Draco Rosa
Encyclopedia
Draco Cornelius Rosa Suárez (born June 27, 1969), also known as Robi Draco Rosa, Robby Rosa, Draco Rosa or simply Draco, is a Puerto Rican
Grammy Award
and Latin Grammy Award
winning musician
, dancer, singer-songwriter
, multi-instrumentalist
, record producer
and actor
.
Born as Robert Edward Rosa Suárez on Long Island, New York and raised in Ponce, Puerto Rico
, he originally garnered fame as a member of boy band Menudo
in the 1980s. In recent years, he has appeared on VH1's Behind the Music
, I Love the '80s and the Hong Kong
-based talk show Where Are They Now?
in archived footage of early concerts and videos. He has released four concept albums, consisting of "Vagabundo
", "Mad Love", "Vino
" and "Amor Vincit Omnia".
boy band
, Menudo
, where he replaced Johnny Lozada in 1984 and quickly became a fan favorite. He was the second band member to join the singing group who was not a native of Puerto Rico (Miguel Cancel
was born in Illinois). He was also the first member who spoke English
fluently, having been born in New York
. With the group's cross-over to English, his timing in joining Menudo was perfect, as he was able to sing most of the English songs. The group's first English album Reaching Out
, featured a single which was in the Hollywood film Cannonball Run 2, "Like A Cannonball." Rosa sang the single.
On his second album with the group, he sang his first Spanish-language single hit, "Sabes A Chocolate" ("You taste like chocolate"). His third album with Menudo featured another English hit with "Hold Me", which gained airplay on most mainstream radio stations and had a music video that gained play. In 1987, he was replaced in Menudo by Rubén Gómez after the band's manager denied Rosa the opportunity to contribute songs to the group. Rosa was also 17 years old when he quit, 1 year over the age limit set by management.
, Miles Davis
, Iggy Pop
, Jimi Hendrix
, Johnny Cash
, Luis Alberto Spinetta
, The Doors
, Camarón de la Isla
, Caetano Veloso
and Glenn Danzig
. In 1996 he released the Latino alternative rock CD Vagabundo
produced by Phil Manzanera
.
He helped launch Ricky Martin
's musical career into a new global setting by writing and producing some of his hottest singles including "Livin' la Vida Loca
" and "She Bangs
". Rosa toured with Lenny Kravitz
during the summer of 2004 to promote his 2nd (all English) concept album
Mad Love.
In 1988 he starred in his only Motion Picture role in the movie "Salsa: The Motion Picture" which was a big hit in Puerto Rico, and made $8,892,589 and is still a popular movie today..
His 2008 album Vino
is filled with Dark Ambient
electronica and Alternative Rock
melodrama.
His 2009 album Amor Vincit Omnia was nominated for Best Latin Rock, Alternative Or Urban Album for the 53rd Grammy Awards
.
with his wife Angela Alvarado
and two sons, Revel Angel and Redamo. He owns a recording studio, an independent music label and a multimedia company under the name of Phantom Vox and a private hacienda
in Utuado
, Puerto Rico
under the name Hacienda Horizonte, where he has shot two music videos of his Amor Vincit Omnia album: Hay Que Llegar (Paraíso Prometido), and Reza Por Mí
On April 25, 2011, Rosa was diagnosed with stomach cancer: a Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in his lower abdomen, near his liver. He is currently undergoing treatment in the Burzynski Clinic in Houston, Texas. Up until today, two of his three cancerous tumors have disappeared and one reduced by 80% through a natural diet.
, sponsoring the Museum of Art
and Museum of Contemporary Art
, and setting up an annual scholarship for outstanding students at the Music Conservatory
.
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
and Latin Grammy Award
winning musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, dancer, singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
, record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
Born as Robert Edward Rosa Suárez on Long Island, New York and raised in Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
, he originally garnered fame as a member of boy band Menudo
Menudo (band)
Menudo was a Puerto Rican boy band that was formed in the 1970s by producer Edgardo Díaz, releasing their first album in 1977. The band achieved much success, especially during the 1980s, becoming the most popular Latin American teen musical group of the era....
in the 1980s. In recent years, he has appeared on VH1's Behind the Music
Behind the Music
Behind the Music is a television series on VH1. It originally ran from 1997 to 2006, before it was stopped and only aired new episodes sporadically. The series places its generality on documentation of musical artists or groups who are interviewed and profiled, and discuss how their careers became...
, I Love the '80s and the Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
-based talk show Where Are They Now?
Where Are They Now? (TVB)
Where Are They Now? is a show hosted by Lydia Shum in 2006, and was shown on TVB in 2006, as well as on Fairchild TV in Canada in 2007 and 2008. Throughout the 32 episodes, Lydia Shum travelled to Taiwan, Japan, USA, and Canada to interview popular celebrities of the 1960s in Hong Kong and Taiwan...
in archived footage of early concerts and videos. He has released four concept albums, consisting of "Vagabundo
Vagabundo
Vagabundo is a concept album by Robi Dräco Rosa. It was recorded in Surrey, England under the creative direction of Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera. The music video for "Madre Tierra" was directed by Angela Alvarado and won Best Rock Video in the 1997 Latin Music Awards...
