Vega is in the mix for an open air extravaganza
BACK for a second year at Canvas Yard in Holbeck, Leeds, Soak presents Haçienda Open Air features a world-class array of DJs including Louie Vega, David Morales, Todd Terry, Graeme Park, DJ Paulette and Ralph Lawson. Fifty-eight-year-old Vega, from the Bronx, New York, is a Grammy award winner and leader in global dance music, who has been mixing everything from house, salsa and afro-beat to jazz, hip-hop, gospel and soul since 1985.
He tells The Yorkshire Post he is looking forward to DJ-ing at this year’s event. “I heard reports from my good friend Todd Terry who really enjoyed himself and I also saw some great video clips. The crowd was in it!” he says.
He is particularly excited about sharing a bill with David Morales, who he describes as “like a brothertomeandaclosefriendofover 30 years”, adding: “After so many years we finally had our moment to work in the studio together when we produced a song call Still Here for Julie McKnight under the Kings Of House NYC moniker. We had so much fun working on that tune penned by Josh Milan. When we play together as KOHNYC it’s always a blast of creativity live! Our friendship has evolved as more than friendship, it’s family at this point. The respect and love is mutual.”
As for what kind of set dance music fans can look forward to in Leeds, he says: “There will be lots of heat played from various producers and music we have coming. Leeds will get exclusives, never heard before versions of tunes as well as some familiar faves and club classics played the Vega way.”
Vega’s association with the Haçienda began during his days working with Kenny ‘Dope’ Gonzalez as Masters At Work. “The club already laid its foundation so we were excited to play where some of our friends like Frankie Knuckles, David Morales and others played,” he recalls. “Also being that New Order owned it, one of my top UK bands that I grew up with in the early 80s with songs like Confusion and Blue Monday, especially the earlier tune which I played in my early DJ years in the Bronx. The Haçienda crowd were musically inclined and knew what was up. For us it was fun to play to such a receptive crowd.”
Hailing from a musical family, Vega says “going to block parties and neighbourhood jams as a child” sparked his interest in DJ-ing. Soon he was practising on his friend’s big brother’s equipment trying to emulate the DJs he’d seen.
“Having another neighbour who was a mobile DJ and played high school jams and sweet 16s, I became his apprentice and helped set up the equipment and in return he would loan me two turntables, a Gemini mixer and two JBL speakers,” he remembers.
Vega’s residency at The Sound Factory Bar in Manhattan in the 1990s became the stuff of legend. He says: “It was an incredible time, I was the Pied Piper and the printers were Don Welch and Barbara Tucker. Between my musical knowledge and DJing, Don’s musical knowledge and promoting skills, Barbara’s knowledge of all the upcoming house artists, being a dancer and performer, as well her musical knowledge, we all helped create a night that lasted five-and-a-half years and held down house music in NYC in the 90s, breaking many new artists and tunes at the club.”
His partnership with Kenny ‘Dope’ Gonzalez as Masters At Work and Nu Yorican Soul was ground-breaking. He says it was “always key to broaden the scope of house music”. “We fused jazz, Brazilian, funk, soul, Latin soul, gospel, rock and hip hop into house music. Nuyorican Soul was a ground-breaking project that did lots and we always put these sounds within our remixes depending on what the song called for.
“We would know in an instant once we listened and discussed before working in a remix. Now over 3,000-plus recordings later we are well seasoned producers but always with a keen ear to today’s technology and always learning as we go.
“We are now producing three albums. The first album we are producing at this moment is for Brian Jackson (Gil Scott Heron’s musical partner) with various amazing guests, coming on BBE records. We are also producing our albums Nuyorican Soul II and Masters At Work album III.”
Soak presents Hacienda Open Air takes place at Canvas yard, Leeds on Sunday May 5. For tickets visit Skiddle: https://bit.ly/HaciendaOpenAirTickets