Salsa singer and percussionist Ray Villegas was born and raised in Spanish Harlem, New York, to Puerto Rican parents who had migrated from Ponce, Puerto Rico. Growing up in the neighborhood known as El Barrio, Villegas was heavily influenced by prominent Latin artists such as Ismael Miranda, Raúl Marrero, and Oscar D'León. In 1993, he established a merengue band, serving as its vocalist, and released his first album, Sentimiento, in 2005.
Villegas eventually shifted his focus toward salsa, releasing his debut single, "Me Voy Ahora," in 2013. He followed this with the 2015 single "Puerto Rico," which featured Manny Mieles. In 2018, Villegas released his first salsa album, A Mi Estilo, which showcased his approach to both original salsa compositions and reinterpreted classics.
Throughout the late 2010s and early 2020s, Villegas continued to expand his salsa catalog with a series of singles. These releases include "Abuela y Madre" in 2019, followed by "Para los Bailadores" and "Gigante" in 2020. His subsequent works include "Padre" in 2022, "Your My Inspiration" in 2023, and "Por Que" in 2025. Over the course of his career, he has worked under the VRM Records label and Baez Management.
