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SPECIAL TRIBUTE: NUYORICAN SOUL – 10 YEARS AFTER...
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More than 3 years to do it from A to Z, 15 months of recording work, 3 generations of musicians jammin’ altogether as one. Probably the beautifullest release party that Miami has ever known as well as the most ambitious project in the history of house, with ‘Little’ Louie Vega & Kenny ‘Dope’ Gonzalez surrounded by a cohort of heavyweight champions of the groove takin’ us to the epicenter of a Hispanic NYC in full bloom. And here we go with the vintage interview of this week in Fla...
The Nuyorican Soul concept sounds like a biography of those Latin immigrants which came to America along the countless crisis which have occured in their native countries. Their kids representing one of the biggest communities in the Big Apple. Both sons of Puerto-Rican parents in their 30’s (by the time we spoke), ‘Little’ Louie Vega and Kenny ‘Dope' Gonzalez have become the leaders of the house scene. They’ve seen the successive transformations of the dance music for more than 2 decades which their album recaptures as well as their own history...
What has been the room taken by music during your childhood?
Louie: I’ve been exposed to all kinds of music. My father was a tenor sax playin’ in various salsa bands and when my uncle, Hector Lavoe (among those most reputed singers in the genre) arrived in NYC, he’s been livin’ by my mom’s elder sister. I would discover very soon what rehearsing was, while watching what my uncle was doin’ as well as other musicians such as trumpeteer Willie Colon. Radio has also had a key role in my learning. Not to mention the fact that I come from the Bronx, being the birthplace of hip-hop where we listen to almost everything.
Kenny: Music is a part of our daily environment as far as we, the Latinos, are concerned, starting from our early age. This doesn’t mean we understand instinctively all the subtilities + I considered this for a long time as my parents music. This said, I’ve always felt attracted by rhythmics and later on by beats. Probably because of the activities of my dad who was a percussionist.
Then I’ve discovered hip-hop while listen to the radio. I wasn’t really into Latin music at the time. I would realize later on how rich this music is while doin’ my first mixes...
What about your first experiences back then?
Louie: My dad has got me into learning piano in my early years. I guess I was something like 4 to 5. I’ve started DJing in the beginning of the 80’s. I’ve been influenced by some of my close friends but also by some big names around at the time such as Larry Levan, Tony Humphries, Afrika Bambaataa who I was hearing regularly. I was essentially into Latin hip-hop in the second half of the 80’s. I guess I must have recorded a 100 of records before starting to work with Kenny. Then I would start seriously gettin’ into house music ...
Kenny: The decks’ve been my first instrument ever. Where would I play? Almost everywhere in NYC. I would start doin’ block parties in my surroundings. We were a whole gang. The Masters At Work name comes from there. It’s the name that me & my people used to have at the time...
Who would you consider as quintessential producers at the time ?
Louie: I would say Willie Colon and Quincy Jones... Coz’ both of these names cover a very wide spectrum. Quincy Jones has done almost everything with a real know how and that’s about the same for Willie Colon in regards to salsa music. He’s got us to African and Brasilian rhythms then mixed all these styles when workin’ alongside Hector Lavoe. Melting both the genres, the cultures, the rhythms prior incoprating them into dance music of all forms is our goal. And I’m not necessary talkin’ about house music only. There’s hip-hop, there’s R&B. The concept of Nuyorican Soul is in the vein of Quincy Jones’s Q’s Jook Joint album where he’s got together rappers, jazzmen and R&B singers. We’ve wanted doin’ the same with people such as Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, India, George Benson, Jazzy Jeff, Roy Ayers and Vincent Montana Jr. Who’re all comin’ from different horizons...
Kenny: In hip-hop, Q-Tip, Doctor Dre and DJ Premier. Meanwhile, as far as house music is concerned, I’ve got the feeling that no one wants to innovate. The only one I’ve got respect for is abroad. His name’s Ashley Beedle. He’s the only one who dares. I guess he’s like us, sittin’ on a huge collection of records where he’s up to get his influences from. I’ve also been pretty much impressed by the jungle scene the last time I came to London. Goldie, Roni Size. Those guys are also innovating...
How have you met each other?
Louie: By a mutual friend, Todd Terry. Since his early days in the production, he got used to bring me all his new stuff on tapes prior being released so that I could play them in the clubs. I’ve been the first one to play ‘Party People’ and ‘Bango’. I’d know Todd for years. I should have worked with him but he’s suggested me to make my way alongside Kenny. Tood & Kenny used to hook up on their side, but we’d never happened to be altogether til then. About Kenny. I simply knew a cut which he’d done at the end of the eighties on Nu Groove (‘Powerhouse’, taken from a series of various volumes made of minimal abstract loops, drums and beats sounds). Todd would introduce us to each other. From then, we’ve started talkin’, exchanging ideas, going to each other’s place and make some music. What I appreciated was Kenny’s hip hop background which was up to give a rougher side to the music. One’s got to believe that our association isn’t that bad, refering to the fact that we’ve now been working for 5 ½ years together.
Would the Latin community have a bigger dimension in NYC?
Louie: 7, 8 to 10 years ago, the youngsters didn’t give a sh.. on salsa music. For a long time they couldn’t hear anyone else but their parents heroes. Nowadays, they can identity to a new generation of artists such as India, Mark Anthony and Jerry Riveira. Those people have lyrics. Salsa has got quite an enormous boom here in NYC. Something which can be heard in house music nowadays. The Latin house scene has become an undeniable reality.
Should this have to be taken as a realization from a generation in search of their roots?
No doubt. Salsa is a key element as far as the culture of the NYC Latin community is concerned. This is why Kenny and I have felt the need to hear so much of it along those last 5 to 6 years. We were aware of our origins, but we’d never pushed our researches that far as compared comparison to other forms of music we’re into.
Is there a Latin conscience in the production such as hip-hop refering to Africa?
Louie: I don’t think this goes that far at the moment. We still need a bit of x-tra time for that. The images which you may perceive out of the Latin production are more geared towards positivity at the moment, such as love or fun... Latin music means fiesta. This is why you can’t help movin’ when you come to hear a salsa groove.
As an individual hailing from an ethnic minority, have you ever happened to be exposed to segregation Stateside?
Louie: I come from a place where the various minorities have always been mixed. I’ve been raised in the middle of Afro-Americans and citizens of numerous Latin American countries, but also Caucasians, Asians... So that when I’m goin’ out here or there, I’m surrounded by these or those. The fact that Keeny and I are respectively hailing from B’Klyn and the Bronx has allowed us to go everywhere we want coz’ we know how to react. Aware of what’s happening there, we behave ourselves in consequence.
How have you experienced the arrival of hip-hop?
Kenny: I’ve always been surrounded by hip hop (he was 10 in 1980) and I’m still aware how what’s happenin’ there even though I have not produced anything of the likes for quite some time due to the recording of the album. What I can’t stand is the rivalty between East and West Costs. This to me is bullsh..! Simly because everything has started here. Talkin’ about West Cost means discrediting hip-hop!
Louie: This couldn’t happen closer than home! (laughs) Sugarhill Gang with ‘Rappers Delight’, the Zulu Nation... Everyone was jammin’ around. I mean I was livin’ in the building next to the Bronx River where everything would start. This was the beginning of hip hop as mine like many others in the area. The scratch, the mix, the beats, the rappers riffs are also a part of the seventies...
Better say a revolution!
Louie: The birth of hip hop has marked the arrival of a new era in the conception of music as a whole. We was very excited. I figured I would get all these records.
What about the arrival of house then ?
Louie: I’m getting back to hip-hop and its importance due to the fact that it has given the younger ones the opportunity to express themselves, to talk about their existence and their way of life....
This leading us to the nearly absence of conscious lyrics in the house music production and more widely as far as dance music is concerned...
Louie: I believe there’s a real lack of authors. We need more of’em. But wht you gotta understand is that the main part of the current house music production is the work of DJ’s and young people doin’ more music than songs. We’re in a perverted situation where most of those young DJ’s can’t beat the musicians in terms of background, but as opposed have a perfect knowledge of the crowd’s expectations in the clubs. As far as we’re concerned, we try to find good lyrics and work with the right authors. We’ve already got thru that stage where we would just talk about partying and having good time. We now feel the need to have our lyrics more relevant so that people can relate to them.
Isn’t that somehow incompatible with the clubbers expectations?
Louie: True, we may come up with quite a simplistic approach in regards to club music, as it’s mostly the case nowadays. Bit on the other hand, it’s also possible to make the things significantly evolve and the potential is huge due to the fact that many things we feel like we have to do have never been accomplished. And hopefully, one day will come where people will be in the position to make the difference out of that ever growing amount of studio activity between the pioneers and the followers...
What’s your own definition of Masters At Work?
Louie: The same spiritually talkin’ as the one of Nuyorican Soul. In other words, versatility, mix of styles, although with a different perspective.
Kenny: I think we’re currently the masters of dance music, in the sense of havin’ no one doin’ what we do. This name represents a lot to us in regards to both what we’ve accomplished so far and what remains to be done...
The main differences between Nuyorican Soul and MAW...
Louie: Nuyorican Soul’s essence is typically Latin. We wrork with a band featuring great musicians. As for MAW, it’s a far more in yer face kinda approach. We’re up to release a new MAW album this year whereas are to be found all forms of music. From R&B to dance, to jungle and ambient. And this, with our own touch. We’ll try to produce the absolute reference in terms of dance music.
We never know what we’re gonna do in advance. We’re always going from a direction to another in order to avoid bein’ emprisonned in the mass. We work a bit like a research lab. Our main goal is not to become popular but most of all to produce quality music, bein’ innovators and explore new territories. And this is what I would suggest to all the newcomers.
Your best experience to date?
Kenny: The recording sessions with George Benson, because of all those vibes we’ve shared.
Louie: This Nuyorican Soul’s album which has allowed us working with so many hugely talented artists. Kenny and I deeply wanted to do something with’em and we’ve been quite blessed by the respect they’ve shown us. For me it’s the best thing that Masters At Work have ever done. I think this will become a part of History, because such an album gathering so many different styles under the same banner hasn’t been done for quite some time.
Your worst experience?
Kenny: All the difficulties we’ve gone thru for the recording of the Bucketheadz album. Mainly in terms of authorizations as far as samling was concerned.
Louie: I dunno if it’s a bad souvenir... In the 80’s, I was doin’ freestyle in the neighbourhoods. I came to know that one of my favorite DJ’s at the time used to nickname me as the Bubble Gum DJ coz’ I was spinnin’ for the kids on Sundays afternoon. I keep his name for myself but this for sure has deeply hurted me...
I guess this album has been the opportunity to meet up with some of your all time heroes...
Louie : Sure. This album is full of idols (smile)...
Kenny: George Benson & Roy Ayers are amongst those we used to listen the records of when we were kids. Should someone have told us at the time that we would work with’em one day... We’re very proud havin’ been able to gather all those artists. This album is the opportunity for us to pay them our tribute. To us, it’s the first chapter of a global project destined to give a dispaly of the incredible amount of different rhythms and flavas makin’ the richness of dance music. What we’ve go tat our disposal is nearly illimited. The West Indies, Brasil, Africa... This is all Nuyorican Soul’s quest!
The first cut to be taken from this album – ‘Runaway’ – is a cover version of a Loleatta Halloway’s classic initially released on Salsoul Records. A tribute to this label?
Louie: Salsoul has had a major influence. As a DJ, I happen to play their releases with the same pleasure along the years. I’m fascinated by the way they’ve managed to mix the genres at the time. Take for instance Salsoul Orchestra, they’ve achieved the perfect blend between the Philly Sound and the Latins flavas. This is what we’ve tried to recapture on this new version (sung by India) while hirin’ the string section of the group under the direction of Vincent Montana who was the initial arranger.
One of the biggest moments of this album – we both agree – is George Benson’s presence on ‘You Can Do it Baby’, sein’ him back on a level comparable to classics of his such as ‘Nature Boy’ and ‘The World Is A Ghetto’...
Kenny: I think the reason why we’ve got on the same wave scale as George Benson and Roy Ayers comes from the fact that we’ve managed to put our hands on the major records of their times. We love this vintage sound and we’ve tried to recapture its original essence.
Louie: It’s incredible, you know. Your compliment comes straight to my heart. It’s something very special. We’ve had the opportunity to write a song alongside George Benson. A wonderful studio time. The perfect collusion between us in the groove. All his guitar solos, his vocal scats... We’ve taken profit of all this time that we’ve spent together (3 full days). We could feel the vibes around. Some atmosphere like I rarely happened to know...
Your experience with Roy Ayers?
Louie: This leads us back to Roy’s concert at the Shelter (which would become the Vinyl later on). Roy is one of the first we’ve chosen to work with. I’ve met him later on in the evening and have him havin’ a listen to ‘Nervous Track’ which was our first single under the Nuyorican Soul moniker. I’ve offered him to be a part of the project and he’s given us his OK instantly. I’ve called him a little bit later on and we’ve decided to do a cover version of ‘Sweet Tears’ (taken from the 1972 released album He’s Coming). He has invested himself the way he’s done as well on his ‘Running Away’ classic.
Kenny: We only make the records that we feel. Roy’s repertoire is another true example of timeless music. Take a look back to his standards such as ‘Running Away’ or ‘Everybody Loves The Sunshine’. 15 to 20 years after, they still sound the same...
Jocelyn Brown?
Louie: A very long time friend. She was one India’s first record. We’ve met her a few years ago with the help of John Jellybean Benitez. I’ve always thought she was quite representative of the dance scene due to the fact that she’s a real diva. When we got back to her, we’ve decided to do a cover version of Rotary Connection’s ‘I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun’ originally sung by Minnie Ripperton. We’ve asked Jocelyn to do this song with a lot of softness, which is quite unusual for her in regards to the power of her voice. Gettin’ from this, we’ve given a club orientation to the song while adding gospel tones. We haven’t gone for the usual house beats. We’ve prefered workin’ on a sort of syncopated uptempo tinged with funk and hip-hop fragments which we’ve found more suitable to the underground moods.
We’ve written ‘It’s Alright I Feel It’ with Jocelyn and Bennie Diggs, one of our usual background singers who’s worked with a lot of artists including Diana Ross.
Those you would have liked to collaborate with?
Louie: We’re already thinking about the follow up album. I can’t make you aware of all our projects, but I can tell you the names of some of those we would like to renew this experience with. Manu Dibango, Fela Kuti... We’d like to go to Brasil and have a couple of tests in Bahia. Going further on into that mix of different styles. Nuyorican Soul means an endless quest, the banning of cultural fences, the freedom to go for freedom and novelty.
D’you fear the reactions of the clubbers, knowing they’re not famliar to this kind of music?
Louie: Naaaah! It’s simply a matter of being open minded. It depends on the fact to know whether you love music or not. I think all our music is good on itself. It doesn’t need to be only house or something else. Our music is an aggregation and music is universal. Our singles are comin’out and there will be a bit for everyone, with remixers such as Todd Terry, Armand Van Helden, Mousse T and... Masters At Work! You may see how we haven’t forgotten the dance fans, but I think they should consider this album as an opportunity to embrace various styles of music.
D’you feel some responsibility in regards to the upcoming generations?
Louie: Yes. Kenny and I make our very best to be innovators and creative. In return, we hope our music will help the crowd to broaden its knowledges. Anyway, we’ve never used to follow the trends...
On a more personal tip, I’d like to address my renewed greetings to Louie & Kenny as the whole MAW team including Ralphie and Annette for their continous signs of trust and commitment into what I’ve been doin’ along all those years. Peace y’all!
Frederic ‘MFSB’ Messent
Catch MAW Miami 2007 party featuring Louie Vega, Kenny ‘Dope’ Gonzalez + guests on 03/21/2007 @ Y ULTRALOUNGE – 71 NW. 14th St, Miami
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INTERVIEW
