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Edmundo Ros

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Edmundo Ros

Edmundo William Ros OBE (born 7 December 1910) is a musician, vocalist, arranger and bandleader. He directed a highly popular Latin-American orchestra, had an extensive recording career, and owned one of London's leading night-clubs.

Life

Born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, Ros' mother was a black Venezuelan and his father was of Scottish origin. Edmundo was the eldest of four children: two sisters, Ruby and Eleanor, followed by half-brother Hugo.[1] Ros' parents separated after Hugo was born, and after various false steps he was enrolled into a military academy. There he became interested in music and learned to play the euphonium-bombardin. From 1927 to 1937 his family lived in Caracas, Venezuela. He played in the Venezuelan Military Academy Band as well as being a tympanist in the Venezuelan Symphony Orchestra. Later he received a music scholarship from the government, under which from 1937 to 1942 he studied harmony, composition and orchestration at the Royal Academy of Music, London.[2] At the same time he was the vocalist and percussionist in Don Marino Baretto’s band at the Embassy Club and also recorded several sides as a sideman to Fats Waller who was visiting London in 1938.

Ros married twice: Britt Johansen in 1950, Susan in 1971. The first marriage produced two children, Douglas and Louisa.[1]

Rumba Band

In August 1940 he formed his own rumba band, Edmundo Ros and his Rumba band. In 1941 he cut his first tracks, with Parlophone, the first number being Los Hijos de Buda. The group played regularly at the Coconut Grove club in Regent Street, which attracted members of high society.[3] Ros's bands were always based in London night-clubs or restaurants. The first was the Cosmo Club in Wardour Street; then followed the St. Regis Hotel, Cork Street, the Coconut Grove, and the Bagatelle Restaurant. At the Bagatelle, a visit from Princess Elizabeth and party made his name. The future Queen made her first public dance to Edmundo's music. The subsequent newspaper reports made his name.

In 1946, he owned a club, a dance school, a record company and an artist's agency. His band grew to 16 musicians. His number The Wedding Samba, 1949, sold three million 78s. His album Rhythms of The South (1958) was one of the first high-quality LP stereo records; it sold a million copies. He was with Decca records from 1944 to 1974, and altogether he made over 800 recordings.[3]

In 1951, he bought the Coconut Grove on Regent Street and later, in 1964, renamed it Edmundo Ros' Dinner and Supper Club. The club became popular for its atmosphere and music; but it closed in 1965, when legalised casino gambling had milked many of the best customers.

In 1975, during his seventh tour of Japan, the band's Musicians Union shop steward tried to usurp Ros's authority by making arrangements with venues behind his back. Upon their return to the UK, Ros organised a celebratory dinner after a BBC recording session, and announced the disbanding of the orchestra. Moreover, he destroyed almost all of the charts (arrangement sheets), which conclusively ended the orchestra's existence.[1][3] Ros was only 64 at the time, and no doubt would have continued for years, as did Victor Silvester and Joe Loss, who continued with their dance bands virtually to the end of their lives.

Ros retired and moved to Jávea, Alicante (Spain). On 8 January 1994 he gave his last public performance. At the age of 90, in the 2000 New Year's Honours List, Ros was appointed to the Order of the British Empire.

Ros is a Freeman of the City of London, and a Mason, a member of Sprig of Acacia Lodge No 41, Javea, Spain.

Discography

Harlequin CDs

This set of eight CDs includes all the known 78s recorded up to and including 1950; the source material was the 78rpm collection of Christian af Rosenborg; the notes were by Pepe Luhtala; the remastering by Charlie Crump. The series was never completed, but most of the later Ros material is available on LP or CD. Some of the Harlequin series is available on Naxos. Although the title of these CDs describes his group as 'Rumba Band', in the post-war period it expanded to 16 members, and was known as 'Edmundo Ros and his Orchestra'.

