Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz

Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz

Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz are an American musical duo consisting of Ricardo "Richie" Ray and Roberto "Bobby" Cruz. The duo was formed in 1963 and rose to fame in the mid-1960s. They are one of the most famous interpreters of 'salsa brava' music. The duo is well known for helping to establish the popularity of salsa music in the 1960s and 1970s. They are also notable for fusioning elements of classical music and rock with traditional Latin music. Among their biggest hits were "Richie's Jala Jala", "Agúzate", "El Sonido Bestial", and "Bomba Camará". They are also famous for their christmas songs "Seis chorreao", "Bomba en Navidad", and "Bella es la Navidad". The duo was popular from 1965 to 1974 throughout Latin America and the United States, specially in Caribbean countries. In 1974, following a conversion to Evangelicalism and the inclusion of religious themes in the song's lyrics, the duo's popularity fell. The group continued releasing albums but broke up in the 1990s. In 1999, they reunited, and they have been touring and releasing new albums since then. In November 2006, the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences gave Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz a Lifetime Achievement Award.

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