|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
|||
|
|||
|
| Music Scene with Luis Vazquez Homepage |
'Archives Section' |
| EL BLING BLINEO
2007 The key event for a genre in the largest media market
left something to be desired. El Bling Blineo 2007 lacked something.
It wasn’t the This would be an indication of why La Kalle has started to tinker with it’s format to a more varied style somewhat abandoning it’s pure street oriented music style which many feel has been played out. Now don’t get me wrong. This show was as entertaining as one would expect from some of the elite talent in this genre. The absence of Daddy Yankee, one night before the event, robbed the event of its most marketable name performer. However even though the roster of talent for this show was not as packed numbers-wise, the depth of quality was still here as Tito El Bambino, Wisin and Yandel, and Don Omar displayed the reasons why they have risen to the upper echelons of this business. Even the late no-show of Calle 13, three-time Latin Grammy winners, failed to dull the enthusiasm of this crowd. Some young veteran artists stepped up to the plate to announce their arrival on the big stage. Notch, for example, who brought his multi-dimensional skills to play. He got the party started in fine fashion. However, it was Torito, the former lead singer of Los Toros Band, who got the first ovations by playing the part of the crooner well with his pleading voice and basic showmanship which stole all the ladies hearts. Jowell and Randy laid it out with hits like “No Te Veo”. This duo is the latest talent to pay their dues over the past few years and is now cashing in. The sight of Mexican host, Pacha rolling around on the Shea Stadium infield was quite significant. His appearance was the greatest evidence of the changes at La Kalle’s station this past year. In attempts to keep up with their rivals they have balanced their play list with more mainstream Spanish music. Pacha represents the growing Mexican influence in the U.S particularly in New York City. The explosive clean- up hitters started to arrive as Tito El Bambino blew past any shadow his former partner Hector El father cast with a phenomenal year of hits as he fulfilled the potential many felt was always his to capture. Hector didn’t do badly as he incorporated a large number of dancers to window dress his act. He soon got the ultimate complementary player to add some spice as Yomo joined “The Father”.
This duo has only exceeded their popularity with their new album “Los Vaqueros”. They are in demand overseas as well as in the United States. Their stage presence as well as duel ability to rap and sing equally well made for the second large impact of the night. During the playing of Rakata, one could feel the rails vibrating inside the concession stands. Then the evening had a change of pace as Victor Manuelle, who showed that a young Salsa singer could melt the crowds every time. As he prodded the ladies to finish a chorus, the crescendo of unified voices confirmed that Victor was not out of place in the Shea night. Finally the King of Kings arrived. Don Omar took the lead mantle. Dressed in black sweater with a dragon emblem, the mightily slimmed down Don took the main event status performed with his unique ability to both sing known songs with a different touch as well as belt out his recent hits. He was even joined by Wisin and Yandel as they sang “My Space”. All in all it was an entertaining evening but historically nothing more. The genre known as Reggaeton is searching for its next outlet to ride. However with promising new acts and an evolution in style has given us a hint of what the future of Latin Hip-Hop will look like for the balance of 2007. It will also give a clue to it’s survival. SPRING BLING IN THE AIR Summertime concerts in New York City run from events in small arenas to larger events in outdoor parks. On the night of June 9 at Shea Stadium in Queens, NY, the Super Bowl of Reggaeton will take place. The Spring Bling Blineo 2007 is the showcase that will show off the top acts of a genre that is enjoying its third major season in the mainstream spotlight. The assemblage of talent starts at the top. Daddy Yankee is riding the success of his latest single, “Impacto”, from the soon to be released album “Revolucion” this June. He will be joined by Don Omar, Hector “El Father”, Victor Manuelle, Tito “El Bambino” and Wisin and Yandel. In addition Calle 13 and Notch will bring their unique styles to play. This will not be all as there are some planned special surprises planned. The hosts for this event will come from the ranks of the station that is the flagship of Reggaeton, Univision's La Kalle 105.9. FM. Representing will be Lisa Rodriquez, Laura Stylez, DJ Kassanova, and DJ Neko. You can be assured that this show will maintain and should exceed past La Kalle events like 2005 and 2006 Block Parties as well as last year’s Blineo in Nassau Coliseum. Reggaeton is the latest evolution of Latin Hip-Hop, whose history goes back as far as the beginning of Hip-Hop. ElBoricua.com is proud to report on this event as this genre and the
majority of acts hail from the island of Puerto Rico. As they endeavor
to win more fans stateside we look forward to a classic show representing
all music that is coming out of the streets via the island beats, La
Kalle.
A PERSONAL JOURNEY WITH NINA SKY They are sisters. Everyone knows that. They are twins and that has
been overstated. They are possessors of a number # 1 song in their careers
but it has become the measuring stick. This year when their sophomore
effort, “The Musical”, is Nicole speaks about the upbringing that shaped their lives. “My parents are Puerto Rican. My grandparents are actually from Puerto Rico. My parents were born here. We were born and grew up in Queens, raised by our mother and stepfather and our father also. It was pretty much like any Queens upbringing. We lived with our parents and there was a lot of music being played. That’s how we got into music, our father was a DJ.” Having both a father and stepfather is generally not the easiest transition. Natalie tells us how this worked out. “Our step dad was basically our father since we were two years old but our father was also present in our lives. They were two people who played important roles in our lives. It wasn’t really difficult.”
“We listen to rock, Hip-Hop, House music. We grew up listening
to freestyle music like Lisa Lisa, Noel, all these people. We listened
to everything and that really influences us and our music today. You
look at our music and we’ve done everything from “Move your
Body” which is a reggae influenced track using a Lisa Lisa beat
at the end to Reggaeton to Hip-Hop songs with Alchemist and Mobb Deep.
We are really a product of all the types of music that was played in
our household.” (Photo to the right by: Desiree Feliciano) Natalie agrees, “My grandparents are retired now and they own three houses. They were really hard workers and that really inspired us and showed us the way we have to be. They were good role models.” As for her Moms, Natalie has this to say. “She always supported us and had access in whatever we chose to do. We are blessed and lucky to have our Mom around and even today our Mom is our best friend. We really admire her and appreciate everything she’s done for us.” Nicole is known as the DJ of the duo. She learned first hand from her older brother. She saw her brother spinning records and decided that would be something she could do. Nicole tells why, “It was like so cool and you see all these men DJ’ing and I don’t see any females doing it. I said, “you know what, I’m going to learn how to do it, and my brother started teaching me. I’ve been doing it since I was thirteen. I still do it and own a lot of records, vinyl.” Nina Sky as twins lead people to assume that they are one mind, one thought. Not always so. Even though there is a mystical connection between twins, they are still two people. Is that the case with Nina Sky? Natalie approached the subject first. “I think there are a lot of similarities as well as a lot of differences. We are both really driven. We have always followed our dreams. We can both be really outgoing but at the same time we can both be really quiet.” Nicole adds, “I think we are very similar. We grew up together and lived with each other all our lives up until last year. Natalie moved out and we live in separate apartments now but we are very much alike for that reason. We spent almost our entire lives together. We both love music. We are both very outgoing but we change it up. One day you’ll see Natalie really outgoing and I’ll be the quiet one. Natalie jumps in, “We kind of dress different. We enjoy doing different things in our free time but for the most part we are pretty similar. We get on each others nerves but we’re best friends and we get over it. We’ll argue one minute, five minutes later we’ll be talking again.” We pattern ourselves after those that appeal to us. It is no different for Nina Sky. They tell us about their role models growing up. Nicole started us off “As far as our number one role model it will always be our mother. She played the biggest part in our lives than anyone could have played. Our older brother is also a role model. He inspired us a lot when it came to doing music. He always helped us out. He is currently our road DJ. “Musically as far as the music industry, we are inspired by someone like Jennifer Lopez who has her hands in all these things from acting to clothing to production companies. Someone like her being Latina and being so successful, we look up to her and we like that. It’s what we want to do one day.” The behind the scenes story of Nina Sky and “Move your Body” song is best explained by Nicole, “We came to Cipha Sounds from Hot 97 MTV and he had this idea to record this song over the “Cool Riddum” which was a reggae rhythm that was big at the time. We got into the studio and did fifteen minute vocals and in forty-five minutes it was done. That is the story of “Move your body”. He started playing it on the radio and started giving it to other DJ’s and the song just exploded. It wasn’t only in New York, it was in every state, it was worldwide, people started playing it. From that we got an offered a deal from Next Plateau/ Universal Records. We just tried to follow that success.” The stigma of being Hip-Hops resident hook-chicks has been a hard title to remove. Why does Nina Sky score memorable moments in joint efforts with other artists then fail to duplicate it with their own project. I approached them on this issue and they were not shy in telling us why this happens. “When we are getting with other peoples albums, their pushing their albums so far, the labels and their backing and everything is getting pushed so far. That’s why it’s exceeding that limit or doing that well. When our album comes out we are going to show people that the music speaks for itself.” Natalie strongly states. Nicole bangs back, “When you see a song explode and then you don’t see the sales translate with that. A lot of times all a label understands is sales. They don’t understand that sometimes you need that extra push. So with us we put a lot of effort independently. We didn’t get that extra push. They didn’t because they were looking at the numbers. “Turning me on” was played all over the world. In Europe people know that song. We go to the label and say this song is huge and they see the numbers aren’t translating, so a lot of it is just business to them.” The goal’s one set’s is a measure of their expectations and aspirations. Nicole tells us about this, “This is just the beginning. The music is just the beginning and hopefully it will lead to other things. We’re always getting acting scripts and such but our main priority is the new album, The Musical. When we have the time we will go forward on that. We are looking at a lot of scripts. I have a love of DJ’ing. We just started a company together. We just want to get our heads in as many things as we can.” Nicole also has something for those who underrate Nina Sky’s contributions to their songs. “We are not only musicians, we are artistic people. We are also business oriented because to be a really successful musician you can’t only focus on the music. We’re growing everyday in that aspect and hopefully one day we’ll be able to open our own business and be successful at it.” Songwriting is Nina Sky’s passion. Since writing the song “sisters” at the age of seven, they have continued to pursue this aspect of creativity. Natalie shares first “I love writing but the fact that the first album we had only three weeks to do it. So we really went into our old songs that I had written that we used on the first album. Nicole writes a lot. It’s really a team effort. I probably write more.” Nicole adds, “Natalie wrote most of the first album. This album we both came together and sat down. We recorded over a hundred songs. I don’t think I can remember or breakdown who wrote what because we recorded so many songs this time. Natalie writes so much. She is my favorite writer.” Natalie responds back, “She is my favorite DJ.” The importance of this album cannot be overstated. Nina Sky worked with more producers which is not usual but is something that works for them. They seemed intent on getting the whole experience due to the rush job that was forced on them in their previous effort. Nicole states the reason “We are pleased with the outcome of the album. We love to be in the studio writing along with the whole creative process. We are not one to go to the studio and accept a song someone else writes for us because it doesn’t represent what Nina Sky is necessarily. This time around we are excited about the opportunity to do that. We do not have a deadline and we did a song with Cipher Sounds and his new partner, Solitair that they asked us to do, the first single, Sugar Daddy. We also worked with a lot of other producers like Ryan Leslie, Salome Remi, the Jettzons, Rick Ross.” Natalie adds, “Cool and Dre as well. We were just happy to be working with so many producers. It’s a real blessing. On the first album we didn’t get to work with many people. We were excited. I think its Dope that we have so much dope talent on our album. Amazing people were willing to work with us this time around. It’s an advantage.” Nicole adds a comment, “We and Natalie are not the type of people that are like “We want to work with the biggest producer because he’s going to write and produce this incredible song. It was like getting to the studio and people to edit these and really vibing out with them and creating music. To work with so many different people was big for us. We love to be creative and to write. We love to do music.” The work that is being put into this project shows what is at stake.
