Ray Barretto, a Master of the Conga Drum, Dies at 76
Ray Barretto, a percussionist who helped define the role of the conga drum in jazz and became an influential figure in both jazz and Latin music during a career spanning more than 50 years, died yesterday at the Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey. He was 76 and lived in Norwood, N.J.
The cause was heart failure, said Brandy Barretto, his wife of 28 years.
Throughout his career, Mr. Barretto insisted on being considered a full-fledged jazz musician, as opposed to strictly a Latin player or a product of the hybrid known as Latin jazz. His success made a particular impact among Puerto Ricans in New York.
“Ray was like the quintessential Nuyorican,” said Bobby Sanabria, a percussionist and educator who said he considered Mr. Barretto a mentor. “For us in our community, he was a shining example of how somebody from humble beginnings can rise and achieve greatness.”
Mr. Barretto was the author of a subtle and responsive style of conga playing intended to complement the standard jazz rhythm section of piano, bass and drums. His distinctive approach is more or less in place even on one of his earliest recordings as a sideman, a 1958 album called “Manteca” (Prestige) by the pianist Red Garland.
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