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As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, Chicago emcee Nico B of the Record Players (previously featured here) has begun work on a six track EP inspired by the legendary salsa singer Héctor Lavoe. Here's what Nico had to say about the project:
"[DJ] Noble and I are nearly done with a six song e.p., inspired by music from the late salsa great, Héctor Lavoe. For those who are not familiar with Mr. Lavoe's sound, I strongly urge you to seek it out at your earliest convenience. This man is a legend and has left behind a legacy of timeless Spanish art.
The project is entitled Sabado Gigante, which translates to "Giant Saturday." Make no mistake though, all songs are in English. The album takes on the aforementioned name due to the nature of our [Nico B and DJ Noble] writing, producing and recording process. Being that Noble and I are not full time musicians, we must make time for music whenever possible, typically Saturday nights."
Prior to Nico mentioning him to me, I had only heard of Lavoe through the movie El Cantante, which starred J.Lo and her husband Marc Anthony. Among mainstream fans, Lavoe is remembered as much for his persona and everything that went with it - his battles with heroin addiction, AIDS and severe depression, ending up on the wrong end of a beatdown after an argument with an audience member during one of his performances, and a failed suicide attempt that saw him survive a jump from the 9th floor of a hotel are just some of the notable events in his life - as much as he is remembered for his actual music. That being said, while I am admittedly not much of a salsa fan, what I have heard from Lavoe has been fairly accessible (a good starting point is this youtube mix).
For the first installment of their six part E.P., DJ Noble serves up a dope beat built around a sample from Lavoe's El Cantante, while Nico B puts in another memorable performance on the mic. I particularly enjoyed the Tribe reference at the end. Check it out:
Nico B - El Cantante 2.0 (produced by DJ Noble)
For comparison's sake, here's a video of Lavoe performing El Cantante live in 1979:
Hector Lavoe - El Cantante
You can hear more from Nico B and the Record Players over at their MySpace page. And check back soon for the next installment of Sabado Gigante.
9/02/2008 08:12:01 PM posted by Fresh