Nicole tells us their feelings on the pressure of this second official
effort. “The second album is so important. It’s going to
make you or break you. This is going to confirm Nina Sky is here and
we’re here to stay. I don’t even want to say or even think
about if it doesn’t. We really put so much work into this. We
recorded over a hundred songs and hopefully this will confirm to everybody
that were real and we put out great music. Hopefully people embrace
and take the time to listen.” “That just goes to show how much work we put into it. We are not two girls that sit back and wait for something to happen. We are two girls whoa re in the studio nonstop recording songs, doing mix tapes, working on collaborations and keeping ourselves out there. You have to know the importance of hustling. A lot of people say they are grinding but what goes to show that. We send out all these mix tapes that we have done on our own. We went to Puerto Rico, worked with Ivy Queen, with Yaga and Mackie and all these people because it’s so important to be out there and givesomething to your fans so they know that you’re really working for them. Even when the album is not out we are on the grind. I just hope people will really embrace it, take time to listen to it, and get into it because we put a lot of work into it.” Among the mix tapes Nina Sky released was called 80’s babies. Why the 80’s? “We were born in the 80’s. We decided why not, do something different. It’s not like a regular mix tape where we just recorded songs. It’s me DJ’ing and Natalie hosting. We take a totally different approach. What other girls are putting out mix tapes and DJ’ing? We chose our favorite 80’s songs and even did a remix of our single “Sugar Daddy”, an 80’s remix. 80’S music is so uplifting, so fun.” When Nina Sky began I felt that they were the next evolution of freestyle.
Natalie shared her opinion on this. “We love Freestyle music.
You know what’s really cool. You thought we were the evolution
of freestyle. Some people would say Reggae ton and others would say
Dance artists. I love that, the way you just said that. We solely embrace
all the different genres of music and its dope that people see that.
We have our own perception and others have theirs. It just shows that
we can do all these different kinds of music. We really do know about
music. Its show’s in our music, so, its cool.” Natalie also shares some of the locales that Nina Sky would like to
visit in the coming years. “I want to go to Brazil because I hear
it’s so beautiful over there. We haven’t gone to Puerto
Rico yet. I’d like to go there. We have family and friends that
are waiting for us to go there. We have visited but never performed
there. Australia is another. Japan because the style over there is so
different. Everyone that goes there says they love it. Their style and
the fact they are so advanced technology wise.” |
|
ERICKA PINO
Ericka has been in news for nearly five years. She is in her mid-twenties and has just scraped the surface of her talent. Born in Peru, Ericka and her twin sister, Zadith were brought to the United States by their mother at age nine. As any person who learns English as a second language, nine is late in the game to start. However this was never a problem for Ericka. In her unique way she introduces herself to us. “My dad came to the United States in 1985. Three years later, along with our mom, we came to meet up with him. We lived in Flushing, Queens for a couple of months until we moved to New Jersey. It’s funny, I remember we arrived in Queens on a Wednesday and by Thursday night I was outside playing manhunt. No one spoke Spanish and I really didn’t care. I don’t know how, but I was communicating immediately, all I wanted to do was play. I assimilated right away, unlike my parents that had to worry about being in whole different country and not speaking the language, and pay bills and the like, my only concern was how I would touch base without letting anyone see my hiding spot. Months later, we moved to New Jersey. Even though I was born in Peru, I consider that I did most of my growing up in North Bergen. Here is where I met the best friends I still have to today, where I finished grammar school, high school, and had my first job (I was a lifeguard at the North Bergen pool)” Along with her sister Zadith, they made the most of their educational experience and participated in a lot of school activities. That is when adversity reared its head. How she dealt with it however exposed her trademark tenacity and showed that she was in for the long haul. Ericka tells us how it was. “I went to North Bergen High School and I loved it! Don’t forget I have a twin sister so it was twice the fun because I had a friend, a live-in friend, a slumber party everyday. Don’t get the wrong idea; though we are twins, we look nothing alike, even personality wise we are very different. Especially when we were younger, I was always playing outside, getting dirty while Zadith was home doing homework, getting good grades. I think that’s why we made us such a great team; I know it sounds corny but we were so different we completed each other. I played all the video games, rescued all the princesses while she read the manuals and figured out what the best strategy would be. One thing that we were alike in was that we were both very popular and involved in school activities. I was more athletic and she was very studious taking special classes that led her to an Ivy League school (University of Pennsylvania).” “As we got older, I found myself
stuck because I realized my sister was going to a very important school
and all my friends were going away to college. I applied to five different
schools. I was an average student, a B student. I ended up not getting
accepted by anybody. I was an athlete. I played softball, I was a cheerleader,
ran track and was on the student newspaper, yet somehow I kept falling
through the cracks. Luckily we went to one of those College fairs. I
found out that Rider University had a special program called E.O.P.,
Special Opportunity Program. It provided a bunch of B and C minority
students a chance to sharpen up and prove that you deserve a chance
in a University. It was a tough program. We started in June as opposed
to September. We were not allowed to go home, we had full days of classes
that started at 8:00am and ended when the sun went down. It was tough,
but I made it! By September I was considered an incoming freshman just
like everyone else.” INTERNSHIP It was at this time while taking communications when the need for internship credit came up. This would immerse Ericka in the world of Media. Simply put, she took the ball and ran with it. She tells us the stories of this six-year period that led her from Communications major to anchoring weather newscasts in major markets. “In my second year while taking communications I needed an internship for credit. I procrastinated a little. I thought, since I’m the only Hispanic, I’ll make it work to my advantage, I’ll send in my internship application to Univision and Telemundo. They’ll surely take me right away; it’s going to be easy, one-two-three and its over. There was one problem. When it was time to get my internship I realized that Univison and Telemundo didn’t have internship programs. I ended up making things way harder for myself. With no where to go, not getting the grade was completely out of the question, so I had no choice but to use my imagination and make it up. Yeap, all of it! I had to invent it, make believe Univision let me in and let me work there for a couple of months. Then in the summer I would figure out how I was going to really get in there, for real this time, and get credit for it. I wrote a paper and incredibly got an A. That summer I had to put myself to work, I got a part time job a substitute teacher in North Bergen, my full- time job was to call Univison every day, every time I was by a phone to express, again and again, how important it was to at least have an interview with someone please.” One day, encouraged by my mom, I showed up at the station. The receptionist said there were no internships. Two weeks later I went back and there was a different receptionist. I looked over her desk and memorized three extensions and names, the entertainment, promotions and news directors. I knew the first three numbers; all I only had to remember was their extension. One day I called and asked the receptionist who was the nicest one out of the three. She said Promotions. Good! I called her every single day for about 5 weeks. One day I came home from work and had a message from Miriam Coletta, Promotions Director. She said something like this, “Ericka, I don’t know who you are, either you come in for an interview tomorrow or I’m putting a restraining order on you.” Sometimes in life you know, you just know that the right opportunity will come. As I sat in her office she showed me a pile of resumes with mine on top. She said, “Listen I get these resumes all the time. All these kids want internships. We do not have the budget for it and you are not the most qualified, but you are by far the most persistent and because of that I’m going to see what I can do.” “One week later she called back. That’s when my life really changed. I took it upon myself to show Univision how much they needed me. Show them that I was unbeatable and unstoppable. I would come in the mornings and leave at ten or eleven at night. I was paid 6 dollars an hour for no more than 4 hours a day. In a week they started calling me “Super intern” because I did everything. After four weeks I was writing this, translating that, and different departments were borrowing me. I even translated scripts when UPN and Univision came together to judge the Emmys in 1999.” “When I returned to school, I knew I had made a good impression with everyone at Univision. So when I had to do another internship for credit, I chose the same station, just different department. This time it was much easier, I told Alejandro Guerrero, the news director at the time, that I was coming back to work with him this time. He said no problem. After my second internship, and with my whole senior year still ahead of me, I was offered a full-time job. Since school and work were about 2 hours away, I chose school. My Mom said: if they want you now, they would probably want you in a year as well. That’s exactly what happened. I graduated on May 2nd 2000; May 3rd I became the assistant Entertainment producer at Univison. Three Months later, I took over as entertainment producer. I had just turned 21.”
UNIVISION As the entertainment producer, Ericka contributed
as a writer and chose the music formats for shows such as “Sabado
al Medio Dia” and later “Onda Latina”. However looking
at the next step Ericka found a way to position herself as Mary Joel
Duran’s backup as traffic reporter. She eventually won the position
outright when Mary Joel was bumped up to street reporter. Later, when
there was an opening for weekend Weather anchor, she took on that responsibility
as well. For almost 2 years she worked seven days a week. Ericka pushed
herself to her limits as she took on a weekly outdoors segment, a book
club and was the traffic reporter on 93.1 Amor. FOX 5 GOOD DAY She was still doing seven days a week,
when she caught the attention of Fox 5 news director, Neil Goldstein.
She would replace Adrienne “I was asked if I would like to
work for Good Day New York. I asked what about Adrienne Watson? I knew
of her because I used to monitor other traffic reporters to gauge their
styles. Ironically, my favorite was Fox 5 first, followed by WB 11.
They said they were going in another direction. I was interviewed shortly
after and was offered the position. At the time, was not under contract
with Univison. The truth is that when Fox called I had not considered
at all. It was a big surprise, to say the least. I knew eventually I
had to stop working so much because I would burn myself out, but I wasn’t
looking. It was so weird, this amazing opportunity came right to me,
something I wasn’t used to. Everything that I was doing until
that very day I look, for fought for. Until that very moment doors had
never really opened for me, I had kicked them open. Simply put, it was
a chance of a lifetime, something I never imagined, and an opportunity
I had to be crazy not to accept. I had to go for it and try my luck;
there really was no way around it. It was tough leaving Univision yes,
I had been there for many years, I celebrated my twenty-first birthday
there, made many friends, made them part of my family. It was a good
and safe environment yet I knew I had to move on.
