[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 7679-7680]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         REMEMBERING THE LIFE OF MUSIC IMPRESARIO RALPH MERCADO

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 17, 2009

  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise to ask my colleagues to pause and 
remember the life of a good friend, Ralph Mercado, the legendary Latin 
music executive who recently passed away on March 10, 2009. As much an

[[Page 7680]]

icon as the musicians that he worked with and promoted, Mercado was a 
visionary innovator who helped popularize tropical music worldwide, 
including New York's mixture of popular Latin rhythms know as 
``salsa.''
  Mercado etched his name in the history books by building a record 
label whose various components (from a publishing company to a video 
and film production arm) helped make and take salsa to some of the 
largest stages around the world. A catalog of award-winning 
international hits across three decades transformed the Latino music 
industry, bringing respect not only to talented artists but also 
providing young Latinos with a way to connect with their parents, their 
roots and their communities.
  It all started in Brooklyn on Sept. 29, 1941. The son of a Dominican 
dockworker and a Puerto Rican factory worker, Mercado often commented 
that he learned merengue, the typical dance from the Dominican 
Republic, in the hallway of the family's fifth-floor walkup as soon as 
he could walk. He first fell in love with the rhythms while at the 
Palladium Nightclub when he was only 16, watching the big bands of 
Machito, Tito Puente and Tito Rodriguez. As a teenager, he was famed 
for producing ``waistline parties'' in apartment building basements 
where a couple's admission was a penny per inch of their dates' 
waistline.
  Using the same concept, he then opened the 3 & 1 Club where he began 
booking local Latin bands such as Eddie Palmieri and Richie Ray & Bobby 
Cruz, among many others. This led to Mercado's first management, 
booking, and promotions company called Showstoppers. He promoted 
legendary R&B acts that included James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Gladys 
Knight & the Pips, the Stylistics, the Chi-lites, starting a salsa-soul 
music trend.
  Mercado also continued to open many doors to up and coming artists. 
He helped to expand the Fania All-Stars, promoted dances at the Cheetah 
Nightclub, and presented Latin jazz at the Red Garter and, later, at 
the Village Gate and other downtown venues. His partnership with Jack 
Hooke, the late Tito Puente's longtime manager, helped create the Salsa 
Meets Jazz Series at the Village Gate and the Latin Jazz Jam as part of 
the JVC Jazz Festival.
  A great judge of talent, Mercado opened RMM Management in 1972 
representing Eddie Palmieri and Ray Barretto. He went on to manage 
virtually every name in the industry, including its two biggest stars: 
Tito Puente and Celia Cruz. His concerts grew more popular and by 1987 
the wildly successful ``Latin Tinge'' nights at the Palladium on New 
York's 14th Street were bringing 3,000 ``salseros'' to dance every 
Thursday night. Mercado managed these events until 1992, when he 
refocused his energies on the creation of a record label, RMM.
  Mercado expanded his venture into numerous companies including RMM 
Records, RMM Filmworks, and two publishing houses. With over 140 
artists signed to RMM Records, the label sold millions of recordings a 
year. The recipient of countless awards and proclamations, Ralph 
Mercado was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Tribute by Billboard 
Magazine in 1999.
  Always an innovator, Ralph Mercado pioneered the presentation of 
salsa music in Africa, South America, Asia, and Israel. He was one of 
the first to bring Latin music concerts to such prestigious venues as 
Radio City Music Hall with Julio Iglesias' New York performance; 
Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall; the Beacon Theater; and Madison 
Square Garden.
  The truth of course is that Mercado's death this week leaves a 
tremendous void in the hearts of not just his family and friends but 
also countless Latin music fans around the world. However, his body of 
personal and professional work leaves a distinguished legacy whose 
impact can be seen not just in the industry he helped create, but also 
in the countless lives that his music touched. Little boys and girls 
can dream of singing the songs that their parents know and love thanks 
to Ralph's extraordinary commitment, energy and discipline .
  So Madam Speaker, rather than mourn his passing, I hope that my 
colleagues will join me in celebrating the life of Ralph Mercado, Jr. 
His is an inspirational story for all Americans, one that exemplified 
greatness in every single way.

                          ____________________