Rubén Rada: key obituary facts
Is Rubén Rada dead? Yes. Rubén Rada died on August 26, 2026, at age 83.
Cause of death: Rubén Rada's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Rubén Rada known for?
He was an Afro-Uruguayan musician, composer, percussionist, singer, actor, television host, and film director.
More about Rubén Rada
Born: 17 June 1943.
Place of birth: Montevideo.
Gender: male.
Occupation: actor, singer, musician, percussionist, singer-songwriter, recording artist.
Nationality: Uruguay.
Awards: Latin Grammy Awards, Graffiti Awards, Iris Award, Medalla Delmira Agustini.
Children: Julieta Rada, Lucila Rada, Matías Rada.
Also known as: Negro Rada, Rúben Rada, Richie Silver, el Negro Rada, Rubén Rada.
Genres: Candombe, Latin jazz, World fusion.
Instruments: Vocals, percussion, tamboriles.
Years active: 1955–present.
Rubén Rada, the Uruguayan singer-songwriter who helped shape modern candombe and fused it with rock, soul, jazz and funk, died on August 26, 2026, aged 83.
Born Omar Ruben Rada Silva in Montevideo on July 16, 1943, he built a long career as a musician, percussionist and actor and became one of the most influential figures in Uruguayan popular music. Rada began performing in the 1960s and co-founded El Kinto with Eduardo Mateo, a group credited with pioneering candombe beat and among the first South American rock acts to sing in Spanish while using Latin percussion in a rock setting.
He later formed Totem and continued to record and perform with ensembles that carried Afro-Uruguayan rhythms into new settings.