Lazaro Ros, one of the leading lights of Afro-Cuban music, was as much a cultural archivist and consciousness-raiser as a musician, performing and thus preserving the music and dance of the Lucumí, Arará, and Yoruba peoples. Raised in Havana, Cuba, Ros sang with many groups and artists, including Rita Monaner, Afro-Cuban rock pioneers Síntesis, Mezcla, and his own band, Olorun. He was also a founding member of the state-operated Conjunto Folclórico Nacional of Cuba (CFN) and worked at the Institute of Ethnology and Folklore. Although visits to the U.S. were limited by visa difficulties, he toured the States with Carlos Aldama in 1997, and his 2000 album YEMEYA was nominated for a Latin Grammy.