TELEMUNDO Soon Ericka got back on her feet. She left with class and joined a talent agency. She got a job in Miami doing weather for WSVN (fox affiliate in Miami). There, she took time to relax, build her demo tape even more, and take in some sun. During this time, she was also chosen to do 6 national commercials for Kraft. “Miami was the best place to go. I had a great schedule, I was working just as hard, but I went to the beach a lot, had a chance to relax and regroup. It was a good opportunity to regain perspective.” Soon thereafter Telemundo New York called; It seemed a natural progression to go back home. It was nice to get back to where I started; it felt like viewers were happy to see me again working for them in Spanish.”
LOS ANGELES Three months later, LA. Was knocking. “It was so quick. At first I didn’t know if moving so far away would be a good idea after I had regained my legs. Still, I interviewed and waited around for an offer, not knowing weather I would take the leap or not. Soon after, they offered me the job. It took about a minute of research to realize what a positive change this would be for me, Los Angeles is a whole different monster, and it’s huge. The exposure that any talent gets in this market doesn’t really compare to anything I have done before”. Los Angeles is the number one market in Spanish.
Ericka shares her perspective on work, Not bad for someone who has been out of our daily eye a lot in the past two years. Look out for Ericka because she is going to blow up in the year to come. In the future she’ll be putting up a website for those who have demanded it. Right now she has a Yahoo Group that commands nearly 300 members. The Underground movement that is fueled by Pino Power is in total effect.
THE HITMAKER WHO HAPPENS TO LIKE CLASSICS
“ I’m just trying to put things together. I’m just looking to move forward now after these two compilations. I want to focus now on my artists. I want to get involved solely with my own artists. But it was an opportunity. I don’t know if I should look at myself as a historian or nothing like that. I don’t think about that at all. All I care about is the people see and either understand and that the artists are able to express themselves. That it makes sense, that its credible, a lot of people do things and don’t have the credibility of what’s happening or going on with the artists. The artists are talking what they really feel in their head, what they really feel inside, what they see.” The early indications are that the CD and DVD will do
well. “In L.A. we had 247 people to view it. In New York there
was over a thousand at the various locations. We sold out in all the
stores. The response thus far has been very good. I’m very grateful.
“I’m not surprised. I always believed in the genre. I was
surprised at how fast it happened Mr. Ruiz tells us about the contrasts between the two documentaries. “ It is about Reggae ton from three years until now. It is also about a historical tour that took place, the first tour in the history of Reggae ton and Hip-Hop. We were on this bus to promote that album, “Chosen few II: El Documental” It’s like having a reality show showing everything we had to go through to make the album number one.” Boy Wonder has a great roster of talent on this album. Boy Wonder tells us more about them. “I’m going to finish LDA’s album. They are the first male/female duet in Reggae ton. They really got a buzz. The Chosen Few II album will have a lot of Latin Hip-Hop underground artists like Reychesta “Secretweapn” who was involved with Tres Coronas and I have Getto whose doing the Tempo thing with me and he’s doing a single with Jim Jones and Hector El Father. Each one is working. I’ve been fortunate to utilize my work and be able to use the opportunity to put my artists out there.” The origins of what Boy Wonder does can be traced to his school days at a Queens High School where he got the inspiration for his companies future name and provide the stage for his future endeavors. “Chosen Few is something I had from my childhood. My production company is called Chosen Few Emerald Entertainment. Chosen Few is actually came from when I was in school where everybody had their clique or crew. In High School we called ourselves the Chosen Few.” “I liked music and bought records and seeing a lot of TV, music videos. I never really thought about music, I was trying of being an athlete because I was a really competitive person. It just fell that way. Sometimes it’s like a calling. It really started for me when Hip-Hop was really going up. I was in Long Island City High School that happens to be the area where Naz, Mark D, Capone y Noriega were from. Everybody wanted to be a rapper. The difficulty in putting together a project of this magnitude cannot be measured. Boy Wonder tells us why that is and how the evolution of Latin Hip-Hop fits his production well. “Both documentaries were very hard to put together. I think I was really determined and I’m willing to work all the endless hours and do whatever it takes. The artists have difficult schedules but I’m very patient. There would be times when I had to wait until four in the morning for an artist, so that’s what I did. I had like eighty artists and you have to know how to deal with people. These artists are all creative and everyone is different and special in their own way.” Boy Wonder cares about the direction of Latin Hip-Hop.
He even used a song from the tour to raise 15,000 for the AIDS organization
afar. Manuel gives us his thoughts. “ I’m a real supporter of Latin Hip-Hop. I want Chosen Few to be known as a LATIN Hip-Hop album. My goal is to take Latin Hip-Hop to another level and more mainstream.” “I work at being the best but everyone can be their best. So long as I give my best at one thing, it may not be the best to others, but I give it my 100%, my all. I’m happy with that. You know my motto, it’s not about making a hit, it’s about making a classic.”
CARMELINA PRESENTS: GENERATION “ñ”
She went to work, saved her money, and used her ability to soak up knowledge from others wherever it presented itself. She applied it properly where it was most useful and as a result, Morena Records was formed. She is the sole owner of the label and with the “R-1 Management team behind her, there can be no doubt that 2007 is the year of generation “ñ.” We got to speak to Carmelina recently and she touched on several topics concerning her life, her dreams, the importance of music in her life, and what Generation “ñ” means. Presenting for your listening pleasure, Carmelina, La Morena. A young girl grows up from an island in the Caribbean and moves to a town like New York and suddenly ones horizons expand. So it was for Carmelina. “Since I was a little girl I wanted to do music and dance. One of the things that called me is music. My family is very musical. My dad was part of a merengue band. My parents were always encouraging me to dance in front of family members so It was pretty much a big part of my life especially on the weekends and on Sundays when we would have get togethers.” The love of books and the importance of reading can have an impact. Whether helping to acquire new language skills, to express oneself through writing, or to successfully assimilate oneself into a new culture cannot be overstated. Unwillingly to limit herself Carmelina took it upon herself to immerse herself and dominate a new tongue and leave nothing to chance. “When I grew up I had this love for reading and writing, one of the things that interested me was the lyrics of certain songs. So I would analyze those in order to understand what an artist view would be in terms of what they writing about. There would have to be a kind of message in the song and I decided that if I was ever to write a song that I would definitely want a message out that my fans could listen to. You can teach lessons and tell stories. I love the whole storytelling idea. I feel when I write one of my songs that I share stories and paint pictures. I have a real good time when I’m recording because there are so many ways you can go about it.” Family and influences by friends you meet along the way can shape the path one takes in life. The vision of ones mind is expanded only as far as their experiences. Carmelina gives us a peek at that journey. “ I feel my style is geared to a Hip-Hop concept and I blend it all to form an innovative pop fusion. An arroz con pollo, like she prefers to call it. It’s not hard, where I grew up in Spanish Harlem, musically it’s a diverse neighborhood. I sing Spanish and English because both are a part of my culture.” “My parents saw education as more important than anything. It was the number one priority. It’s the most prized object, education, its priceless. It helps to expand your world. W hen I went to college I was exposed to a lot of different things. I love books. I love the whole power of thought. This helped me write my songs and exposed me to a whole new arena of things.” Education was the engine, which would drive the car that allowed Carmelina to cover vast territories. It also signified sometime more. “I feel literature is a vehicle I used to do the things I learned. More like a personal goal because when I came to the U.S. I spoke only Spanish so in order to hold my own in the Public Schools I would have to get better. It was a personal journey for me.” Music was the calling, the aim of destiny from those early days when the claps and cheers came from adults who showed pride in their little girls who could express themselves through their performances with natural grace and beauty. “Music is an inspiration for everything, it touches everything I do. It’s my best friend. My favorite artist was Madonna. My dad bought me my first Madonna album. Back home there was a lot of merengue and Salsa. Merengue though is very repetitive and it’s about how much fun your having.” There is a movement coming. It’s a new generation. Generation “ñ” has come of age and Carmelina tells us how it started and what it is about. “Generation “ñ” is going to be a colloraborative effort of songs and stories that can be told. It’s about how we grew up and the experiences of things that are happening to me at the moment, it also incorporates the generation that I come from. We are Latinas and we feel we are under represented and now is our time to shine. It represents the kids who are born or grow up in NYC. We style in English, but we learn to speak Spanish at home. Generation “ñ” is a representation of my neighborhood and how much we love Hip-Hop and R&B. We like to go back and forth whether it’s Spanish to English or Spanglish to English.
The people behind the music are the unsung heroes of all musical successes. Despite a shoestring budget the album will not lack in quality backing. Carmelina endeavors to make sure we recognize the talent that has supported her in this journey. The company that will push the album is R1 Management. The talent includes upcoming rappers Star Kim, Caleesh, and producers Game G, Ritchie Pena (Don Omar),Curt Gowdy (50 Cent, Tupac) Baby Paul (NAS, AZ), and Manny Loco. Ney Flava of Clavo music(Wu Tang, Omawi Bling) will be the CD’S art director..
“ Even though this is a personal project it definitely needs some innovative. I do a lot of the footwork in terms of harnessing my sound. I’m always looking for that special summer song that becomes my theme song. Morena is the voice of the strong Latina woman. You treated me second for someone else but you know what, I am myself and I have a future. I don’t need someone to define who I am. You dream about me because I am who I am and to be is very powerful.”
In closing Carmelina has an opinion on stars who set up my spaces but don’t take the time to answer their fans.“ I take a totally different approach. I like getting acquainted with my fans and listening to their opinions.” So now you have met the artist. Support Generation “ñ” and Morena records by contacting Carmelina through: R1 Management at (646) 342-7956 / email: harlemconnect@yahoo.com. Also support the music. Check out her my space site
at DAISY SPEAKS CULTURALLY THROUGH FOOD By: Luis Vazquez Daisy Martinez has made a big splash in the past year.
As a Brooklyn born Puerto-Rican, she has emerged as the newest cooking
television Daisy was born in Brooklyn, New York. Her mother is from Arecibo and her father from Aguadilla. Her parents migrated to the United States during the depression. They along with daisy’s grandparents were self-sufficient. “ My grandmother was a seamstress and my grandfather had a little business, he hand-wove cigars.”
