Louie Vega

A leader in global dance music, Louie Vega has painted an award-winning career from a palette mixed with everything from house, salsa and afro-beat, to jazz, hip hop, gospel and soul. What distinguishes the Grammy winner and 7-time nominee as one of the bestliving house music deejays is his ability to evolve alongside the times, distill the current musical landscape through his unique taste and put his own timeless spin on all the music he creates.“Little” Louie Vega, as he is sometimes affectionately known, was born in the Bronx into a musically gifted family (his father is a jazz saxophonist and his uncle, Salsa King Héctor Lavoe). The “Little” moniker is ironic, given the fact that by the 80s he was deejaying at clubs he wasn’t even old enough to attend, holding residencies at Studio 54, Devil’s Nest, Heartthrob, and playing at the Palladium, Area, 1018 and other seminal New York City Clubs. Soon Vega was producing his own remixes and productions, which included Information Society’s “Running”, “What’s On Your Mind”, Noel’s “Silent Morning” & “Like A Child”, Cover Girl’s “Because Of You” & “Show Me (Hearthrob Dub)”, Nocera’s “Let’s Go”, India’s “Dancing On The Fire” and Debbie Gibson’s “Only in my Dreams” & “OutOf The Blue”.Then in 1991 he joined Atlantic Records and recorded an album — hitting the mainstream. Teaming up with an up-and-coming Marc Anthony, he produced “Ride on the Rhythm” co-written with India & Derek Whitaker. An immediate club hit, the single put Vega and Anthony on the map. The duo would rock the club circuit with their success culminating when they opened for Tito Puente at his100th Album concert at Madison Square Garden. One of the keys to Vega’s success is his refusal to be boxed into any one category, marked by the various styles his songs play with and by his fruitful collaboration with other artists.More success came in 1991 from the production team he created with Brooklyn- based deejay Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez. Masters at Work, as they were called, were responsible for the critically acclaimed albums “Nuyorican Soul” and “Masters At Work - Our Time is Coming. ” Not to mention the duo found the time to remix and/ or produce for Michael Jackson, Luther Vandross, Madonna, Jamiroquai, Tito Puente, India, Janet Jackson, Tania Maria, George Benson, Black Eyed Peas, Femi Kuti, Jocelyn Brown, Los Amigos Invisibles, Bebe Winans and Earth Wind & Fire.Vega, always hungry for a challenge, expanded into a new role of record labelowner. Featuring a roster that included Anané Vega, Luisito Quintero, ElementsOf Life & E.O.L. Soulfrito (his live bands), Mr. V, Boddhi Satva, Hugh Masekela,Roberto Roena, Lisa Fischer, Sara Divine, and Cindy Mizelle, Vega Records hasreleased over 180 singles and 11 Full Length CD / Albums. In addition, LouieVega has released over 30 compilations (with over 2 million cds sold) on theindustry’s most revered imprints, including Ministry of Sound Recordings,Defected Records, King Street, Azuli, Division (Italy), BBE, Concept, R2, andStrictly Rhythm records.Like his businesses, Vega’s music also flourished. In 2006, he received aGrammy Award for his remix of Curtis Mayfield’s “Superfly” on Rhino Records.Then, not more than a year later, Cirque Du Soleil approached him and thehouse-music group Blaze to compose and produce a song for a once in a lifetimeevent. Anané Vega sang the lead and the Elements Of life band performed thesong “One Dream” to the acrobatics and art of Cirque Du Soleil during the 2007Super Bowl Pre-Game Show to over 70,000 people at Miami’s Dolphin Stadium.The performance was viewed by 145 million television viewers....Yet as we move through the twenty-tens, Louie shows no signs of slowingdown...Vega’s global fandom requires the famed producer extraordinaire to be in manyplaces at once. Radio was a natural extension to his dj performances. In 2010,Vega and Kevin Hedge started a show, Roots NYC Live Radio Show on WBLS107.5 (New York’s longest running and biggest R&B and soul radio station).Rated the #3 radio show in New York on Friday night, they air every Friday from10PM – Midnight (stream live www.wbls.com). To keep the music flowing on allcontinents, Vega