Richie Ray

Richard "Richie" Maldonado Morales (born February 15, 1945) is a Nuyorican (a New York-born Puerto Rican) virtuoso pianist, singer, music arranger, composer and religious minister known for his success beginning in 1965 as part of the duo Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz. He is known as "El Embajador del Piano" (The Ambassador of the Piano).

Early life Ray (birth name: Richard Maldonado Morales) was born in Brooklyn, New York City to Puerto Rican parents in 1945. He had a younger brother, Raymond "Ray" Maldonado (1946-1982), a trumpeter who later performed with him in his early orchestra projects. They lived on Hoyt Street. Ray's father, Pacifico Maldonado, was an accomplished guitarist in his native Bayamón, and as such was the Maldonado family's early musical influence.

Ray's parents had him take piano lessons when he was seven years old. His life-long partnership with Robert "Bobby" Cruz Feliciano started five years later in 1957 when Ray played bass in a group led by Cruz. This combination was the beginning of one of the greatest salsa duos in the salsa music industry.

He graduated from the High School of Performing Arts in 1962 then attended the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music and the Juilliard School of Music. These experiences served to further develop and refine his musical training. In addition, he became well-versed in various Latin music genres which were popular at that time – the guajira, the cha-cha-cha, the bolero and others.

In 1991, Ray and Cruz reunited for successful concert appearances in San Juan, and again in New York. They reunited again in 1999 for the "Sonido Bestial VIP" concert in the Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez located in Bayamón. The duo sang some of their early hits together along with some of their religious songs, and the concert was recorded live. The outcome was so impressive that they were offered a contract by Universal Records. The recording was selected as one of the best recordings of 1999, and helped bring the pair back into the limelight of the Puerto Rican music scene. The pair has continued to be active in the music scene since. Prior to the presentation, the duo noted that the concert would last at least three hours. The duo also expressed that it might be their last "big scale concert".

Selected discography

Fonseca Records Alegre Records United Artists Records Ricardo Ray Arrives/Comején 1965 Se Soltó/On The Loose 1966 Viva Ricardo 1969 On the Scene 1965 Jala Jala y Boogaloo 1967 El Diferente 1970 3 Dimensions 1966 Jala Jala Boogaloo Volume II 1968 Richie Ray IntroducingBobby Cruz (A Go-Go-Go) 1966 Los Durísimos/The Strong Ones 1968 En Fiesta Navideña 1967 Let's Get Down to the Real Nitty Gritty 1968 Los Durísimos y Yo (with Nydia Caro) 1969 Agúzate 1970 Vaya Records Ray & Bo Records Appearances with Fania All-Stars El Bestial Sonido 1971 A Su Nombre Gloria 1978 Our Latin Thing 1971 Ahora Vengo Yo Felices Pascuas 1971 Renovando la Salsa 1979 Live at the Red Garter, Vol. 1 1972 (rec. 1968) Richie's Bag Jammin' Live 1972 Abriendo Surcos 1983 Fania All Stars at the Cheetah, Vol. 2 1974 (1971) Ahora Vengo Yo Amor en la Escuela 1974 En Familia 1983 Latin-Soul-Rock 1974 El Ratón 1975 1974 Más Que Vencedores 1984 Live at the Yankee Stadium, Vol. 2 1975 Hermandad Fania 10 Aniversario 1975 Maravilloso 1985 Reconstrucción 1976 Adelante Juventud 1989 Viven 1977 Angie, Mi Piano y Yo 1992 El Sonido de la Bestia 1980 Las Águilas/The Eagles 1982 Los Inconfundibles 1987 Releases After the Year 2000 Voz Palabra y Júbilo 2000(Rejoice Music) WEA Latina Lo Nuevo y lo Mejor 2001(Rejoice Music) WEA Latina Caminando 2002(Rejoice Music) WEA Latina Casa de Alabanza, Vol. 1 2003(Rejoice Music) WEA Latina 40 Aniversario en Vivo 2004Combo Records Que Vuelva la Música 2005Tropisounds A Lifetime of Hits... Live at Centro de Bellas Artes, San Juan, Puerto Rico 2006Tropisounds