RMM Records, also known as RMM Records & Video Corp, was an independent

Latin music Latin music ( Portuguese and es, música latina) is a term used by the music industry as a catch-all category for various styles of music from Ibero-America (including Spain and Portugal) and the Latino United States inspired by Latin Amer ...

record label established in 1987 and based in New York City. The label was most active during the late 1980s and early 1990s and produced primarily salsa, Latin jazz, and merengue music. At its peak, RMM Records employed 55 staff members and had distribution deals in 42 cities around the world, occupying 9,000 square feet in two floors at its Soho headquarters. The label was established by Fania Records promoter Ralph Mercado, who had established RMM Management in 1972 as an artist management and booking agency, providing bookings for Latin artists Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, and

Ray Barretto Raymundo "Ray" Barretto Pagán (April 29, 1929 – February 17, 2006) was an American percussionist and bandleader of Puerto Rican descent. Throughout his career as a percussionist, he played a wide variety of Latin music styles, as well as Lati ...

. Artists who recorded for the label included Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Tito Nieves, Oscar D'Leon, Eddie Palmieri,

Cheo Feliciano Cheo Feliciano (3 July 1935 – 17 April 2014) was a Puerto Rican singer and composer of salsa and bolero music. Feliciano was the owner of a recording company called "Coche Records". He was the first tropical singer to perform at the "Amira de ...

, Ismael Miranda, José Alberto "El Canario", Tony Vega, Johnny Rivera, Ray Sepúlveda, Domingo Quiñones, Miles Peña, Orquesta Guayacan, Conjunto Clasico,

Manny Manuel Cruz Manuel Hernández Santiago (born December 1, 1972), known artistically as Manny Manuel, is a Puerto Rican musician and singer of merengue, bolero, and tropical music. He became famous first as a member of the group Los Sabrosos del Mereng ...

, the New York Band,

Marc Anthony Marco Antonio Muñiz Rivera (born September 16, 1968), known professionally as Marc Anthony, is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. A three-time Grammy Award and six-time Latin G ...

La India Linda Viera Caballero (born March 9, 1969), better known as La India, is a Puerto Rican singer and songwriter of salsa, house music and Latin pop. La India has been nominated for both Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards, winning the Latin Gra ...

. Record producers included

Sergio George Sergio George (born May 23, 1961) is an American pianist, arranger, and record producer, known for working with many famous performers of salsa music, although he has worked in other genres of the music industry as well. He has worked with some ...

, Isidro Infante, and Humberto Ramirez.

Empire and legacy

RMM filed for bankruptcy in November 2000, selling its assets to

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...

. According to the

NY Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

, unpaid royalties, as well as a lawsuit settlement of $7.7 million to Glenn Monroig totaling over $11 million, plus interest, contributed to the end of RMM Records. On June 25, 2001, as part of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy sale, Universal Music Group (UMG) announced the acquisition of RMM’s assets.

Founder and key staff

* Ralph Mercado Jr. (September 29, 1941 – March 10, 2009) was born in Brooklyn to a Puerto Rican mother and Dominican father. He entered the music business as a teenager, organizing parties and dances as president of a neighborhood social club. In the 1960s, he promoted R & B and soul artists like James Brown and paired them with Latin artists like Mongo Santamaria. In the 1980s-1990s, Mercado was a promoter of

Latin Jazz Latin jazz is a genre of jazz with Latin American rhythms. The two main categories are Afro-Cuban jazz, rhythmically based on Cuban popular dance music, with a rhythm section employing ostinato patterns or a clave (rhythm), clave, and Afro-Brazil ...

Latin rock Latin rock is a term to describe a subgenre blending traditional sounds and elements of Latin American and Hispanic Caribbean folk with rock music. However, it is widely used in the English-language media to refer any kind of rock music featurin ...

