale concert".[3]
Early life
Ray (born "Ricardo Maldonado") was born in Brooklyn, New York City of Puerto Rican parents. They lived in Hoyt Street. Ray's father, Pacifico Maldonado, was an accomplished guitarist in his native Bayamón, and as such was the Maldonado family's early musical influence.
Ray's parents had him take lessons and he started to play the piano when he was only seven years old. His life-long partnership with Bobby Cruz started five years later in 1957 when Ray played bass in a group led by Cruz. This combination was the beginning of one the greatest salsa duos in the salsa music industry.
He attended the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, the famed High School of Performing Arts, and the Juilliard School of Music. This experience served to further develop and refine his musical training. In addition, he became well versed in various Latin music genres which were popular at that time the Guajira, the Cha-cha-cha, the Bolero and others.
[edit] Musical career
Ray left Juilliard in 1963, after just one year. He made this choice so that he could get organized and dedicate himself to his own band. This was a year after Cruz joined in as the lead vocalist. In 1964, he signed with Fonseca Records and released his debut album, Ricardo Ray Arrives-Comején. The album included the outstanding hit songs "Mambo Jazz", "Comején", "Viva Richie Ray", "El Mulato", "Suavito", "Pa' Chismoso Tú" and the bolero-cha "Si Te Contaran". The famous pair recorded some of their finest work during the period that they were with the Fonseca label.
In 1966 The group switched to the Alegre label, coinciding with the arrival of the boogaloo, Ray recorded nine albums with Alegre. He was a part of Tico/Alegre Records until 1970, and during that time he produce such hits as "Richies Jala Jala", "Mr. Trumpet Man", "Señor Embajador", "Aguzate" (Gold Record Award winner), "Amparo Arrebato", "Traigo De Todo", and the Spanish version of Frank Sinatra's "My Way", called "A Mi Manera". This song went on to be the most radio played Spanish version of "My Way" during 1970; the song also won the duo a Gold Record Award.
While with Alegre, Ray also recorded two albums for UA Latino. These included "Viva Ricardo" and "El Diferente" (Gold Record Award winner). The band scored a number one hit with the song "Colorín Colorado", while "El Diferente", "Feria En Manizales" and "Ay, Compay!", became number one hits in Latin America.
In 1968, Ray and Cruz had been together professionally for five years, had written most of their songs together, and for the first time in the album Los Durísimos, they shared equal billing in an album cover. This album had such hits as "Agallú", "Pancho Cristal", "Adasa", and "Yo Soy (Babalú)". Since then the band became officially known as Richie Ray and Bobby Cruz.
[edit] The 1970s
In 1970, Ray and Cruz left New York and moved to San Juan, Puerto Rico, for professional and personal reasons. They opened a nightclub, but managing it required too much of their time. Shortly after, they decided to sell the establishment to focus on their artistic commitments. That same year, Ray and Cruz signed with the new Vaya Records label, a subsidiary of Fania Records.
In 1971, they released "El Bestial Sonido de Ricardo Ray y Bobby Cruz", the first ever release on Vaya Records, and was one of their better albums on that label. The album went gold, and it took them to the top of the charts once again. It included hits such as Juan Manuel Serrat's "Señora", the bolero version of the Gardel/Lepera tango "Volver", and the Rubén Blades composition "Guaguancó Triste", as well as the salsa version of James Taylor's "Fire And Rain". This album also included his most impressive and well-known hit called "Sonido Bestial", which has a Latin-flavoured arrangement of Chopin's Etude 10/12, and is considered a classic masterpiece of salsa music.
In 1974 The Dynamic Duo won the title "The Kings Of Salsa" at the "Coliseo Roberto Clemente" in San Juan, Puerto Rico. For a period of 12 hours, 24 bands had competed for the coveted title, and Ray and Cruz emerged triumphant. Contracts started to pour in, requests for interviews and TV appearances, and even movie offers.
[edit] Born-again Christian
All of these things spoke of success, but Ray suffered strong emotional problems during this time. The despair he felt led him into alcohol and drug abuse. He felt tormented by his addictions, however, and wanted to change his life.
In August of that year, he surprised many when he announced that he had become a born-again evangelical Christian. The professed experience radically changed his career and life. At first, Cruz refused to accept Ray's change, but within four months Cruz himself became a convert.
In spite of these dramatic changes, Ray & Cruz fans continued to support the duo. The 1976 release of Reconstrucción went "Gold" (their ninth). The album included their smash hit single "Juan En La Ciudad". They followed with Viven in 1977, De Nuevo 'Los Durísimos' Again (1980), and their final release on Vaya Records, Inconfundibles (1987) in which Ray and Cruz announced their retirement from Salsa music. All of these were successful releases.
