Rey Ruiz

Cuban-born salsero Rey Ruiz arrived in the United States in 1992 and earned the nickname “Elvis of Salsa” from Miami music critics. His career began when Sony Tropical discovered a demo tape and offered him a contract. Before the end of that same year he issued his self-titled debut album. Echoing the mambo vocalists of the 1950s, Ruiz quickly rose to prominence once the record achieved platinum status. He next joined the Los Soneros de Hoy project, a tribute to the salsa pioneers of the 1960s and 1970s, contributing the track “Compone un Son.” The follow-up album Mi Media Mitad likewise became a strong commercial success, while later releases comprised 1995’s En Cuerpo Y Alma, 1997’s Exitos del Rey and 2000’s Fenonmenal.