LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION mourning the death of Ralph Mercado Jr., the
impresario who took salsa music from New York City to the world

WHEREAS, It is with great sorrow and deep regret that this Legislative
Body records the passing of Ralph Mercado Jr. on March 10, 2009, at the
age of 67, noting the significance of his purposeful life and accom-
plishments; and
WHEREAS, Routinely called the largest promoter of salsa music and
compared to other titans in the music industry, Ralph Mercado Jr. took
his passion for Latin music and built an empire around it, staging
concerts and creating a recording and publishing label, a film and video
company, and nightclubs and restaurants; and
WHEREAS, The manager of stars like Tito Puente and Celia Cruz, Ralph
Mercado Jr. discovered and helped shape the careers of numerous others,
including Marc Anthony and La India; his RMM label recorded more than
130 artists in genres including salsa, Latin jazz, Latin rock and
meringue; and
WHEREAS, Ralph Mercado Jr. also organized concerts of salsa music, a
lively hybrid of Cuban rhythms, big bands and American harmonies, in
large halls like Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and the
Hollywood Bowl; and
WHEREAS, Credited with injecting new energy into salsa music with
powerful percussion and brass lines, Ralph Mercado Jr. promoted blending
the music with other influences, including Brazilian and African; he
expanded internationally, and even brought an 11-member native-Japanese
salsa band to the United States; and
WHEREAS, The son of a Dominican dockworker and a Puerto Rican factory
worker, Ralph Mercado Jr. was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1941; while
still a teenager, he was organizing parties and dances as president of a
neighborhood social club; and
WHEREAS, In that basement club, Ralph Mercado Jr. started his first
management, booking and promotions company, Showstoppers, and started a
Salsa/Soul music trend by promoting R&B acts such as James Brown, Aretha
Franklin, Gladys Knight & the Pips, the Stylistics, the Chi-lites, and
many others; and
WHEREAS, Ralph Mercado Jr. soon began throwing salsa parties at the 3
& 1 Club in Brooklyn, as well as booking local bands such as Eddie
Palmieri and Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz; and
WHEREAS, Venturing into Manhattan, Ralph Mercado Jr. helped to expand
the Fania All-Stars, while promoting dances at the Cheetah Nightclub and
presenting Latin jazz at the Red Garter and later, at the Village Gate
and other downtown venues; and
WHEREAS, An astute judge of talent, Ralph Mercado Jr. opened RMM
Management in 1972, and went on to manage virtually every name in the
industry; in the 1990s, he invested the fruits of his success into the
creation of a record label, RMM Records, which expanded into numerous
other companies including RMM Filmworks and two Publishing Houses; and
WHEREAS, Following the sale of RMM Records in June 2001, Ralph Mercado
Jr. returned to his passion of producing and staging Latin music events
worldwide; his first event was an inaugural Fania All-Star Concert reun-
ion which took the birth of salsa at the legendary 1970s Cheetah Night-
club full circle in a 30-year anniversary tribute to the former Fania
Label President, Jerry Masucci; and
WHEREAS, Ralph Mercado Jr. then aligned himself with the entertainment
titans of the Latin music industry, Spanish Broadcasting System Enter-
tainment and Cardenas, Fernandez & Associates, to produce the wildly
successful return of the internationally renowned Dominican artist, Juan

Luis Guerra in Miami, as well as the 40th anniversary of Puerto Rico's
pride, El Gran Combo with Gilberto Santa Rosa, Andy Montanez and Tito
Rojas; and
WHEREAS, Always an entrepreneur, Ralph Mercado Jr. ran the Latino
Nouveau Restaurant, Babalu in midtown New York and L.Q., a restaurant,
lounge nightclub and disco at the Hotel Lexington Radisson; he also
invented a new cuisine, La'Tasian, which combined Asian cuisine, from
Thai to Vietnamese, with a Latino flavor; and
WHEREAS, A former member of the Board of Governors for NARAS, Ralph
Mercado Jr. was the recipient of countless awards and proclamations, and
was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Tribute from BILLBOARD in 1999;
and
WHEREAS, Ralph Mercado Jr. is survived by his wife, Cynthia; his
daughters, Debbie, Damaris, Melissa and Chanel; his son, Ralph III; his
brothers, John Ayala, Richard Ayala and Jorge Sanchez; his sister, Ange-
lica Kreiger; and six grandchildren, all of whom felt privileged to be a
part of his life and rejoiced in his many achievements; and
WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit, imbued with a sense of
compassion, and comforted by a loving family, Ralph Mercado Jr. leaves
behind a legacy which will long endure the passage of time and will
remain as a comforting memory to all he served and befriended; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Ralph Mercado Jr., the impresario who took salsa
music from New York City to the world; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Ralph Mercado Jr.