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]
Viva Richie Ray
Ricardo Ray Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Ricardo Ray:
Aguzate Siento una voz que me dice agúzate Que te están velando Sien…
Bella es la Navidad Yo le pido a Dios estas navidades Mis felicidades a mis…
Cabo E (Cabo e, cabo e cabo e cabo si leo cabo e, cabo e cabo…
Colombia's Boogaloo Voy pa' Colombia, me voy pa Colombia, mi hermano. Voy pa'…
El Mulato Vo a ponerme mi traje de seda mis zapatos ya voy…
Fire & Rain Just yesterday mornin', they let me know you were gone Suzan…
Lo Atara La Arache A la, la le lo le la, la lo, lo,…
Mirame Espero que algún día, deje de decirte amiga Sabes me arrepie…
Mírame (Guajira-Mambo) Espero que algún día, deje de decirte amiga Sabes me arrepie…
Richie's Jala Jala En Puerto Rico la gente goza más El jala, jala sabroso…
Si te Contara Si tu supieras, mi sufrimiento Si te contara, la inmensa ama…
Sonido Bestial Tú que decías que ya no servía oye tú que decías que ya…
Soul And Inspiration Girl, I can't let you do this Let you walk away Girl,…
Stop Look And Listen It′s Never Too Late Too Late To Stop Look Listen To…
Stop, Look And Listen It's Never Too Late Too Late To Stop Look Listen To…
Suavito Para gozar bailar suavito Hacen que el son el sabrosito (Rep…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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@cflorez75
En el "anno admirabilis" de 1964, la Orquesta del joven Ricardo Ray hace su debut público en su primera grabación en formato de LP: Debió haber causado una perdurable y fuerte impresión de los músicos veteranos y expertos de la ciudad de New York, ¿como era posible que tanta música y armonía estuviera en la mente de un muchachito de 19 años?.
Aunque el LP no fue recibido con alta expectativa por el público y el comercio (curioso, el trabajo se fundamentaba en ritmos viejos para el año 1964, pero desde el punto de vista de los arreglistas, los hermanos Maldonado y demás músicos -el trabajo presenta un claro giro hacia el pasado, de una forma genial y muy creativa - con una nueva visión más moderna, fundamentada en tiempos de jazz y ritmos juveniles como el Wobble), si sirvió para sentar el precedente de que alguien nuevo llegaba...con mucha fuerza a ganarse el corazón del bailador con sus excelentes composiciones y ejecuciones instrumentales y vocales.
Es interesante denotar la presentación de un lindo bolero, "Amor de Juventud", compuesto por el papá de Ricardo Ray, Pacífico Maldonado. Bellísimo bolero, y aún más magistral su ejecución por la orquesta. Me imagino la emoción de la familia de Ricardo Ray y de Carmelo Fonseca, al ver salir al aire tan precioso trabajo con sabor a nostalgia.
Bobby Cruz ya había efectuado algunos "pinos" en el ambiente musical de New York, pero su formación musical fue puesta a prueba en este trabajo: Le tocó asumir el rol de vocalista, bajo la tutoría de Rafael Dávila, y definitivamente es notable el estilo de Chivirico en el soneo y en la técnica vocal de Cruz. Hermosa voz juvenil; y ni que decir de la voz de Dávila: Chivirico simplemente es espectacular.
La presencia de músicos profesionales y de alta experticia y trayectoria, como Ray Maldonado (músico regular del Sexteto La Playa de la familia Alicea), Russell Farnsworth - un bajista muy inteligente e innovador, y de Rafael "Chivirico" Dávila, fueron decisivos en el resultado obtenido: una serie de temas populares de la música cubana, muy atractivos y muy bien ejecutados por la orquesta; desde boleros hasta pachangas, pasando por ritmos juveniles como el Twist y el Wobble, hasta tiempos de mambo y son montuno con un toque de jazz de la Costa Este.
Una pequeña nota adicional: En el trabajo participa un joven percusionista llamado Héctor Cubero. En el obituario presente en la web, los familiares comentan que "Héctor llegó lleno de mucha felicidad y alegría: He grabado con Ricardo Ray mi primer trabajo". En poco tiempo Cubero es incorporado en las fuerzas armadas de USA, y muere en acción en Vietnam. Lamentable destino para tan joven y promisiorio músico.
Paz y descanso para Héctor en la gloria del Señor.
@marcotuliosossacuesta3912
Musica que jamas pasara de moda.
@alvarocubides7467
Sabor de Richie Ray. De los primeros hits musicales de Richie Ray.. ricura del año 1965
@andresbeat100
Me tiro al piso con este tema. LO MÁXIMO!!!!
@eliecerbuelvas9620
La mejor época como esa no hay
@holmanrodriguezmartinez8980
Esta descarga es el primer disco del primer álbum de Richie Ray (Ricardo Maldonado Morales) en el año 1965 (Viva! Ricardo Ray arrives!) para Fonseca Records y en el que se quería promocionar especialmente el disco 'Comején'. La nómina era: en el bajo "Skee" Russell Farnsworth, congas, Hector Cubero; coros, Chivirico Davila y Felo Brito; timbales, Ray "el Flaco" Cruz; trompetas, Harry Hall y Ray Maldonado (hermano de Ricardo y que luego saldría por su adicción a las drogas y que al final lo llevaron a la muerte). Los dos trompetistas que llegaron en reemplazo de los anteriores luego fueron el venezolano Pedro Rafael Chaparro y el estadounidense Adolph 'Doc' Cheatham y que le dieron el toque armonioso y rítmico característico de las posteriores producciones de la orquesta. Cantante, Bobby Cruz y obviamente el piano era Ricardo Ray.
@geraldlafaurie379
Amigo le hago una pregunta: Por que Bobby Cruz dice que Doc Cheatham entra cuando sale Víctor Paz???? Esos son los enigmas que lo ponen a uno a pensar.
@noragonzalez9470
Gerald Lafaurie
@lavoe25
Ray Maldonado tocó también en la orquesta Harlow y en la orquesta de Héctor Lavoe cuando fue solista
@carlosalbertosilva2003
Holman Rodríguez Martínez Amigo te quiero aclarar con mucho respeto, el primer tema q grabo Ricardo Ray , fue en 1961 con el tema Mambo Tata, como cantante Maximo Toro.
@holmanrodriguezmartinez8980
No señor. Mambo Tata fue un disco del grupo de Bobby Cruz y la voz de Máximo Toro, que se llamaba los Ases del Ritmo y ahí no participó Richie Ray. Ya se conocían pero ahí no tocaba Richie. Luego fue que se unieron para construir la leyenda.