Ralfi Pagan

Infobox musical artist
Name = Ralfi Pagan

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Background = solo_singer
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Born = 1947
Died = 1978
Origin = Bronx, New York, USA
Genre = Latin-soul, Salsa, Boogaloo/Bugalu
Occupation = Singer
Years_active = 1969 - 1978
Label = Fania Records, Pumpkris
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Ralfi Pagan (1947 - 1978) was a Bronx, New York based 'Latin soul' and salsa singer of Puerto Rican parentage who was active from the late 1960s to the mid 70s. He specialised in soul ballads sung in Spanish and English and released five albums during the 1970s. He is best known for a duet with Sylvia entitled 'Soul Je'Taime'and for his solo reworking of 'Make It With You' previously recorded by Bread. On a tour of South America whilst visiting Colombia he was murdered.

Early Career

Ralfi Pagan (born Rafael Pagan) in Puerto Rico [Joel Whitburn Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles 1942 - 2004 ISBN 0-89820-160-8] first came to prominence in 1969 with the release of the album 'Ralfi Pagan'for Johnny Pacheco and Jerry Masucci's Fania label. Issued twice first with all Spanish sung titles and shortly after with four English sing titles substituted for four Spanish titles Pagan's falsetto tenor favoured ballads. This made him highly popular amongst young Hispanic Americans particularly in the urban centres of Los Angeles and New York where Pagan made a significant cultural impact. His forte was ballads such as 'Who Is The Girl For Me' , 'Don't Stop Now' (originally recorded by Eddie Holman)& 'I Can't See Me Without You'. He was also adept on uptempo salsa such as his cover of Oscar Brown's 'Brother, Where Are You?'.

In 1971 he broke through nationally with a latin cover of 'Make It With You' which entered the Billboard R&B chart on the 10th July 1971 for an eleven week run during which it peaked at # 32 [Joel Whitburn Top R&B Singles 1942 - 2004 ISBN 0-89820-160-8] . It sold 250 000 copies nationally and Pagan appeared on the nationally syndicated TV show Soul Train [Ruben Molina: The Old Barrio Guide To Low Rider Music page92 Mictlan Publishing 2002 ISBN 0-9723369-0-7 ] A second album 'With Love' produced by Harvey Averne and Jerry Masucci and recorded in New York consolidated Pagan's status amongst urban hispanics and chicanos. A further R&B hit in 1973 with 'Soul Je T'Aime' a duet with Sylvia (Robinson) on Vibration records was his last appearance on the national charts. The 'Ralfi' album containing a by now familiar balance of Latin-Soul and salsa influenced numbers was released the same year.In 1975 he released his fourth and final Fania album 'I Can See' which included his distinctive take on Smokey Robinson's 'OOO Baby, Baby' and the bitter sweet 'Stay Out of My Life.' His voice has been compared with Smokey Robinson although it was lighter and less powerful [ [http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Who_is_ralfi_pagan WikiAnswers - Who is ralfi pagan ] ]

Chicano Favourite

By 1976 Pagan was based in Los Angeles where he found especially favour amongst Chicanos for whom his persona as a sensitive latin lover resonated.He became a regular on the thriving club and salsa dance circuit that included: The Gold Dust on Garfield Avenue in Montebello, The King's Table in Pico Rivera, The Monterey West in East Los Angeles and the Mardi Gras across from MacArthur Park. [Steven Loza, Barrio Rhythm - Mexican American Music in Los Angeles' p.109 University of Illinois Press ISBN 0-252-062884 - ] .

Pagan maintained a parallel career as a salsa singer and after a disco release 'Girl From The Mountain' on Coco records in 1976 he released his fifth album 'El Flaco De Oro'sung entirely in Spanish which represented him as a salsa singer. This appeared on Pumpkris Records for whom he also took the production duties for an album by Johnny Nelson entitled 'Ralfi Pagan Presenta Johnny Nelson- El Principe de La Salsa'. Pagan's final known release is the disco sounding 'Take Me With You' b/w 'Heaven Sent You' also on Pumpkris. An album 'Take Me With You' [12" single Pumpkris PK 001 ] was scheduled but Pagan's early death curtailed its release.

Death in Columbia

Pagan had a large following in Latin America and regularly appeared in South America. It was on a tour of Colombia in 1978 where he was substituting for fellow Fania performer Joe Bataan [ Ruben Molina: The Old Barrio Guide To Low Rider Music page92 Mictlan Publishing 2002 ISBN 0-9723369-0-7 ] that he was murdered in circumstances that have not yet been collaborated.

Most of Pagan's back catalogue has been made available since the mid 90s and he is now probably better known to the general music public then he was during his lifetime. 'The Gambler' a Fania track from 1972 was featured in the Leon Ichaso film 'Pinero'(2001) starring Benjamin Bratt as the poet-playwright- actor Miguel Pinero.

Discography

Albums

*1971:" Ralfi Pagan Fania 377"
*1972:" With Love / Con Amor 397"
*1973:" Ralfi Fania 0417 "
*1975:" I Can See Fania 0598"
*1978:" Take Me With You (unreleased) Pumkris 1001 "
*1978:" El Flaco De Oro Pumkris 1002"

7" Singles (selected)

*1969: "Who Is the Girl For Me Fania 504 "
*1970:" Don't Stop Now Fania 521 "
*1971:" Make It With You Fania 567/Wand 11236"
*1971:" Mi Camacho /Negrona Fania 568"
*1971: "Baby I'm A Want You Fania 591 "
*1971:" Look At Her Fania 591"
*1971:" I Can't See Me Without You Fania 599"
*1972:" The Gambler Fania 622 "
*1972:" Up On The Roof Fania 622 "
*1973:" Soul Je T'Aime (with Sylvia) Vibration 525"
*1973:" Who is The Girl For Me/To Say I Love You Jack-Pot 003 "
*1974:" Wonderful Thing Fania 678"
*1975:" Just for A Little While Fania 740 "
*1975:" La Vida Fania 752"
*1976: "Girl From the Mountain Coco CF5056"
*1978:" Take Me with You Pumpkris 001 "
*1978:" Heaven Sent You Pumpkris 001"

Compilations

*2004:" The Legend Aries Music Entetrtainment CD"
*2006:" El Barrio contains 'Brother Where Are You?' V2 records "

References