History check
I usually keep my mouth shut.
has it begun to lose its appeal/connection with latinos?
its more like IT LOST its connection with latinos many years ago.
since the birth of the freestyle song, latinos have always been involved in the production and the movement (see history of jellybean). In the early 80's street music was R&B, Rap, Electrofunk, and the new dance/disco sound (freestyle).
Most blacks prodominantly opted towards R&B and Rap while a mixed crowd of blacks and prodominant latinos opted for the dance and electrofunk. within this mixture of street music, all genres overlaped aech other as far as musical elements. but the latin percusion and elements were always there (the same as in the previous disco).
The industry separeted and made markets, therfore intime segregating the genres, each going their own way,targeting their own market.
Around the same time, the latinhiphop movment took place and dominated the streets. Hiphopbeats with percusion and latin singers getting recognized. Latin dance artist rapping and singing over their records.
latinos, opening up labels and making it in this industry, gaining respect from the 80's latin second generation. nothing like this was ever seen before.it was like this for many years to come.nobody thought it would end.
In the early 90's, radio pulled the latin freestyle artist off the rotations. prodominantly, latin artist where all stereotyped "Freestyle" and were seen as untalented.
Some record companies saw this, therefore opted to focus on the remaining Italian following from the tristate, philly and canada regions.some even thinking they could please both latins and italians with italian artist.
By the mid 90's freestyle was dominated by prodominantly Italian american and greek artist. but who represented their regions.
this all coming at a time when it was hard for a latino to get on the radio again, meantime all the non latin freestyle artist got on the radio with their planet rock remixes.
The "latin freestyle" generation of the early to late 80's did not feel represented or related to what was going on.They were the ones who controlled the true shiftment of dance on the street and club level.most of the main promoters,djs etc where all latino also. The larger industry and radio closed the doors on latin freestyle artist, so they closed the doors on the new "white" artist singing freestyle over planet rock beats and sometimes releasing bad production with BAD SPANISH VERSIONS OF songs.
It looked cheesy and the music itself lacked street elements and latin musical elements. it was fabricated.On top of all, what became of freestyle had nothing to do with the latinhiphop movement of the mid 80's. it was as if the whole movement, the cause was lost.(even angered alot of people).
the prodominance of the latin freestylers moved to house music, who like disco, held a strong tribal sound. latin house was the next step freestyle artist crossed into, although there is a strong link between the two. records like the bad boy orchestras "Do you wana dance" (aroz con pollo) was a latin freestyle breaks record, at the same time a latin house record.
as time passed, the new generation of clubbers, looked up to the talents of latins in the world of house and underground dance. therefore followed to take part in this genre. but it was mostly also becouse of the music and the freeform and flow the new sound of house had.
other latins opted for rave and still infactuated with beats opted for the breaks scene.
It was in 1995 that latinos would gain back the respect for freestyle and the sound through the breaks scene, when artist like planet soul, nadine renee, elise soto, angelina, jocleyne enriquez (although filipina,helped the breaks movment)and a whole wave of new producers (lots, who where predominantly latinos), invaded club land. they were the new hope for the freestyle sound.
although the breaks scene feeds off of the old skool electro funk and freestyle sound, and prodominated by latins around the florida and california region(alot from florida and miami), it is seen as a mixed crowd.a mixed following.
also to remind many that at the beginning of all this, it was a mixed crowd of many types of people and the first freestyle artist.
the first freestyle vocalist where african american. not latin, not italian.; and what mattered most was the music.
Today the freestyle scene has lost the following of the prodominat new latin generation. in the past years, labels like prymtime, artistic, and many others (buffulo new york also!), have brought in a new generation of new latin artist. this has helped catch attention of a even newer younger latin generation. however...the sound has not changed.
It has only changed in the breaks/freestyle side of things.
unlike other parts of the u.s., new york still has a strong link to hiphop and young latins seem to want to sing R&B instead of dance music. also adding to the fact that the new generation is not being told the TRUe story of freestyle.
the new generation of kids is not bieng told the importance and breakthrough that freestyle artist had in american culture.
today... the media is screaming latin invasion and the latin record comapnies are kneeling down and praising.
everyone forgot about the REAL latin invasion.
the latin invasion from INSIDE the U.s. . the invasion that came out of a ghettoblaster and rose from the ghetto inside the biggest cities of the u.s.
latino americans born and raised here.
not like todays latin pop artist (with the ecception of j-lo,mark anthony, cristina etc.)... fed with silver spoons in their famouse fathers and mothers mansions from latin america and then brought here with help from major labels and Crossed over to the pop market.
The real ground breakers are only recognized within our dance music communities, but the mainstream never understood and will probably have a hard time doing so.
but freestyle lost the voice of the people, but it didnt lose the people's soul. that soul was implanted in a new generation and will rise in a new form. it has already begun outside of new york and out side of this community.
also one more thing... from the beginning, there was always a mixture of people, no matter how large the prodominance of latinos there were. and there was alot of itailan americans in this game also, that helped open so many doors for latinos.
italians like sal abbatiello, joey gardner and the list goese on, who if it wasnt for them and their labels, young latinos would have never had the chance to become what they have become. i know it seems hard for many others to downplay the large invasion of the early 90's by white italian american artist (who represented thier regions,by the way), but at the same time not downplay those who where with this from the beginning and open doors beyond belief.
Freestyle is a very cultural music that many wont understand in many ways. but like all music it is enjoyed and loved by many different people. In the beginning, it was a mixture and what mattered the most was the sound. This issue about cultural and race and freestyle is still contreversial, that many in our industry try to ignore it. at the same time, they wonder why it all went downhill.
im probably skipping so many things that need to be said.
but i guesse the answer to the question "did it lose or losing respect from latins" my answer would be .....it did once upon a time, but now slowly, its gaining it back. not only from a new geneartion of latins, but from a new generation of club heads,djs, promoters and other genres. maybe not in new york...but around the world.
There is one more italian that has opened doors, cuz if it wasnt for him..all these latinos wouldnt be here talking crap today on this site.
"in the beginning there was JACK...jack had a groove
anyway, peace!
