The New York City Council will hold a special ceremony to issue a posthumous proclamation honoring the lifetime achievements and musical heritage of Ray Barretto. Born in Brooklyn on April 29, 1929 and a long time resident of el barrio, East Harlem and the Bronx, Councilmember Melissa Mark Viverito, who sponsored the proclamation and is hosting the ceremony, noted: "Ray Barretto leaves all New Yorkers an important legacy that joins the music from the Caribbean with the music created by Latino immigrants in New York. He opened doors to other musicians while also forging a partnership with the jazz world. Most important, Ray Barretto was a humanitarian sensitive to just causes."

 The ceremony corresponds with the new release of an exceptional double CD commemorative box set that will be presented to City Council members by Fania records where Barretto recorded the majority of his SALSA discography. "We're very proud of this package as it is more of a commemoration of his life's work than a compilation of best hits," underscored Fania records spokesperson, Giora Breil. Accepting the proclamation will be Mrs. Annette Barreto and son, Christopher Barretto.

WHEN/WHERE:  Wednesday, May 24, 2006 @ 12 noon
City Hall, Council Chambers
New York, NY

For nearly 40 years, conguero, composer and bandleader Ray Barretto was one of the leading forces in both salsa and Latin jazz. Barretto's hard, compelling playing style earned him the title of "manos duros" or Hard Hands for his hard driving percussive style. As a pioneer of the salsa movement, Barretto achieved international superstardom and released nearly two dozen albums with the Fania label from the late-'60s to the mid-1980's

Influenced as deeply by the bebop jam sessions held in Harlem during the late-'40s as BY his Puerto Rican ancestry, Barretto is one of the most prolific and renowned Latin percussionists in the history of modern jazz. Few artists have been as successful over the years at fusing these two genres as Barretto, an undisputed master of this style.  
 
Barretto spent over four decades refining the integration of Afro-Caribbean rhythms with the improvisational elements of jazz and his work has graced the recordings of saxophonists Gene Ammons, Lou Donaldson, Sonny Stitt, and guitarists Wes Montgomery and Kenny Burrell.

Coincidentally, it was the tune "Manteca" recorded by Gillespie with Chano Pozo on percussion that drove Barretto to music. And it was a version of that same tune that became Barretto's first recording with Red Garland.

Born in Brooklyn, raised in East Harlem's "El Barrio" and in the South Bronx, Barretto was one of the founding members of the Fania All Stars, pioneering the salsa movement, while achieving international superstardom releasing nearly two dozen albums on the Fania label. While leading his own bands, his congas have graced more recordings than any other conguero in history. Ray Barreto was also the first Latino musician to have a hit enter the billboard charts when the song "El Watusi" was awarded a gold record in 1963. In 1990 he won a Grammy for the album "Ritmo en el Corazon" (Rhythm in the Heart) which featured the vocals of the "Queen of Salsa," Celia Cruz. On the Fania label, Barretto recorded with every major salsa star including Ruben Blades, Ismael Miranda, Cheo Feliciano, and Tito Puente.

Barretto was voted Jazz Percussionist of the Year in 2004 and won the Down Beat Critics Award for Percussion in 2005. He recorded with legends such as the Rolling Stones, Freddy Hubbard, Dizzy Gillespie, The Bee Gees, Charlie Parker, Wes Montgomery, Cannonball Adderly and Cal Tjader. In 2006, right before his death, Ray Barretto was awarded the prestigious National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Fellowship which he stated was the "gift of a lifetime."

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