R.M. Almonte honors mentor Voodoo Ray during Canada world-record run

Dominican American author and two-time world record holder R.M. Almonte is paying tribute to his late mentor Raymond “Voodoo Ray” Ultarte as he travels across Canada in pursuit of two more records. The remembrance links Almonte’s current bookstore tour to the house dance and nightlife figure who helped shape his life, career and writing.

Why it matters: - R.M. Almonte says Raymond “Voodoo Ray” Ultarte helped shape his confidence, career and writing through lessons about fear, travel and meeting people from different backgrounds. - The tribute connects Almonte’s current 93-stop bookstore tour to the New York house dance community that influenced both men. - Ultarte’s legacy reaches beyond one artist. His work helped preserve a key chapter of house dance, nightlife and Dominican American cultural history.

What happened: - Almonte is honoring Ultarte as he drives across Canada in pursuit of his third and fourth world records. - Ultarte died on Oct. 17, 2017. The ninth anniversary of his death falls on Oct. 17, 2026. - Almonte launched the current international bookstore campaign on Oct. 2, 2026, in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. - The tour includes 93 scheduled bookstore appearances, with 89 in Canada and four more in the United States, including Alaska. - The route is scheduled to run through May 23, 2027, and span Canada’s 10 provinces and three territories.

The details: - Ultarte was a dancer, choreographer, actor and nightlife promoter. - He grew up on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and was known earlier in life as Boogie Ray. - Ultarte co-founded the neighborhood dance crew Rocwild around 1980–1981 with Julio Hernandez. - The crew included Almonte’s oldest brother, Will Power, Abraham and other young dancers. - Ultarte was the grandson of Dominican merengue singer Joséíto Mateo. - His career included work tied to Mariah Carey, Jay-Z, Run-DMC, Busta Rhymes, MC Lyte, Wyclef Jean and the Backstreet Boys. - Ultarte worked alongside house dance figures including Ejoe Wilson, Sekou Heru and Caleaf “Big Leaf” Sellers. - Almonte said Ultarte adopted the name Voodoo Ray from the 1988 house track “Voodoo Ray” by A Guy Called Gerald. - Almonte remembers using the name Stone Ray in the 1990s so people could tell him apart from Voodoo Ray. - Ultarte introduced Almonte to New York house music and nightlife, including parties and clubs he was sometimes too young to enter legally. - Through Ultarte, Almonte met Little Louie Vega and Barbara Tucker. - Almonte also worked with Ultarte on the house music radio show The Candy Store on 89.1 FM, hosted by T.O. Sweet. - Ultarte traveled internationally and talked with Almonte about places such as France and Japan. - Almonte later lived in Japan and founded his own publishing company. - After Ultarte’s death, Almonte says the grief shaped scenes in his United Earth science-fiction series, including the death of a character named JK. - Almonte also recalls a phone call in which Ultarte said he was writing a book about his life as a dancer. - Ultarte died before completing that project. - Almonte hopes to help finish the book one day.

Between the lines: - The tribute frames Ultarte as more than an entertainer. It positions him as a bridge between neighborhood dance culture and a wider global creative scene. - Almonte’s account also shows how mentorship moved through family ties, local dance crews and nightlife networks in New York. - The story doubles as a portrait of how cultural influence can outlast a career. Ultarte’s impact now carries into Almonte’s books and record-chasing travel.

What's next: - Almonte plans to continue his Canadian bookstore campaign through May 23, 2027. - He is pursuing his third and fourth world records during the trip. - Almonte says he still hopes to complete Ultarte’s unfinished book as a way to preserve his mentor’s story and the history of New York house dance.

The bottom line: - Almonte’s current road trip is also a memorial. The journey, he says, is powered in part by the mentor who taught him to leave his comfort zone and keep moving forward.