Draco Rosa

This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is Rosa and the second or maternal family name is Suárez.

Draco Rosa
Birth name	Robert Edward Rosa Suárez
Born	June 27, 1969 (1969-06-27) (age 42) Long Island, New York
Genres	Rock Latin Rock Alternative Rock Art Rock Experimental Rock
Occupations	Musician Singer-Songwriter Producer Actor
Years active	1984-present
Labels	RCA Records Phantom Vox Sony Music
Associated acts	Menudo Lenny Kravitz Maggie's Dream Ricky Martin

Draco Cornelius Rosa Suárez (born June 27, 1969), also known as Robi Draco Rosa, Robby Rosa, Draco Rosa or simply Draco, is a Puerto Rican Grammy Award and Latin Grammy Award winning musician, dancer, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and actor.

Born as Robert Edward Rosa Suárez on Long Island, New York and raised in Ponce, Puerto Rico, he originally garnered fame as a member of boy band Menudo in the 1980s. In recent years, he has appeared on VH1's Behind the Music, I Love the '80s and the Hong Kong-based talk show Where Are They Now? in archived footage of early concerts and videos. He has released four concept albums, consisting of "Vagabundo", "Mad Love", "Vino" and "Amor Vincit Omnia".

Biography

Menudo Years

Rosa's early interest in music led him to audition for the Latin pop boy band, Menudo, where he replaced Johnny Lozada in 1984 and quickly became a fan favorite. He was the second band member to join the singing group who was not a native of Puerto Rico (Miguel Cancel was born in Illinois). He was also the first member who spoke English fluently, having been born in New York. With the group's cross-over to English, his timing in joining Menudo was perfect, as he was able to sing most of the English songs. The group's first English album Reaching Out, featured a single which was in the Hollywood film Cannonball Run 2, "Like A Cannonball." Rosa sang the single.

On his second album with the group, he sang his first Spanish-language single hit, "Sabes A Chocolate" ("You taste like chocolate"). His third album with Menudo featured another English hit with "Hold Me", which gained airplay on most mainstream radio stations and had a music video that gained play. In 1987, he was replaced in Menudo by Rubén Gómez after the band's manager denied Rosa the opportunity to contribute songs to the group. Rosa was also 17 years old when he quit, 1 year over the age limit set by management.

Other work

Rosa has been highly influenced by the works of Bob Dylan, Miles Davis, Iggy Pop, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Cash, Luis Alberto Spinetta, The Doors, Camarón de la Isla, Caetano Veloso and Glenn Danzig. In 1996 he released the Latino alternative rock CD Vagabundo produced by Phil Manzanera.

He helped launch Ricky Martin's musical career into a new global setting by writing and producing some of his hottest singles including "Livin' la Vida Loca" and "She Bangs". Rosa toured with Lenny Kravitz during the summer of 2004 to promote his 2nd (all English) concept album Mad Love.^{[citation needed]}

In 1988 he starred in his only Motion Picture role in the movie "Salsa: The Motion Picture" which was a big hit in Puerto Rico, and made $8,892,589 and is still a popular movie today..

His 2008 album Vino is filled with Dark Ambient electronica and Alternative Rock melodrama.

His 2009 album Amor Vincit Omnia was nominated for Best Latin Rock, Alternative Or Urban Album for the 53rd Grammy Awards.^[1]

Personal life

Rosa currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife Angela Alvarado and two sons, Revel Angel and Redamo. He owns a recording studio, an independent music label and a multimedia company under the name of Phantom Vox and a private hacienda in Utuado, Puerto Rico under the name Hacienda Horizonte, where he has shot two music videos of his Amor Vincit Omnia album: Hay Que Llegar (Paraíso Prometido), and Reza Por Mí

On April 25, 2011, Rosa was diagnosed with stomach cancer: a Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in his lower abdomen, near his liver. He is currently undergoing treatment in the Burzynski Clinic in Houston, Texas.^[2][3][4] Up until today, two of his three cancerous tumors have disappeared and one reduced by 80% through a natural diet.

Legacy

Rosa has also contributed towards the improvement of artistic and cultural life in Puerto Rico, sponsoring the Museum of Art and Museum of Contemporary Art, and setting up an annual scholarship for outstanding students at the Music Conservatory.

Discography

Maggie's Dream

• Maggie's Dream (1990)

Robi Draco Rosa

Studio Albums

• Frio (1994)
• Vagabundo (1996 Concept Album)
• Mad Love (2004 Concept Album)
• Y El Teatro Del Absurdo (2007 Album)
• Vino (2008 Concept Album)
• Amor Vincit Omnia (2009 Album)

Compilation Albums

• Libertad Del Alma (2001 Compilation)
• Como Me Acuerdo (2004 Compilation)

Live Albums

• Draco al Natural (2005 Live Album)
• Teatro (2008 Live Album)
• La Pena Negra (2011 Live Album)

Other Albums

• Songbirds & Roosters (1998 English Versions from Frio and Vagabundo)
• Padre Mío (2008 Single)
• Ensayos al Natural (2009 Outtakes)

See also

	Puerto Rico portal
	Biography portal
	Latin American music portal

• List of famous Puerto Ricans

References

1. ^ 53rd Grammy Awards
2. ^ Diagnosticado con cáncer Draco - El Nuevo Día.com
3. ^ Solidarios con Draco Rosa - El Nuevo Día.com
4. ^ Draco es diagnosticado con cáncer - Utuado Hoy.com

External links

• Phantom Vox
• MySpace
• Facebook
• Twitter
• IMDb profile

Persondata
Name	Rosa, Draco
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Date of birth	June 27, 1969
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Date of death
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