Edmundo Ros

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Edmundo William Ros (born December 7, 1910, in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago) is a musician, vocalist and band leader. Some call him the "King of Latin American Music". He's known worldwide for his unique blend of modern and traditional Latin American music.

[edit] Life

His mother was an African-Venezuelanian; his father was Scottish. Ros' parents separated not long after he was born, and he was enrolled into a military school, where he became interested in music and learned to play the euphonium or bombardin. From 1927 to 1937 his family lived in Caracas, Venezuela. He played in a military band for four years. Later, he received a music scholarship from the government. In June 1937, he moved to London, England to study classical music at the Royal Academy of Music. He soon returned to playing popular music.

In 1939, he formed his own rhumba band, "Rumba With Ros". In 1941, he gained recognition with the track "Los Hijos de Buda" and was playing regularly at the elegant Coconut Grove club on Regent Street, which attracted members of high society.

In 1946, he owned a club, a dance school, a record company and an artist's agency. His band grew to 16 musicians. His album The Wedding Samba sold three million copies in 1949.

In 1951, he bought the Coconut Grove and renamed it Edmundo Ros' Dinner and Supper Club. The club became popular for its atmosphere and music; it closed in 1965. From 1964 to 1968 he was the owner of the internationally known and very exclusive Edmundo Ros Club on Regent Street.

His album Rhythms of The South (1957) was one of the first high-quality LP stereo records. He was with Decca records from 1944 to 1974.

In 1975 (at the age of 65) he retired and moved to Jávea, Alicante (Spain). On January 8, 1994, he gave his last public performance. Ros was awarded the Order of the British Empire by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, in the 2000 New Year's Honours List.

[edit] Discography

His most famous albums:

Edmundo Ros And His Rumba Band, 1939-1941, LP
Tropical Magic, 1942-1944, LP
Cuban Love Song, 1945, LP
On Broadway, LP
Show Boat/Porgy & Bess, LP
Ros at the Opera
Broadway goes Latin
Rhythms of the South
Latin Carnival
New Rhythms of The South
Latin Boss...Señor Ros
Arriba
Latin Hits I Missed
Hair Goes Latin
Heading South of the Border
The Latin King
This is My World
Caribbean Ros
Sunshine and Olé!
Give My Regards to Broadway
Doin' the Samba, CD
Rhythms of the South/New Rhythms of the South, CD
Good! Good! Good! CD
Strings Latino/Latin Hits I Missed CD
That Latin Sound
Wedding Samba
Cancion Cubana
Mambo Jambo, Naxos, CD
The Wedding Samba (Nayer Sher)
Calypsos (Decca 1956),
Mambos (Decca 1956),
Rhythms Of The South (Decca 1957),
Calypso Man (Decca 1958),
Perfect For Dancing (Decca 1958),
Ros On Broadway (Decca 1959),
Hollywood Cha Cha Cha (Decca 1959),
Bongos From The South (Decca 1961), Dance Again (Decca 1962),
Sing And Dance With Edmundo Ros (Decca 1963), with *Ted Heath Heath Versus Ros (Phase 4 1964),
with Heath Heath Versus Ros, Round Two (Phase 4 1967),
This Is My World (Decca 1972),
Ros Remembers (Decca 1974),
Edmundo Ros Today (Decca 1978),
Latin Favourites (Gold Crown 1979),
Latin Song And Dance Men (Pye 1980),
Music For The Millions (Decca 1983),
Strings Latino (London 1985),
Cuban Love Song (1985),
Latin Magic (London 1987),
Edmundo Ros & His Rumba Band, 1939-1941 (1992),
That Latin Sound (Pulse 1997)