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

Latin music Latin music (Portuguese language, Portuguese and ) is a term used by the music industry as a catch-all category for various styles of music from Ibero-America, which encompasses Music of Latin America, Latin America, Music of Spain, Spain, Mu ...

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 Fania Records is a New York City, New York–based record label founded by Dominican-born composer and bandleader Johnny Pacheco and his American lawyer Jerry Masucci in 1964 in music, 1964. The label took its name from a popular luncheonette fre ...

promoter Ralph Mercado, who had established RMM Management in 1972 as an artist management and booking agency, providing bookings for Latin artists

Tito Puente Ernest Anthony Puente Jr. (April 20, 1923 – May 31, 2000), commonly known as Tito Puente, was an American musician, songwriter, bandleader, timbalero, and record producer. He composed dance-oriented mambo and Latin jazz music. He was also k ...

Celia Cruz Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso (21 October 1925 – 16 July 2003), known as Celia Cruz, was a Cuban singer and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century. Cruz rose to fame in Cuba during the 1950s as a singer of , earning the nickna ...

, 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 Humberto "Tito" Nieves (born June 4, 1958; also known as "El Luciano Pavarotti, Pavarotti de la Salsa") is a Puerto Rican musician who became one of the leading Salsa music, salsa singers of the 1980s and the early 1990s. Early life Humberto "Ti ...

, Oscar D'Leon,

Eddie Palmieri Eddie Palmieri (born December 15, 1936) is an American Grammy Award-winning pianist, bandleader, musician, and composer of Corsican and Puerto Rican ancestry. He is the founder of the bands La Perfecta, La Perfecta II, and Harlem River Drive. ...

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 ...

Ismael Miranda Ismael Miranda, also known as ''El Niño Bonito de la Salsa'' ("The Pretty Boy of Salsa") (born February 20, 1950) is a Puerto Rican singer and songwriter. Early years Miranda (birth name: Ismael Miranda Carrero) was born in Aguada, Puerto Rico ...

, José Alberto "El Canario",

Tony Vega Tony Vega Cesar (born July 13, 1957) is a Puerto Rican salsa music, salsa singer. Early years Vega was born in the town of Salinas, California. His family moved to Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania when he was three months old, and rem ...

, Johnny Rivera,

Ray Sepúlveda Ray Sepúlveda is a salsa singer born in Brooklyn, New York of Puertorrican descent. He recorded three albums with Orchestra Sociedad 76 in the late 1970s and two albums forming the Johnny & Ray Orchestra (Salsa con Clase) in the late 1980s before ...

Domingo Quiñones Domingo Quiñones is a singer of salsa music. He is also a composer, producer and actor. Domingo Quinones was born on August 9, 1963, in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. When he was four years old he moved to Puerto Rico with his parents and lived in C ...

Miles Peña Miles Peña (born José Antonio Peña) is a Cuban salsa musician. Peña was a child actor, appearing in '' Los Arifices'' when he was eight years old. He studied at the Amdeo Rodán Music Academy and then moved to the Dominican Republic. In 1993 ...

, 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 (born September 16, 1968), known professionally as Marc Anthony, is an American singer and actor. He is the top selling salsa artist of all time. A four-time Grammy Award, eight-time Latin Grammy Award and twenty-nine-tim ...

La India Linda Bell Viera Caballero (born March 9, 1969), known professionally 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 L ...

. 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 Isidro is a given name. Notable people with the name include: Saints *Saint Isidore the Laborer (c. 1070 – died 1130), the patron saint of farmers of Madrid (Spain) and La Ceiba (Honduras) *Saint Isidore of Seville (c. 560 – died 636), schola ...

, and

Humberto Ramirez Humberto is a Portuguese and Spanish masculine given name of Germanic origin. Notable people with this name include: A *Humberto Aguilar Coronado *Humberto Ak'ab'al * Humberto Albornoz * Humberto Alonso Morelli * Humberto Alonso Razo *Humberto Álva ...

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 Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, ...

. According to the

NY Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

, 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 James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by Honorific nick ...

and paired them with Latin artists like

Mongo Santamaria Mongo may refer to: Geography Africa * Mongo, Chad, a Sahel city * Apostolic Vicariate of Mongo, Chad, a Roman Catholic missionary jurisdiction * Mongo Department, Gabon * Mongo, Sierra Leone, a chiefdom * Mongo River (Little Scarces River) ...

