Gilberto Santa Rosa, also known as "El Caballero de la Salsa" (The Gentleman of Salsa) (born August 21, 1962), is a Puerto Rican
bandleaderA bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
and singer of
salsaSalsa music is a diverse and predominantly Cuban Caribbean genre that is popular across Latin America and among Latinos abroad that was brought to international fame by Cuban and Puerto Rican musicians. Salsa incorporates multiple styles and variations; the term has been used to describe most any...
and
boleroBolero is a name given to certain slow-tempo latin music and its associated dance and song. There are Spanish and Cuban forms, which are both significant, and which have separate origins. The term is also used for some art music...
.
Early years
Santa Rosa was born in
Carolina, Puerto RicoCarolina is a city located in the northern part of Puerto Rico, bordering the Atlantic Ocean; it lies north of Gurabo and Juncos; east of Trujillo Alto and San Juan; and west of Canóvanas and Loíza. Carolina is spread over 12 wards plus Carolina Pueblo...
, a city on the north eastern part of the Island. Here he received his primary and secondary education and became interested in music. He took part in his first concert whilst a teenager and in 1976, he made his recording debut as a backup singer with the Mario Ortiz Orchestra; soon afterwards he was recruited by La Grande Orchestra, where he became the lead singer. He remained with the orchestra for two years, during which time he met Elias Lopes who helped to mold and polish him as a singer.
Singing career
During the 1980s, he recorded "
Homenaje a Eddie PalmieriEddie Palmieri , is a Grammy Award winning Puerto Rican pianist, bandleader and musician, best known for combining jazz piano and instrumental solos with Latin rhythms.-Early years:...
" (Tribute to Eddie Palmieri) with the Puerto Rican All Stars. He also recorded with various orchestras, amongst them the
Tommy OlivenciaTommy Olivencia was a renowned bandleader of salsa music.-Early years:Olivencia, was born Ángel Tomás Olivencia Pagán in the Villa Palmeras section of Santurce, Puerto Rico. His family moved to the city of Arecibo when he was just a child. There received his primary and secondary education...
Orchestra, the
Willie RosarioWillie Rosario a.k.a. "Mr. Afinque" is a musician, composer and bandleader of salsa music.-Early years:Rosario was born and raised in Coamo, Puerto Rico into a poor, but hard working family. His parents realized that as a child Willie was musically inclined and had him take guitar lessons at the...
orchestra and
El Gran ComboEl Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, commonly known as El Gran Combo, is a Puerto Rican Salsa music orchestra. It is Puerto Rico's most successful musical group, and one of Salsa's most famous groups across Latin America...
.
Santa Rosa developed a unique style of "soneo" (improvisation) in salsa that permitted him to be successful in both the "tropical" and "romantic" styles of the music.
In 1986, Santa Rosa formed his own band and signed with Combo Records; a string of hits followed, such as "
Good Vibration", "
De Amor y Salsa" (Of Love and Salsa), "
Punto de Vista" (Point of View), "
Vivir Sin Ella" (Living without Her) and "
Perspectiva".
Santa Rosa was also the first singer of tropical salsa to carry out a concert at the
Carnegie Hall TheaterCarnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
, in
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, where he performed as the opening number, his unique version of the salsa tune, "Represento" (I Represent), composed by
Lou BrielLou Briel, is a Puerto Rican singer, composer, comedian, producer, pianist, and host, among other things.-Early Years with Anexo 3:...
. This event was recorded
liveA recorded live track is a song or audio sequence recorded from live performances .Live song tracks typically have concert hall noise...
at the hall, and later released as an album. A highlight of the night was the four-minute unscripted addition he made to his song "
Perdoname" (Forgive Me), which solidified his improvisational talent. This live version became such a sensation thereafter that Santa Rosa had to memorize his own improvised lines for future concerts, and Perdoname became the closing song to his shows.
In 1990, Santa Rosa joined the all star "La Puertoriqueña" project which included
Andy MontañezAndrés Montañez , better known as Andy Montañez, is a famous salsa singer from Puerto Rico.-Early life:Montañez, like singer Daniel Santos and boxer Ossie Ocasio, is a native of the Tras Talleres area of Santurce San Juan. He is known by the nickname "El niño de Tras Talleres"...
