Raul Rosario
Raúl Rosario García was born on March 5, 1981 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His parents
are Raúl Rosario Concepción and Flor Deliz García Sierra. From an early age, Raúl or “Raulito”, as many affectionately know him, showed interest, predisposition and ability in music, specifically percussion. At the age of 7, he formally began studying music at the Escuela De Bellas Artes, in the municipality of Carolina, P.R. He began his studies with the teacher, musician and musicologist Raúl Berríos, who was also his mentor. The first instrument that Raúl began to study was the drums and then Latin percussion (conga, bongo, timpani, and minor percussion).
At the age of 15, he began playing the timpani and drums in the Sonido Tempo orchestra,
led by bassist, orchestra leader, and renowned orchestra promoter, Roberto Torres. This orchestra has been in the industry for over 30 years, and Raulito’s father (Raúl Rosario Concepción) is currently the bongos player in it. Then, approximately at the age of 16, he began taking private classes to learn how to read music and musical techniques with percussionist Rafael “Tito” De Gracia, who is one of his greatest influences in his development as a musician and who is also a renowned percussionist both locally and internationally. Raulito has had the blessing and the opportunity to play with several important orchestras and solo singers from different musical genres thanks to his talent,
effort, and discipline. For example, in the salsa genre he has had the opportunity to play with
Domingo Quiñones, Luis Enrique, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Víctor Manuelle, Tony Vega, Hermanos Gaitanes, Karla Marie, Luisito Carrión, Adalberto Santiago, La Puertorican Power, Rey Ruiz , Andy Montañez, Brenda K. Starr, La INDIA, Carolina Lao, Michael Stuart, Orquesta Mulenze, Tito Nieves, Moncho Rivera, Willie Colón, Huey Dunbar (former singer of the group DLG), Maelo Ruiz, Gerardo Rivas, Tito Allen, Johnny Rivera (of whom he has been the Musical Director on some occasions), Charlie Cruz, Norberto Vélez (Nor-bert) N’ KLABE, José Alberto “El Canario”, and Nino Segarra, Marlon (graduate and winner of the third edition of the reality show “Objetivo Fama”), to mention a few of them. Additionally, in the genre of typical Puerto Rican music or Folkloric music, he has played with Grupo Atabal, of which his father is the conguero and singer, and with Grupo Plena Libre, who have been nominated 4 times for the Grammy Awards and in which he participated for 3 years. With them he had the opportunity to visit several countries, including Mexico, where they
recorded a live album in the city of Monterrey, titled “Plena Al Salsero”. In 2004, he participated as a musician (bongocero) in the filming of the movie “Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights” with the Big Band directed by the pianist, arranger, producer, and singer “Cucco” Peña. Then, in 2012, he participated again in the filming of another film titled “Runner, Runner”, but this time as a timpanist with trumpeter Humberto Ramírez’s orchestra.
He also participated in the reggaeton genre approximately in 2004-2005, being a multiple
percussionist for one of the greatest exponents of urban music, Daddy Yankee, in 2 of his
performances at the Coliseum of Puerto Rico. This band was also musically directed by
trumpeter, arranger, and music producer, Humberto Ramírez. During a live performance with Grupo Truco y Zaperoco, Raúl was the substitute timbalero for his teacher Rafael “Tito” De Gracia. He has also played with some performers of the national instrument, the Puerto Rican cuatro, such as Emma Colón Zayas (sister of the renowned cuatrista Edwin Colón Zayas), and with Pedrito Guzmán. With the latter he has participated in several recordings, one of them being “TIPLE JAZZ”; it was nominated for the Grammy Awards in 2008.
In the Christian music genre, he has participated as a percussionist (multiple percussion,
major and minor) with well-known performers such as the brothers David and Abraham
Velázquez, Bethliza Cintrón (wife of Abraham Velázquez), Samuel Hernández, and Ezequiel
Colón, for whom he’s currently the timpanist and musical director. With all of them, Raúl has
had the opportunity to be in some of their musical productions, including Abraham Velázquez’s new album, which was released quite some time ago. He also recorded, alongside William “Kachiro Thompson, a live album by the brothers David and Abraham, titled “La Trayectoria” in 2008. In the Pop Genre, he has participated in live performances and recordings of Juan Vélez, who’s a graduate from the reality show “Objetivo Fama”. Raúl has also recorded the salsa versions of the hits “Te Tengo o Te Perdí”, the main theme of the novel “El Clon”, and the song that was heard on different radio stations in the country and on the internet, “Tu Espacio Vacío.”
In the Latin Jazz genre, he participated as a timpanist in the song “Mi Tambor”
(nominated for the Grammy Awards) which was the first production of the renowned and
respected percussionist, Paoli Mejías. Raúl also participated in the second production of the
respected and renowned percussionist Rafael “Tito” De Gracia titled “Atmosphere”. This time he participated as a conguero in most of the production, joining percussionists (congueros) Richie Flores and Paoli Mejías. He has also participated in more than 100 recordings, among which 2 songs for the singer Marc Anthony stand out (recorded between 2010 and 2011). One of the songs that was heard a lot nationally and internationally was the salsa version of “A Quien Quiero Mentirle”. In this recording, he participated as a timbalero and bongo player and in the other only as a timbalero, uniting his talent with the percussionist (conguero) Samuel “Sammy”. García and the bongo player Carmelo Álvarez. These 2 songs were produced by the master Ángel “Cucco” Pena and the tremendous bassist and arranger José Gazmey. He also recorded the percussion of Banco Popular’s new “Jingle” (POPULAR
MORTGAGE), which was broadcast on several radio stations and television channels. The
“jingle” or commercial was broadcast for an entire year, including in movie theaters. The singers Ismael Miranda, Cheo Feliciano, and Víctor Manuelle participated in said advertisement or commercial.