The passing on of culture through the kitchen was born with the relationship between grandmother and granddaughter. It was the link that allowed Daisy to survive a move to Staten Island away from her center. “I remember spending time in the kitchen with my grandmother. Saturday mornings I would go the second floor where she would have this archetypical abuela bed with four large posts, cabbage rose wallpaper and I would climb into bed and we would go downstairs and make breakfast. She would fry me eggs, tostados, and the whole nine yards. She never made me feel as a child that I was in the way. She enjoyed sharing the kitchen with her family.” The transition in cultures from a pre-dominate Spanish area in Brooklyn to an all-white one in Staten Island made it somewhat difficult to recreate that which bonded the family but Daisy’s parents found ways. It was important to maintain that culture. Daisy learned firsthand the importance of this from visits to Puerto Rico during the summer. “The whole food thing on the Island is very different from anything I ever experienced here. My grandmother lived in Arecibo. She lived in this way, making oatmeal in the morning or farina for the man around the corner or mondongo or cake you brought to the lady down the street, your neighbors. You are always knocking on the door with a plate of something. That was very much a part of the experience that Grandmother taught me. My mother is fond of saying “You make enough for who is sitting at your table and for anybody that may show up. That’s how I was taught to cook.” The family put their roots down in Staten Island. Her father was one of the first Puerto Ricans in the NYFD. Daisy found being the only Latina in school with no English speaking abilities to be a rough transition. However she endeavored to learn. “I love to speak English but up until that time all we spoke was Spanish. I had not needed to speak English, but I tell you by the first grade I had the highest reading level in the class. My Dad would come home with the Daily News and teach me by having me read the newspaper. He instilled a great joy of reading. I am very grateful to him for that.” The road to success begins with a single step. In Daisy’s case it began with a single pair of shoes. Working at Macy’s at the age of seventeen, Daisy met a couple of Australian and one Italian gentleman. They were importers of shoes and would procure Daisy to wear their shoes for tradeshows. Competition came from the Spanish who inundated the market by coming in numbers to capture the top spot from the Italians. Daisy would be brought in to become part of a famous shoe ad. Daisy tells us about it. “ They were contesting that leather from Spain was as fine as anything you would find in Italy or France. They would bring an upscale Spanish line. The guys were trying to do it through numbers. A number of them came up to me and asked if I wanted to be the Martinez Valero girl? It was a much more upscale line so I went with the Spaniards. I would do two shows a year, fall and spring lines. They paid very, very well and I got to keep the shoes. This was awesome because I was this total shoe whore. (Daisy laughs) I just love shoes. So they sent me whatever shoes I wanted. I did that for a couple of years through College (Long Island University) because the money was great.” Daisy took a back step for her husband and family. It
was a decision she never regretted. Now in her 30’s with the children in school Daisy began to see how far her Bachelor of Biology could take her. She thought of being a Podiatrist. Her girlfriend talked her out of it and dared her to see her talent agent friend and as a result she took commercial courses and took advantage of her bilingual skills. She did commercials in English and Spanish. She did this for five years getting on soaps but when she turned thirty-five she gave birth to her daughter. “I told my husband I am just going to be here for her. Whatever she needs whether it’s her ballet classes, it was all about her at that point. My boys were older and in school full time and I just didn’t want to miss a minute with her.” Daisy’s husband noticed his wife looking at cooking magazines absently. He surprised her for her fortieth birthday by matriculating her at the French Culinary School. It was a true surprise birthday gift. As Daisy recalls her husband saying, “You have always put all of your things aside for us, now its time for us to return the favor. Don’t worry about a thing I’ll take care of the house, the kids, you go ahead and do your thing. You don’t have to tell me twice. I was like OK I’m there.” She would win a prize for her final project at the culinary school called “The Passionate Palate.” Two weeks later she booked her first job. What type of training takes place at that institute.”? You get out of it what you put into it. The instructor would ask me, “Did you sleep here last night? I was always the first one to arrive and the last one out. For me I did not want to miss a single thing. I wanted to be on the first page. I did the culinary curriculum, which takes you through a very intense hands-on course. What they teach is not how to cook, they teach you the classic techniques of cooking. Once you have that then you go do whatever you want. They will teach you the basics. They teach you knife skills, how to build a sauce, how to run a restaurant because the third or fourth level students would be responsible for running the restaurant. I learned how to make puff pastries from scratch. They invite me back every once in a while to judge a graduating class. For a person who applies himself, the program is dynamite. You can find work immediately.” While working her first job she was asked if she wanted to do a show on television. Daisy saw how it all fits together. “ Everything I had done previously in my life had led up to that moment. The performing, the acting, the cooking had reached a perfect point. And here I am.” It is quite an accomplishment to model and get acting opportunities starting at the age of thirty. She worked in the movies “Scent of a woman” and “Carlito’s Way” along with Al Pacino along with many bit parts even appearing in “Juice” with Tupac. Culminating with the show “Daisy Cooks” and a book by the same name everything seemed to come together for Daisy who is most appreciative, “ There is no denying the force of God, when things come together like that there is no denying it. “Daisy Cooks” aired in April of 2005 in ten markets across the United States. It went nationwide, over 250 stations around the United States and Puerto Rico.” The popularity of cooking shows is ridden on the backs of personalities like Emeril who opened the doors for such shows. Daisy concurs, “ I would venture to say that someone as dramatic and as forceful in front of the camera as Emeril definitely made an impact on cooking shows as entertainment. The funny thing about cooking shows is a lot of people who watch cooking shows do not cook. They say Food was the theatre of the 80’s, that’s when the whole craze started. Latin food is ethnic without being alien.” Daisy Martinez has a positive personality and bright outlook on life that has never been dulled. It hasn’t always been easy but she always put her best foot forward. Thinking of others was engrained form early on and she passes that legacy to her children. Daisy leaves us with this. “ You have to prepare yourself for any eventuality so when opportunity knocks on the door you are ready to run not walk through it. Don’t ever, ever let anybody tell you that no you can’t do that.” Look for Daisy Martinez new website at www.Daisymartinez.com to learn more about this wonderful lady. Elboricua.com is honored to have been bestowed this interview.
ZULEYKA RIVERA- MISS UNIVERSE 2006- PUERTO RICO’S NEWEST SHINING STAR
On July 23, 2006 in Los Angeles, California, the 2006 Miss Universe pageant winner was crowned. The honors went to a nineteen year old from Salinas, Puerto Rico. The victory marked the fifth time in the pageants history that a representative from Puerto Rico was chosen. In the battle to deflect negative stereotypes, Puerto Ricans have had to accomplish great things to get noticed as a positive contributor to the culture of this country. Whether it is a championship Boxer, an Olympic upset of the United States in Basketball, or the dawning of the Reggae ton era in music, Boricuas have had to prove themselves to the masses in the United States. The yearly parade that runs along Fifth Avenue is only covered superficially and elicits mostly negative side stories. Zuleyka Rivera now stands today as an excellent representative, a woman with goals, perspective, and a plan borne out of a solid family background that has kept her well grounded yet always with her eyes to the sky. Zuleyka tells us about her life, her views on Puerto Rico’s politics, the fainting spell at the pageant and her hopes for the future. Let us welcome Zuleyka Rivera, Miss Universe 2006. Like many Puerto Ricans born on the island, many dream of great things but some work harder to realize it. Zuleyka Rivera tells us about her town and gives us a look at her background. “My family and I are from Salinas, Puerto Rico. There were five of us which include me, my two brothers along with my Mother and Father. I moved to San Juan, the Capital, when I was sixteen to attend the University of Puerto Rico. My major was communications. I had to stop though because the opportunity to participate in the Miss Universe arrived.” The historical aspect of becoming the fifth Puerto Rican woman to be crowned Miss Universe was not lost on Zulekya. “It was a big thing because it put us in second place all-time. It is an honor to share this crown with Marisol Malaret, Deborah Carthy-Deu, Dayanara Torres, and Denise Quinones. They have been very successful. I know I will also be successful.” Miss Universe is about the personification of beauty. If that be the case then Zulekya does not take a back seat to anyone. Her interests are varied and contribute to a well-rounded lifestyle. Her thoughts tell as much, “In my free time I like to play Tennis. I love tennis. It helps me to stay in shape. Also in Puerto Rico my uncle owns horses, so I get to ride them as well. I also like all different kinds of music like Hip-Hop, Balada, Pop, and Reggaeton. Music has the capacity to balance your emotions. It can make you happy, sad, or angry. We listen to a lot of Reggaeton. We have a lot of artists that are known around the world.” The feelings that Zulekya and her family have for a gentleman named Ismael Rios goes beyond words. Zuleyka tells about the 'difference maker' in her life. “We met when I was 16 and he; (Ismael Rios) is a gentleman in life. He stole my heart and my family. At this time what person who is not family or blood related, would do this for me and inspire me to do my best. He showed me the true meaning of love and friendship. He is my father, brother, cousin, friend. He is one of my greatest loves in the world.” The political relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico has been strained for most of its history. Zulekya has a more positive outlet on this relationship between her homeland and the country which opened large doors for her currently. “The union between the U.S. and Puerto Rico has generated many advances. There has been a lot of economical growth. If its working it should remain the way it is. I trust the capability of Puerto Ricans to solve problems anywhere and anytime.” The evening of July 23 saw our champion endure a fainting spell upon victory. Zuleyka tells us what happened that evening. “It was very heavy, my outfit. It was like ten pounds. It was very tight and the feeling I had at that moment I was excited. I was proud. I was thinking of my family. I think that’s why I fainted.” The goals that we make in life define us ultimately. Miss Universe is a heavy burden. It has a plethora of responsibilities. There are many challenges yet there are many perks.” I would like to be an actress and having access to classes will help and being able to go anywhere and have access as a result of celebrity is a great experience. However I want to lead by example, to travel the world and promote AIDS awareness. That is my purpose I feel.” The memories of childhood are the springboard to who we become as adults. Some images which are simple are sometimes the most enduring. “I remember family, Nana, and dancing a lot as a child. I never had anything so expensive” (referring to the crown and prizes that are a part of the package.). The Legacy of the newest Miss Universe will be shown a year from now when she passes the torch to a new holder. We also wanted to know her thoughts on this and the people of Puerto Rico. “I want to be known as the woman I am now with the same qualities and the same personality, a warm person. I want to thank you all for the support. I love Puerto Rico, la Isla del Encanto.”
TEGO TO AMSTER-JAM NEW YORK By Luis Vazquez
Reggaeton has made some important advances in the past year. Tego Calderon will once again enter the New York Market and show off why the island of Puerto Rico and its version of Latin Hip-Hop called Reggaeton can hold its own with the best the business has to offer. |
|
| EVELYN ESCALARA-WISHING ON A
STAR July 21, 2006 - Once upon a time three young ladies took the stage dancing and singing and looking at all times the class of Freestyle groups. Built to become the Latina version of the Supremes, they exceeded expectations. The roster may have changed often over time but every member that represented the name bore the brunt of the responsibility of living up to the accomplishments of their predecessors. We spoke with Evelyn Escalara who can be considered the bridge between what the Cover Girls were and what were to become. Did you ever think that you would become a member of Freestyles most popular girls group? EE-“Absolutely not. It was a really big surprise. I would listen to the group and other freestyle artists because at that time it was so happening. Never did I think I would be part of the group the Cover Girls. It was very far-fetched.”
