Rick Reyes is a troubadour, a songwriter, producer, and a storyteller performer. Although born in Bridgeport CT, Reyes grew up in the countryside of his parents’ native Puerto Rico. It was here, listening to traditional Puerto Rican folk music, that Reyes forged his love of Jibaro – a music of the people full of wistful melodies and steeped in longing. Reyes and his family returned to Bridgeport. Feeling like an outsider, homesick, unable to speak English, he started to write as a creative outlet. He kept journals of his thoughts, impressions, and observations. His father bought him a guitar and he taught himself to play. When Reyes took one of his poems and set it to music his lifelong journey as a songwriter began.
Reyes wrote about the struggles of his parents and the latino community. He wrote about the poor. The song he considers his first, Vida Diferente, captures a sense of possibility, but its optimistic rhythm is juxtaposed with lyrics that convey the frustrations of poverty. This pairing of pain and optimism reveals a tension that appears often in Reyes’ work. His words acknowledge the harsh realities of daily life, but his music won’t give in to them. It optimistically arches toward the possibility of a better future. Reyes creates music that has a traditional Puerto Rican flavor but is also open and receptive to other sounds from around the cosmos, blending classic Americana, rock, salsa, world, among others.
Reyes attended Sacred Heart University and graduated with a degree in Business Administration, but spent all of his free time writing songs and playing music. He also studied acting and theater, as well as pantomime with the legendary Marcel Marceau.
While music is Reyes’ passion, he also has a career on the sales side of the textile and interior design industry and currently serves as an independent sales representative for several exclusive brands.
In his “spare time,” Reyes works to improve the community with nonprofits such as the City Lights Gallery, Band Central Ventures and others.