", "Mad Love", "Vino
Vino (album)
Vino is a lyrical rock album released by Draco Rosa in 2008 under Phantom Vox and a followup to Vagabundo. It was first published during the summer of 2007 under the alternate title of El Teatro del Absurdo in certain territories.-Background:...
" and "Amor Vincit Omnia".
Menudo Years
Rosa's early interest in music led him to audition for the Latin popLatin pop
Latin pop generally refers to pop music that has what may be perceived a Latin American influence...
boy band
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
, Menudo
Menudo (band)
Menudo was a Puerto Rican boy band that was formed in the 1970s by producer Edgardo Díaz, releasing their first album in 1977. The band achieved much success, especially during the 1980s, becoming the most popular Latin American teen musical group of the era....
, where he replaced Johnny Lozada in 1984 and quickly became a fan favorite. He was the second band member to join the singing group who was not a native of Puerto Rico (Miguel Cancel
Miguel Cancel
Miguel Ángel Cancel Vázquez is a former member of Menudo.-Menudo:A native of Chicago, Cancel joined Menudo in 1981, replacing Oscar Meléndez. His persona in the group was as the good guy. He became an instant hit among Menudo fans because of his charisma and vocal ability.Cancel was a member...
was born in Illinois). He was also the first member who spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
fluently, having been born in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. With the group's cross-over to English, his timing in joining Menudo was perfect, as he was able to sing most of the English songs. The group's first English album Reaching Out
Reaching Out
Reaching Out is Menudo's 13th album and the first one in English.It features Ricky Melendez, Charlie Rivera, Ray Reyes, Roy Rosello, and new member Robby Rosa. Robby replaced Johnny Lozada after Johnny reached the group's age limit...
, featured a single which was in the Hollywood film Cannonball Run 2, "Like A Cannonball." Rosa sang the single.
On his second album with the group, he sang his first Spanish-language single hit, "Sabes A Chocolate" ("You taste like chocolate"). His third album with Menudo featured another English hit with "Hold Me", which gained airplay on most mainstream radio stations and had a music video that gained play. In 1987, he was replaced in Menudo by Rubén Gómez after the band's manager denied Rosa the opportunity to contribute songs to the group. Rosa was also 17 years old when he quit, 1 year over the age limit set by management.
Other work
Rosa has been highly influenced by the works of Bob DylanBob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
, Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
, Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
, Luis Alberto Spinetta
Luis Alberto Spinetta
Luis Alberto Spinetta , is an Argentine musician. He is one of the most influential rock musicians of South America, and together with Charly García is considered the father of Argentine rock. He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in the residential neighbourhood of Belgrano...
, The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
, Camarón de la Isla
Camarón de la Isla
Camarón de la Isla , was the stage name of a spanish flamenco singer José Monje Cruz who is sometimes also credited as Camarón de la Isla....
, Caetano Veloso
Caetano Veloso
Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso , better known as Caetano Veloso, is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, writer, and political activist. Veloso first became known for his participation in the Brazilian musical movement Tropicalismo which encompassed theatre, poetry and music in the 1960s,...
and Glenn Danzig
Glenn Danzig
Glenn Danzig Glenn Danzig Glenn Danzig (born Glenn Allen Anzalone; June 23, 1955 is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, entrepreneur, and a progenitor of the horror punk subgenre of music. He is a founder of bands the Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig...
. In 1996 he released the Latino alternative rock CD Vagabundo
Vagabundo
Vagabundo is a concept album by Robi Dräco Rosa. It was recorded in Surrey, England under the creative direction of Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera. The music video for "Madre Tierra" was directed by Angela Alvarado and won Best Rock Video in the 1997 Latin Music Awards...
produced by Phil Manzanera
Phil Manzanera
Phil Manzanera is a musician and record producer. He is the lead guitarist with Roxy Music. In 2006 Manzanera co-produced David Gilmour's album On An Island and played in Gilmour's band for tours in Europe and North America...
.
He helped launch Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin
Enrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide...
's musical career into a new global setting by writing and producing some of his hottest singles including "Livin' la Vida Loca
Livin' la Vida Loca
"Livin' la Vida Loca" is a song by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin. It was released on March 23, 1999 from Martin's self-titled debut English album. The song was composed by Desmond Child and Draco Rosa and topped the charts during 1999...
" and "She Bangs
She Bangs
"She Bangs" is a song performed by Ricky Martin, from his 2000 album Sound Loaded. An up-tempo, salsa-influenced song with double entendres about the singer's infatuation with a woman, Martin's recording earned him continued crossover success around the world.The song was co-written by Desmond...
