Latino Music Cafe

The legacy of Ralph Mercado, Part 2

Posted on 25. Mar, 2009 by Hector Aviles in Latino Music

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There is much to say about Ralph Mercado, and I’m just brushing the surface here. There is a comment on my original post which has a link to a Hot News YouTube video of an interview with Ralph. There is also a great post on the at Latin Jazz Corner blog on Ralph Mercado, so be sure to check it out.

I wanted to follow-up my initial post on The legacy of Ralph Mercado to talk more about the importance of his job as a promoter.

Because Fania records, and its sister labels, were basically the only game in town, they had tight grip on the money made from records. That in itself, is a whole topic that I will not address now, but it is good to note for its importance. Ruben Blades was perhaps the one artist who stood up to his fellow lawyer, Jerry Masucci - head of Fania, and started demanding more transparency of the money flow. Other artists, just left, like Bobby Valentin, who went on to form his own recording label.

Artist depended on gigs to put food on the table. Ralph played a key role not only by being one of the key promoter of events in NYC, but also promoter of well-paid international tours. He promoted perhaps, one of the biggest events recorded, the Fania All Stars Live at the Cheetah back in 1972. The artists records served the musicians as marketing promotional material, and the tours, their livelihood. That’s why musicians loved Ralph so much. He really helped them and made sure everyone got their share.

Here is a link to a part of the TV show “Despierta America”, remembering Ralph Mercado.

Despierta America - Ralph Mercado

Tags: Fania, hector lavoe, latin music, ralph mercado, salsa, willie colon