EE-“I was born in New York. My parents are from Puerto Rico. I would be what you would consider a Nuyorican. I sang from when I was very young. My dad sang in the lupidios with the little guitar in clubs in P.R. I would wake up to my dad. singing and playing his guitar, he’s not the best guitarist, but hey it worked. I guess it kind of rubs off.” “I also liked listening a lot to Barbara Streisand. She is actually my favorite singer. It was just very natural for me and I would participate in little plays and choirs. I was very shy. I was always among the crowd but never doing anything on my own. When I was a teenager I participated in a Menudo group because it was the thing. I was part of one of those groups trying to win competitions. I was usually the lead singer and I guess I started breaking out of my shyness then and there.” “A very good friend of mine worked with the Cover Girls as road manager at the time. He knew I could sing but never got the opportunity to do anything professionally so he came and picked me up in my home one day and said, “Evelyn, come on, we’re going to meet Sal Abbatiello. You’re going to be part of his group”. I thought it was a joke obviously. That’s how it worked out, he really liked my voice when I sang for him and the rest is history. It was my first professional job and it was really hard in the beginning because I was always home. I never went to clubs. My parents were very strict. I was 19 when I first got married. I was very conservative. When I experienced the Cover Girls it opened up a whole new world to my life. I got exposed to different countries, to different things, it was an eye-opener for me.” The Cover Girls had already been established with several
hits and their members were already well established in the psyche of
their fans. Then you came along and had to establish yourself. Did the
song “Wishing on a Star” become your signature song? |
Photos by: Marlene
|
| EE- “Yes, I believe it went up to number four on the billboard charts. It did really well for us. It went pretty far, we were really, really lucky. We traveled a lot performing that song. Actually starting from Love Boutique was the “B” side song that I had done with the Cover Girls in my first initial period with the group called” Don’t stop now” then Andy Panda decided he wanted to do a “B” side, it was a very funky groove, I did some adlibs, its a hook, very funky and that actually started people flipping the vinyl over and they loved “Love Boutique” and that helped everything else come along for me.” How does it feel to be the lead singer with the pressure that you replaced Angel, who was the lead previously? EE- “It’s always hard to come in and try to fill someone’s shoes because people will always compare. It was very hard and still is very hard because there still are moments when the comparison is still there and negative comments are made. All you can do is embrace the fans that do appreciate what you do because it’s a passion and a love that I have. I love singing and entertaining and I really do it from the heart. Unfortunately someone left for my opportunity to come along but it wasn’t my fault that they left and a lot of people don’t realize that. People say Freestyle is dead but these genres fans never believed it. What’s you’re your take on it and what does Freestyle mean to you? EE-“ Well let me say first of all the fans are
fabulous. They are the ones who have kept freestyle music alive passing
it down from generation to generation. Whether pumping on their radios
or on their stereos. Their children are listening to it and they are
like Wow, I like that. I really feel that freestyle has been underrated
and maybe with an opportunity like this there will come an opportunity
for freestyle to become a little more exposed in the mainstream than
it has been. Freestyle to me is a fusion of our Spanish culture and
our American culture, it’s just a mixture of the two and a lot
of Latinos have a music that they can relate to. I don’t mean
that in a negative way. African-Americans have their R&B and their
Hip-Hop, pure Latinos have their Bachata, Salsa, and everything but
we Nuyoricans and everyone who has Latin roots but were born in New
York we have our own music too and that’s Freestyle. A lot of
people are going to see that Freestyle is alive and well and will probably
get its second wind now.” EE- I’m really hoping it will. I am hoping that this will open a lot of doors. Do you remember when Rickey Martin did the Grammy’s, that’s when Latinos were recognized. He has opened a lot of doors and he gave us that recognition that we are here and we are not going anywhere and we are talented. I’m hoping that this event will have a similar effect. There are so many artists performing that night. Lisa Lisa, TKA, Stevie B, these people are great. Shannon is my girl I love Shannon. It amazing that they are not noticed because their records are so good, and their sounds are good and they are so talented. Its one of those things that make you go Hmmmm.” 7-Things come in a circle, unlike other veterans who had their heyday you are all in your prime now and can bring it just as hard as you did ten years ago. Your thoughts? EE-“ With experience you grow and it teaches us to become better. I think if freestyle is in its prime, this might be the time. The next generation is up and coming and maybe we are paving the way for them. I feel I’m really blessed. To perform in Madison Square Garden, how much better does it get. One of my dreams come true.” For New York Puerto Ricans Madison Square Garden has to be the pinnacle as an artist. EE-“Absolutely, we are greatly appreciative. The people that have supported us and gotten us to Madison Square Garden, they are showing that they do have faith and that we are going to be around for a while. We are going to let them know that we are here and we are not going anywhere except forward and up.” Do you have any new projects for the near future? EE- “We are now in the process of finding the right producers to record new songs. We want to make sure that’s it good. Its really hard to release something especially when we haven’t released any material in quite a while so we have to make sure that when we do release something that we have to have faith in it. We have to really believe in the project. So, another album will come. EE-“Yes. Definitely.” Do you think that based on how things go at Madison Square Garden; you will have an idea of where you want to go? EE- “Yeah, definitely that night is going to be the turning point for a lot of things and for a lot of our future decisions. “ You have performed at some impressive venues. Tell us about that? EE- “Yes we did the Rose Bowl with Martika and that was pretty hot. That is a huge stadium. It was massive. It was packed back in 91’. We got to perform with Wilson Philips and they were hot at the time and Martika so we were fortunate to be invited to do it. I try not to believe too much in the hype. I like to keep myself grounded.” What are your expectations about the concert to come at Madison Square Garden? EE- “We are so excited. I am so just nervous. It’s a good nervous. I just want that day to get here. I want to enjoy and savor every moment and just really enjoy it. Before you know it it’s going to be over and our stage time is going to be done but it just amazing. Tell us about Sal Abbatiello. EE-“Sal, I love him dearly. He is like my father. He had faith in me when nobody else did. He gave me that chance and I will forever be grateful. He is really a great person. He is part of the Legacy, he is like in the music Hall of Fame.” Tell us about what Legacy you would like to leave on the genre of Freestyle. EE-“ I just want to be remembered as part of the
legacy and that would be enough for me. Post note. The Cover Girls were awesome that evening. They pumped out the hits and won the crowd as soon as they showed their wares. They continue to tour so look out for Evelyn Escalara and the Cover Girls, Legends of Freestyle. |
|
| K-7/ TKA—LOUDER THAN LOVE - July 2006 | |
|
“I feel everything falls into place at the right
moment. The fact that this show is happening for this style of music,
I feel it’s a welcome thing. We are reintroducing freestyle to
a younger and new audience. Before we reached their parents when it
first came out, we are now reaching a younger demographic. It helps to know the story of how an artist began and the ups and downs that invariably lead to success for some and legendary status for others. TKA background story is told by K-7. “ We were the first New York group to do freestyle music and gain notoriety. Three guys from East Harlem located in El Barrio, NY. We used to write songs and we wanted to be a rap group. When we got to the label they didn’t want us to rap but be a dance version of the do-op acts that were happening at the time like the Force MD’s. We had no clue; we thought we were going to be a rap group. I had a song I’d written called “Scars of Love”. That we used to perform. It used to be more of a rap record with a singing hook. When our record label, Tommy Boy, heard it they fell in love with it. They said, “Well, were going to speed that up. You guys are going to take the raps out of it. You’re going to write a third verse and be a singing group.” "I had a whole repertoire of songs already and me and my manager, Joey Gardner started producing a lot of the tracks together. We wrote songs for the group. Luckily we became popular. We became popular at the Devil’s Nest. We used to do local shows for radio stations that were popular like KISS FM and places like that. When they saw we were Hispanic they were surprised. We gained |
Photos by: Marlene Amaya-Vazquez.
|
| popularity in our neighborhood and throughout the Bronx and Brooklyn. Our name started circulating. We got lucky to be honest with you. Music is all about chance, having the right thing at the right time.” History, Clothes, and Music styles, given time, ultimately come around in a circle .The past influences those that follow. K-7 knows about such things. He adds, “ In the beginning they were comparing us to great people like the Supremes. It is normal for people to compare you to groups prior to them. You can only follow by the examples set before you. I thought we were more like Frankie Lyman and the Teenagers because we were Hispanic. The only ones who were at the time was Frankie Lyman. “ Freestyle came from the streets and from the everyday experiences of the everyday lives of the 80’s Latin youth. K-7 explains why that was essential in reaching their core audience. “We love to promote ourselves and do the right thing and try to be a new version of this. How do we make it now and how do we make it fresh. One day we looked at each other and said we’re trying too hard. We just got to be us. We were going through so many growing pains that I just started writing. Our experiences whether it was group related, personal, or a best friend’s, was put on paper. We were able to reach our audiences because they knew who we were. They fell in love with us because they understood where we came from and our struggle, what we were going through and they got to know us better. They knew the lyrics of our songs, etc.” Artists create many songs and are defined by signature
songs but the artists usually have a personal favorite. The breakup of TKA was a sad moment in freestyle history but they went out with a bang with one of the greatest hits in the genres history. K-7 expounded on that moment. “At the time musically we tried to record an album with Warner Brothers at the time and we wanted to venture out and do our own thing. I started recording my own ideas for a solo album. Maria was part of that. We were going to do a greatest hits package but we needed a couple of new songs. Maria just happened to be the song I gave which ended up being on my solo project which later was on the K-7 album. It transcended our expectations. I wasn’t sore or angry that I gave it away. It was a perfect closing song. We came in on a high note with “One way love” and I felt that we should leave with a bang. Luckily “Maria” was that song for us.” As the freestyle sun was setting for many, a few managed to cross that bridge to the next period of their careers. K-7 was one of them. The hits from the “Swing Batta Swing” album included the classic “Come Baby Come”. How did Kayel transform himself from a group setting to this new solo phenomenon known as K-7? “I wish that I had the perfect word or answer. I think that God was guiding me at that point and I got lucky. I don’t see it as I have the magic formula. I was writing songs and was able to do something with what my talent was. Other artists like George Lamond went on to a successful career doing Salsa. Lisette went on a successful run doing more Hip-Hop based music. I was the first to branch out and I chalk it up to like the first time around having the right thing at the right time. Sometimes its like Chance, a roll of the dice.” Why did the freestyle train suddenly come to a halt? One of freestyles greatest gives his thoughts on that. “ To be honest with you a lot of people said there was a decline. The only decline was that radio didn’t embrace it and in addition we didn’t record any brand new music for a ten-year period. Some of us have continued to work on a regular basis in clubs in New York, Philadelphia, Florida, Chicago, Texas, and California where we have been able to continue to work on a constant basis. Many grew up and the desire that they had when they were younger faded. But for the most part all of us return and we go out there and get the same response. George Lamond came out with a Salsa album and was promoting it yet he still was doing freestyle shows, getting the same embrace he always did.” The fan base that preserved the music and these artists for this extended period was the elixir of youth that maintained the genre through trying times. K-7 tells us why that is, “The popularity of the street and on radio was limited until KTU came back on the air. All the formats changed were changed to freestyle music. Our fan base stayed intact. As we grew up we saved it for a special occasion. We have fans that really stuck by us. We do a major event every year at Beatstock