; in the same year he was awarded the Billboard Lo Nuestro Award for Best Male Singer. He also participated in the play "
La Pareja Dispareja" (The Odd Couple) alongside
Luis VigoreauxLuis Vigoreaux Rivera was a Puerto Rican radio and television show host, announcer, comedian and producer. The son of a sugar worker, Vigoreaux became one of the most popular television entertainers in Puerto Rico's history....
and
Rafo MuñizRafo Muñiz is a Puerto Rican actor, comedian, director and, more notably, producer of television shows and concerts.The son of legendary comic actor and producer Tommy Muñiz and brother of Pedro Muñiz; who is also a producer and actor, Rafo began acting as the young neighbor of M\"Miguel" in ...
. In 1995, Santa Rosa traveled to
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as Puerto Rico's Good Will Ambassador, where he sang "
De Cara al Viento" (Facing the Wind) in Japanese. In 1996, he recorded "
Caballero de la Salsa, Vol 2" and he also participated in the First "Festival Presidente" in the
Dominican RepublicThe Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are occupied by two countries...
(a Latin music festival sponsored by local Presidente beer). In 1997, he sang with
Andy MontañezAndrés Montañez , better known as Andy Montañez, is a famous salsa singer from Puerto Rico.-Early life:Montañez, like singer Daniel Santos and boxer Ossie Ocasio, is a native of the Tras Talleres area of Santurce San Juan. He is known by the nickname "El niño de Tras Talleres"...
in
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
s Lincoln Center and later that year, with
Olga TañonOlga Teresa Tañón Ortíz is a two-time Grammy Award and three-time Latin Grammy-winning Merengue and Latin Pop artist. Tañón has earned 5 Latin Grammy Awards and 19 Premios Lo Nuestro awards during her career....
at the Universal Studios Amphitheater in Hollywood, California.
Santa Rosa's hits continued with the album "
Expresion" which included the single "
Fulana" (What's her name) and in 2001 with the album "
Romantico". He released "
Viceversa" in 2002 which became a "hit" in the Latin community in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and in all of Latin-America.
Recent years
Santa Rosa has taken on himself the task of keeping
Tito RodriguezTito Rodríguez , was a popular 1950s and 1960s Puerto Rican singer and bandleader. He is known by many fans as "El Inolvidable" , a moniker based on his most popular interpretation, a song written by composer Julio Gutierrez.-Early years:Rodríguez , born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, to...
's musical legacy alive and has acquired much of Tito's memorabilia, including articles of clothing, music and furniture from his home in Puerto Rico. Santa Rosa has staged several concerts and dances honoring the late singer, and recorded an album of his where with the use of modern technology, he sings "En la Soledad" (In Solitude), composed by
Puchi BalseiroPuchi Balseiro, , November 1, 1926 – January 11, 2007 born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, was a "feeling" composer.-Early years:...
in a duet with him . During the week of February 24, 2003 Santa Rosa organized a two-night concert at the Center of the Performing Arts in
Caguas, Puerto RicoCaguas is a city and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Central Mountain Range of Puerto Rico, south of San Juan and Trujillo Alto, west of Gurabo and San Lorenzo, east of Aguas Buenas, Cidra, and Cayey....
. As an introduction to the event, he arranged for his private collection of Tito Rodríguez memorabilia to be exhibited in the lobby of the center. In 2004, he released "Autentico".
In addition, he has long played an important role in the career of his friend and protege,
Victor ManuelleVictor Manuelle ,born Víctor Manuel Ruiz on September 27, 1968 in New York, New York, is a successful Latin Grammy nominated Puerto Rican American salsa singer, songwriter, and improvisational sonero, known to his fans as El Sonero de la Juventud...
, who Santa Rosa discovered. The two released a joint live album late in 2005, "
Dos Soneros, Una Historia." In 2006, he released, "Directo Al Corazon", and in 2007 he carried out a concert acknowledged by the critics, in Plaza
ColónColón is a Spanish surname, comparable to the Italian and Portuguese Colombo . It may refer to:People:* Cristóbal Colón, the Spanish language name for the explorer Christopher Columbus* Bartolo Colón, Major League Baseball pitcher...
at
Santo DomingoSanto Domingo, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, estimated at 2,253,437 in 2006. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
and released
Contraste with
Conteo Regresivo being a major album hit. Furthermore, he performs alongside
Chucho AvellanetArmando Hipólito Avellanet González , nicknamed "Chucho" is a Puerto Rican singer and comedic actor...
