Rubén Rada facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ruben Rada
Rada in 2015
Born	Omar Ruben Rada Silva (1943-07-16) 16 July 1943 (age 81) Montevideo, Uruguay
Children	Lucila Matías Julieta
Musical career
Genres	Candombe Latin jazz World fusion
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 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 from Uruguay that uses a group of tamboriles. These are unique Uruguayan barrel drums. Rada has made more than thirty albums. His music, called candombe beat, mixes pop, rock, and other styles with Uruguayan sounds. These sounds include candombe drums and murga choruses, which are like street theater groups.

Ruben Rada's Musical Journey

Early Bands and First Success

In 1965, Ruben Rada and Eduardo Mateo started a band called El Kinto Conjunto [es]. This group was the first in Uruguay to mix rock music with Latin American styles. They sang in Spanish, which was new and exciting!

In 1969, Ruben Rada had a big hit song called "Las Manzanas" ("The Apples"). This song was a candombe tune. Its success led to his first solo album. He also got to perform at a big music festival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A year later, he formed another band called Tótem.

Playing 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.

Between 1991 and 1994, he lived in Mexico. There, he wrote songs and arranged music for local artists. In 1994, he even shared the stage with music legends like Sting and UB40 in Mexico City.

Ruben Rada is famous outside of Uruguay too. His music has been released by big international companies like EMI Latin and Universal Records. His songs are played all over the world. Other famous musicians like Milton Nascimento, Herb Alpert, and Lani Hall have recorded his songs. He was also asked to appear on albums by Jon Anderson and Joan Manuel Serrat. Even Paul McCartney and Milton Nascimento are fans of his music!

His albums Montevideo (1996) and Montevideo II (1999) were recorded in New York City. Montevideo sold so well that it reached platinum sales in Uruguay.

Voice Acting and TV Shows

In 2004, Ruben Rada lent his voice to the character Lucius Best, also known as Frozone. This was for the Argentinian version of the movie The Incredibles. He has also hosted radio and TV shows, like Radar on radio and El Teléfono on TV. In 2007, he starred in a TV comedy show called La Oveja Negra (The Black Sheep).

In 2010, Ruben Rada was honored at a special event in Berlin, Germany. There were concerts and discussions about his life and music career. Also in 2010, he performed on an Argentinian TV show called Encuentro en El Estudio.

Ruben Rada's Albums

Some of his albums, like Magic Time (with Opa), 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
• 1970 Musicasión 4 ½
• 1971 Totem
• 1972 Descarga
• 1972 Rada
• 1974 Camerata Punta del Este
• 1975 Radeces
• 1987 Botija de mi pais
• 1991 Fisico de Rock
• 1992 Concierto por la vida
• 1993 Lo mejor de Rada Vol. I
• 1996 Botijas Band con Ruben Rada
• 1996 Montevideo
• 1997 Miscelanea Negra
• 1998 Black
• 1999 Rada Para Ninos
• 1999 Montevideo Dos
• 2000 ¿Quien va a Cantar?
• 2001 Suenos de Nino
• 2003 Alegre Caballero
• 2004 Rubenra
• 2005 Candombe Jazz Tour
• 2006 Richie Silver
• 2007 Varsovia con Javier Malosetti
• 2008 Bailongo
• 2009 Fan
• 2011 Confidence, Rada Instrumental
• 2015 Tango, milonga y candombe

Albums Released in Argentina

• 1974 S.O.S.
• 1980 La Banda
• 1981 La Rada
• 1982 En Familia
• 1983 La Cosa Se Pone Negra
• 1984 Adar Nebur
• 1986 La Yapla Mata
• 1987 Siete Vidas
• 1989 Pa' los Uruguayos
• 1990 Las aventuras de R. Rada y Litto Nebbia
• 1991 Las aventuras de R. Rada y H. Fattoruso
• 1991 Terapia de Murga
• 1997 Montevideo
• 1997 Miscelanea Negra
• 1998 Black
• 2000 Quien Va a Cantar
• 2003 Alegre Caballero
• 2004 Rubenra
• 2005 Candombe Jazz Tour
• 2006 Richie Silver
• 2007 Varsovia(Ruben Rada/Javier Malosetti)
• 2008 Bailongo
• 2010 Fan
• 2011 Confidence, Rada Instrumental
• 2015 Tango, milonga y candombe

Ruben Rada in Movies and TV

Movies

Television Shows

About Ruben Rada's Family

Ruben Rada is an Afro-Uruguayan. His mother's family came from Brazil.

See also

In Spanish: Ruben Rada para niños

• Uruguayan rock
• Candombe
• Tótem (band)