Born in the bosom of a Puerto Rican family settled in New York, salsa singer Ray Sepúlveda was inspired by Latin artists at a very young age, especially tropical performers. In addition, he was influenced by his father, who was a bolero singer. While a teenager, the artist joined a band called La Justicia, later participating in La Dictadura, singing along with Frankie Ruiz. In the mid-'70s Ray Sepúlveda got involved in the New York scene as part of La Sociedad, joining Adalberto Santiago in 1983. It was the Salsa Con Clase album that consolidated his career, yielding the hit single "Mascarada," composed by Joan Sebastian, which climbed up the Latin charts; it was successfully followed by a second hit called "Bandolera."