for KTU. The highlight of those shows is that they sell it as the cream of the crop with a surprise. One year Sweet Sensation came back together. And in 2000 TKA was reformed. It helped maintain us and build us. As far as Freestyle we never had great publicity, that machine to open it up.” The rivalry between freestyle and Hip-Hop is not mentioned often. However it is there under the surface. K-7 is one of the few to tackle the topic, “Freestyle is basically Hip-Hop. The thing is that early on in the game Freestyle and Hip-Hop became distant family members of a dysfunctional family. It basically catered to Latin’s, there weren’t a lot of blacks that embraced it automatically. It did not really appeal to them in a sense because it was a bit too fast at the time. They respected it. I spoke with Africa Bambatta and Planet Rock is the base of most freestyle music. Listening to Planet Rock you could practically hum every freestyle record known to man. He was a mentor to me when I was young. He asked me, “You know where all this comes from?” I responded, "I know exactly where it comes from, it comes from Hip-Hop." It emerged from all the different facets of it. He responded, “So long as you know that then you will have all the colors you will ever need knowing where it came from before and where it could lead”. A lot of producers out there knew what it was and mixed it with dance music, it became more danceable but its still Hip-Hop. It has the attitude of Hip-Hop, the balls, and in some cases the anger of Hip-Hop, all the passion if you will. It is a distant family member to Hip-Hop. A lot of diehard fans won’t like it being referred to it as such, but as an artist I know where it came from.” The Legacy of Freestyle means different things to different people. K-7 is no different, “The Legacy is before you already. Freestyle has gone back to its original roots. You hear the melodies; you hear the same type of passion, the same kind of vocal tones as Reggaeton. Reggaeton is yet again another child of what Hip-Hop was. It went back home with its brand new kid, Reggaeton.” “This is the kind of Garden performance that I’ve always wanted my entire life. I get to perform in the big room. It’s all about Freestyle. It’s been a long time coming and I can’t wait to see what it feels like.” These were his words a week before what would be a classic evening at Madison Square Garden and TKA/K-7 tore the house down as they always do. It confirmed what it means to us all, the fans and the performers alike as they were linked in History forever. We at elBoricua.com like to thank K-7 for taking the time to speak to us. As for myself it is was an honor to speak to a legend of Freestyle music. |
|
| HECTOR THE FATHER INTERVIEW
Hector tells us about where he came from, his time with Tito, and his business acumen. “ I was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico. I was raised humble. I worked hard for my money and looked for a better future. I started like everyone else performing in houses in the neighborhood while traveling to lots of places spreading the music until the music industry noticed and we got a record deal. We both worked very hard, giving our all and we achieved a lot and winning a billboard along the way. Then we got to that point in our lives when we want to do something different, to explore new areas and we separated as different individuals. As for how I procure talent, I don’t know except that the Lord gave me his blessing. Also I am a fanatic. I’m always on the lookout for what people want and what they are looking for.” Hector clarified the story behind being called Hector Bambino and Hector El Father. He tells us why, “ I like both names. The people of Puerto Rico were the first ones to call me Hector El Father. Since I had under my umbrella Don Omar, Zion, Alexis and Fido, Trebol Clan, etc. I guess that’s why people they call me the El Father. However either way I like it.” Hector is a businessman as well as performer. An owner of his own record
company and talent for other labels he has to balance the two. I asked
him the secret of doing it all and how he relaxes from stress. Hector
tells us, “ I divide my time. I have a group that works for me.
I also believe as long as you have discipline and desire to work you
can do both. It is important to me to have discipline. Since others
have done it I know it can be done. I know there are a lot of responsibilities
but I discipline myself well. Also receiving checks helps me relax (laughing).” |
Photos by Marlene Amaya-Vazquez |
|
The album is the first dip with the U.S. Market in mind. I asked what should be expected and finally what legacy he would like to leave when all is said and done. Hector says, “ Again, I am a fanatic with the music so they what they will see is a complete album with good music and good rhythms which can be heard from the first song to the last. As far as my legacy besides all the awards that come, the fans and all the money that comes in the future I want my public to say despite all those things I had my feet firmly planted on the ground.” |
|
| LA INDIA FREESTYLES
IT AT THE COPA
By Luis Vazquez June 18, 2006 - The yearly Memorial Day Freestyle concert at the Copacabana always adds a little twist. This year at the famous club on Thirty-Fourth Street and Eleventh Avenue was host to another Sal Abbatiello classic concert. Following the historic evening at Madison Square Garden a month ago, Sal had a surprise for this year’s audience. The appearance of La India, the Princess of Salsa herself, made a return to her Freestyle roots. Along with her was Little Louie Vega, a recent Grammy winner, who made his return to action after a Fifteen-year hiatus. The atmosphere before the event was one of great anticipation. Naval personnel, here for the annual Fleet Week, took turns break dancing early on and providing a vibrant opening to the festivities. Press from several publications from New York to Pennsylvania and even Puerto Rico were present to record the proceedings. Also present was the familiar face and camera of “Handle” Gomez Abdel-Rahim of Born Crazy Productions, who has been working on a Freestyle documentary that will appear early next year. Filming at locals like the Mohegan Sun to Madison Square Garden to the Copa, Mr. Gomez has a “Handle” on things, as the Freestyle genre should be well immortalized on screen. The event Hosts were the infamous twosome from KTU Jewelz Lopez and Speedy. They continue to add validity to freestyle as representatives of KTU, who have supported the genre in good times and bad. Jewelz and Speedy kept things moving and backstage were very accessible. They continue to impress as true people persons as they added class to the event. Moving on we got to see spots by DJ Tony Touch who kept the party going with a well- received presence by the crowd and artists alike. Also present behind the scenes was Noel, who with a new music project coming up was doing some promoting. Latin Rascal was also on hand in the back hanging out and mingling. Starting the action was Manny, whose background dancers break danced and moved with electric vitality to fully support Manny, who got things started right. Soave followed in an elegant suit to croon the ladies, mission accomplished. Fascination along with her dancers was a whirlwind of activity as she ran through a series of complicated dance sequences. Her voice was booming with enthusiasm as she goaded the crowd into raising its level before she would begin. She set the tone for the balance of the evening. Nayobe was impeccably dressed in a Black pinstripe suit and skirt with Top hat. Her showmanship and voice revived memories of a fourteen-year-old singing “Please Don’t Go” that helped launch an era. One of the telling moments of the evening had to be when India herself mentioned how much of an impact Nayobe had on her and proceeded to serenade her in song. Nyasia, born Blanca Batista, who recently had a baby returned to the city as well as some old haunts as she came out looking good in white and belting out her hits “whose got your love” and “Now and Forever”. Once stating that among her influences were Safire and Judy Torres, it was only befitting that she joined them on this card. Initially looking a bit nervous pre-show, Nyasia was in form as soon as she hit the stage. |
|
| Sa-Fire who has been in retirement except when Sal brings her back was a welcome addition. Dressed in Black with a short white haircut, the deep penetrating eyes and trademark intensity moved the masses. Just before finishing her performance, she called out Corina and dueted with her. They embraced at the close to the screams of many. Corina, whose trademark hit, Temptation, made it a part of our lives again as she game out decked in black with background dancers lashing the stage with whips as she belted out hit after hit. Stirring near stage left was Judy Torres who was restless to follow some powerful acts. Also a member of KTU, she opened with the single from her new album, “Faithfully” in addition to her other favorites. Only Nayobe and La India can match Judy’s voice on stage. Then there were three, TKA, led by K-7, showed why they are the only group freestyle remembers. There dance numbers are a lost art and their plethora of hits was Louder than Love. As a tribute K-7 is a humble man who believes and never forgets his past. He is philosophic and the thinking man of freestyle. The crowd was now properly warmed up for the Legend, La India, who has forged a great career in Salsa and was proclaimed by the great Celia Cruz herself as the “Princess of Salsa” showed that she could touch earth and bring it in English via Freestyle. Her ability to improvise songs and turn them into classics on stage is a testament to talent and a flair for creating something different in her performances. She showed off this evening her sister and her mother, who testified where India’s talent genes emerge from with a solo spot. Their reconciliation took place last year and has completed India. She is more assured and more confident than ever. She takes her crown seriously as attested to her verbal dress down of Brenda K. Starr on radio recently. She even mentioned where she would be buried and which street would bear her name. She mentioned her Christian Baptism by Celia, spiritually and ultimately professionally. To witness La India perform with such force that she sweats profusely with tightly closed eyes has become the image of her greatness which links her to the greats before her as she carries the show since the death of Tito Puente and Celia Cruz. So those who appreciate events like this will remember forever this night. The night that freestyle not only went back into time but saw superstars return to reconfirm their past in the present. |
|
| FREESTYLE PREVIEW SERIES NOEL , SAL ABBATIELLO The Freestyle Extravaganza Reunion concert was held
in Madison Square Garden in New York City on April 20, 2006. The genre
known as Freestyle and the artists who brought it to life for a decade
are still here. This is the first of a series of interviews that took
place before and after this event.They are in their primes and have
been at it throughout the heights and the recession that took place
thereafter. I had the privilege to speak to several of the artists that
will perform on the grand stage and show the world what it has been
missing. NOEL- SILENT MORNING Noel Pagan tells his story, “My heritage is Hispanic. The way I got into music was a case of being in the right place at the right time. There was a talent scout looking for singers and I auditioned for him and eventually it led to a record deal. He opened the doors for me but it was basically up to me to take it the rest of the way. After I recorded a rough demo I handed it to the guy who later became my manager. He cut me a record deal with 4th and Broadway/Island Records.” Noel hit it big in 1987 with the hit “Silent Morning”. It would become Noel’s Signature song. “I entered the scene in 1987 and I won a couple of New York Music awards for Silent Morning” Noel tells us about Sal Abbaitiello, “Sal was into several different things, not just club promotions. His involvement with me was as a booking agent for a lot of the local clubs. Not only in New York City but out of state also.” Freestyle is the general name of this genre but Noel has his views on that. “If I had to describe what freestyle is, not that I like calling it freestyle. I prefer to call it Club Music. I don’t know where it picked up the title Freestyle. The way I would best describe it is a mixture of Hip-Hop and 70’s Disco. When I did “Silent Morning” there was a band that had a European feeling to that style of music called Information Society and I got a chance to work with them. So we combined a Hip-Hop and 70’s Disco style with a European Depeche Mode vibe and that’s how we got the sound. We just used to call it Club Music.” “I would have to call Silent morning my Signature song. I can’t believe the longevity but as far as the younger generation concerning Silent morning and I’ll give you an example. When Silent morning became a big hit I used to live east of Central Park and I was taking my dogs for a walk. I had a classroom of first graders who recognized me and blew their minds when they saw me. “Oh my God there’s Noel! They went nuts and these were kids who were 5,6 years old. So obviously there were a lot of kids listening to that style of music that we, myself and other artists were doing at the time. Basically they are the ones who determine whether you are going to have that longevity in this business because they are the ones who buy your records.” “The fans to me always came first. Even now my philosophy hasn’t changed, I still feel that in order to have success in the Music Industry you have to able to be in the public. That’s always been important to me. Not so much where my records are going to chart but whether those people are going to enjoy it because all of that is based on whether people except what you do.” “I like all kinds of Music and I think that in
the mid 80’s to early 90’s a style of music that people
preferred to listen to was club music, dance music. Later on that changed
to HIP-Hop and Rock and they have to go with what’s marketable.
