Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Edmundo Ros


An EP 45 I bought at Crewe flea market today for 20p. Predictably dull MOR version of latin sound. I was considering whether this was worthy of including here but seems churlish not too. Recorded at the Edmundo Ros' Club in London 1958.

Wikipedia says-

"Born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Ros' mother was an African-Venezuelan; his father was Scottish. Ros' parents separated not long after he was born, and he was enrolled into a military school, where he became interested in music and learned to play the euphonium or bombardin. From 1927 to 1937 his family lived in Caracas, Venezuela. He played in a military band for four years. Later, he received a music scholarship from the government. In June 1937, he moved to London, England to study classical music at the Royal Academy of Music. He soon returned to playing popular music and also recorded several sides as a sideman to Fats Waller who was visiting London in 1938.

In 1939, he formed his own rumba band, "Rumba With Ros". In 1941, he gained recognition with the track "Los Hijos de Buda" and was playing regularly at the elegant Coconut Grove club on Regent Street, which attracted members of high society.

In 1946, he owned a club, a dance school, a record company and an artist's agency. His band grew to 16 musicians. His album The Wedding Samba sold three million copies in 1949.

In 1951, he bought the Coconut Grove and renamed it Edmundo Ros' Dinner and Supper Club. The club became popular for its atmosphere and music; it closed in 1965. From 1964 to 1968 he was the owner of the internationally known and very exclusive Edmundo Ros Club on Regent Street.

His album Rhythms of The South (1957) was one of the first high-quality LP stereo records. He was with Decca records from 1944 to 1974.

In 1975 (at the age of 65) he retired and moved to Jávea, Alicante (Spain). On January 8, 1994, he gave his last public performance. Ros was appointed to the Order of the British Empire by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, in the 2000 New Year's Honours List.

He is also a Freemason and a member of Sprig of Acacia Lodge No 41, Javea, Spain."


Edmundo Ros - On The Sunny Side Of The Street

Edmundo Ros - The Nearness Of You


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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Freemasonry is satanism. Good. Now we know that the diable dances the cha-cha.....

Anonymous said...

His stuff May Be A Little Bit M.O.R But I Dont Mind A Bit Of Mr ros! :)