can also be heard on his show with over 27,000 followers ontwitch with his Expansions NYC Pop Ups. (twitch.tv/louievega)Ever the music innovator, in 2013 Vega released Elements of Life – Eclipse on thelegendary Fania records. The record, 4 1⁄2 years in the making, keeps the style ofVega’s earlier albums intact (African, Jazz, Latin, World), but is mixed with Soul,R&B, Gospel and Blues sounds. Featured artists on the album include AnanéVega, Josh Milan, Lisa Fischer, Cindy Mizelle, Ursula Rucker, Jose Mangual Jr.,Luisito Quintero, Oveus Maximus and an all-star cast of musicians.The album’s occasion was momentous because it was the first ‘new artist’ albumFania released in years. In Vega’s words, “...It really comes full circle now, beingable to be on the label my uncle Héctor Lavoe was on and the Fania All Starswho are all great inspirations for me. Fania Records is to Latin music whatMotown is to R&B and Soul, so to even be a small page in this encyclopedia ofmusic is a dream come true.”2016 was a monumental year for Vega. His emblematic 2016 album Louie Vega Starring...XXVIII was nominated for a Grammy award for Best Dance / Electronic Album. After 30years in music, Vega reached a distinct and unmatched level in his career. He knew whereglobal sounds live and hide. And he skillfully capitalized on relationships with the leaders ofthose sounds by understanding what they represent and how they could be infused. Thereare few times in an artist’s career where their sonic pallet and connections with other artistsreach a level of pure magic. This album was the latest testament to Louie’s growing legacyas a master bricoleur. Starring...XXVIII was a dual disc conceptual record featuring overtwenty-five artists on twenty-eight different songs. Collaborators on the album includedGeorge Clinton & Funkadelic, 3 Winans Brothers & the Clark Sisters, Josh Milan, AnanèVega, Lisa Fischer, N’Dea Davenport, Caron Wheeler, Monique Bingham, Jocelyn Brownand more.The record was Louie Vega’s first solo album and a contender for his magnumopus.And music critics weren’t the only ones celebrating Vega’s influence and impact. KanyeWest released his seventh studio album, “The Life of Pablo” to ravishing fanfare andspectacle. One of the album’s standout tracks and fan favorite was “Fade,” which foundWest diggin’ in the crates to sample two Vega and Barbara Tucker classics - “Deep Inside”by Hardrive featuring Barbara Tucker and “I Get Lifted” by Barbara Tucker. Vega and Westfans alike rejoiced thinking of the amazing studio sessions involved in creating the originaland the contemporary version with the classic. Once again, Vega was a part of theconstruction of bridges that traversed boundaries and brought people together throughmusic.It’s worth mentioning that Kanye wasn’t the only hip hop superstar lending his raps toVega’s sound. Compton- MC Kendrick Lamar jumped on the remix of “Ain’t That Funkin’Kinda Hard On You”, the standout track from Vega’s 28 album featuring the pioneering funklegends, Funkadelic and their leader, George Clinton. The power of Vega’s ability to serveas a sonic liaison on full display.2018 was another MONSTER year for Vega. He worked in the the studio with fellow jetsetters and DJ duo The Martinez Brothers on a new album project. Their first release “ShutThe Door” featured the vocals of Hector Lavoe on an energetic techno track that hit dancefloors worldwide, truly bringing together 3 generations. Soon after, Louie Vega & TheMartinez Brothers created the track to the smash hit “Let It Go” penned and performed byWest Coast talent Marc Bassy. After the release of this floor scorcher on Cutting Headz itwas licensed by Defected Records with remixes by the trio and added remixes by VultureCulture & Dom Dolla. The Records smashed twice with over 30,000,000 listens on spotifyalone ! Vega and Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez (Masters at Work) also geared up for newreleases with Kenlou & Masters At work on their newly revamped label Maw Records. Vegaalso released in June 2018 his new album “NYC Disco” on Nervous Records payinghomage to the sounds of disco and the celebrated Sam Records Catalog. The creativecollective Elements Of Life