Ray Santos

Ray Santos was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1926. He grew up hearing the samba and bossa nova rhythms that would shape his music, though the existing history doesn't offer much about his actual early years beyond that basic fact.

In the late 1950s, his music began reaching American jazz listeners. He toured the United States and recorded songs like "Sonhei Com Você" and "Ela Quer Me Dá." The existing history mentions he worked with musicians including Bebeto Castilho, Milton Banana, and Waldir Calmon, though it's unclear when or how consistently those collaborations occurred.

He released albums such as "Ray Santos Plays Bossa Nova" in 1958 and "Brazilian Sunset" in 1962. His later recordings included "The Ray Santos Touch" and "Tropical Rainbow." The existing history describes some criticism of his style in 1950s Brazil, but doesn't provide specific details about what that criticism involved or how it affected his work.