• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

International Salsa Magazine

  • Home
  • Previous editions
    • 2025
      • ISM / May2025
      • ISM / April 2025
      • ISM / March 2025
      • ISM / February 2025
      • ISM / January 2025
    • 2024
      • ISM / December 2024
      • ISM / November 2024
      • ISM / October 2024
      • ISM / September 2024
      • ISM / August 2024
      • ISM / July 2024
      • ISM / June 2024
      • ISM / May 2024
      • ISM / April 2024
      • ISM / March 2024
      • ISM / February 2024
      • ISM / January 2024
    • 2023
      • ISM / December 2023
      • ISM / November 2023
      • ISM / October 2023
      • ISM – September 2023
      • ISM – August 2023
      • ISM July 2023
      • ISM Edition June 2023
      • ISM – May 2023
      • ISM April 2023
      • ISM March 2023
      • ISM February 2023
      • ISM January 2023
    • 2022
      • ISM December 2022
      • ISM November 2022
      • ISM October 2022
      • ISM September 2022
      • ISM August 2022
      • ISM July 2022
      • ISM June 2022
      • ISM May 2022
      • ISM February 2022
      • ISM January 2022
    • 2021
      • ISM December 2021
      • ISM November 2021
      • ISM October – 2021
      • ISM September 2021
      • ISM August 2021
      • ISM July 2021
      • ISM May 2021
      • ISM April 2021
      • ISM June 2021
      • ISM March 2021
      • ISM February 2021
      • ISM January 2021
    • 2020
      • ISM December 2020
      • ISM November 2020
      • ISM October 2020
      • ISM September 2020
      • ISM August 2020
      • ISM July 2020
      • ISM June 2020
      • ISM May 2020
      • ISM April 2020
      • ISM March 2020
      • ISM February 2020
      • ISM January 2020
    • 2019
      • ISM December 2019
      • ISM November 2019
      • ISM October 2019
      • ISM Septembre 2019
      • ISM August 2019
      • ISM July 2019
      • ISM June 2019
      • ISM May 2019
      • ISM April 2019
      • ISM March 2019
      • ISM February 2019
      • ISM January 2019
    • 2018
      • ISM December 2018
      • ISM November 2018
      • ISM October 2018
      • ISM September 2018
      • ISM August 2018
      • ISM July 2018
      • ISM June 2018
      • ISM May 2018
      • ISM April 2018
      • ISM March 2018
      • ISM February 2018
      • ISM January 2018
    • 2017
      • ISM December 2017
      • ISM November 2017
      • ISM October 2017
      • ISM September 2017
  • Download Salsa App
    • Android
    • Apple
  • Spanish

Jay Ruiz, singer-songwriter, From the Sultana del Oeste, Mayagüez – Puerto Rico

North American / Puerto Rico / Puerto Rico 

Jay Ruiz is the stage name of Jonathan Camacho Ruiz, a singer-songwriter born in La Sultana del Oeste, Mayagüez, but raised in the Pueblo de Rincón neighborhood, the westernmost municipality of La Isla Del Encanto.

Jay Ruiz Photo
Jay Ruiz Photo

Among his ancestors, Jay Ruiz, highlights his paternal grandfather Antonio Camacho who was a musician and troubadour, in his native Rincón.

Jay Ruiz’s musical beginnings date back to his short 5 years, when he sang in the choir of the Presbyterian church he attended. However, he would later become involved in sports, which would keep him away from music until he was 11 years old, when at the middle school where he was studying, the teacher promoted him as a soloist in a 24-member choir group.

Jay Ruiz and his team
Jay Ruiz and his team

He also stands out as a percussionist, performing skillfully on the bongo, the congas and the drums; instruments that he would learn to play by ear when he was 8 years old.

When he turned 12, the guitar and the bass would be the instruments that would captivate him and to which he would dedicate his time.

When he turned 15, he decided to form his own Christian music group: this is how the New Creation group was born, in which he developed as a drummer and singer.

