Topic: Gilberto Santa Rosa

Gilberto Santa Rosa, also known as "El Caballero de la Salsa" (The Gentleman of Salsa) (born August 21, 1962), is a Puerto Rican singer of salsa, bolero, and bandleader.

Santa Rosa was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, a city on the north eastern part of the Island. Here he received his primary and secondary education and became interested in music. He took part in his first concert whilst a teenager and in 1976, he made his recording debut as a backup singer with the Mario Ortiz Orchestra; soon afterwards he was recruited by La Grande Orchestra, where he became the lead singer. He remained with the orchestra for two years, during which time he met Elias Lopes who helped to mold and polish him as a singer.

During the 1980s, he recorded "Homenaje a Eddie Palmieri" (Tribute to Eddie Palmieri) with the Puerto Rican All Stars. He also recorded with various orchestras, amongst them the Tommy Olivencia Orchestra, the Willie Rosario orchestra and El Gran Combo. Santa Rosa developed a unique style of "soneo" (improvisation) in salsa that permitted him to be successful in both the "tropical" and "romantic" styles of the music.