lachicabella
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I heard that Silent Morning is supposed to be about a relationship that he had with a girl back in high school (I could be wrong), but then again, the song had so many meanings behind it that it got really confusing. Had I got the chance to talk to Noel, he would have said the real meaning behind the song (or he would not say anything and just let us perceive the song the way we want to perceive it). But that is what I heard the song was about, a relationship. As far as what happened to him, he still does dates. I seen him at the July 3rd show @ China Club. He also performed at a CF member's birthday party and also he has a showdate set with other fellow freestyle artists at the Copacabana (my favorite salsa dance spot) for November 23rd (the day before Thanksgiving). As far as I know, Noel is still around and still looking great 😉.CarlosNYC said:
DJ Dee X-Man
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I'm also a big NOEL fan, so I had to dig up the following for you:
"When questioned about whether his parents happened to name him Noel because he was born around the holidays, he chuckles. "I guess so. I was born at the end of November, on the 23rd in 1962". A heritage of half Spanish and half Puerto Rican, Noel and older brother David grew up going to Catholic schools in the Bronx. Noel also spent some time hanging out in Queens, as well as in Smithtown, where the family owned horses at some point. An avid animal lover, Noel has even allowed PETA use of "Silent Morning".
A black belt, Noel actually took martial arts for some 14 years, which helped to give him something of that quiet confidence which he seemed to need through those turbulent teenage years. As far as how Noel was "discovered", he was about 24 hanging out at Poe Park in Bronx where a talent scout happened to be in the vicinity. Jumping up on a bench, Noel started singing and the guy liked what he heard. They did do a demo together, the first version of "Silent Morning", but then it didn't pan out and Noel found himself having to shop the song around. Finding a manager who believed in him, his lucky break came when the record label 4th and Broadway wanted another group the manager backed - twin girls known collectively as "Double Destiny". Pulling a power play, the record company was told that if they didn't give Noel a shot, they weren't getting the girls. With some reworking of the original song, the squeeze worked. Noel explains: "4th and Broadway was hoping to release the single, see it flop and be done with it. To everyone's surprise, including my own, "Silent Morning" blew up and charted in the spring of 1987, leaving them wondering what they were going to d, seeing as there was no scheduled follow-up." Within three weeks, they all put together an entire album (NOEL). While a few more singles were released in the time period following, the album was not released in its entirety until September of 1988.
The first story behind "Silent Morning" had to do with its content. While most plainly saw it as a "break-up" song, there were some rumors at the time that it was in fact supposed to be read as "Silent Mourning", a lament regarding the AIDS epidemic. Another had it originally called "Spanish Morning", a story regarding a bullfighter meeting his death in the arena.
Interestingly enough, it was never Noel's intent to be a "freestyle" artist. At the time he was totally into New Wave (classic alternative), inspired in the moment by bands like Depeche Mode and New Order, among others. "Silent Morning" was, in fact, produced by Paul Robb, member of the "new wave-labeled freestyle" band Information Society.
As quickly as this artist came onto the scene, he won two awards in 1988 for "Silent Morning". One at the Boston Music Awards, and the other at the New York Music Awards, when he won "best new single on an indie label". With so much going on in his professional life, he moved to Manhattan, then lived in Bellerose on the Queens/Nassau Border for a few years.
Something of Noel's pioneering spirit came in the form of a concert he performed at The Palladium in NYC circa 1989. Not only did a live band back him up, but he sang each and every song off of the "Noel" album. He was able to ride on the success of songs like "Silent Morning" and "Like A Child" for a couple of years.
Courtesy of OIM via FREESTYLEMANIA"
"When questioned about whether his parents happened to name him Noel because he was born around the holidays, he chuckles. "I guess so. I was born at the end of November, on the 23rd in 1962". A heritage of half Spanish and half Puerto Rican, Noel and older brother David grew up going to Catholic schools in the Bronx. Noel also spent some time hanging out in Queens, as well as in Smithtown, where the family owned horses at some point. An avid animal lover, Noel has even allowed PETA use of "Silent Morning".
