[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 28, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E226]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO MR. RAY BARRETTO

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOSE E. SERRANO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 28, 2006

  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sympathy that I rise today 
to say goodbye to a Latin Jazz legend and a wonderful man. Mr. Ray 
Barretto passed away on Friday, February 17, 2006 at the age of 76. Ray 
was the first Hispanic to record a Latin song which became a ``hit'' on 
the American Billboard Charts. Although he has gone, his musical 
influence will live on for generations to come. Surely that is a mark 
of a great life.
  Like many Puerto Ricans, Ray's parents moved to New York in the early 
1920's in search of a better life. Raised in Spanish Harlem, he was 
deeply influenced by his mother's love of music and by the jazz music 
of musicians such as Duke Ellington and Count Basie. In 1946 at the age 
of 17, he joined the Army and was stationed in Germany where he met 
Belgian musician Fats Sadi. However, it was not until he heard 
``Manteca'' recorded by Dizzy Gillespie and Cuban percussionist, Chano 
Pozo, that he realized music was his true calling in life.
  After returning to New York in 1949, Ray began to visit clubs where 
he participated in jam sessions and perfected his conga playing. It 
wasn't long before the likes of Charlie Parker, Jose Curbelo and Tito 
Puente began to ask him to play with their bands. Ray opened the door 
for other Latin percussionists to appear in jazz groups, creating a 
sound unlike any other.
  Over the years Ray achieved international superstardom and released 
nearly 2 dozen albums with the Fania label from the late-60s until 
salsa's popularity peaked in the mid 1980's. In 1975 he was nominated 
for a Grammy Award for the song ``Barretto,'' and in 1990, he finally 
won a Grammy for the album ``Ritmo en el Corazon'' (Rhythm in the 
Heart), which featured the vocals of the late great Celia Cruz. In 
1999, Ray was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame 
and in January 2006 he was named one of the National Endowment for the 
Arts' Jazz Masters of 2006, the Nation's highest jazz honor.
  Mr. Speaker, Rays fusing of Afro-Caribbean rhythms with jazz created 
a whole new genre of music that has not only entertained us but also 
helped to unite people from diverse backgrounds in a common love for 
the sound. The bonds that he worked to create over the years are, as 
one of his most popular tunes is entitled, ``Indestructible.'' I thank 
him for having the courage to ask, ``why not,'' when others asked 
``why.''
  For his masterful play and his genuine creativity I ask that my 
colleagues join me in giving a final farewell to the Godfather of Latin 
Jazz, Mr. Ray Barretto.

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