Alberto Barros was born in Barranquilla, Colombia in a musical household. His father, the famous Colombian composer José Benito Barros, guided his son in pursuing music from a young age. At 14 he began formal music studies. Grammy-winning trombonist, vocalist, composer, and arranger Alberto Barros is affectionately known as "El Titán de la Salsa." Before founding his own award-winning orchestra, Los Titanes, he arranged and played trombone for the most important Colombian salsa bands. He founded Los Titanes in 1982 and won the Golden Congo at the Barranquilla Carnival Orchestra Festival with his first recorded hit, "La Palomita." Other early hits for the group included "Sobredosis de Amor," "Por Retenerte," and "En Trance." Barros reputation as a musical director spread far and wide. Los Titanes eventually became one of the leading Colombian salsa groups of the 1990s. In 2005, Barros was again nominated for and won his first Latin Grammy for his production on Marc Anthony's Valio la Pena. His initial in-concert recording, Tributo a la Salsa Colombiana (2007), was a major-label release and became a blueprint for half a dozen more volumes. Barros has contributed his talents for trombone and arrangement to albums by Latin music superstars including Ricky Martin, Carlos Vives, Ricardo Arjona, Gloria Trevi and dozens more. In 2017, his Tributo a la Salsa Colombiana, Vol. 7 won a Latin Grammy Award for Best Salsa Album.