Ray Barretto
Raymundo "Ray" Barretto Pagán (April 29, 1929 – February 17, 2006) was an American percussionist and bandleader of Puerto Rican descent. Throughout his career as a percussionist, he played a wide variety of
Latin music styles, as well as
Latin jazz. His first hit, "El Watusi", was recorded by his
Charanga Moderna in 1962, becoming the most successful
pachanga song in the United States. In the late 1960s, Barretto became one of the leading exponents of
boogaloo and what would later be known as
salsa. Nonetheless, many of Barretto's recordings would remain rooted in more traditional genres such as
son cubano. A master of the
descarga (improvised jam session), Barretto was a long-time member of the
Fania All-Stars. His success continued into the 1970s with songs such as "Cocinando" and "Indestructible". His last album for
Fania Records, ''Soy dichoso'', was released in 1990. He then formed the New World Spirit jazz ensemble and continued to tour and record until his death in 2006. He is the father of American vocalist and saxophonist Chris Barretto, best known for his work with
Periphery and
Monuments.
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