A black belt, Noel actually took martial arts for some 14 years, which helped to give him something of that quiet confidence which he seemed to need through those turbulent teenage years. As far as how Noel was "discovered", he was about 24 hanging out at Poe Park in Bronx where a talent scout happened to be in the vicinity. Jumping up on a bench, Noel started singing and the guy liked what he heard. They did do a demo together, the first version of "Silent Morning", but then it didn't pan out and Noel found himself having to shop the song around. Finding a manager who believed in him, his lucky break came when the record label 4th and Broadway wanted another group the manager backed - twin girls known collectively as "Double Destiny". Pulling a power play, the record company was told that if they didn't give Noel a shot, they weren't getting the girls. With some reworking of the original song, the squeeze worked. Noel explains: "4th and Broadway was hoping to release the single, see it flop and be done with it. To everyone's surprise, including my own, "Silent Morning" blew up and charted in the spring of 1987, leaving them wondering what they were going to d, seeing as there was no scheduled follow-up." Within three weeks, they all put together an entire album (NOEL). While a few more singles were released in the time period following, the album was not released in its entirety until September of 1988.
The first story behind "Silent Morning" had to do with its content. While most plainly saw it as a "break-up" song, there were some rumors at the time that it was in fact supposed to be read as "Silent Mourning", a lament regarding the AIDS epidemic. Another had it originally called "Spanish Morning", a story regarding a bullfighter meeting his death in the arena.
Interestingly enough, it was never Noel's intent to be a "freestyle" artist. At the time he was totally into New Wave (classic alternative), inspired in the moment by bands like Depeche Mode and New Order, among others. "Silent Morning" was, in fact, produced by Paul Robb, member of the "new wave-labeled freestyle" band Information Society.
As quickly as this artist came onto the scene, he won two awards in 1988 for "Silent Morning". One at the Boston Music Awards, and the other at the New York Music Awards, when he won "best new single on an indie label". With so much going on in his professional life, he moved to Manhattan, then lived in Bellerose on the Queens/Nassau Border for a few years.
Something of Noel's pioneering spirit came in the form of a concert he performed at The Palladium in NYC circa 1989. Not only did a live band back him up, but he sang each and every song off of the "Noel" album. He was able to ride on the success of songs like "Silent Morning" and "Like A Child" for a couple of years.
Courtesy of OIM via FREESTYLEMANIA"
Last edited:
DJ Dee X-Man
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"Part II
In 1990, Noel released two singles. One was a collaboration with Tony Morna entitled "The Question", and the other was a "cameo" he made on the straight-up remake of a France Joli song called "Could You Have The Heart" with 'house' artist Girlsclub. While the latter did well in clubs, "Question" was another mega-hit. A very well-told story that could almost be considered the next chapter after "Silent Morning".
What helps to set "Question" apart would have to be its dramatic beats and phenomenal vocal layouts. Tony stretched Noel's voice to the limit, and the story goes that both of them were such perfectionists, this truly turned out to be a blood, sweat and tears ordeal. However, well-worth the end result. The story of the song starts in the present and stretches back to the past. Noel considers this one of his personal favorites.
While "The Question" was then re-released in a compilation project entitled "Concept Of One" in 1993, by then Noel's musical head and heart were a completely different place, and April of that year brought us his second full album, pop-rock in nature called "Hearts On Fire". A solid alb7m that showcased Noel's maturing writing skills and further vocal prowess, many people were disappointed nonetheless, having expected more dance music. However, those able to look beyond the "freestyle" label were pleasantly surprised. While some people question why he would even take such a risk, Noel simply responds "I like music, any kind of good music, and I like to try different things." One song coming off this album was "Running Into The Sun" which was used in an episode of TV's "Baywatch" (season 4, Coronado Del Soul).
When the release of "Hearts On Fire" just didn't move very well, Noel figured it was time to take a little break, fade himself out of the scene for a while. He spent the next few years still in NY, but leading a "normal" life, which included spending time with his twin daughters (born in 1993). In 1998, he moved to Florida and kept busy with the occasional club date, but mostly producing for other acts.
The dawn of 2001 found Noel's ear piqued by this new underground music. "Trance" interested him so much, that he felt he was ready to come back to the scene and try his own hand at it. Collaborating with famed produced "Ford". The final product of this union was "Will I Find True Love", released in the summer of that year. While a full album and possible other singles were discussed, including a new trance mix of "Silent Morning", it didn't come to pass. Classic Noel lyrically-speaking, his voice sounded as distinct as ever, and Ford's style complemented this. While several versions and remixes were included on the maxisingle, Noel makes it very clear: "My intent was to do a trance song." Unfortunately, Nebulous Records had its own problems, among them being Ford's departure. This left a few of the artists losing out on monies owed, including this one.