Richie Ray and Bobby Cruz lost most of their fans and found opposition among the members of their own faith when they suggested the idea of Christian Salsa. They stood their ground, however, and little by little, they started to regain the confidence of their fans and fellow Christians. They abandoned secular salsa and recorded salsa with a Christian message, reworking many of their worldly hits into religious themes. Some of these include "El Sonido La Bestia", "Más Que Vencedores", and "Aguzate". They also created some new ones, like "Los Fariseos", "Timoteo", and "Sipriano"
The sincerity of their Christian beliefs was not just conveyed in their music. Both Ray and Cruz are pastors, and they have founded more than 20 churches throughout Puerto Rico and the United States. In addition, Ray founded the Salvation Records label as an outlet for Christian music. Then, he continued his music career although his long-time friend, Cruz, had retired. During "retirement", however, both Cruz and Ray released albums with previously recorded numbers and with other bands or singers. Richie Ray is now a pastor in Cape Coral under the CLM fellowship.
In 1991, Ray and Cruz reunited for successful concert appearances in San Juan and again in New York. They reunited again in 1999 for the "Sonido Bestial" concert in the Rubén Rodríguez Coliseum located in Bayamón, they sang some of their early hits together with some of their religious songs and the concert was recorded live. The outcome was so impressive that they were offered a contract by Universal Records, the recording was selected as one of the best recordings of 1999 and helped bring the pair back into the limelight of the Puerto Rican music scene. The pair has continued active in the music scene since.
[edit] Later years
In 2000, Ray and Cruz held a series of concerts that were completely sold out at the Antonio Paoli Hall of the Luis A. Ferre Center of Beautiful Arts in San Juan. They were also honored with a National Day of Salsa in Bayamón. In 2002, Richie Ray and Bobby Cruz were inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame.
In 2003, Ray recorded "Al Ritmo del Piano" for Warner Music Latina. Ray and Cruz continue to make appearances in places such as the Copacabana Club in New York. In December 2005 Ray & Cruz release a totally *new* album under the label Tropisounds the album was recorded in Colombia under the musical direction of its producer by Diego Galé, Que Vuelva La Música has 14 new tracks "El gallo y la vaca", "La bailarina", "Quim Bon Bori", "Vive contento", "Soy boricua" y "Va a llover" are just a few of the titles. The Album was an instant hit in Colombia and Latin America. "El gallo y la vaca" (25th Nov) and "Salsa La Celebracion" (7th two weeks in April) appeared in the top 100 salsa songs charts in North America through 2006. In 2006 Richie Ray and Bobby Cruz won a Latin-Grammy Award for "Lifetime Achievement", this year they also recorded a CD and DVD titled "A lifetime of hits" (live at Centro de Bellas Artes, San Juan, Puerto Rico) which was nominated for a Latin Grammy in the "Best Contemporary Tropical Album" category.
Ray currently lives in Florida with his wife Angie Ray and besides being musically active, he is also busy attending the churches which he and Cruz found in the United States, Caribbean and Latin-America. Ricardo "Richie" Ray is still considered along with Eddie Palmieri and Papo Lucca one of the best and more influential pianists of all times in Salsa music. On August 16, 2008, Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz celebrated 45 years in the musical business, with a concert at José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum.[1] Prior to the presentation, the duo noted that the concert would last at least three hours.[2] The duo has expressed that this might be their last "big scale concert".[3]
Si te Contara
Ricardo Ray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Si tu supieras, mi sufrimiento
Si te contara, la inmensa amargura
Que llevo tan dentro
La triste historia que noche tras noche
De dolor y penas
Llena mi alma, surge a mi memoria
Como una condena
Si lo supieras, te importaría
Si te dijera, que en mi ya no queda, ni luz ni alegría
Que tu recuerdo es el daño mas fuerte
Que me hago yo mismo
Por vivir soñando
Con que tu regreses
Arrepentida
Que tu recuerdo es el daño más fuerte
Que me hago yo mismo
Por vivir soñando con que tu regreses
Arrepentida
Arrepentida
Arrepentida
Arrepentida, vaya, son montuno
Arrepentida
Arrepentida
Que tu recuerdo es el daño más fuerte
Que me hago yo mismo
Por vivir soñando con que tu regreses
Arrepentida
Si te contara, la inmensa amargura
Que llevo tan dentro
La triste historia que noche tras noche
De dolor y penas
Llena mi alma, surge a mi memoria
Como una condena
Si te dijera, que en mi ya no queda, ni luz ni alegría
Que tu recuerdo es el daño mas fuerte
Que me hago yo mismo
Por vivir soñando
Con que tu regreses
Arrepentida
Que tu recuerdo es el daño más fuerte
Que me hago yo mismo
Por vivir soñando con que tu regreses
Arrepentida
Arrepentida
Arrepentida
Arrepentida, vaya, son montuno
Arrepentida
Arrepentida
Que tu recuerdo es el daño más fuerte
Que me hago yo mismo
Por vivir soñando con que tu regreses
Arrepentida
The song "Si te Contara" by Ricardo Ray is a heartfelt cry for love and a plea for understanding. The lyrics speak of a deep pain and suffering that the singer is experiencing due to a lost love. He describes the immense bitterness and sadness that he carries inside him, and how memories of her never leave him, even as he tries to forget her.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Que tu recuerdo es el daño más fuerte que me hago yo mismo" (Your memory is the strongest damage that I inflict upon myself) several times, emphasizing the self-inflicted pain that comes from hoping and dreaming that his former love will come back to him, even though he knows it is unlikely.
