Ray Barretto (April 29, 1929 – February 17, 2006) – Together (1969)

The legendary percussionist and bandleader who helped shape the sound of salsa wrote this powerful plea for global unity, the title track to his third Fania LP.

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Ray Barretto was an influential percussionist, bandleader, and member of the Fania All-Stars whose musical vision helped shape boogaloo and salsa.

Born in Brooklyn to parents who came to New York City from Puerto Rico in the 1920s, Raymundo “Ray” Barretto Pagán was taught to love music by his mother, and particularly the sounds of jazz titans Duke Ellington and Count Basie.

Barretto served in the army in the late forties, stationed in Germany. He began his performing career at a nightclub that welcomed Black service members. Back home, he became an expert conga player and was asked by Charlie Parker to join his band. He played with Tito Puente from 1957 to 1960 before forming his own orchestra in 1961.

After signing with UA Latino in 1965, the Latin division of United Artists, Barretto recorded four albums for them. Two years later he guested on Eddie Harris’ breakthrough LP The Electrifying Eddie Harris, recorded on March 20, 1967, and was featured on the red hot workout “Sham Time.” Other special guests on the track were the legendary saxophonists King Curtis (playing tenor) and David "Fathead" Newman on baritone sax.

He switched to New York City-based Fania Records that same year and released his debut album Acid for the label in 1968, co-produced by Harvey Averne and Jerry Masucci. It was a landmark in the emerging Latin genre of boogaloo whose title track was a psychedelic Latin soul masterpiece, written by Barretto.

In 1969, Barretto released his third album for Fania, Together. He wrote its title track, a powerful plea for global unity.

That summer, Barretto and his band famously performed “Together” live at the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, as captured in Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s Oscar-winning 2021 documentary Summer of Soul.

His fifth Fania LP was Barretto Power (1970). One highlight was the Latin funk anthem “Right On,” co-written by Barretto and pianist and arranger Louis Cruz. Its closing cut was the funky Latin jazz masterpiece and title track “Power,” which Barretto also co-wrote with Cruz.

After years on Fania, Barretto scored a recording contract with Atlantic Records based largely on three nights of performances in August, 1975 at the Bottom Line in New York City. Standout numbers included the boogaloo jam “Cocinando,” originally recorded in 1972 for his Que Viva La Musica LP.

To explore more of Barretto’s vast catalog, earlier this month on April 14, DJ Stephen Park and writer/DJ

Emily Springer

(whose Substack newsletter is highly recommended, and will hopefully soon feature more of her deep vinyl dives like last December’s An Album A Day project) co-hosted a comprehensive five-hour radio show on Barretto as part of the Sunday Profiles series on WKCR-FM, Columbia University's student radio station. Here’s the show’s interactive playlist for more discovery.

While preparing for the broadcast, Springer recently shared clips of Barretto’s appearance on Sesame Street during its eighth season in 1976-77:

“The following are all from season 8 of Sesame Street, episode 966. The first one showcases Ray Barretto on Congas, Ray Romero on Bongos, and Jimmy Delgado on Timbales, demonstrating the sounds different drums make. The second is an explanation of La Clave rhythm versus Las Claves, the two sticks that make the rhythm. The third and final video is a performance by the three drummers. The beginning features the neighborhood kids dancing along and then watching closely as the rumba continues. I hope you enjoy these videos as much as I do.”

Happy Heavenly 95th Birthday to the great Ray Barretto.

Further info:

“Cubanisimo! Ray Barretto and the Roots of Afro-Cuban Jazz,” The Austin Chronicle, June 12, 1998.

“Ray Barretto, a Master of the Conga Drum, Dies at 76,” obituary, The New York Times, Feburary 18, 2006.

“Ray Barretto fought for Latin jazz,” San Francisco Chronicle, February 22, 2006.

#soul #funk #boogaloo #salsa #Fania #RayBarretto