. 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 Salsa most often refers to: * Salsa (food), a variety of sauces used as condiments * Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music * Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music Salsa or SALSA may also refer to: Arts and ent ...

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

Artists

* Van Lester *

* 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 *

* Humberto Ramírez *

* Vanessa * Isidro Infante & La Elite * José Alberto "El Canario" *

* Giovanny Hidalgo *

Orquesta de la Luz is a Japanese salsa band that was formed in 1984, and began performing and recording in 1989. The band sings in Spanish and is led by vocalist Nora Shoji, who returned to traditional salsa after the band broke up in the mid-1990s. It became w ...

(Co-Distributed by BMG Victor Japan) *

Pete "El Conde" Rodríguez Pedro Juan Rodríguez Ferrer (31 January 1933 – 1 December 2000), better known as Pete "El Conde" Rodríguez, was a salsa singer born in Barrio Cantera, Ponce, Puerto Rico. His son, also named Pete Rodriguez, is also a salsa and jazz music ...

* Guayacán Orquesta * Michael Stuart *

* Antonio Cartagena * Corinne * Kevin Ceballo * Johnny Rivera *

Oscar D'León Óscar Emilio León Simosa (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 and bassist best known for his salsa music. ...

* Luis Perico Ortíz *

* Frankie Morales *

* Los Hermanos Moreno * Ray Perdomo * Grupo Caneo *

* The New York Band * Johnny Almendra & Los Jovenes del Barrio *

Robert Avellanet Roberto Alejandro Avellanet Negrón, known professionally as Robert Avellanet or Roba, is a Puerto Rican singer who was a member of '' Menudo'' from 1988 to 1991. His uncle is the famous Puerto Rican singer Chucho Avellanet. Biography Avella ...

* 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 Puerto Rican former Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder. Over 20 seasons, Sierra played for the Texas Rangers (1986–92, 2000–01, 2003), Oakland Athletics (1992–95), New York Yanke ...

* Yorman * Yari Moré * Jerry Galante * Issac Delgado *

Dave Valentin David Peter Valentin (April 29, 1952 – March 8, 2017) was an American Latin jazz flautist of Puerto Rican descent. Life and career Valentin was born to Puerto Rican parents in The Bronx in New York City. He attended The High School of Mus ...

* Chamy Solano * Grupo Raíces * Puerto Rico All Stars * Aramis Camilo * Marcos Caminero * Monchy * Ravel * Cuco Valoy * Mickey Perfecto * Jandy Feliz * 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 Dominican pianist and composer. He specializes in jazz, Latin and classical piano work. Background and career Camilo was born into a musical family and as a young child showed aptitude for the accordion ...

* Deddie Romero * Jerry Medina *

Raul Paz Raul, Raúl, Raül, and Raüll are forms of a common first name in Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Galician, Asturian, Basque, Aragonese, and Catalan. The name is cognate of the Anglo-Germanic given name Ralph or Rudolph and the French R ...

Hilton Ruiz Hilton Ruiz (May 29, 1952 – June 6, 2006) was an American jazz pianist in the Afro-Cuban jazz mold, but was also a talented bebop player. He was of Puerto Rican descent. Biography Born in New York City, Ruiz began playing piano at the age of f ...

Fausto Rey Fausto Ramón Sepúlveda (born December 1, 1951, in Higuey), known by his stage name Fausto Rey, is a People of the Dominican Republic, Dominican singer. Rey is predominantly known as a crooner, with a versatile range including romantic ballads ...

* Antonio Cabán Vale "El Topo" * K'stalia y Los Salchichas * He'Pepo * Cali Alemán * Aleo * Checo Acosta * Alto Voltaje * Andrés Mercedes * Azucarado *

Lucecita Benítez Luz Esther Benítez Rosado (born July 22, 1942), also known as Lucecita, is a Puerto Rican singer, part of the country's new wave popular music. Born in Bayamon, a large city in Puerto Rico, she participated in amateur radio shows. Benítez's m ...

* Celinés * Cherito * Chrissy * Conexión Salsera * El Combo Show * Bobby Cruz *

Paquito D’Rivera Francisco de Jesús Rivera Figueras (born 4 June 1948), known as Paquito D'Rivera, is a Cuban-American alto saxophonist, clarinetist and composer. He was a member of the Cuban songo band Irakere and, since the 1980s, he has established him ...

* 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 v ...

* Johan Minaya * Glen Monroig * Nettai Tropical Jazz Big Band * 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 * RMM International * TropiJazz * Merengazo * RMM Rocks

References