Giberto Santa Rosa a.k.a. "The Salsa Gentleman" (born August 21, 1950 in San Juan, Puerto Rico), is a singer of salsa and bandleader.

Giberto was born in Santurce, which is a poor sector of San Juan the capital of Puerto Rico. There he received his primary and secondary education. Gilberto became interested in music as a child. When he was a teenager he participated in his first concert. In 1976, he made his recording debut as a backup singer with the Mario Ortiz Orchestra and was soon recruited by La Grande Orchestra, where he became the lead singer. Gilberto was with the orchestra for two years and during this time he met Elias Lopes who helped to mold and polish him as a singer.

During the 1980s, he recorded "Homenaje a Eddie Palmieri" (Tribute to Eddie Palmieri) with the Puerto Rican All Stars. He also recorded with various orchestras, among them Tommy Olivencia, Willie Rosario and El Gran Combo. Gilberto developed a unique style of "soneo" (improvisation) in salsa that permitted him to be successful in both the "tropical" and "romantic" styles of that type of music.

In 1986, Gilberto formed his own band and signed with Combo Records. He was to have continous "hits" with "Good Vibration", "De Amor y Salsa" (Of Love and Salsa), "Punto de Vista" (Point of View), "Vivir Sinn Ella" (Living without Her) and "Perspectiva". He was the first singer of tropical salsa in history to perform at the Carnegie Hall Theater.

In 1990, Gilberto joined the all star "La Puertoriqueña" project which included Andy Montañez. That same year he was awarded the Billboard Lo Nuestro Award for Best Male Singer. He also participated in the play "La Pareja Dispareja" (The Odd Couple) alongside Jacobo Morales and Rafo Muñiz. In 1995, Gilberto traveled to Japan as Puerto Rico's Good Will Ambassader, where he sang "De Cara al Viento" (Facing the Wind) in Japanese. In 1996, he recorded "Caballero de la Salsa, Vol 2" and he also participated in the First Presidents Festival in the Dominican Republic. In 1997, he sang with Andy Montañez in New Yorks Lincoln Center and later that year, with Olga Tañon at the Universal Studios Amphitheater in Hollywood, California.

Gilberto continued to score "hits" with the album "Expresion" which included the single "Fulana" (What's her name) and in 2001 with the album "Romantico". He released "Viceversa" in 2002 which became a "hit" in the Latin community in the United States and in all of Latin-America.

Gilberto Santa Rosa currently continues to record and is on tour.

See also

• List of famous Puerto Ricans