Stage Name: Ray Barretto
Real Name: Unknown
Date of Birth: April 29th 1929
Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York
Date of Deceased: February 17th 2006
Ray Barretto a.k.a. King of the Hard Hands (April 29, 1929 – February 17, 2006) born in New
York City, was a Puerto Rican jazz musician, widely credited as the godfather of Latin jazz. He
was also the first Hispanic to record a latin song which became a "hit" in the American Billboard
Charts.
Barretto's parents moved to New York from Puerto Rico in the early 1920s, looking for a better
life. He was raised in Spanish Harlem and at a very young age was influenced by his mother's
love of music and by the jazz music of musicians such as Duke Ellington and Count Basie.
In 1946, when Barretto was 17 years old, he joined the Army. While stationed in Germany,
Barretto met Belgium vibist Fats Sadi, who was working there. However, it was when he heard
Dizzy Gillespie's "Manteca" with Cuban percussionist, Chano Pozo, that he realized his true
calling in life.
In 1949, when Barretto returned home from the service, he started to visit clubs and participated
in jam sessions, where he perfected his conga playing. On one occasion Charlie Parker heard
Barretto play and invited him to play in his band. Later, he was asked to play for Jose Curbelo
and Tito Puente, for whom he played for four years. Barretto developed a unique style of playing
the conga and soon he was sought by other jazz band leaders. Latin percussionists started to
appear in jazz groups with frequency as a consequence of Barretto's musical influence.
Ray Barretto album coverIn 1960, Barretto was a house musician for the Prestige, Blue Note,
and Riverside labels. New York had become the center of Latin music in the United States and a
style called "Charanga" was the Latin music craze of the time.
In 1961, Barretto recorded his first hit, "El Watusi", the first Latin song to enter the Billboard
charts. In 1967, he joined the Fania record label where he recorded "Acid", an experiment joining
rhythm and blues with Latin music.
Barretto played the conga in recording sessions for the Rolling Stones and the Bee Gees. In 1975
he was nominated for a Grammy Award for the song "Barretto". From 1976 to 1978, Barretto
recorded three records for Atlantic Records, including "La Cuna", and was nominated for a
Grammy for "Barretto Live...Tomorrow". In 1979, he produced a salsa record for Fania, titled
"Ricanstruction", which was named 1980 "Best Album" by Latin N.Y. Magazine, with Barretto
crowned as Conga Player of the Year.
In 1990, Barretto finally won a Grammy for the album "Ritmo en el Corazon" (Rhythm in the
Heart), which featured the vocals of Celia Cruz. In 1999, Barretto was inducted into the
International Latin Music Hall of Fame.
Barretto lived in New York and was an active musical producer, as well as the leader of a touring
band which has embarked in tours of the United States, Europe, Israel and Latin America.
Barreto passed away 17 February 2006 at the Hackensack University Hospital of multiple health
complications.
Article by Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org
In Memory of Ray Barretto - King of Hard Hands