Being an artist who listened to all kinds of music I couldn’t
imagine myself rapping or doing Hip-Hop even though I do listen to it.
My interests lie elsewhere. So I did a Pop- Rock album in ’93
called Hearts on Fire. Although the public didn’t receive it very
well because they were used to my dance roots, it did have some success.
We had a track on an episode TV Series Baywatch. As an artist I don’t
like to limit myself to one thing. I like to experiment with different
things. I started to dabble with Rock so we did that album in ’93.
Now I’m doing more of a Dance oriented being. I did a Trans record
called Will I find True love? It’s where my ambitions lie right now. Absolutely it’s not about me but about helping others. Another of the things I’m starting to dabble is helping to develop neighborhoods like the ones I lived in the Bronx and help people with their housing and mortgages if possible, however I can help I feel I want to give back in the communities that basically supported me in my careers.” “This is my first performance at MSG. It doesn’t make any difference to me because I can perform to 300 people or 30,000 AND I’m still going to put on the best performance I can because I realize that is why people are there. I try to really put on a show for them by doing a lot of dancing around and I’m going to have some dancers on stage. It’s not about being there to sing the songs but to put on a performance. Don’t get me wrong I’m excited that I m
performing at MSG but I still feel that whether it’s the Garden
or some hole in the wall I’m still going to put the best show
I can out on. “ I think gatherings like this are about having a good time and people enjoying themselves. If I can help somehow by being involved with people enjoying themselves then to me it’s a privilege” SAL ABBATIELLO – THE PIONEER Sal Abbatiello is the reference point for the artists performing this evening. He not only was the eye that helped move the Hip-Hop movement beginning in the late 70’s but also was the ignition that started the Freestyle machine that ran an exciting course for over a decade. He tells us about his start, “ My career started in the early 70’s. I brought the first Disco into the Bronx on William pitch Road. I actually opened a Disco before Studio 54 opened. It was pretty successful; I was about 19 years old. I had the eye for talent and I had the intuition to know when something was going to change or when something trendy was going to come in. When I saw the Disco thing happen, I was the first to have one in the Bronx and it went over well.” As one of the original outlets for bringing Hip-Hop from the streets to the market, Sal tells about his role concerning that period. “Disco Fever I started noticing Hip-Hop music which at that point in time was not known as Hip-Hop. It was MC’ing or rhythm. I saw that every time we had a DJ at the Fever till 3, 4 in the morning, the crowd would be reacting tremendously for the guy talking on the mike.” “I started looking for the talent because I thought there was a youth movement and I was relating it back to Disco and Motown. So I went out and found Grandmaster Flash. I brought him indoors. I did this for ten years. Run DMC, LL Cool J, Russell Simmons was a customer. Kurtis Blow did his first show there, LL, and Doug E. Fresh, most of the big rappers got their start at the club I called the Fever. The Fever was coming to an end in 85’. It was really getting mainstream and universal. I started hitting Manhattan and the Fever was getting played out. They made a movie about the Fever called “Krush Groove” LL even mentioned to me recently, “You don’t know what you mean to Hip-Hop.” The impact of young Hispanic teenagers moved Sal to take a notice of another movement. “ I noticed a growing population of Hispanics in the Bronx and Manhattan. I was doing concerts with one of the legends, Eddie Rivera, and in the cleanup parties and I had all my rappers there, Sweet 6, Love Boat, Starsky, and I had this young Latina, Nayobe, who was 15. I had discovered her at one of the skating rinks in the Bronx called Skate Fever. She was very talented. An 18 year old kid brought me a Demo and I heard it, we played it in the Fever and everyone thought it was cool. It sounded like rap with a Latin Flavor. The song was “Please Don’t Go.” “I put them in the studio because I see lightning hitting again with this music as it did with Hip-Hop. There was a movement, a teen movement, If you have a movement in music it has to come from teenagers. They set the trend. What happens in the culture, the dancing, etc.” “It was a case of second generation Latinos. They found their own music other than their parents or grandparents. It was going to be their sound that they discovered in America. I put the record out and it was an instant hit. At the same time Lisa Lisa put out a record called “I wonder if I take you home.” We had these two Latinas exploding on the scene very young. I had this Latin Club where Tito Puente and Tito Nieves performed. It wasn’t doing well. So I changed it to a dance club with this music. My thought was that this is going to be like Hip-Hop and it’s going to start all over again. Sure enough I needed to find a DJ. I went into the streets and the name Little Louie Vega was the word. We put him in the club and the whole scene blew up. I pandered to those who were in the streets and the park and gave them a venue. The drinking age then was 18 so you know there were 16, 17 year olds drinking. All these young entrepreneurs started popping up with little independent labels. It just started blowing up. I opened up the club and that’s when everybody got to showcase, TKA, La India, Brenda K. Starr, Sa-Fire, the Cover girls, Information Society, and Nayobe among others did their first show there. You knew this was going to another level. The club lasted for two years because they changed the drinking age from 18 to 21. The groups started maturing and I got more involved with the record companies. I put out the Cover Girls. They were all discovered at the Devil’s Nest at a talent show. I found the producers the Latin Rascals who were my customers and they started producing for me.” Sal was at the forefront of many of Freestyles successes but more important when Freestyle was no longer the flavor of the month, Sal was responsible for keeping his artists in the public eye. “I have been doing this music since 1984, that’s 22 straight years. I kept promoting it. In the early 90’s the major labels started grabbing all the freestyle artists because they saw this as the next Hip-Hop. The major labels then tried to turn them into Pop acts and it didn’t work. They tried to change the sounds and the producers and it was one album and out. The music died in ’92. It was a case of as the music was growing the sound wasn’t. We didn’t get that second wave of writers and producers that would have taken it to another level. In ‘ 93 it just got played out.” The return of freestyle which leads us into tonight was possible by radio station KTU AND others. “KTU opened its doors to the music in ’94 and ’95. In ’95 they started playing that music heavily, because they were still young. They were too young to be over. KTU kept the music alive. This is the only music in history that never died. It never went away to come back. Every once in a while someone made a record. Lil’ Suzy made a record, TKA had Maria, but never could they string tow or more together. I think radio had given up on the sound but they never stopped playing the old hits. All these years people have living off the old sound.” Going into the current decade Sal made it a point to keep things going for these young artists. “In 2000 I noticed a lot of the artists had trouble drawing on their own. But when I put five or ten of them together, it would draw numbers. I had a birthday party in 2000 at Club Exit and three to five hundred people showed up. I started doing it at the Copa. Then I started seeing resurgence. I think the music started reaching the classic stage. For fifteen years the freestyle artists were working, never disappeared all these years. Why, because no music took freestyle’s place. Freestyle is loved by white people and as well as Latinos every year. I did Memorial Day and Thanksgiving Day shows and drew four thousand people. Adam Torres came to watch the shows. I told him that this is ready to blow up as classic now, Nostalgia. The older crowd stopped going to clubs but they went to venues. Since no music took its place, there’s a demand for it. The thing about the Freestyle community, the artists was true role models, no drugs, no drama, no killing, and no negativity. These are the nicest people that also have children. I know all of them I’ve met their kids. It took twenty-two years to get this music heard at Madison Square Garden.” People wanted to hear Hip-Hop, young music. No one was promoting it as nostalgic. When Ralph Mercado and Adam Torres and Arty Pavon saw the numbers I was doing at the Copa. They saw that there was a market for it. They went to a place called the Palace in Connecticut. They sold twenty-nine hundred seats in two weeks. They were in shock. They went to the Mohegan and sold Ten thousand. I said the Paramount, they said no the main arena. They thought that they could fill it. I’m so happy for them that they made it. This is the ultimate especially if you live here to play the Garden. It’s like making it to the World Series or the Super Bowl. Even though it was a long wait it was well worth it. When they get to the stage it will be the highlight of their lives.” As we approached the event Sal had final thoughts, “ They stuck by me through all these years until somebody noticed. I think a lot of the young Hip-Hoppers have been at the shows. If this music comes out now, it would be their music, too. Its dance music, its positive, its Boyfriends and Girlfriends, its about times in a teenagers life, going to clubs, dating somebody, loving somebody.” I asked Sal about the legacy of this genre, “Going
through four genres of music, a pioneer of freestyle. Freestyle never
had that second breath. Can you name music that was on top for five
years and for thirty years thereafter never had a dead period? The legacy
is the Longevity. The music looks like it’s going to be forever.
Its everlasting this music.” |
| A MEGA- REGGA EVENT AT THE GARDEN
By Luis Vazquez Tomorrow night Mega 97.9 FM will present along with producers Ralph Mercado and Felix Cabrera for MCM and John Sepulveda of SBS Entertainment will bring another grand experiment to Madison Square Garden. The concert is called MegaConcierto and it should have something for old and new alike. The majority of the acts will be Salsa-based as superstar Gilberto Santa Rosa, Oscar DeLeon, Victor Manuelle and Jerry Rivera along with young salseros N’Klabe will be on tap. In addition the hottest Reggae ton duo going today Wisin and Yandel will also be performing as well. So look for a quality from top to bottom. Salsa will
be served with some Reggae to spice it up tonight in the grand arena. |
| FREESTYLE EXPRESSES
ITSELF AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
By Luis Vazquez John Saint-Hilaire photographer April 20, 2006 at Madison Square Garden in New York City we saw a sellout for a music event that made history. The show is part of the promotional tour called Freestyle Extravaganza Reunion 2006. The artists who were the dominant forces in Freestyle for a decade arrived with hearts as big as gold and their aspirations were realized in front of a packed and energetic audience. It was made possible by promoter Adam Torres and his Latin Entertainment Group and RMP-Ralph Mercado Presents. Sal Abbatiello through his tireless promotion of this genre also saw a dream realized this evening. It was very much like a reunion. On the stage and in the back the artists brought it and when you closed your eyes you could feel your past come to life. When you opened your eyes our lives and what it meant to us was played out on stage like a classic storybook that remains timeless. That was what it is all about after all. It has been preserved and as long as the fans that lived it continue to support it would appear that Freestyle has made its point that a yearly return is in the cards at the Mecca. It was in many ways the pinnacle event that freestyle had been denied all these years. The artists collectively showed off their trademark moves, their savvy, and command of the stage as they got to display what many have only got to see in clubs or their childhoods. It meant different things to each artist. Lets give a listen. Judy Torres spoke about it, “It was all that is was cracked up to be and a lot more. We jammed and it was incredible that a lot of the Freestyle fans came out and supported us. I know that the tickets were probably really expensive but they really showed love and support and the show is all about them.” On whether freestyle should be a yearly event “Absolutely it’s a possibility and it can definitely happen. I never thought I would be here honestly. I think at one point where freestyle took a backstage it was a little disappointing. But for the core artists who tried to keep it alive they are here performing tonight. Men like Adam Torres and Ralph Mercado and the tour that is the follow they are making it happen, said Judy. Cynthia had some thought to share as well, “ There is no difference between Reggaeton and freestyle. It’s about the love of the fans. There are going to see a freestyle show or they are going to see a Reggaeton show. Its about the love and support you get from the fans. I don’t think there is anything different we are all one.” “ My mother really wanted to go to Mohegan Sun but because of heart surgery and arthritis she couldn’t go. So I made it a point and when I heard we were doing Madison Square Garden I said that’s it. Of all the shows this is the one and also it was an early show for her as well. Without a doubt the greatest experience to date.” In answer to whether this is the Super bowl of Freestyle Cynthia laughs “Hell, Yeah!
