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September 29, 1941- March 10, 2009
Music impresario Ralph Mercado passed away today, Tuesday, March
10, at 4:30 pm at Hackensack University Medical Center
surrounded by his beloved family. Mercado passed after
sustaining a two year battle with cancer.
He is survived by his wife Cynthia and his five children,
Debbie, Damaris, Melissa, Ralph Mercado III, Chanel, and his
siblings, John Ayala, Richard Ayala and Angelica Kreiger, Jorge
Sanchez, Naomi Santiago and his 6 grandchildren Deanna, Devin,
Delisa, Dahvid, Damar and Riley with another on the way,
numerous nieces, nephews and godchildren.
For more than 30 years, Mercado has been the most important
figure in staging Latin music events worldwide as well as in
building a record label, publishing company, a video and film
production arm, and a catalog of award-winning international
hits that transformed the Latin music industry.
Born in 1941, Mercado was organizing parties and dances as
president of a neighborhood social club while still a teenager.
He began by producing ’waistline parties' where guys were
admitted free but had to pay a penny per inch of their dates'
waistline. Mercado's parties then moved from the basement to the
second floor above a garage on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. He
called this new hotspot the 3 & 1 Club. There he began booking
local Latin bands such as Eddie Palmieri and Richie Ray & Bobby
Cruz, among many others. Shortly there after, Mercado began his
first management, booking and promotions company called
Showstoppers. He promoted R&B acts including James Brown, Aretha
Franklin, Gladys Knight & the Pips, the Stylistics, the Chi-lites,
and others, starting a salsa/soul music trend.
From Brooklyn, Mercado ventured into Manhattan. He helped to
expand the Fania All-Stars, promoted dances at the Cheetah
Nightclub, and presented Latin jazz at the Red Garter and,
later, at the Village Gate and other downtown venues. His
partnership with Jack Hooke, the late Tito Puente's longtime
manager and confidante, that created the Salsa Meets Jazz Series
at the Village Gate and the Latin Jazz Jam as part of the JVC
Jazz Festival.
An astute judge of talent, Mercado opened RMM Management in
1972, representing Eddie Palmieri and Ray Barretto. He went on
to manage virtually every name in the industry, including its
two biggest stars, Tito Puente and Celia Cruz. His promotions
grew more popular, and by 1987, the wildly popular ’Latin Tinge’
nights at the Palladium on New York's 14th Street were bringing
3,000 salseros to dance every Thursday night. Mercado managed
these events until 1992, when he refocused his energies on the
creation of a record label, RMM. He expanded his venture into
numerous companies including RMM Records, RMM Filmworks, and two
publishing houses. With over 140 artists signed to RMM Records,
the label sold millions of recordings a year. The recipient of
countless awards and proclamations, Ralph Mercado was honored
with a Lifetime Achievement Tribute by Billboard Magazine in
1999. ??Always an innovator, Ralph Mercado pioneered the
presentation of salsa music in Africa, South America, Asia, and
Israel. He was one of the first to bring Latin music concerts to
such prestigious venues as Radio City Music Hall with Julio
Iglesias' New York performance; Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher
Hall; the Beacon Theater; and Madison Square Garden. In 1976
Mayor Abraham Beame presented Mercado with a proclamation
establishing the September concerts as ’Official New York Salsa
Day.’ Mercado's events attracted corporate partners such as Coca
Cola, Procter & Gamble, Phillip Morris, McDonalds' and others.
Mercado's organizational and management skills throughout did
much to shape the growth of the music that would become known as
salsa. Mercado's efforts refined the concepts of promotion,
performance and touring that would become the industry standard.
Mercado personally discovered, mentored, and shaped the careers
of young superstars Marc Anthony and La India, and made them
world-famous. His knack for working with talent powered the
careers of Domingo Qui’ones, Tony Vega, Jos' Alberto ’El Canario,’
Tito Nieves, and many others. And Mercado is responsible for
developing the entrepreneurial spirit of today's young
promoters. With a keen understanding of his market, Mercado
maintained a dense network of relationships with radio people,
press outlets, distributors and retailers, and many others in
the infrastructure of the Latin music industry.
In June 2001, Mercado returned to his passion of producing and
staging Latin music events worldwide. As a restauranteur,
Mercado opened the American themed steak house Alma Grill, the
upscale Mexican Restaurant Zona Rosa, and the Latino Nouveau
Restaurant and Lounge Babal’ in midtown New York. He also
reopened the former Club Broadway as LQ (the Latin Quarter).
Mercado's RMM Filmworks produced the internationally recognized
and acclaimed documentary on the history of Latin music, Yo Soy
Del Son A La Salsa, and his publishing companies, Caribbean Wave
and Crossing Borders, provided music for major feature films,
television and soap operas.
Above all, Mercado's success stemmed from his feeling for the
music. ’In the very beginning,’ said Mercado ’I started RMM
(Ralph Mercado Management) and the other companies because I
loved the music. I still do.’ Mercado first fell in love with
the rhythms while at the Palladium Nightclub when he was only
16, watching the big bands of Machito, Tito Puente and Tito
Rodriguez. ’Right then I knew I would be involved with this
wonderful music one way or another. And thank God I was never a
musician.’ he confesses slyly. ’I would probably have been
terrible and would have starved to death. I used to dance a
little but nothing to write home about. My forte is as a
promoter,’ he proudly stated. ’I've always been a promoter.’
Notwithstanding, this promoter of humble Brooklyn, New York
roots and Puerto Rican/Dominican parentage rised to the top
through sheer hard work, dedication and belief in the rhythms of
his ancestors.
Never straying far from his urban roots, Mercado embraced his
family in the business, as well as, in the home. Eldest
daughter, Debra Mercado served RMM as National Director of
Publicity and Operations for ten years. His next to eldest
daughter Damaris was Production Manager and Art Director, while
younger siblings Melissa and Ralph, Jr. have Closely connected
to his family, described by the Daily News as, ’Energized by his
love of Latin music, Mercado, who also found time for his six
grandchildren, has made our music the world's delight.’
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