, Merengue and Salsa. He established a network of businesses that promoted concerts, managed artists, and led to the foundation of the record label Ritmo Mundo Musical (RMM). Following the bankruptcy of RMM in 2000, Ralph Mercado returned to artist promotion. * Debra A. Mercado, starting in the early 1990s, was RMM's National Director of Publicity, as well as overseeing international promotions generated by RMM International. She also was in charge of public relations for four other enterprises: RMM (Management), Ralph Mercado Presents, Caribbean Waves Music (ASCAP), and Crossing Borders Music Inc. (BMI). * Damaris L Mercado, started her production career with her father while in her teens. She moved up the ranks from Production Assistant on concerts and music video projects traveling to different cities and countries and landing in Miami. There she worked out of the RMM Records office based in the Sony Discos headquarters as Manager of Production & Manufacturing eventually making her way back to New York City during the transition to Universal Music and culminating her position as Director of Global Production & Manufacturing. *George Nenadich, who has been with Sirius XM Radio on the Caliente channel for the last 11 years as host of the very popular classic salsa program "Salsa Nation" on Caliente, every Saturday morning at 10:00am EST, as well as Rumbon (a 24Hour classic salsa channel launched by George Nenadich with the program La Jungla de Rumbon every Friday night at 7pm EST), became part of RMM Records in November 1988 as Promotions Director. One of the first employees of the label along with Martha Cancel (who was there prior and managed the everyday operations of the label at that time, including promotions).

Familiar recordings

*'' Combinación Perfecta'' 1993 *''

Tropical Tribute to The Beatles ''Tropical Tribute to the Beatles'' is a tribute album of tropical artists released in 1996 by RMM Records (Ralph Mercado's record company), produced by Oscar Gomez (music producer), Oscar Gomez (distributed by Bellaphon & Uni Distribution). Arra ...

'' 1996 *'' Recordando a Selena'' 1996 *'' En Vivo'' 1994 (recorded at Miami Arena, July 1993) *'' European Explosion'' 1996 (recorded at Cannes, February 1995)

Artists

* Tony Vega * Van Lester * Ray Sepúlveda * Jesús Enríquez *

Guianko Guianko Gomez Medina, born in Havana, Cuba, is a salsa singer. Guianko's debut album, ''Llamame Yanko'', was released in 1995. This album featured the song "Temes", which reached #11 on the Billboard Latin singles chart that year. He had a Spanish ...

(also known as Yanko) * Louie Ramirez * Ray De La Paz * 3-2 Get Funky * Tito Puente * Humberto Ramírez *

* Miles Peña * Vanessa * Isidro Infante & La Elite * José Alberto "El Canario" * Tito Nieves * Celia Cruz * Giovanny Hidalgo * Orquesta de la Luz (Co-Distributed by BMG Victor Japan) * Pete "El Conde" Rodríguez * Guayacán Orquesta *

Michael Stuart Michael Stuart (born January 13, 1975) is an American salsa singer, songwriter and actor. Early years Stuart was born in New York City, to Puerto Rican parents who settled in the 1960s after moving from Puerto Rico. There Stuart received ...

* Ismael Miranda * Antonio Cartagena * Corinne *

Kevin Ceballo Kevin Ceballo (born October 12, 1977) is a salsa music singer of Puerto Rican descent. Early years Ceballo's parents moved from Puerto Rico and settled in Manhattan where Ceballo was born. They were Seventh-Day Adventists and as such Ceballo w ...

* Johnny Rivera *

Oscar D'León Oscar Emilio León Somoza (born July 11, 1943), known as Oscar D'León, and affectionately called ''The Pharaoh of Salsa'', ''The Lion of Salsa'', and the ''World's Sonero'', is a Venezuelan musician best known for his work with salsa music. He ...

* Luis Perico Ortíz *

* Frankie Morales *

* Domingo Quiñones * Los Hermanos Moreno * Ray Perdomo * Grupo Caneo * Eddie Palmieri * The New York Band * Johnny Almendra & Los Jovenes del Barrio * Robert Avellanet * Lisandro Mesa * Descarga Boricua * Limi-T 21 * Matecaña Orquesta * Fernando Echavarría y La familia André * Sin Limite * Willy Rivera * Charlie Sepulveda *

Rubén Sierra Rubén Angel Sierra García (born October 6, 1965) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. Sierra goes by the nicknames ''El Caballo'' and ''El Indio''. Over 20 seasons, Sierra played for the Texas Rangers (1986–92, 2000–01, 2003), O ...

