Puerto Rican salsero Ray De La Paz was born in Spanish Harlem and grew up in the Bronx, and cemented his salsa pedigree early in his career on four albums with with legendary conguero Ray Baretto. He helped lay the foundation for salsa romantica on his 1982 LP with Louie Ramirez, Noche Caliente—The pair would go on to record three gold albums together: “CON CACHE!” (1984), “ALEGRES y ROMANTICOS” (1985) and “SABOR CON CLAZE!” (1986). De La Paz has also brought his talents to Broadway, appearing in Paul Simon’s 1997 production “THE CAPEMAN,” and scored a Grammy win with Spanish Harlem Orchestra for their 2004 LP “Across 110th St.” He’s joined by another boricua salsero, Edgar Joel, who got his start with La Combinación Latina before partnering with the vocalist Anthony Colon to craft songs with classic salsa rhythms and romantic lyrics.
