Maelo Ruiz

Born in New York on October 22, 1966, Ismael Ruiz Hernandez, widely recognized by the name Maelo, moved with his family back to their native Puerto Rico four years afterward. A devoted music enthusiast from an early age, he launched formal vocal training at sixteen by enrolling at La Escuela Libre de Musica de Caguas, where Juan Pacheco served as his instructor. Three years later, at nineteen, he entered the professional arena as lead vocalist for Pedro Conga y Su Orquesta Internacional. During the seven-year tenure with that ensemble, Ruiz appeared on four albums, among them the hit single “No Te Quites la Ropa,” which surpassed fifty thousand units sold. Additional salsa staples such as “Quiero Volver,” “Si Supieras,” and “Me Niegas Tanto Amor” secured gold certifications in Colombia and Puerto Rico while broadening his acclaim across salsa audiences worldwide. His debut solo effort, Solo, held the top chart position for four consecutive weeks throughout Latin America. In 1995 the track “Rumba de Oro” brought him the Best Salsero designation in both Ecuador and Peru. The follow-up project Experiencia attracted listeners in Mexico and the southwestern United States, and the subsequent album Maelo Ruiz extended his reach still further by captivating salsa enthusiasts across Europe. Ruiz joined the independent label Codiscos in 2003, issuing the albums Otra Vez Maelo and Regálame una Noche under its imprint.