A year later, while he was a member of the baseball team that represented Puerto Rico, he was about to be signed by the University of Cleveland, but in the process he was diagnosed with neck and throat cancer.

Jay Ruiz photo
Jay Ruiz photo

He traveled to Maryland to undergo exhaustive examinations at the John Hopkins Hospital, the same ones that would determine that he would undergo six months of chemotherapy and subsequent radiotherapy, treatments that he would receive at the San Jorge Children’s Hospital (Santurce, Puerto Rico).

Before the radiation treatment he was warned that he would lose 85% of his vocal abilities, however, the story was different: August 12, 2001, he would finish the treatment for his illness and five days later, for his birthday, he meets in his town -Rincón- to the entire community in a musical activity in which he would play, sing and give testimony of his case.

Jay Ruiz
Jay Ruiz

Thinking about his future, he studies at the Interamerican University, San Germán Campus, where he obtains a bachelor’s degree as a Physical Education teacher for children with disabilities.

The illness of his father, who lived in New York, forces him to cross the pond to take care of him, until his death, five years later.

In 2011 he returned to Puerto Rico, and enrolled in the Ponce Paramedical College at the Mayagüez Medical Center, to continue studying Physiotherapy, however, he became involved again in music participating in the famous franchise IDOL PUERTO RICO, ranking among the 32 last finalists. He continues his academic life and at the same time, works as a chef in a restaurant, a situation that would lead him to serve a musical entrepreneur based in New Jersey (United States) who was visiting the island, and with whom he would start a friendly relationship first, that would turn into work a few months later, when the businessman invited him for an audition in the neighboring municipality of Cabo Rojo.

Jay Ruiz boards the flight
Jay Ruiz boards the flight

After that meeting, in 2014, Jay Ruiz would pack his bags again to settle in Newark (New Jersey, USA) from where he would launch his career as a performer of the bachata genre, and that he would have on the songs “Ven A Mí , Girl” and “Culpables” two singles of wide diffusion and consideration in the international radio circuits, to the point of having disputed with the last mentioned cut, the category of Favorite Tropical Song of the Latin American Music Awards between great personalities of the music like Víctor Manuelle, Prince Royce and Gente de Zona (feat. Marc Anthony).

Jay Ruiz
Jay Ruiz

In 2017 he becomes independent, returns to Puerto Rico and decides to promote his career, but this time as a salsero, recording the single “Lo Sé”, of his own, under the production of maestro Nino Segarra.

Two years later, he brings us this new single, of which he is also the author, both of the lyrics and the melody.

Jay Ruiz
Jay Ruiz

The following staff participate in this single:

Lyrics, Melody & Interpretation: Jay Ruiz

Arrangement: Ceferino Caban

Complete Percussion: Rafael “Tito” de Gracia

Bass: Alexis Perez

Trumpets: Luis Aquino

Trombones: Jorge Dobal

Choirs: Norberto Vélez Curbelo, David Carrero & Ceferino Caban

Piano & Keyboards: Ceferino Caban

Mastering: Esteban Piñero

Jay Ruiz
Jay Ruiz

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Augusto Felibertt
Augusto Felibertt
Latin America Coordinator at International Salsa Magazine LLC
[email protected]

P.O. Box 50631
Palo Alto, CA 94303
+1 408 287-9500
Augusto Felibertt
Latest posts by Augusto Felibertt (see all)
  • Beatriz Márquez Castro, an exponent of romantic songs, “Feeling” and Bolero - May 29, 2025
  • Isadora Duncan, destined for a life of freedom and the avant-garde, of beauty and tragedy - May 28, 2025
  • Los Surik is a musical group formed in Victoria, Las Tunas, in eastern Cuba - May 28, 2025

International Salsa Magazine (ISM) is a monthly publication about Salsa activities around the world, that has been publishing since 2007. It is a world network of volunteers coordinated by ISM Magazine. We are working to strengthen all the events by working together.