* Yorman * Yari Moré * Jerry Galante *

Issac Delgado Issac Delgado (born Isaac Felipe Delgado-Ramirez on April 11, 1962 in Marianao, Habana, Cuba) is one of the founders of the band NG La Banda and is a popular salsa and timba performer. Early life and family His father, Luis Delgado, was a ta ...

* Dave Valentin * Chamy Solano * Grupo Raíces * Puerto Rico All Stars * Aramis Camilo * Marcos Caminero * Monchy * Ravel *

Cuco Valoy Cuco Valoy (born January 6, 1937, in Manoguayabo, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) is a Dominican Republic singer, songwriter, percussionist and guitarist, who is versatile in salsa, son montuno, guaracha and merengue. He began performing ...

* Mickey Perfecto *

Jandy Feliz José del Carmen Feliz Matos (born January 11, 1977), better known as Jandy Feliz, is a singer-songwriter better known for being the vocalist of the band "Chichi Peralta". He was born in Jaquimeyes, Dominican Republic. Biography Feliz began his ...

* Tres Equis * Aníbal Bravo * Vivanativa * La Misma Gente * Paymasi * César Flores * July Mateo "Rasputín" * Los Nietos y Sergio Hernández * Aleo * Wichy Camacho * Angelito Villalona * Grupo Heavy * Alberto Barros * Henry Rosario *

Michel Camilo Michel Camilo (born April 4, 1954) is a Grammy-award winning pianist and composer from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He specializes in jazz, Latin and classical piano work. Camilo lists some of his main influences as Chick Corea, Keith ...

* Deddie Romero * Jerry Medina *

Raul Paz Raul, Raúl and Raül are the Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Galician, Asturian, Basque, Aragonese, and Catalan forms of the Anglo-Germanic given name Ralph or Rudolph. They are cognates of the French Raoul. Raul, Raúl or Raül may re ...

* Hilton Ruiz * Fausto Rey * Antonio Cabán Vale "El Topo" * K'stalia y Los Salchichas * He'Pepo * Cali Alemán * Aleo * Checo Acosta * Alto Voltaje * Andrés Mercedes * Azucarado * Lucecita Benítez * Celinés * Cherito * Chrissy * Conexión Salsera * El Combo Show *

Bobby Cruz Bobby Cruz (born February 2, 1937), is a salsa singer and religious minister. He was part of the duo Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz. Both Cruz and Ray became religious ministers and as such founded over 70 Christian churches during the time they retired ...

* Paquito D’Rivera * DJ Karlos * Freddie Gerardo * Pancho Gómez * Grupo ABC * Grupo Mandarina * José Octavio * La Artillería * La Orquesta Joven * Latino Man * Los Bravos * Jesse Márquez *

Luisito Martí Luisito Marti (born Luis Bernardo Marte Hernández; 1945–2010) was a Dominican musician, comedian, actor, producer and television host. Career He began his artistic career as a conga player in Johnny Ventura's "Combo Show", later becoming a vo ...

* Johan Minaya *

Glen Monroig Glenn Monroig (born April 22, 1957), is a Puerto Rican composer, guitarist, and singer of various types of music styles, such as salsa, boleros and rumba. He is credited with having recorded the first rap song in Spanish. Biography Early years ...

Nettai Tropical Jazz Big Band Tropical Jazz Big Band ( ja, 熱帯JAZZ楽団, Nettai Jazz Gakudan); incorrectly referred to in the United States as Nettai Tropical Jazz Big Band, is a Japanese latin jazz big band. Led by Carlos Kanno from Orquesta de la Luz, the Tropical Jazz Bi ...

* José Nogueras * Nora * Orchestra 7 * Mickey Perfecto * Millie Puente * Sandy Reyes * Roc & Kato * Kike Santana * Super Cuban All Stars * José Manuel Taveras * Juan Pablo Torres * Charlie Valens * Wellington * Yolanda Duke * Familia RMM * TropiJazz All-Stars *

Labels

SOHO Latino
*

Sonero Discos Son cubano is a genre of music and dance that originated in the highlands of eastern Cuba during the late 19th century. It is a syncretic genre that blends elements of Spanish and African origin. Among its fundamental Hispanic components are th ...

* RMM International * TropiJazz * Merengazo * RMM Rocks

References