|
|
|
“ I think Latinos as a whole have to be considerate of our genres. There is freestyle on one hand and Disco on the other; for example, There are many genres that we consider our own.” said Adam Torres. Noel gave his feelings on this event. I’ve done things like this before in Brazil and England. It’s not new, its just overdue. I feel like a championship boxer ready to go in the ring. Its fun to do the music with these artists doing the songs we love to do.” Shannon added, “It’s wonderful, for the whole genre it’s wonderful. When I hear them perform can hear little influences in the music.” They were looking for a singer It feels good to know it worked for a whole genre and people are still into it for over 23 years.” To that we add, “Let the music play….again. The Cover Girls who had to overcome the stigma of mot being original members carried the name of the Cover girls and covered it in glory as the fans accepted them whole heartedly. The satisfied look on their faces backstage was one of accomplishment.“ We’re glad it’s over. We live for pressure, we thrive on it, it was perfect. We worked really hard for this and the reception we got was awesome.” It was that kind of night. It was one to remember, a true classic that will be remembered for years to come. It was fulfilled expectations, nervous hope, a thrill a minute ride. It brings to mind a saying that goes like this. In this park it may be the oldest ride but it still has the longest line. This moment is music is over until next year when we hope to see it again at the arena where greatness is confirmed. |
|
|
BORICUA’S
MAKE PRESENCE FELT AT The Pit bulls, Joel “Fido” Martinez and Raul “Alexis” Ortiz hail from Cidra, Puerto Rico and their hits “Eso Ehh!” and “El Tiburon” among others were powerfully demonstrated with a powerful display of rapid moves and electric flow. They moved the young ladies to hysteria. They are truly the Kings of the Pit bulls. N.O.R.E. a/k/a Victor Santiago was the boat that landed
Reggaeton onto these shores. “I love the fact that I’m half-Black and half-Puerto Rican. I was doing Hip-Hop for almost a year but in the process I discovered this music. I had a house in Puerto Rico but I came up here to the United States. This was the plan. I said how can I help this and there was no other way to help it but to do it yourself.” “I take the basics of what they do (Reggaeton in Puerto Rico) but do it my way incorporating English and a New York sound. I feel it gives me an advantage. Its doing the same thing but somewhat different.” Concerning his new album coming out this summer “ It’s got Daddy Yankee and Don Omar, Wisin and Yandel, Hector El Father, and Ivy Queen. I think it will be the “Chronic” of Espanol”, says N.O.R.E. |
|
“I grateful to the artists because without them I would not have been able to do this. They supported me and believed in me.” Ivy Queen came out in all black and with a Puerto Rican flag held behind her she showed her talent, her flow, and underrated singing spots that make her a favorite every show she does. Her intensity is apparent and as she wrapped herself up in the flag she could feel her pride. Aventura brought out all the tricks even having a young kid come out of the audience to parody Don Omar on the song “Ella Y Yo”. It earned him some cash and blingware as he captured the hearts of the audience. Closing it out was El Cangri, the face of Reggaeton showing power and flow, moving the crowd as only he knows. The effects of fire shooting upwards heated the stage and a confetti explosion covered all in the crowd was visually captivating. Doing all his big hits he worked with the masses and set the tone for his entire entire program even showing his freestyle versatility. This was a magic night for Boricuas show wise but to the larger extent all Latinos that attended showed their undying support as the Reggaeton youth movement is alive and well and kicking. |
|
|
FREESTYLE
FOREVER - A NIGHT AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN John Saint-Hilaire photographer
The acts that will perform were the top names of the genre known as Freestyle in the 80’s to the mid 90’s. When this form of Music was ready to bust out to the next level the media got cold feet and suddenly got off the bandwagon. However men like Sal Abbatiello, who was instrumental in getting these artists to the top and kept them working through the lean years has to be credited with maintaining interest and finding the way to garner attention through proven success at shows like the Mohegan Sun, which drew great numbers when Freestyle acts were combined on special event shows. “These are the nicest people. I know all of them. I’ve met their kids. It took 22 years to get this music heard at Madison Square Garden. Now that it is in its classic stage the numbers bare that out”, says Sal. He helped get the attention of groups who now made history by inviting the artists to a venue like Madison Square Garden, which has never been host to a Freestyle event. The legends will be there- Shannon, Judy Torres, Cynthia, Lisa Lisa, Noel, TKA/K7, Lissette Melendez, the Cover Girls, Coro, George Lamond, Nice and Wild, and Stevie B. These artists constituted some of the top songs of a decade in Music. In the cases of Lisette , Lisa Lisa, Judy Torres, and TKA it established the presence in the music community of Puerto Ricans from New York City who previously had not made many waves outside of Salsa artists. This was a case of a Hispanic youth movement that was resisted by the Hip-Hop world. It made for an uneasy relationship. This is summed up by K-7, former member of TKA. “Freestyle had the attitude of Hip-Hop, the balls of Hip-Hop and in some cases the anger, the passion if you will. It is a distant family member to Hip-Hop. A lot of people won’t like the reference to it, but as an artist I know where it came from.” The immensity of this event is starting is to show as we get closer to the event. The artists who are for the most part in their 30’s or early 40’s have just entered their prime and are as capable as they were at 16 or 17. They will show old and new fans alike what has been missing for the past decade as other forms of music have played themselves in and played themselves out. Evelyn of the Cover Girls feels blessed “We are very appreciative. The people that have supported us and gotten us to Madison Square Garden, they show that they have kept the faith. We’re going to be around for awhile and we’re not going anywhere, except upwards and forward.” K-7 added to this sentiment, “I feel everything falls into place at the right moment. The fact that this show is happening for this style of music, I feel it’s a welcome thing.” Judy Torres reminds us to, “Never abandon your Music, because like Salsa, Freestyle is your music and they have to remember that was part of a time when we felt really proud. The words that are sung in Freestyle are from the minds of what we wanted to say years ago. It was always genuine. It stayed real.” In closing Sal Abbatiello, who continues the tradition with his next show at the Copa on May 28, 2006 had this to say. “Going through four genres of music, a pioneer of Freestyle, it never had that second length. Can you name a style of music that was on top for eight years then for thirty years never had a dead period? The Legacy of Freestyle is in its Longevity. The music looks like it’s going to be forever. It’s everlasting.” |
* Luis Vazquez is of Puerto Rican descent with roots in Bayamon and Santurce. He lives in Long island with his wife and four children. Luis has written for several publications and websites such as Drahma Magazine, NYC Sporting News, and Dulce Online Magazine.
|
talent on display or even the production. The artist’s performances
were excellent but nothing stood out. If you were an outsider viewing
this performance to measure the current state of Reggaeton, you could
feel the passion but more importantly you would view the empty seats
around Shea Stadium.
The
radio hosts of La Kalle entertained during many long lulls in the action.
This was probably the only major glitch during the evening, which lengthened
things a bit. However between DJ Kassanova, Stef La Kallejera, and Lisa
Rodriquez along with DJ Neko , Enrique and Joe, kept things moving until
the arrival of Wisin and Yandel.
released,
the results will reflect the endless work and effort combined with a
hustle that is second to none. Nicole and Natalie Albino refuse to be
pigeon-holed. They are not just hook-chicks. They are not one-hit wonders.
They are more than “Move your Body” They are talent demanding
to be utilized properly and what better judges of the correct time to
expose this to the world than Natalie and Nicole.
The
direction that Nina Sky takes musically is as diverse as you will find
in this business. This is a direct result of their family which through
music, were the pied pipers that led young Natalie and Nicole to the
world that they aspire to today. They may have taken a different route
but the philosophy was basically similar. Nicole explains, “The
type of music we heard growing up was everything from Latin music, Salsa.
He played the congas a lot. We went to Central Park on Saturday’s
and see the Congeros play.”
Her
smile is infectious. Her bubbling enthusiasm spices a newscast. Her
knowing gaze promises much on screen as she entertains us every morning
with her unique presentation of the weather. But she is more than these
things. She is focused, professional, and demands much of herself. She
has always delivered. She is Ericka Pino and if you ask, who is she?
Then you are now part of the underground force that worships this woman.
She is the weather anchor for Telemundo 52 in Los Angeles. Her story
is one of knowing what you want and fighting for it. This former high
school and college cheerleader knows how to keep motivated, leap hurdles,
and endure set backs to stay on top of her game. 
Watson,
a change that villanized her throughout her Fox tenure. As Ericka recalls,
Born
in the Dominican Republic but raised in Spanish Harlem, Carmelina Vargas
grew up with parents who stressed education first. She honored her parent’s
wish to the tune of a Bachelor of Arts and Literature. 
icon.
She can be seen on PBS channel 21 and her book “Daisy Cooks”
can be found in any bookstore. Her devotion and enthusiasm for what
she does translates on screen and serves as an important link to our
roots using food as the basis for cultural renewal. I got to speak to
Daisy about food, of course, family, her modeling and acting days, and
how eating attracts and binds us all. 
The
impact of Daisy’s grandmother cannot be measured by the ninety-nine
years she spent on this earth. She owned a house with a lot of space
and anyone who arrived from Puerto Rico could stay until they got on
their feet. As a little girl Daisy watched how one takes care of people.
A house full of people at the table eating and talking and enjoying
themselves in an atmosphere that allowed them to be who they were, a
Puerto Rican family. Daisy shares her experiences, “ My grandmother
was one of the most amazing individuals, and the fact she is my grandmother
fills me with immense pride. She was a generous person and loved to
have a full house.”