". Rosa toured with Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz
Leonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and arranger, whose "retro" style incorporates elements of rock, soul, R&B, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk and ballads...
during the summer of 2004 to promote his 2nd (all English) concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
Mad Love.
In 1988 he starred in his only Motion Picture role in the movie "Salsa: The Motion Picture" which was a big hit in Puerto Rico, and made $8,892,589 and is still a popular movie today..
His 2008 album Vino
Vino (album)
Vino is a lyrical rock album released by Draco Rosa in 2008 under Phantom Vox and a followup to Vagabundo. It was first published during the summer of 2007 under the alternate title of El Teatro del Absurdo in certain territories.-Background:...
is filled with Dark Ambient
Dark ambient
Dark ambient is a subgenre of ambient music that features foreboding, ominous, or discordant overtones. Although it had its roots in the 1970s, Dark ambient emerged in the 1980s and 1990s with the introduction of newer, smaller, and more affordable Effects units, synthesizer and sampling technology...
electronica and Alternative Rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
melodrama.
His 2009 album Amor Vincit Omnia was nominated for Best Latin Rock, Alternative Or Urban Album for the 53rd Grammy Awards
53rd Grammy Awards
The 53rd annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights prior to the telecast on February 11. Nominations were...
.
Personal life
Rosa currently lives in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
with his wife Angela Alvarado
Angela Alvarado
Angela Alvarado Rosa is an American actress and music video director. She is the wife of singer Draco Rosa.Alvarado was born in New York City of Puerto Rican descent. Alvarado is the sister of Magali Alvarado. She first met her husband during the production of the 1988 film Salsa. In 1990, the...
and two sons, Revel Angel and Redamo. He owns a recording studio, an independent music label and a multimedia company under the name of Phantom Vox and a private hacienda
Hacienda
Hacienda is a Spanish word for an estate. Some haciendas were plantations, mines, or even business factories. Many haciendas combined these productive activities...
in Utuado
Utuado, Puerto Rico
Utuado is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the central-western mountainous region of the island known as La Cordillera Central. It is located north of Adjuntas and Ponce; south of Hatillo and Arecibo; east of Lares; and west of Ciales and Jayuya. In land area it is the third-largest...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
under the name Hacienda Horizonte, where he has shot two music videos of his Amor Vincit Omnia album: Hay Que Llegar (Paraíso Prometido), and Reza Por Mí
On April 25, 2011, Rosa was diagnosed with stomach cancer: a Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in his lower abdomen, near his liver. He is currently undergoing treatment in the Burzynski Clinic in Houston, Texas. Up until today, two of his three cancerous tumors have disappeared and one reduced by 80% through a natural diet.
Legacy
Rosa has also contributed towards the improvement of artistic and cultural life in Puerto RicoPuerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, sponsoring the Museum of Art
Museum of Art of Puerto Rico
The Museum of Art of Puerto Rico is one of the most prestigious art museums in Puerto Rico.-History:...
and Museum of Contemporary Art
Puerto Rico Museum of Contemporary Art
The Puerto Rico Museum of Contemporary Art, often abbreviated to MAC, is a contemporary art museum in Santurce, Puerto Rico.-History:...
, and setting up an annual scholarship for outstanding students at the Music Conservatory
Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico
The Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico is a public institution of higher learning located in the historic Miramar a town in San Juan, Puerto Rico...
.
Studio Albums
- Frio (1994)
- VagabundoVagabundoVagabundo is a concept album by Robi Dräco Rosa. It was recorded in Surrey, England under the creative direction of Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera. The music video for "Madre Tierra" was directed by Angela Alvarado and won Best Rock Video in the 1997 Latin Music Awards...
(1996 Concept Album) - Mad Love (2004 Concept Album)
- Y El Teatro Del Absurdo (2007 Album)
- VinoVino (album)Vino is a lyrical rock album released by Draco Rosa in 2008 under Phantom Vox and a followup to Vagabundo. It was first published during the summer of 2007 under the alternate title of El Teatro del Absurdo in certain territories.-Background:...
(2008 Concept Album) - Amor Vincit Omnia (2009 Album)
Compilation Albums
- Libertad Del Alma (2001 Compilation)
- Como Me Acuerdo (2004 Compilation)
Live Albums
- Draco al Natural (2005 Live Album)
- TeatroTeatro (Draco Rosa album)Teatro is the 2nd live album recorded by Puerto Rican singer Draco Rosa released on September 23, 2008. The album won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Rock Solo Vocal Album.-Track listing:...
(2008 Live Album) - La Pena Negra (2011 Live Album)
Other Albums
- Songbirds & Roosters (1998 English Versions from Frio and Vagabundo)
- Padre Mío (2008 Single)
- Ensayos al Natural (2009 Outtakes)
See also
- List of famous Puerto Ricans