Gabriel Ríos

{{short description|Puerto Rican-Belgian singer songwriter (born 1978)}}

{{BLP sources|date=April 2011}}

File:Gabriel Rios.jpg

Gabriel Ríos (born August 25, 1978 in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican singer songwriter.

Biography

Gabriel was born in Puerto Rico, to Puerto Rican parents, and was raised on the island until the age of 17. He then relocated to the city of Ghent in Belgium to study painting. Ríos quickly formed various bands, breaking into the local music scene. His first record, Ghostboy (2005), was produced by Jo Bogaert (of Technotronic) and featured a mix of Latin, hip hop, rock and electronica. The main single, "Broad Daylight," was well received in Belgium, Netherlands and France. Angelhead (2007), also produced by Bogaert delved further into pop electronica and helped him secure a live following as well as a steady summer festival presence.

A change of course saw Ríos abandoning electronic instruments and beats and recording his third album The Dangerous Return (2010), with jazz pianist Jef Neve and frequent collaborator Kobe Proesmans on percussion.

In 2011, Ríos moved to New York City to write songs for a new record that he hoped would feature little more than guitar and vocals. A growing attraction to performing solo led to a three-year informal residency at Rockwood Music Hall where he met musician/producer Ruben Samama, who would go on to play contrabass and also produce the record. Cellist Amber Docters van Leeuwen completed the trio and it was this formation that would serve as the basis for the sound of the following record. It became apparent that the album would have to be recorded live with limited overdubbing and, searching for an adequate room, they ended up in Dreamland Studios, a converted wooden chapel in Woodstock, New York. Ríos went on to release a song a month for a year, further compiling them under the title This Marauder's Midnight (2014). Although the album was available on iTunes, Spotify and Deezer in most countries, an international physical released was launched in early 2015.

The special edition of the record contains a short story titled A Marauder's Midnight that was penned by Ríos and friend Keith Godfrey, and illustrated by Belgian artist Tinus Vermeersch.

All videos for the record are actually live performances filmed by director Michael Sewandono, and consequently feature different audio versions than on the record. These too are compiled in the special edition. A dance remix version of the album's first single "Gold" by Thomas Jack went viral reaching number one in the Norwegian charts.

Flore (2021), Gabriel Ríos’ 5th studio album, is a paean to the music of Latin America and the Caribbean. More specifically, these are songs that go back to both his father and grandfather’s youth. It’s a heady concoction that’s simultaneously nostalgic and iconoclastic in the rediscovery of a musical hemisphere that Rios left behind two decades ago when leaving Puerto Rico for Europe. It’s a Latin album made in isolation and exile, not only because it was birthed during last year’s pandemic, but because it finds Ríos looking back from afar, maybe for the first time, to what remains of his past and his roots.

Discography

=Albums=

class="wikitable"

!align="center" rowspan="2" width="10"|Year

!align="center" rowspan="2" width="150"|Album

!align="center" colspan="3" width="20"|Peak positions

scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | BEL
(Fl)

{{cite web | url=http://ultratop.be/nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Gabriel+Rios | title=Gabriel Rios discography | publisher=Hung Medien | work=ultratopo.be/nl/ |accessdate=29 September 2024}}

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | BEL
(Wa)

{{cite web | url=http://ultratop.be/fr/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Gabriel+Rios | title=Gabriel Rios discography | publisher=Hung Medien | work=ultratopo.be/fr/ |accessdate=27 September 2014}}

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | NED
{{cite web|url=http://dutchcharts.nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Gabriel+Rios |title=Gabriel Rios discography |publisher=Hung Medien |work=dutchcharts.nl |accessdate=27 September 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150110235635/http://dutchcharts.nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Gabriel+Rios |archivedate=10 January 2015 }}

style="text-align:center;"|2004

|Ghostboy

| style="text-align:center;"|6

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|24

style="text-align:center;"|2007

| Angelhead

| style="text-align:center;"|2

| style="text-align:center;"|97

| style="text-align:center;"|34

style="text-align:center;"|2010

| The Dangerous Return

| style="text-align:center;"|9

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

style="text-align:center;"|2014

| This Marauder's Midnight

| style="text-align:center;"|1

| style="text-align:center;"|56

| style="text-align:center;"|95

style="text-align:center;"|2021

| Flore

| style="text-align:center;"|2

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

style="text-align:center;"|2024

| Playa negra

| style="text-align:center;"|15

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

;Mini albums

class="wikitable"

