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February 22, 2006
Serrano Commemorates Latin Jazz Great Ray Barretto
Washington, DC, February 22, 2006 – Congressman José E. Serrano released the following tribute commemorating the life of Latin Jazz great, Ray Baretto, which he plans to submit to the Congressional Record when Congress is in session next week.
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Tribute to Mr. Ray Barretto
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Mr. Speaker, it is with great sympathy that I rise today to say goodbye to a Latin Jazz legend and a wonderful man. Mr. Ray Barretto passed away on Friday, February 17, 2006 at the age of 76. Ray was the first Hispanic to record a Latin song which became a "hit" on the American Billboard Charts. Although he has gone, his musical influence will live on for generations to come. Surely that is a mark of a great life.
Like many Puerto Ricans, Ray’s parents moved to New York in the early 1920’s in search of a better life. Raised in Spanish Harlem, he was deeply influenced by his mother's love of music and by the jazz music of musicians such as Duke Ellington and Count Basie. In 1946 at the age of 17, he joined the army and was stationed in Germany where he met Belgian musician Fats Sadi. However, it was not until he heard “Manteca" recorded by Dizzy Gillespie and Cuban percussionist, Chano Pozo, that he realized music was his true calling in life.
After returning to New York in 1949, Ray began to visit clubs where he participated in jam sessions and perfected his conga playing. It wasn’t long before the likes of Charlie Parker, Jose Curbelo and Tito Puente began to invite him to sit in with their bands. Ray opened the door for other Latin percussionists to appear in jazz groups, creating a singular sound now known as Latin Jazz.
From the late-60s until salsa’s popularity peaked in the mid 1980’s, Ray released nearly two dozen albums with the Fania label and achieved superstardom. In 1975, he was nominated for a Grammy Award for the song "Barretto," and in 1990, he finally won a Grammy for the album "Ritmo en el Corazón" (Rhythm in the Heart), which featured the vocals of the late great Celia Cruz. In 1999, Ray was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame and in January of 2006 he was named one of the National Endowment for the Arts’ Jazz Masters of 2006, the nation’s highest jazz honor.
Mr. Speaker, Ray’s extraordinarily successful fusion of Afro-Caribbean rhythms with the idioms of jazz created a whole new genre of music that has not only entertained us but also helped to unite people from diverse backgrounds in a common love for the sound. The bonds that he worked to create over the years are, as one of his most popular tunes is entitled, “Indestructible”. I thank him for having the courage to ask, “why not,” when others asked “why.”
For his masterful play and his genuine creativity, I ask that my colleagues join me in giving final farewell to the Godfather of Latin Jazz, Mr. Ray Barretto.
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Congressman José E. Serrano has represented the Bronx in the House of Representatives since 1990.
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