, a musical comedy club-act called,
Cantando y Contando, (
Singing & Telling Stories), throughout the island.
On February 9, 2008 Santa Rosa participated in an event named "Concierto del amor" which was organized in the
Madison Square GardenMadison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, has been the name of four arenas in New York City. It is also the name of the entity which owns the arena and several of the professional sports franchises which play there. There have been four incarnations of...
. In June 2008, "Contraste" received
Gold and
Platinum certification from the
Recording Industry Association of AmericaThe Recording Industry Association of America is a group which represents the recording industry distributors in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors, which the RIAA say "create, manufacture and/or distribute approximately 85% of all legitimate sound recordings...
. According to the organization, the production has sold over 1,500,000 copies. At the moment of certification, the album's first single "Conteo regresive" had been sixteen weeks in the first place among Billboard's tropical list. Meanwhile "No te vayas" began gaining positions in the same list. After participating in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
's
Puerto Rican Day ParadeThe Puerto Rican Day Parade takes place annually along Fifth Avenue in New York City, on the second Sunday in June, in honor of the nearly 4 million Puerto Ricans and all people of Puerto Rican birth or heritage. In 2006, more than 80,000 participants marched and nearly 2 million spectators lined...
, Santa Rosa prepared to begin an international tour beginning on June 13, 2008, in New Orleans before proceeding to
Tampa, FloridaTampa is a Gulf Coast city in Hillsborough County, on the west coast of the state of Florida in the United States. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. The population of Tampa in 2000 was 303,447...
,
EcuadorEcuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador , literally, "Republic of the equator") is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America that...
,
ChileChile, officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
,
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
,
ColombiaColombia , officially the Republic of Colombia , is a constitutional republic in northwestern South America. Colombia is bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the northwest by Panama; and to the west by the Pacific Ocean...
and
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. The concert in Chile, on June 28, 2008, was Santa Rosa's first ever in said country. the event took place in the Caupolicán Theatre and was attended by approximately 8,000 fans. On July 5, 2008, Santa Rosa became the first salsa singer to perform at the
Palau de la Música in
BarcelonaBarcelona is the capital, most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, with a population of 1,615,908 in 2008. It is the 11th-most populous municipality in the European Union and sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris,...
. The event was a Sold Out, filling the venue with an attendance of 2,000. Santa Rosa was selected to perform at the “Balón de Oro” award ceremony, the most important condecoration in Mexican Football. Santa Rosa was selected to take part in “La Nueva Salsa”, where he would perform along several young salsa artists. Santa Rosa has also contributed to improving Puerto Rico's public education system. He participated in Sapientis Week, an initiative sponsored by the non-profit
SapientisSapientis is a non-profit organization based in San Juan, Puerto Rico whose mission is to improve the quality of public education as a means to reducing poverty, stimulating economic growth and enhancing the standard of living in Puerto Rico.-Context:...
which brings distinguished public figures into classrooms in order to raise the public's awareness of the education crisis in Puerto Rico.
Discography
- 1986 - Good Vibrations
- 1987 - Keeping Cool
- 1988 - De Amor Y Salsa
- 1988 - Salsa... En Movimiento
- 1990 - Punto De Vista
Punto de Vista was an Argentine journal founded in 1978 during the height of the military regime headed by Jorge Rafael Videla...
- 1991 - Perspectiva
- 1992 - El Caballero de la Salsa - Vol. 1
- 1992 - A Dos Tiempos De Un Tiempo
- 1993 - Nace Aquí
- 1994 - De Cara Al Viento
- 1995 - En Vivo Desde El Carnegie Hall
En Vivo Desde El Carnegie Hall is a live album by the Puerto Rican Salsa singer Gilberto Santa Rosa, released on October 3, 1995. The Album was recorded live at New York's Carnegie Hall. This performance marks the first time that a Puerto Rican singer of tropical music to perform at Carnegie Hall...
- 1996 - Esencia
- 1997 - ... De Corazón
- 1998 - ... Salsa Sinfonica en Venezuela
- 1999 - Expresión
- 2001 - Romántico
- 2001 - Intenso
- 2002 - Viceversa
- 2003 - Sólo Bolero
- 2004 - Auténtico
- 2006 - Directo Al Corazón
- 2007 - Contraste
- 2008 - Una Navidad Con Gilberto
External links