Gilberto Santa Rosa reveals his ‘Intimate’ side and celebrates the end of labels in music

Miami.- The ‘Caballero de la salsa’, Gilberto Santa Rosa, presents his most ‘intimate’ side, an album with live boleros, conversations with the audience and anecdotes behind his hits recorded in Miami, where he celebrates in an interview with EFE the end of “labels” in music. The Puerto Rican, who has sung with reggaeton artists like Bad Bunny, J Balvin and Yandel, now celebrates his nearly four decades of career with ‘Íntimo’, an album with hits in the bolero genre, such as ‘ Mentira’ and ‘ Un amor para la historia’, which he recorded in a ‘«cabaret»’ style concert with a select audience. “The labels are falling and that’s good. Purists will think not, but I think so, how good that people enjoy the music, period, and that’s good for everyone,” declares the salsa singer in Miami, where this Saturday he will offer a concert at the Hard Rock Live.

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The material stands out because Santa Rosa, who was born in 1962 in Puerto Rico and released his first album, ‘Good Vibrations,’ in 1986, speaks directly to the public, tells stories about his career, and explains the inspiration behind his songs.

Santa Rosa fulfills a “whim”

The singer promises that the audience “is going to have the opportunity to see a naked song, a song with few frills.” “It has the most direct song, plus I interact with people, I tell them stories about the songs, anecdotes. So it turns into something like a conversation with music and that’s what makes this intimate atmosphere,” he says. The winner of the Latin Grammy’s ‘Award for Musical Excellence’, with nearly 30 recorded albums, admits that ‘Íntimo’ is a ‘«whim»’ because he was looking to make a compilation of hits, unreleased boleros and versions of songs he had never recorded. “If we’re going to be honest, this is indulging a whim, this is a record of spirit. This is not a record that was made for any commercial strategy or any specific objective. I wanted to sing the songs in this environment and it was achieved,” he confesses.

“Breaking Barriers” in Music

The artist perceives that there is now greater appreciation for Latin music in the United States, although he thinks it has always been there, something he attributes to the digital world and the “barriers” that Hispanic singers, particularly from the urban genre, and collaborations between artists have broken. “Before we were much more specialized, now those barriers have been broken and the range of action of a singer like me is much wider than at the beginning. Therefore, the proposal is enriched because you have other audiences to bring your music to, over the years you see how the audience is more heterogeneous,” he says. The salsa singer released his duet ‘Misterio’ with J Balvin in 2025, as well as singing ‘Baile inolvidable’ with Bad Bunny during Benito’s residency in Puerto Rico.

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“Before, genres were divided, ballad singers were ballad singers, rockers were rockers, urban artists were urban artists, salsa singers were salsa singers. Now everyone can enjoy everything they want to do,” he emphasizes. Santa Rosa promises a “dynamic spectacle” in his upcoming concerts for Valentine’s Day, which will be next Saturday in Miami at the Hard Rock Live, on February 14 and 15 at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico, and on February 20 at the Kia Center in Orlando. Despite his career, the salsa singer still expresses nerves because he will give his first Valentine’s Day concert on his native island.
“The home creates additional pressure because I live there, so the challenge is greater,” he says.