November of 2001 found Noel moving back home to NY to reside in Queens again. He spent the better part of 2002 with numerous club dates and working on another album with veterans Eddie Arroyo and Eddie Baez, one he strongly intended to be "heavy trance/tribal". However, in June of 2002, Noel was seriously injured in a car accident on his way home from a gig in Brooklyn. With the pain of several broken ribs and an arm so severely cut it wouldn't have taken much more for him to lose it altogether, he spent the entire summer convalescing at the home of some friends in Pennsylvania. This unfortunate situation caused him to cancel shows for the rest of the summer, and put the brakes on any further work with the album, if only for a while.
Noel has always been involved in all the production aspects of his work. Except for perhaps 2, he's at least co-written anything he calls his own, and always has a say in its mixing and engineering. Furthermore, he says "I always expect to be involved in the music business one way or the other."
In keeping with his character trait of experimentation, April of 2003 found him a new calling in the form of "jousting", and he has been a performer in this capacity at the Pennsylvania State Renaissance Fair. While the album certainly isn't finished yet, there's always work to be done, and a few labels have already expressed an interest. Freestyle freaks, take heart: he said he expects there to be at least 3 freestyle tracks on it.
Courtesy of OIM via FREESTYLEMANIA"
In 1990, Noel released two singles. One was a collaboration with Tony Morna entitled "The Question", and the other was a "cameo" he made on the straight-up remake of a France Joli song called "Could You Have The Heart" with 'house' artist Girlsclub. While the latter did well in clubs, "Question" was another mega-hit. A very well-told story that could almost be considered the next chapter after "Silent Morning".
What helps to set "Question" apart would have to be its dramatic beats and phenomenal vocal layouts. Tony stretched Noel's voice to the limit, and the story goes that both of them were such perfectionists, this truly turned out to be a blood, sweat and tears ordeal. However, well-worth the end result. The story of the song starts in the present and stretches back to the past. Noel considers this one of his personal favorites.
While "The Question" was then re-released in a compilation project entitled "Concept Of One" in 1993, by then Noel's musical head and heart were a completely different place, and April of that year brought us his second full album, pop-rock in nature called "Hearts On Fire". A solid alb7m that showcased Noel's maturing writing skills and further vocal prowess, many people were disappointed nonetheless, having expected more dance music. However, those able to look beyond the "freestyle" label were pleasantly surprised. While some people question why he would even take such a risk, Noel simply responds "I like music, any kind of good music, and I like to try different things." One song coming off this album was "Running Into The Sun" which was used in an episode of TV's "Baywatch" (season 4, Coronado Del Soul).
When the release of "Hearts On Fire" just didn't move very well, Noel figured it was time to take a little break, fade himself out of the scene for a while. He spent the next few years still in NY, but leading a "normal" life, which included spending time with his twin daughters (born in 1993). In 1998, he moved to Florida and kept busy with the occasional club date, but mostly producing for other acts.
The dawn of 2001 found Noel's ear piqued by this new underground music. "Trance" interested him so much, that he felt he was ready to come back to the scene and try his own hand at it. Collaborating with famed produced "Ford". The final product of this union was "Will I Find True Love", released in the summer of that year. While a full album and possible other singles were discussed, including a new trance mix of "Silent Morning", it didn't come to pass. Classic Noel lyrically-speaking, his voice sounded as distinct as ever, and Ford's style complemented this. While several versions and remixes were included on the maxisingle, Noel makes it very clear: "My intent was to do a trance song." Unfortunately, Nebulous Records had its own problems, among them being Ford's departure. This left a few of the artists losing out on monies owed, including this one.
November of 2001 found Noel moving back home to NY to reside in Queens again. He spent the better part of 2002 with numerous club dates and working on another album with veterans Eddie Arroyo and Eddie Baez, one he strongly intended to be "heavy trance/tribal". However, in June of 2002, Noel was seriously injured in a car accident on his way home from a gig in Brooklyn. With the pain of several broken ribs and an arm so severely cut it wouldn't have taken much more for him to lose it altogether, he spent the entire summer convalescing at the home of some friends in Pennsylvania. This unfortunate situation caused him to cancel shows for the rest of the summer, and put the brakes on any further work with the album, if only for a while.