He has also participated in important events such as the Puerto Rico Heineken Jazz Fest
in 2004, with Tito De Gracia’s Naoka Jam Group, the Jazz Fest in Morocco (Africa) with the
Plena Libre Group, and El Día Nacional de Salsa with the Ng2 Youth Group in approximately
2003. Then, in March 2013, he participated as a timbalero in singer Tony Vega’s single, titled
“Para Querernos”, and produced and arranged by trumpeter, arranger, and producer Humberto Ramírez. Another recording in which he participated at the beginning of that year, but in this case as a timbalero, bongos’ player, and minor percussionist, was in the song titled “Yo También”, in which the singers Marc Anthony and the exponent of the bachata genre, Romeo Santos (former member of Grupo Aventura), participated. The song was arranged and produced by Ángel “Cucco” Peña and José Gazmey.
In 2010, in the month of June, he traveled to Panama to be the guest timbalero (the only
Puerto Rican musician) in a tribute paid to Tito Puente, along with a big band of talented
musicians from the patio. There he also managed to offer his first Latin percussion clinic outside of his country and the first in his entire musical career up to that point.
He was also part of a live program (a reality show) called “YO CANTO”, which was
broadcast several Fridays and Saturdays on the Telemundo network (channel 2 in Puerto Rico). There he participated as a multiple percussionist (conga, bongo, djembe, cajon, minor
percussion, etc.), performing various musical genres. The Program began on February 12, 2011, and ended on May 14, 2011, and was viewed in the US on the Internet. Also, from 2011 to 2013, he was part of the band of the Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Kany García, as a multiple percussionist. In April 2013, the recording of a Big Band album by pianist, arranger, and producer Javier Fernández was completed. Raulito participated as a timpanist in some of the songs and in others he recorded all the percussion. Later, in May 2013, he had the opportunity to record all the percussion (timbal, conga, and bongo), in what at that time was the new single by tropical musicsinger (salsa), José Alberto “El Canario” titled “Mulato Rumbero”. Raúl has worked with producers such as: Ángel “Cucco” Pena, José Gazmey, Humberto Ramírez, Guillermo Calderón, Julito Alvarado Ramón Sánchez, Ángelo Torres, Luis García, Marcos Sánchez, Juan Carlos “Juaco” Cardona and Luis “Perico” Ortiz, Frankie Suárez, Hernando “Nando” López, Carlos “Carlitos” García, Javier “Javy” Fernández and Javier Fernández. Additionally, he has played on important international stages such as: The Latin Grammys with the Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Kany García, the National Theater of Dominican Republic with Gilberto Santa Rosa, and the Latin American Festival in Rome, Italy with Luis Enrique. But one of the most significant concerts was in February 2013, where he was part of the 2 performances of El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico (50th Anniversary of Los Mulatos del Sabor and the Universidad de la Salsa), in one of the most important and emblematic halls of Puerto Rico: The Santurce Fine Arts Center (San Juan, P.R.). His participation was as a guest timbalero on the song “Timbalero”.
Another significant moment in his musical career was at the beginning of 2013,
specifically in the month of January, at the musical event called “Puerto Rico Jazz Jam”, which was organized and produced by Humberto Ramírez. Sometime later, this time in his native country, Puerto Rico, he was part of another tribute to the “King of the Timbal” with a dream Big Band of friends and fellow musicians, directed by Humberto Ramírez. He participated as a guest timpanist, along with two great percussionists whom he considers his teachers and mentors, Rafael “Tito” De Gracia and David Rosado Cuba. They played in the song “El Rey Del Timbal” in a posthumous tribute to who in life was a great percussionist, excellent musician, arranger, and producer, Tito Puente. This took place in another important theater in his country, the Tapia Theater in Old San Juan.
In 2015, Raúl became part of the orchestra of salsa singer Víctor Manuelle, and years
later, in 2021, he participated with the Puerto Rico Philharmonic Orchestra in the Ms. World
Beauty Pageant, held at the Coca-Cola Music Hall in San Juan, PR. In the year 2023, specifically in the month of September, he played in a very important concert that marked a before and after in the history of music in P.R.: the concert titled “Symphonic Jazz” by the Big Band of the great trumpeter, arranger, and producer Humberto Ramírez with the Puerto Rico Philharmonic Orchestra. This happened in one of the most beautiful and important halls in Puerto Rico, the Pablo Casals Symphony Hall at the Centro de Bellas Artes de Santurce, PR.
Now, as recently as the month of October, he recorded the timbale in a very well-known
song that has been recorded on many occasions by various singers and performers, titled
“Sombras Nada Más”, which was included in the traditional Banco Popular de Puerto Rico
Special of this year 2023. The title of this musical special is “Salsa, Flavor, and Evolution”
, and was performed by the singer of the salsa genre, Luis Enrique. This was broadcast this past December 3 in and outside of Puerto Rico. For Raúl, participating in this was a dream come true.