Rey Ruiz

Name: Reinerio Ruiz
Date of birth: June 21, 1966
Place of birth: La Lisa, Havana, Cuba

The young salsa performer Rey Ruiz was born in Havana, Cuba and has been a prominent figure in the romantic salsa scene, since the early 1990’s Ruiz has made a reputation in the salsa scene, even earning the title of the “Elvis of salsa” by some and “Bombón de la Salsa” by others.

Early Days
Rey Ruiz demonstrated a keen interest in becoming a salsa singer since he was a young boy. He made his debut as a performer at a very young age and was often showcased on Cuban television as a child, singing typical children's songs. Ruiz had his parents' full support in his musical endeavours; he later enrolled to  Havana's Conservatorio de Música School. Eventually, Ruiz made his way to headlining a show at the Habana Libre Hotel.

Music Career
Ruiz joined the prestigious Cabaret Tropicana and defected from Cuba while on tour in the Dominican Republic in 1989. Through contacts in Miami, Ruiz moved to the United States where he soon joined the salsa scene as a solo salsa singer.

After arriving in the United States, he worked on his first CD which was released three years later. Sony Records produced the self-titled “Rey Ruiz” and it earned Ruiz fame and publicity throughout Latin America and pre-dominantly Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Panama and Venezuela.
In 1993, Ruiz released his second album "Mi Media Mitad" ("My Other Half"). Ruiz' initial success as a singer translated into TV screen appearances, as he was hired by Pepsi, Miller beer and his studio company, Sony, to film commercials advertising their brands.

Ruiz next participated in the “Los Soneros de Hoy” project, which was a tribute to the salsa pioneers of the 1960’s and 1970’s. The album included Ruiz singing “Compone un Son.”

In 1996, with the collaboration of famed Colombian songwriter Omar Estefano and Ricardo Quijano, Ruiz released his fourth consecutive platinum album, named "Destino" ("Destiny") which marked his debut as songwriter.

His next album, 1997's "Porque es Amor' ("Because it is Love") failed to have the commercial success Ruiz's four previous releases had. In 1998, Ruiz released his first greatest hits CD, named "Exitos del Rey" ("Rey's Hits", a name which can also be interpreted as "The King's hits", since Rey means king in Spanish).

In 2008 Ruiz fulfilled a lifetime dream by performing on stage with some of his closest musical colleagues at the Adrian Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami.

Trivia:
His first album evoked the mambo style of the 1950’s and garnered platinum sales. It also won the “Billboard” and “Lo Nuestro” awards with several hit songs that drew international attention. In addition, Salsa Tropical named Ruiz “New Salsa Singer of the Year” in 1993.

His second album earned Ruiz a number of billboard and Premios Lo Nuestro awards, going on to become a platinum album.

Discography:
2004 Mi Tentacion
2003 Serie Azul Tropical
2003 Mis 30 Mejores Canciones
2002 Coleccion de Oro
2002 22 Ultimate Hits
2002 15 Exitos
2000 Oro Salsero
2000 Fenonmenal
1999 20th Anniversary
1998 Ya Ves Quien Soy
1998 Salsa de Titanes
1998 Exitos del Rey, Vol. 2
1997 Porque Es Amor
1997 Exitos del Rey
1996 Destino
1995 En Cuerpo Y Alma
1993 Mi Media Mitad
1992 Rey Ruiz

 

By Lourd Vijay
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About the Author: Lourd Vijay is the principal Promoter of Latin culture, music and dance in the Asian Region. He recently stood 10th at the “most Popular Entrepreneur of the year 2009” amongst 180 nominees from across the country. An innovative choreographer and a very able instructor, he is the director of the Lourd Vijay’s Dance Studios (www.lvds.in) in India.