Ramón Orlando


Ramón Orlando Valoy García, is a Dominican musician, singer, arranger, composer, record producer and songwriter, besides being a gran maestro pianist in Caribbean rhythms. Ramón Orlando received seven Casandra awards in the 1992 ceremony, including the Soberano, which is the most important category in the Dominican awards ceremony. In 2005, he was nominated for the Latin Grammy Award in the Best Merengue Album category.

Career

Ramón Orlando Valoy was born on July 29, 1959, in Manoguayabo, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He is the son of Cuco Valoy.
Ramón Orlando started his music career at age 14, as a singer, piano player, arranger, composer and songwriter in his father's merengue band called La Tribu. He formed his own merengue music band in 1984 called "Los Virtuosos", later renamed “Cuco Valoy y Orquesta” with Peter Cruz y Henry García as lead singers.
Years later, the Cuco Valoy group broke up and Ramón moved to Colombia to physically separate himself from the Dominican Republic due to his political differences with the Dominican president Joaquín Balaguer. Ramón Orlando then undertook a more ambitious musical project. He and then-famous merengue singers Peter Cruz and Henry García formed La Orquesta Internacional, in which Ramón Orlando intended to be the composer and musical director, while Cruz and García were intended to be the vocalists. However, of the first ten "single" songs to be recorded, Ramón chose to sing four of them himself, which caused a split in the group. Peter Cruz and Henry García then each formed a short-lived group. Upon the two vocalists' departure, Ramón Orlando quickly hired some vocalists with voices sounding similar to those of Cruz and García in order to perform songs already gaining airplay.
Ramón Orlando is also the composer of the theme El venao, which found a large audience in several Latin American countries including Colombia, Venezuela and Puerto Rico.
Ramón Orlando shares with Juan Luis Guerra the greatest Soberano Award in 1992. He was a nominee in the Latin Grammy Awards of 2005 for the Best Merengue Album in the tropical category.
Ramón Orlando serves as a pastor in a Protestant church.

Awards

Ramón Orlando received in 1992 the highest award given by Soberano Awards; that year he received 7 awards, for which Ramón Orlando holds the record of receiving the most Soberano Awards in a ceremony. In 2005, he was nominated to the 6th Annual Latin Grammy Awards as Best Merengue Album with Generaciones.

Arrangements

Ramon Orlando is a prolific arranger of latin music including merengue, salsa, bachata and ballads. During his ongoing career, he has completed more than 2,000 arrangements for his band, for Los Virtuosos, La Tribu, Los Cantantes, Cuco Valoy, and for other artists including Alberto Beltrán, Fernando Villalona, Alex Bueno, Milly Quezada, Rubby Pérez, Wilfrido Vargas, Luys Bien, Miriam Cruz, Manny Manuel, among others.
The following are some of well-known or recent arrangements by Ramón Orlando:
Song titleLyricistArtistReleaseYear released
15,500 NochesRomeo SantosRomeo Santos Featuring Rubby Pérez, Toño Rosario and Fernando Villalona, and Ramón OrlandoFórmula Vol. 32022
Latidos de TamborCristino GómezRamón Orlando and Luys BienLatidos de Tambor - Single2022
PerdidosRamón OrlandoRamón Orlando and Raquel AriasPerdidos - Single2022
CreísteRamón OrlandoAntony SantosCreíste - Single2013
El Perro AjenoRamón OrlandoRubby PérezTonto Corazón2004
Yo SoyRamón OrlandoRamón Orlando and Milly QuezadaGeneraciones2004
Meneando La ColaRamón OrlandoULS United Latin for Salsa2000
ManiquíRamón OrlandoManny ManuelRey De Corazones1995
El VenanoRamón OrlandoLos Cantantes de Ramón OrlandoEl Virao1995
La LobaRamón OrlandoMiriam y las ChicasNueva Vida1993
De Qué Me Sirvió QuererteReynaldo ArmasRamón Orlando y su Orquesta InternacionalOrquesta Internacional1986
VolveréIgnacio Roman Jimenez and Francisco Lopez Cepero GarciaWilfrido Vargas La Medicina "Wilfrido 86"1985
Cometa BlancaIgnacio Roman Jimenez and Francisco Lopez Cepero GarciaPeter CruzOrquesta Internacional1985
Si Piensas Que No Te AmoBenny Goran Bror Andersson, Bjoern K Ulvaeus and Stig Erik Leopold AndersonRamón OrlandoLa Tribu de Cuco Valoy1984
Sé Que Te PerdíMauricio CardozoFernanditoFernandito1984
Te ExtrañoRamón OrlandoCuco Valoy y La TribuQué Será Lo Que Quiere El Negro?1983
Frutos del CarnavalCuco ValoyCuco Valoy & Los VirtuososSin Comentarios...1981
JulianaCuco ValoyCuco ValoySalsa Con Coco1978