Name Fausto Rey Occupation(s) singer Role Singer | Instruments vocals Genres Tropical music Years active 1969–present Albums Sus Exitos | |
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Also known as El Niche, El Rey Negro de la Cancion Dominicana, El Baladista del Siglo, La Fiera... Born December 1, 1951 (age 72)
Higuey, Dominican Republic ( 1951-12-01 ) Labels 4Points, Phillips, Fania, Sonidiscos Similar People Johnny Ventura, Anthony Rios, Larry Harlow, Nini Caffaro, Omar Franco | ||
Birth name Fausto Ramon Sepulveda | ||
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Fausto Ramón Sepúlveda (born December 1, 1951 in Higuey), known by his stage name Fausto Rey is a Dominican Republic singer.
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Rey is best known as a crooner, with a smooth singing style. He was the first contemporary Dominican singer to sell out concerts at the San Carlos Theater and Quisqueya Stadium in the Dominican Republic. A versatile singer, Fausto Rey mastery music styles that range from romantic ballads, boleros, waltz, salsa, merengues, bossa novas, blues, jazz and basically any music style. He is one of the best electric and acoustic guitar players of the Dominican Republic, performing in many of his recordings with this instruments. Also plays bass, piano and percussion. Fausto Rey is also a musical arranger and producer.
Born to Cristrobalina Sepúlveda, Rey was adopted by her husband Secundino D'Aza, who was of Indian origin. Antolín Soler, Rey's biological father, had little or no contact with his son in his early years. Soler, who was known as one of the best güira players of Dominican Republic, has since retired and established a relationship with Rey.
As a child, Rey had to work as a shoeshine boy, selling saint's images, candy, cornbread, (cooked by his mother), and tickets from the National Lottery. Early on, he would attend the Sunday concerts in the park by his hometown's municipal band, which lit his musical spark. In his teens, he lived in La Romana where his great love for music was growing day by day. He participated and won numerous talent shows and formed a rock group called Los Magnéticos, while already a member of another one called Brahmins in Santo Domingo.
Rey's eventual success was hard fought but after a star-making stint with Johnny Ventura's orchestra he became one of the Dominican Republic's most beloved singer/songwriters of the 1970s, and was signed by the Cuban recording producer Marcos Garcia, owner of Recording Label Montilla Records; where 4Points Records was born from. He begins his fully recording career by the hands of Mr. Marcos Garcia who started recording Fausto Rey's best romantic productions in Buenos Aires Argentina. After the first album recorded in Argentina, Fausto Rey would go back to that country every year due to the big recording success, and made the most selling musical productions using the best recognized musical arrangers, including maestros such as Raul Parentella, Bubby Lavecchia, Jorge Calandrelli, Oscar Cardoso Ocampo, Horacio Malvicino. After a negotiation with Fania Records, previous recording company 4Points, a recording journey with Fania Records begins. Fausto recorded two musical productions with Fania Records: 1) “El Amor es Natural" recorded in Buenos Aires Argentina and produced by Fabian Ross and "La Responsabilidad" with Larry Harlow and orchestra and produced by Larry Harlow. After a breach of contract with Fania Records by mutual agreement, Fausto Rey recorded a romantic album called: “El Nido del Amor" and later recorded a duo production with legend Dominican singer Mr. Rafael Colón; Fausto produced both albums. After few years out oh the recording studios, then he started a very popular Merengue orchestra under his own name, in association with producers George Rodriguez and Mike Rodriguez owners of Recording Label Sonidiscos from Dominican Republic which scored numerous hits, among them "El Pájaro Herido"; which became the number one hit and the record of the year awarded by the most important yearly award academy El Dorado. This song is part of the first production with his own Merengue band. That album is named "Mi Linda Música". The second merengue production of Fausto Rey y su Orchestra delivered the number one hit "De qué 'e que priva Maria?" "Brindemos más Amor" "Se Va la Vida" among other hits. Either with his romantic or dancing repertoire, Fausto Rey maintains a popularity among the fans of his music which proudly called him the "Forever King" "El Rey de Siempre".
Currently, Fausto Rey lives in the Dominican Republic and frequently performs concerts in the northeastern and throughout the United States. Rey has made television appearances in Argentina, Chile, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Colombia, Haiti, Cuba and Panama. On a yearly basis, Fausto Rey keeps performing in the Dominican Republic, where he was the first Dominican singer who gathered 17,000 people as a soloist in a concert of his romantic music.