  • Edmundo Ros and his Rumba Band 1939–1941, Harlequin CD 15. Includes about 8 minutes of E.R. discussing the early days of his career.
  • Tropical Magic: Edmundo Ros and his Rumba Band vol 2 1942–1944. Harlequin CD 50. Includes four sets of E.R. continuing his autobiographic reminiscences.
  • Cuban Love Song: Edmundo Ros and his Rumba Band vol 3 1945. Harlequin CD 73.
  • Chiquita Banana: Edmundo Ros and his Rumba Band vol 4 1946–1947. Harlequin CD 105.
  • La Comparsa: Edmundo Ros and his Rumba Band vol 5 1948. Harlequin CD 129.
  • Chocolate Whisky and Vanilla Gin: Edmundo Ros and his Rumba Band vol 6 1948–1949. Harlequin CD 147.
  • Mambo Jambo: Edmundo Ros and his Rumba Band vols 7 & 8 1949–1950. Harlequin CD 164/165.

10" LPs

Decca issued an initial series of 33rpm 10-inch LPs in the early 1950s, consisting of previously issued 78rpm sides. Labels were Decca (UK and Commonwealth), and London (a subsidiary) in the USA.

  • Latin-American Rhythms, Edmundo Ros and his Rumba Band, Decca LF 1002. Latin Rhythms, Edmundo Ros and his Orchestra, London 155, is identical in content.
  • Mambo with Ros. Decca LF 1038, and London LPB 341.
  • Samba with Ros. Decca LF, and London LB 367.
  • Latin-American Rhythms with Ros. Decca LP 1051, and London LPB 368.
  • Ros presents Calypsos. Decca LF 1067, and London LB 367.
  • Dance the Samba. Decca LF, and London LB 742.

12" LPs

Three labels, all owned by Decca: Decca in UK & Commonwealth; London in USA, and Richmond, a cut-price reissue label in USA.

  • Latin-American Novelties. London LL 1090.
  • Ros Mambos. London LL 1092. Decca 1956
  • Latin Melodies. London LL 1093.
  • Ros Album of Sambas. London LL 1117. Richmond B 20032 has same content, but only 10 numbers where Decca/London has14.
  • Ros Album of Calypsos. Decca LK 4102. 1956
  • Ros Album of Baions. Decca LK 4111. One side of Baiaos, the other of boleros.
  • Latin Carnival. Richmond B 20023.
  • Rhythms Of The South (Decca 1958),
  • Calypso Man (Decca 1958),
  • Perfect For Dancing (Decca 1958),
  • Ros On Broadway (Decca 1959),
  • Hollywood Cha Cha Cha (Decca 1959),
  • Bongos From The South (Decca 1961),
  • Dance Again (Decca 1962),
  • Sing And Dance With Edmundo Ros (Decca 1963),
  • Heath versus Ros (Decca Phase 4 1964),
  • Heath versus Ros, Round Two (Decca Phase 4 1967),
  • This Is My World (Decca 1972),
  • Ros Remembers (Decca 1974),
  • Edmundo Ros Today (Decca 1978),
  • Show Boat/Porgy & Bess, LP
  • Ros at the Opera
  • Broadway goes Latin
  • New Rhythms of The South
  • Latin Boss...Señor Ros
  • Arriba
  • Latin Hits I Missed
  • Hair Goes Latin
  • Heading South of the Border
  • The Latin King
  • This is My World
  • Caribbean Ros
  • Sunshine and Olé!
  • Give My Regards to Broadway
  • That Latin Sound
  • Latin Favourites (Gold Crown 1979),
  • Latin Song And Dance Men (Pye 1980),
  • Music For The Millions (Decca 1983),
  • Strings Latino (London 1985),
  • Latin Magic (London 1987),
  • That Latin Sound (Pulse 1997)
  • Doin' the Samba, CD
  • Rhythms of the South/New Rhythms of the South, CD
  • Good! Good! Good! CD
  • Strings Latino/Latin Hits I Missed CD

References

  1. ^ a b c Bill Johnson 2005/6. The Life and Times of Edmundo Ros. Journey into Melody 166: Dec 2005, 17-20; 167: Mar 2006, 67-71.
  2. ^ "Ros, Edmundo", Grove Music Online.
  3. ^ a b c Pepe Luhtala, liner notes to Tropical Magic, vol 2 of Harlequin Records CD 50. These notes were based on interviews with Edmundo Ros.
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