Rey Ruiz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rey Ruiz
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Reinerio Ruiz |
| Born | June 21, 1966 La Lisa, Havana, Cuba |
| Genres | Salsa |
| Occupations | Singer-Songwriter |
| Years active | 1992–present |
Rey Ruiz (born Reinerio Ruiz on June 21, 1966, in La Lisa, Havana, Cuba) is a famous salsa singer. He became well-known around the world, especially in Latin America, Europe, and among Hispanic music fans in the United States.
Contents
The Early Life of Rey Ruiz
Rey Ruiz showed a strong interest in becoming a salsa singer from a very young age. He started performing when he was just a child. He often appeared on Cuban television, singing songs for kids.
His parents fully supported his musical dreams. Later, he went to the Conservatorio de Música school in Havana to study music. Eventually, Rey Ruiz became the main performer at the famous Habana Libre Hotel.
How Rey Ruiz Started His Career
Rey Ruiz also performed with the well-known "Cabaret Tropicana" music group. During a tour with the group in the Dominican Republic, Rey Ruiz decided to leave the group. He moved to the United States to join some friends. Once he settled there, he began to gain fame as a solo salsa singer.
Rey Ruiz's Rise to Fame
It took Rey Ruiz three years after moving to the United States to release his first CD. This album was simply called "Rey Ruiz." Sony Records produced it. The album quickly made Rey Ruiz a celebrity in places like Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Panama, and Venezuela.
This first album also won him many awards, including Billboard and Premios Lo Nuestro awards. He even won the Tropical New Artist of the Year award. "Rey Ruiz" became a platinum album, meaning it sold a huge number of copies. A top salsa music magazine named him the "salsa singer of the year" for 1993. He became known for hit songs like "No Me Acostumbro" and "Amiga."
Commercial Success and New Albums
Rey Ruiz's success as a singer also led to him appearing in commercials. He was hired by Pepsi, Miller beer, and his record company, Sony, to film advertisements. His second album was a collection of songs by different artists. It was a tribute to salsa singers from the 1960s and 1970s. The album was called "Los Soneros de Hoy," which means "Today's (salsa) Performers."
In 1993, Rey Ruiz released his second solo album, "Mi Media Mitad" ("My Other Half"). This album was a big hit in the United States and Europe. It made the Billboard charts in the U.S. and topped the music charts in Europe. "Mi Media Mitad" was Rey Ruiz's second platinum album in a row. It also helped him become popular in Colombia, especially with the hit song "Si te Preguntan" ("If They Ask You"). Soon after this album came out, Rey Ruiz performed at New York's famous Madison Square Garden.
Continued Platinum Success
Rey Ruiz's third album, "En Cuerpo y Alma" ("Body and Soul"), came out in 1995. This was his third platinum album in a row! His songs "Estamos Solos" ("We Are Alone") and "Vuelve de Nuevo Conmigo" ("Return Once Again With Me") became international hits. Many salsa experts believe this album is one of Rey Ruiz's most important works.
In 1996, Rey Ruiz worked with famous Colombian songwriter Omar Estefano and Ricardo Quijano. Together, they released his fourth platinum album in a row, called "Destino" ("Destiny"). One of the most popular songs from that album was "Miénteme Otra Vez" ("Lie to me Again").
His next album, "Porque es Amor" ("Because it is Love"), released in 1997, did not sell as many copies as his previous four albums. This ended his streak of four platinum albums. However, it still had three major hit songs, including the title song, "Mi Angel" ("My Angel"), and "Tú no Sabes" ("You Don't Know").
New Ventures and Collaborations
In 1998, Rey Ruiz released a "greatest hits" CD called "Exitos del Rey" ("Rey's Hits"). The name can also mean "The King's Hits," because "Rey" means king in Spanish. By this time, Rey Ruiz owned his own recording company. His next album, "Ya Ves Quien Soy" ("Now You See Who I Am"), was one of the first CDs released by his record label, Luna Negra ("Dark Moon"). That same year, Sony U.S. Latin released a collection called "Salsa de Titanes," which included Rey Ruiz's song "Piano" featuring the famous pianist Paquito Hechavarría.
"Ya Ves Quien Soy" was another successful album for Rey Ruiz, especially in Brazil. For this album, Rey Ruiz worked with Brazilian singer José Augusto. They recorded a duet song together called "Siempre Mía" ("Always Mine").
In 2000, Rey Ruiz joined the Bohemia Records label. He released the album "Fenomenal" ("Phenomenal") with them. In 2004, he released the album Mi Tentacion ("My Temptation"). This album included the popular hit "Creo en el Amor" ("I Believe in Love"), which was nominated for "Best Tropical Song" at the Latin Grammy Awards.
In 2008, Rey Ruiz achieved a long-time dream. He performed on stage with some of his closest musical friends at the Adrian Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami. He performed with Grammy Winner Arturo Sandoval, Marlon (who won Objetivo Fama), and "Los Tres de La Habana." This special musical event was recorded for a DVD. Rey Ruiz also signed a new recording contract that brought him back to his first label, Sony/BMG. He worked on a new album produced by Cuco Pena, a top music producer from Puerto Rico.
See also
In Spanish: Rey Ruiz para niños
List of Cubans