Noel has always been involved in all the production aspects of his work. Except for perhaps 2, he's at least co-written anything he calls his own, and always has a say in its mixing and engineering. Furthermore, he says "I always expect to be involved in the music business one way or the other."
In keeping with his character trait of experimentation, April of 2003 found him a new calling in the form of "jousting", and he has been a performer in this capacity at the Pennsylvania State Renaissance Fair. While the album certainly isn't finished yet, there's always work to be done, and a few labels have already expressed an interest. Freestyle freaks, take heart: he said he expects there to be at least 3 freestyle tracks on it.
Courtesy of OIM via FREESTYLEMANIA"
DJ Dee X-Man
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YW SONYA. Have a good day!
J
JackG
Noel is a great performer and a great person.
Poetry In Motion
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I think Noel is overrated. I'm not denying his music because i'm a big fan of it myself, but he has not come out with anything new in the longest time. And here we are talking about him as if he came out with something new just Yesterday. LOL! I believe he also once said that he wasn't into making new freestyle songs anymore because of the lack of audience Freestyle has.JackG said:
J
JackG
Hello Poetry in Motion. We will Always appreciate Noel's contribution to Freestyle. Today, next year and until the end of time. Noel visits CF from time to time and although does not post too often, he still follows the scene and has Mad Love for CF peeps. Thats why we talk about him in the manner in which you described.
Poetry In Motion
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So I guess that explains it. I mean I still do play his music but as far as boards are concerned there's nothing that I can say about him. It's pretty much stuff that I already know and there are no new updates that's to talk about.
He once said in a concert performance in '03 that he would be coming out with a new CD in '04. Whatever happened to that?? Jack, since you seem to have communication with him, ask him for me.
He once said in a concert performance in '03 that he would be coming out with a new CD in '04. Whatever happened to that?? Jack, since you seem to have communication with him, ask him for me.
lachicabella
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But I remember at the July 3rd Freestyle Flashback II show @ China Club, he made a speech after his performances, saying that he will buy the albums of and listen to the new school freestyle artists that come out with new material in the genre.Poetry In Motion said:
eL ChiCho25
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I remember at Copa after a song he said... "back in the day the white folks had Rock, the morenos had rap, but us latinos had Freestyle!" beautiful.
I like Noel. To me he will always remain one of Freestyle's coolest and greatest icons. The song Silent Morning plays in NYC 364 days a year. The Question another hot track that has played in NYC and KTU. Simply put the guy smokes it up! 😉
I do wish he would make some new tunes...but I give him the respect for his reasons why he feels that way.
I do wish he would make some new tunes...but I give him the respect for his reasons why he feels that way.
lachicabella
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Just like any nationality can dance to salsa, any nationality can rock, rap and freestyle. You don't have to be a specific nationality to "belong" to a certain type of music.eL ChiCho25 said:
FreestyleZFinest
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Hello Every1. Noel Is Here With Me Shaking His Head To All This Drama. Bickering Is What Caused Me To Leave. As For New Music. I Have A New Cd Coming Out Titled "ya Been Punk'd" Hahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
It Was All A Joke
It Was All A Joke
Poetry In Motion
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FreestyleZFinest said:
For a second there, I almost believed you.
Hajas
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Noel is comming to Brazil at Nov 5 to perform in a party... anyone know if he will really at least sing? or will be all playback?
I just got to watch a live show from him in Brazil in 1988 with a AMAZING FULL LIVE PERFORMANCE, with many musicians in the stage... was fantastic!
I wish have something similar next month here to worth the travel to another city to watch the show. But I have few VHS recordings with few shows around 2000-2002 and all of them are full boring playback... 🙁
anyone knows?
I just got to watch a live show from him in Brazil in 1988 with a AMAZING FULL LIVE PERFORMANCE, with many musicians in the stage... was fantastic!
I wish have something similar next month here to worth the travel to another city to watch the show. But I have few VHS recordings with few shows around 2000-2002 and all of them are full boring playback... 🙁
anyone knows?
FreestyleZFinest
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LOL..I BE DOING THAT SHIT ALOT. CHECK OUT THE CORO THREADPoetry In Motion said:
lachicabella
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Oh yeah buddy, I remember you, you even fooled me in that thread, talking about Coro like that. Shame on youuuuuuu! :lolFreestyleZFinest said: