Influences – Louie Vega (Masters At Work)

This rehearsal video clip with Marvin Gaye is really incredible, shows what a true master he was. He is singing flawlessly and knows exactly what he wants. And the band is tight, it’s what I strive for when I’m with my EOL band. This is truly inspiring.

Such an interesting piece, this documentary was put together well and is very emotional. I love that an artist from the USA with enormous talent touched so many people in South Africa. Its mythical, what a story. If I had a documentary ever made on my musical life, I’d want it to give that type of emotion and vision.

My uncle Hector Lavoe was one of the Fania All Stars. when you see this visual piece, it takes you right into Africa in the 70s and shows you how open Africans were and even today still are open to good music. Also an incredible show, it lets you experience the creme of the crop of talent that made Fania Records what it is today. My uncle is just in his 20s in this concert and he sang one of his famous songs that is an anthem even today entitled “Mi Gente”, which means my people, which I eventually ended up remixing a few years ago for Fania Records and I still play it to this day. Fania records with over 3000 albums has to be the encyclopaedia of latin music. What Motown Records was to r&b, Fania Records is to latin music.

George Clinton is the creator of Funk, a true icon for us all. This documentary tells you so much about how George Clinton, P-Funk, & Funkadelic started and how they took the music industry and world by storm. It was inspiring to see how it all started and blew up in a huge way, George Clinton knew how to bring all the right musicians together and created a monster band of pros, groove and pocket!!! He is a writer / artist / musician who gives you the real life experiences, he speaks the truth and brings them together with some true funk foundations!! I have a song on my upcoming Louie Vega album with George Clinton & the P-Funk All Stars entitled “Ain’t That Funkin’ Kinda Hard On You”, which I remixed and just had him in Miami WMC for our Funkified Poolside Get Down Jam along with Bebe Winans & Karen Clark on stage, and it was a historical performance for the dance industry!!

“Stevie, my all time favourite artist and my all time best album! This is the actual listening party in 1976 for Songs In The Key Of Life, the album won 5 Grammys: best album, best producer, and more. The listening party was a very clever idea, done on a farm that had an actual studio and many were flown in from the press to experience the album first before anyone in the world. What I would have done to have been a fly on that wall. These are things I would do, the idea of a listening party like this!! Stevie was always ahead of his time and his team was on point!!!

It has been a while since I’ve listened to an entire rap album all the way through (since Biggie, Jay Z, Kanye, NWA, Tupac, Tribe Called Quest), besides the great musicality of it, lyrically listening it was like a wake up to reality, and seeing life in today’s world through his words and views. I have to say Kendrick Lamar is a huge talent, a lyrical genius and that album is a wonderful piece. Its real music and LIFE and I’m feelin’ it in a big way, it’s deep!!! It was my soundtrack all last week while in Miami for Miami Music Week (I went and bought the cd), thank you Kendrick for the brilliant piece of work, I’m not sure I’ve heard anyone speak such truth comin’ from the heart the way you did throughout an entire album. I’m really touched by the album and I hope everyone hears the same. Thank you Zuleica (my assistant) for letting me know it was just out. I need instrumentals (me speaking as a DJ) as well to that entire album, the music and production are tight, inspirational!!!

Back in 2007, Louie Vega & The Elements Of Life Featuring Anane played live at the Super Bowl (USA) and were watched by over 145 million people and in front of 70,000 people in the actual stadium. This for us was a huge accomplishment, we were on the same bill with Prince (who played halftime) and Billy Joel who sang the national anthem. It was Cirque De Soleil who approached me to compose an 8.5 min epic piece and asked for Anane to sing lead and Elements Of Life as the band. We put together a beautiful epic piece which Cirque De Soleil choreographed an entire theatrical ensemble which brought together over 50 Cirque De Soleil performers on the field while we performed live on a stage shaped as the SUN. It was mind blowing and very inspiring for me as a producer, since I am into movie soundtracks, and creating musical compositions for visual productions.

Carlos Santana who is a big hero for me has broken barriers and opened doors for many Latins such as myself. He brought rock music with a latin edge to the world and crossed over in a huge way. He created a genre like artists James Brown & George Clinton. In this video it’s Carlos Santana speaking about a musician / guitarist named Gabor Szabo, his guitar playing is very unique and I love the way he really gets into it when he plays. He’s created masterpieces such as “Spellbinder”. I would like to thank Danny Krivit for turning me onto Gabor Szabo. Take a look at the track when he is playing live at the Matador, the vibe and his band is awesome, I had to look up every musician and find more music about all of them. Gabor Szabo a true musical genius, the meaning of individuality as a musician and his fingerprints on anything he’s touched if it was an existing song, he made it his, as said by Carlos Santana. Amazing to hear on this video that Gabor Szabo had a big influence on Carlos Santana. Elements of life is inspired by Gabor and I have a song on my upcoming Louie Vega album that has a Gabor Szabo influence!!

This is a special clip for me on YouTube that someone filmed. Its actually footage of when our Nuyorican Soul Band played at Central Park and we had the first Dance Ritual event there. It was important for me to be able to showcase to New York City in Central Park some of New York City’s finest dancers. Marjory Smarth (Rest In Peace), was a good friend and I asked her to bring her dance troop called Dance Fusion to Central Park and present a dance piece. I then had the Nuyorican Soul Band play our renditions of some of the NYC street dance favourites that I’ve played in clubs for many years. The songs the band played were: “City, Country, City” by War, “Give It Up, Turn It Loose” by James Brown, “Melting Pot” by Booker T & The MGs, “Los Conquistadores” by Johnny Hammond all live. Marjory Smarth made great efforts to make this a wonderful presentation and it turned out awesome. Marjory had a battle with cancer and it took its toll on her, I will always remember her, she was a beautiful and talented woman who was a dedicated dancer for life. Marjory we love you and miss you.

Here we are at the finale, and it could end no greater than this. Frankie Knuckles (Rest In Peace) was a good friend and someone who for me is the greatest inspiration for me as a DJ / producer. He has influenced myself and others, as well generations of DJs and music lovers. In this clip he is getting interviewed and you hear the many sides of Frankie speaking and doing what he did effortlessly, which was educating everyone, young and older. He will always be remember as a person who brought us happiness and healing through his knowledge and deep love of music. His music will live on forever on our dance floors, and in our hearts.