Gilberto Santa Rosa is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter and sonero better known as “El Caballero de la Salsa” (The Gentleman of Salsa)

Gilberto Santa Rosa (born August 21, 1962) is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter and also known as “El Caballero de la Salsa” from Carolina, Puerto Rico.

Growing up on the salsa music of the 50’s and 60’s, Rosa became interested in pursuing music during school, participating in her first concert in 1976 while still a tender teenager. After performing with the Mario Ortiz Orchestra.

Santa Rosa was recruited by La Grande Orchestra where she stayed for two years and met Elías López.

The 1980s brought a series of recordings for the singer with Orquesta Tommy Olivencia, El Gran Combo and the tribute album “Homenaje a Eddie Palmieri” with the Puerto Rican All Stars.

Gilberto Santa Rosa became a unique salsa improviser, walking the line between tropical and romantic styles of music, which contributed to his appreciation and popularity.

In 1986 Rosa signed with Combo Records and among others released the successful albums “Good Vibrations” featuring arrangements by Mario Ortiz, Ramon Sanchez and Tommy Villariny, “Keeping Cool! “and “De Amor y Salso”.

Due to the success of her fourth album entitled “Sala en Movimiento” released in 1989, Rosa signed with CBS Discos who could distribute her music internationally.

Teaming up with the young composer Omar Alfanno on the album “Punto de Vista” Rosa achieved consistent success with a series of hits including “Vivr sin Ella”, Perdoname” and De Cualquier”. The successor album “Perspectiva” released in 1991 was the Salsero’s biggest hit to date and included many of the same collaborators as its predecessor.

In 1990 Rosa was awarded the Billboard Lo Nuestro Award for Best Male Singer, recorded a live album at Carnegie Hall Theatre in New York, USA, the first tropical salsa artist to do so, and acted as Puerto Rican goodwill ambassador to Japan where he sang “De Cara al Viento” in Japanese.

The singer generated a string of hits throughout the 1990s, always altering his particular sound and diversifying his music. From the orchestral “De Cara al Viento” (1994) and the energized “Esencia” (1996) to “De Corazón (1997) and “Expresión (1999).

At this point Rosa’s popularity and success had increased and the singer seemingly could do no wrong, with Rosa’s subsequent albums achieving both critical and commercial success, including 2002’s “Viceversa” which produced the hits “Por Más Que Intento” and “Un Montón de Estrellas”.

Santa Rosa ha sido honrada por Union City, New Jersey, USA con una llave de la ciudad y una estrella en su Paseo de la Fama, tiene el record de la mayor cantidad de álbumes número uno en la lista Billboard Tropical Albums, así como la mayor cantidad de nominaciones al Grammy por Mejor Salsa.

Canto y grabo varias producciones con el Maestro Mister “AFINQUE” Don Willie Rosario y ese fue el puente para grabar como solista.

En 1981, Gilberto Santa Rosa se unió a la banda Willie Rosario y su Orquesta, con la que grabó seis discos de larga duración. Su primera grabación se presentó en el álbum The Portrait Of a Salsa Man, en el sello Top Hits.

Canciones como “El Antifaz”, “La Mitad” y “El Condenado” se escuchan en la voz de Gilberto Santa Rosa, quien compartió la parte vocal con Tony Vega y Bobby Concepción en dicho álbum.

1982: Willie Rosario y su Orquesta graban el álbum Atízame el fogón para el sello Top Hits. Bobby Concepción, Tony Vega y Gilberto Santa Rosa participan como cantantes en este LP.

1983: El cantante santurcino participa en el álbum de Willie Rosario y su Orquesta, The Salsa Machine, en el sello Top Hits, de este álbum, canciones como “Amigo” y “Cuando Se Canta Bonito” son vocalizadas por Gilberto Santa Rosa.

1984: Gilberto Santa Rosa comparte voz con Tony Vega en el álbum de Willie Rosario y su Orquesta llamado Nuevos Horizontes, publicado por Bronco Records, en ese álbum se grabó el tema “Lluvia”, uno de los primeros éxitos de nuestro caballero de la salsa. .

Willie Rosario celebrará 100 años de vida con un gran concierto en el Coliseo de Puerto Rico.

Para la celebración musical estará acompañado por sus amigos y colegas, Gilberto Santarosa y Tony Vega,

El legendario músico puertorriqueño Willie Rosario celebrará sus 100 años de vida en 2024 con un gran concierto en su tierra natal el próximo 27 de abril, junto a dos de los ilustres intérpretes que integraron su orquesta, Gilberto Santa Rosa y Tony Vega.

Source:

El Nuevo Dia

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