Toño Rosario facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Toño Rosario
Rosario signing a deal with Universal Music (2004)
Background information
Birth name	Máximo Antonio del Rosario Almonte
Born	(1955-11-03) November 3, 1955 (age 69) Higüey, Dominican Republic
Genres	Merengue
Occupation(s)	Musician singer composer arranger
Years active	1978–present
Labels	Universal Music Latino RCA Sony
Associated acts	Los Hermanos Rosario

Máximo Antonio del Rosario (born November 3, 1955), known professionally as Toño Rosario, is a famous musician from the Dominican Republic. He is best known for being a leader of the popular Merengue music group Los Hermanos Rosario. In 1990, he started his own very successful solo career. His music has earned him gold and platinum awards, meaning his albums sold millions of copies!

Toño Rosario is one of the best-selling merengue artists ever. He has been nominated for many important music awards, like the Latin Grammy Awards and Grammy Awards. Some of his most famous songs include ‘Kulikitaca’, ‘Resistire’, ‘Seguire’, and ‘Jenny’. Toño Rosario was the first solo merengue artist to perform for sold-out crowds in huge venues like Madison Square Garden in New York City. He is also a part-owner of the Miami Dolphins NFL football team.

Toño Rosario's Music Journey

Toño Rosario is most famous for his exciting merengue songs. As a member of Los Hermanos Rosario, he helped make merengue music popular around the world. Their songs often reached the top of music charts in Latin America and Europe. Toño Rosario has sold over 100 million albums worldwide, making him the top-selling merengue artist of all time! He is especially known for his romantic merengue songs.

Early Days and Family Band

Toño Rosario and his brothers loved music from a young age. They grew up in a poor family, so they couldn't afford real instruments. Instead, they would find things around their house to use as musical instruments. In 1978, Toño and his brothers formed their band, "Los Hermanos Rosario." Toño, Pepe, and Rafa were the main singers, while Luis, Tony, and Francis played instruments. They started by playing music at their neighbors' houses, which helped them become known and eventually discovered by music producers. After his brother Pepe passed away, Toño and Rafa became the main singers, with Toño's unique voice leading the way.

Starting a Solo Career

After 12 years with his brothers, Toño left the group in the late 1980s to start his own solo career. His first solo performance was on April 14, 1990, in Puerto Rico. He quickly became one of the most popular merengue singers, with some of his albums selling so well they reached "diamond status." His first album, "Y mas...", was highly praised. His second album, "Atado a ti," sold more than expected and stayed on the Billboard Charts for over 30 weeks! In 1992, his third album, "Retorno a mis raises," went platinum.

In 1993, his fourth album, "Amor Jollao," earned a gold award. He signed with WEA Latina in 1994 and released more albums like "Quiero Volver a Empezar" (1995). His albums "Seguire" (1997) and "Exclusivo" (1998) became his highest-charting albums in the United States.

Big Hits and Awards

"La Magia del Cuco," released in 1999, was his first album to be certified platinum by the RIAA, selling over 200,000 copies. That same year, Toño performed at The Merengue Festival in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

In 2000, Toño's 10th album, "Yo soy Toño," became his best-selling album. It was certified platinum and sold over 250,000 copies. This album was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Merengue Album and a Latin Grammy Award for Best Merengue/Bachata Album.

His 2002 album, "Toño en America," was also successful. The song "Yo kuli, Yo kula," better known as "Kulikitaca," became a huge hit across Latin America.

In 2004, Toño Rosario signed a big contract with Universal Latino. He also performed a sold-out show with Tego Calderon. Later that year, he released his 12th album, "Resistire," which received good reviews and was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award. The main song from the album, "Resistire," was also nominated for "Tropical Airplay Song of the Year" at the 2006 Latin Billboard Music Awards.

In 2018, his song "Kulikitaka" became super popular on the internet in the southern Indian state of Kerala. Many people thought it was an African song because of a video that went viral on WhatsApp. It became so famous that even small restaurants in Kerala started using the song's name!

Discography

With Los Hermanos Rosario

Studio albums

• 1980: ¡Vienen Acabando!
• 1983: Vol. 1
• 1984: Vol. 2
• 1985: Vol. 3
• 1987: Acabando!
• 1988: Otra Vez!
• 1990: Fuera de Serie

Compilation albums

• 1988: Lo Mejor de los Hermanos Rosario
• 1989: Lo Mejor de los Hermanos Rosario Vol. 2
• 1993: 14 Éxitos Impressionantes
• 1994: Juntos Con Sus Éxitos
• 1997: El Disco de Oro
• 1998: La Historia Musical Rosario
• 2001: 20 Aniversario
• 2003: Grandes Éxitos
• 2005: Grandes Éxitos Vol. 2
• 2006: Antología Musical
• 2007: La Bomba

Studio albums

Compilation albums

• Grandes Éxitos: Cinco Años de Platino (1995)
• Colecciones y Éxitos (1997)
• La Alegría del Merengue (1999)
• Serie 2000 (2000)
• Juntos (con Wilfrido Vargas) (2002)
• Colección Diamante (2003)
• Todo lo Bueno de Toño Rosario (2003)
• Amigo Mío: Toño y Sus Éxitos (2003)
• Lo Mejor de Toño Rosario (2006)
• Tradicional (2006)
• Don't Worry Be Happy: The Best of Toño Rosario (2009)
• 20 Grandes Éxitos (2010)
• Mis Favoritas (2012)

Live albums

• En Vivo: El Original (2006)
• Lo Más Encendío de Toño Rosario (2007)
• Los Mega Éxitos en Vivo (2009)
• El Mandatario (2011)

Singles

See also

In Spanish: Toño Rosario para niños