Rubén Rada facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ruben Rada
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Rada in 2015
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Omar Ruben Rada Silva
16 July 1943 Montevideo, Uruguay
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| Instruments | Vocals, percussion, tamboriles |
| Years active | 1955–present |
Omar Ruben Rada Silva (born on July 16, 1943) is a famous musician from Uruguay. He is a talented percussionist, composer, singer, and even a TV star!
Ruben Rada is well-known for his connection to candombe. This is a special type of music that uses tamboriles, which are Uruguayan barrel drums. He has made over thirty albums. His unique music style is called candombe beat. It mixes pop, rock, and other music types with sounds from Uruguay. These sounds include candombe drums and murga choruses.
Ruben Rada's Music Journey
Early Bands and First Album
In 1965, Ruben Rada and Eduardo Mateo started a band called El Kinto Conjunto. This group was the first in Uruguay to mix rock music with Latin American styles. They also created the "beat" music genre in Spanish.
In 1969, Ruben Rada's candombe song "Las Manzanas" ("The Apples") became very popular. This led to his first solo album. He also got to perform at the Festival of Popular Music in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A year later, he formed another band called Tótem.
Playing Music Around the World
In 1977, Ruben Rada traveled to the United States. He was invited by the Fattoruso Brothers to play with their group, OPA. Over the next year, he performed with many famous musicians. These included Tom Scott, Ray Barretto, Hermeto Pascoal, and Flora Purim.
Between 1991 and 1994, he lived in Mexico. There, he wrote and arranged music for local artists. In 1994, he shared the stage with famous singers like Sting and UB40 in Mexico City.
Ruben Rada became famous outside of Uruguay. He recorded music with big international labels like EMI Latin and Universal Records. His songs are played all over the world. Other artists like Milton Nascimento, Herb Alpert, and Lani Hall have recorded his songs. He was also invited to appear on albums by Jon Anderson and Joan Manuel Serrat. Even famous musicians like Paul McCartney and Milton Nascimento admire his work!
Successful Albums and Other Talents
His albums Montevideo (released in 1996) and Montevideo II (released in 1999) were recorded in New York City. These albums featured talented musicians like Hiram Bullock and Hugo Fattoruso. Montevideo sold so well in Uruguay that it reached platinum sales.
Ruben Rada also has a talent for voice acting. In 2004, he voiced the character Lucius Best, also known as Frozone, in the Argentinian version of the movie The Incredibles. He has also hosted radio and TV shows, such as Radar (radio) and El Teléfono (TV). In October 2007, he starred in a TV comedy show called La Oveja Negra (The Black Sheep).
In April 2010, a special event in Berlin, Germany, honored Ruben Rada. It was part of a series called LifeLines. There were three days of concerts and discussions about his life and music career. This event was part of the Bicentenario, celebrating 200 years of independence movements in Latin America. Also in 2010, Rada performed on the Argentine TV show Encuentro en El Estudio.
Ruben Rada's Music Albums
Ruben Rada has released many albums throughout his career. Some of his albums, like Magic Time, Montevideo, and Montevideo II, were released in many countries. These include the U.S., Japan, France, Italy, Sweden, and Germany.
Albums Released in Uruguay
- 1968 Circa 1968
- 1969 Las Manzanas
- 1971 Totem
- 1972 Rada
- 1987 Botija de mi pais
- 1996 Montevideo
- 1999 Rada Para Ninos
- 2005 Candombe Jazz Tour
- 2015 Tango, milonga y candombe
Albums Released in Argentina
- 1974 S.O.S.
- 1980 La Banda
- 1983 La Cosa Se Pone Negra
- 1990 Las aventuras de R. Rada y Litto Nebbia
- 1997 Montevideo
- 2003 Alegre Caballero
- 2011 Confidence, Rada Instrumental
- 2015 Tango, milonga y candombe
Ruben Rada in Movies and TV
Ruben Rada has also appeared in several movies and television shows.
Movies
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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| 1974 | The Return of Martín Fierro | ||
| 2004 | The Incredibles | Lucius Best/Frozone (voice) | Voice acting for the Latin American version |
| 2019 | Cara Sucia, con la magia de la naturaleza | Mono Vivaldi (voice) | Animated film |
Television Shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Gasoleros | Liber | Supporting role |
| 2000 | El teléfono | Himself – Host | |
| 2007 | La oveja negra | Omar Pereyra | Main cast |
| 2010 | Porque te quiero así | Nelson | Main cast |
| 2022–present | La Voz Uruguay | Himself – Coach | |
| 2023–present | La Voz Kids Uruguay | Himself – Coach |
About Ruben Rada's Life
Ruben Rada is an Afro-Uruguayan. His mother had some Brazilian family roots.
See also
In Spanish: Ruben Rada para niños
- Uruguayan rock
- Candombe
- Tótem (band)