!scope="col"|Year

!scope="col"|Album

style="text-align:center;"|2007

|Morehead – A Couple of Covers and Some Alternative Versions

;Live albums

class="wikitable"

!align="center" rowspan="2" width="10"|Year

!align="center" rowspan="2" width="150"|Album

!align="center" colspan="3" width="20"|Peak positions

scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | BEL
(Fl)

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | BEL
(Wa)

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | NED

style="text-align:center;"|2005

|En Vivo

| style="text-align:center;"|27

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|40

;Compilation albums

class="wikitable"

!align="center" rowspan="2" width="10"|Year

!align="center" rowspan="2" width="150"|Album

!align="center" colspan="1" width="20"|Peak positions

scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | BEL
(Fl)

style="text-align:center;"|2011

|Two Compilations

| style="text-align:center;"|78

;Others

  • 2007: Angelhead + Morehead (2 CD Limited edition) (Angelhead album + Morehead mini album)

=Singles=

class="wikitable"

!align="center" rowspan="2" width="10"|Year

!align="center" rowspan="2" width="200"|Single

!align="center" colspan="4" width="20"|Peak positions

!align="center" rowspan="2" width="150"|Album

scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | BEL
(Vl)

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | BEL
(Wa)

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | NED

! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | NOR
[http://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Gabriel+Rios&titel=Gold&cat=s Norwegaincharts.com: Gabriel Rios discography]

style="text-align:center;"|2005

| "Unrock"

| style="text-align:center;"|4
(Ultratip*)

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|

style="text-align:center;"|2006

| "What's This?"
(Franti, Rios & Kowlier)

| style="text-align:center;"|5

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|

style="text-align:center;" rowspan=3|2007

| "Angelhead" / "Porque te vas"

| style="text-align:center;"|15

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|

"Baby Lone Star"

| style="text-align:center;"|41

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|

"I'm Gonna Die Tonight"

| style="text-align:center;"|6
(Ultratip*)

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|

style="text-align:center;"|2008

| "Stay" / "Voodoo Chile"

| style="text-align:center;"|11
(Ultratip*)

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|

style="text-align:center;" rowspan=2|2010

| "Hallelujah"
(Natalia & Gabriel Rios)

| style="text-align:center;"|1

| style="text-align:center;"|6

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|

"Dauphine"

| style="text-align:center;"|16

| style="text-align:center;"|42

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|

style="text-align:center;" rowspan=4|2011

| "Straight Song"

| style="text-align:center;"|25
(Ultratip*)

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|

"You Will Go Far"

| style="text-align:center;"|28
(Ultratip*)

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|

"Tidal Wave"

| style="text-align:center;"|33
(Ultratip*)

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|

"Gulliver"

| style="text-align:center;"|33
(Ultratip*)

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|

style="text-align:center;" rowspan=1|2012

| "El ratón"

| style="text-align:center;"|33
(Ultratip*)

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|

style="text-align:center;" rowspan=1|2013/
2014

| "Gold"

| style="text-align:center;"|4

| style="text-align:center;"|40

| style="text-align:center;"|61

| style="text-align:center;"|1{{Cite web |url=http://lista.vg.no/artist/gabriel-rios/singel/gold/6206 |title=VG-lista - Gabriel Rios / Gold |access-date=2014-10-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012002304/http://lista.vg.no/artist/gabriel-rios/singel/gold/6206 |archive-date=2016-10-12 |url-status=dead }}

| style="text-align:center;"|

style="text-align:center;" rowspan=4|2014

| "Police Sounds"

| style="text-align:center;"|7
(Ultratip*)

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|

"Song No. 7"

| style="text-align:center;"|8
(Ultratip*)

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|

"Skip The Intro"

| style="text-align:center;"|24
(Ultratip*)

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|

"Swing Low"

| style="text-align:center;"|12
(Ultratip*)

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|

style="text-align:center;" rowspan=2|2015

| "World of Sex"

| style="text-align:center;"|53
(Ultratip*)

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|

"In My Days of Darkness"
(feat. Lieven Tavernier)

| style="text-align:center;"|56
(Ultratip*)

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|

style="text-align:center;"|2020

| "No soy de aquí"

| style="text-align:center;"|18
(Ultratip*)

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|

style="text-align:center;" rowspan=2|2021

| "La torre"
(feat. Devendra Banhart)

| style="text-align:center;"|12
(Ultratip*)

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|

"Panteón de amor"

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|{{spaced ndash}}

| style="text-align:center;"|

*Did not appear in the official Belgian Ultratop 50 charts, but rather in the bubbling under Ultratip charts.

References

{{Reflist}}