kept their momentum, playing to a sold out audience at RoyalFestival Hall / Southbank Centre London. Vega provided a sneak peak of the tour’s energyin October 2016 when he played to a crowd of 22,000 people over the course of two days atSouth Africa’s Delicious Food and Music Festival. Vega brought along featured artists suchas Lisa Fischer, Josh Milan, Anané Vega, Monique Bingham, Bucie, Adeva, with a specialappearance by Roy Ayers acompanied by the Elements Of Life Band.During summers Anané and Louie Vega carried on the tradition with their events “The Ritualwith Anané & Louie Vega”, an outdoor party held at prestigious indoor venues and beachclubs around the world drenched in the sounds of House, Global Disco, Afro tech and OldSchool. The Ritual has toured the Mediterranean every summer since 2010, including atwo-year residency at the Blue Marlin Beach Club in Ibiza. They played at the famedUshuaïa Hotel and released a Sunset Ritual cd/dvd. Anané & Louie Vega continue theparty’s legacy during summer 2018 coming back to Ibiza for their second year residency atHeart with the Ritual, and the continued annual touring of the Mediterranean. Guests andfriends at The Ritual With Anané & Louie Vega at Heart Ibiza have included Moodymann,The Martinez Brothers, Joseph Capriati, Soul Clap, Nicole Moudaber, Cassy, HenrikSchwartz, Kenny Dope, Mike Dunn, & David Morales.Vega also kept his residency and created an Expansions NYC party in his New York Cityhometown, bringing light to the NYC underground dance culture with industry heads andglobal visitors on Wednesday nights. Louie Vega’s famed “Expansions NYC” party becameknown for taking his devoted dancers, music lovers, and followers on a musical tripfeaturing his signature mix of new tracks, club bombs and classics. He would play fromopen to close, and on any given night the Expansions NYC event would turn into a surprisejam session featuring seasoned musicians, poets, and singers. The night became extremelysuccessful and demonstrated such unique energy that it inspired Louie to record a fullalbum of newly produced tracks for an Expansions In The NYC Full Length release. Itturned into something truly special with guest appearances by Robyn, Honey Dijon, BernardFowler, Moodymann, Kerri Chandler, Anané, Lisa Fischer, Josh Milan, Tony Momrelle,Karen Harding, Janine Sugah Lyons & the super band Unlimited Touch. Released onNervous Records, the album was released as a 4 pack gatefold vinyl package, and a 10unit 7" box set, as well as on all digital and streaming platforms, and received massworldwide acclaim in multiple platforms.New upcoming music with the Masters At work duo releasing the Maw Lost Tapes, whendigging into their archives of 2” inch tapes they have found a mass number of unreleasedtracks dating from 1991 - 1996, retweaked with monthly releases leading all the way til2025. In the studio now producing albums for Masters At Work and Nuyorican soul ready tobring forth fresh new sounds for 2024.Vega in the studio now producing along with the Martinez Brothers following up to their hitsingle “Let It Go” have brought forth a number of newly produced tracks ready for the nextchapter with the Bronx born/bred Louie Vega & The Martinez Brothers.Vega Records with upcoming releases by Mr. X, Domo Domo, Elements Of Life, and TonyTouch. Nervous Records releases “Take A Ride” Anane’s Disco 6 track ep, and Remixesfrom the Album Expansions In The NYC by Honey Dijon, Masters At Work, Seth Troxler, DjDeep, and more are just a taste of what’s to come.Coming up for 2023, Louie accepted a residency in New York premier big room venueKnockdown Center and brought along his family and friends Anané Vega, Moodymann,Theo Parish, Joe Claussell, Deon Cole, and for this summer 2023 along with Anané hasconfirmed an unheard of 19 week residency with an all star line-up for The Ritual WithAnané brand at one of Ibiza’s most prestigious venues Club Chinois.Breaking down musical barriers and bringing people together through a love and passion formusic has always been Vega’s aim; after more than 20 years in the game his contributionscontinue to positively influence global dance music. Listen closely as the best has yet tocome from Louie Vega!