The lyrics also suggest that he has tried to reach out and tell her how he feels, but fears that she may not care or understand the extent of his suffering. Overall, the song is a poignant expression of unrequited love and the lasting impact it can have on a person's life.
Line by Line Meaning
Si tu supieras, mi sufrimiento
If you only knew the extent of my suffering
Si te contara, la inmensa amargura
If I told you about the immense bitterness
Que llevo tan dentro
That I carry so deeply within me
La triste historia que noche tras noche
The sad story that every night
De dolor y penas
Of pain and sorrow
Llena mi alma, surge a mi memoria
Fills my soul and comes to my memory
Como una condena
Like a sentence
Si lo supieras, te importaría
If you knew, would you care?
Si te dijera, que en mi ya no queda, ni luz ni alegría
If I told you that there's no longer any light or joy within me
Que tu recuerdo es el daño mas fuerte
That your memory is the strongest harm
Que me hago yo mismo
That I inflict upon myself
Por vivir soñando
For living constantly dreaming
Con que tu regreses
With the hope that you'll return
Arrepentida
Remorseful
Que tu recuerdo es el daño más fuerte
That your memory is the strongest harm
Que me hago yo mismo
That I inflict upon myself
Por vivir soñando con que tu regreses
For living constantly dreaming that you'll return
Arrepentida
Remorseful
Arrepentida
Remorseful
Arrepentida
Remorseful
Arrepentida, vaya, son montuno
Remorseful, with a Montuno song vibe
Arrepentida
Remorseful
Writer(s): Felix Reina Reyna
Contributed by Leah F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it
More Genres
No Artists Found
More Artists
Load All
No Albums Found
More Albums
Load All
No Tracks Found
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found
@AlbertoTrujillo-si6ny
No se que es mas impacrante esa trompeta el piano de Richie o las boces de bobby y chivirico. Una joys este bolero montuno desde cali Colombia ya se acerca la navidad bendiciones a todos
@marinogiressejaramillo5654
Un temazo de Richy y Boby, de los pocos boleros ???? si.....
@jorgesandoval6608
Si Te Contara Bolerazoooooooooooooooooooooooooo De Richie Ray y Bobby Cruz Que Dios Los Bendiga hoy y Siempre 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
@guiseppeconds7050
definitivamente el bolero nunca pasará de moda esta canción es maravillosa
@hediaz15
Está joya musical de richie ray y bobby cruz es el tesoro del bolero montuno
@ponchosanchez3664
Chivirico davila y felo brito combinación perfecta para un tema como este...
Lástima q no se les dé el reconocimiento q deben tener en este clásico de clásicos...!!!
@epifaniocaicedo1689
Que temazo, jamás pasará de moda, entre mas viejito mas sabrosito,este bolero fue hecho para la posteridad ,majestuoso, gracias, Richy y Bobby.
@pablotorres7436
Bobby Cruz cantó a dúo con su tutor Rafael Dávila 'Chivirico' un bolero son que se convertiría en un gran clásico. Es un cover pero se convirtió a su vez en clásico ... El gran Dávila se puso en segundo plano, el estaba de paso no más y puliendo a Roberto como cantante sonero. Era momento para que su pupilo se destaque... si el alumno se destaca, el maestro o profesor también recibe ese brillo 💥💥
@pablotorres7436
La estaban tocando bastante 'straight' o como es de origen, pero antes del solo de piano de Ricardo, viene un solo de Ray Maldonado ya con una melodía 'moderna' y por pocos compases la canción suena 'distinta' (como le acompañaba Richie a su hermano en la música más lenta era especial eso, fueron dúo desde niños los dos). Pero vuelven a la forma tradicional... eso marca lo creativos que fueron... aquí un ligero vuelo de contemporanización pero regresando a lo tradicional. Se escucha raro pero precioso
@rosajaraba2737
EN QUE AÑO FUE GRABADO ESTE TEMA?