Salsa With Style
Salsa star Luis Enrique talks
about his new music, having a rapper on his album, and more.
 One
of salsa music's biggest stars is Nicaraguan-born Luis Enrique.
During the '80s and '90s, he sold millions of records all over
Latin America and the U.S., and now he is back with a Grammy-nominated
Salsa album entitled, "Evolución." Luis spoke
to qvMagazine about many topics, including his opinions on the
Latin explosion and about the QV community.
Tell us about your new CD. It's a mix of Salsa and pop tunes. I always wanted
to mix things up. Nowadays, it is wonderful that a Salsa artist
can go into the pop scene or the English scene. When I first
started, there was no way an artist could do that. I feel that
this album is at the right time. I also did a mixture of hip-hop
and rhythm and blues and a little bit of rap into the album.
It's a real fresh sound. I don't think there's anything out there
now that sounds like this.
It's been five years since your last
Salsa album. How have things changed in the industry in that
time? I think the industry-especially
radio-is a lot more open to new types of sounds. You now have
groups like DLG that mix hip-hop and rap with Salsa. And you
have groups like Son By Four who has a song that is done in three
different styles and was number one for weeks. I think in terms
of sound, a new generation is taking Salsa to a different level.
A rapper named Fragrancia raps on your
new album? Where did you get the idea to include rap? We were doing a few tracks in which we knew we
wanted to bring in a rapper, so we brought him in. The thing
about rap is that it is basically rhythm as opposed to melody.
I wanted to utilize that for certain parts of certain songs.
In terms of rhythm, it was the perfect combination.
Were you a fan of rap prior to this
album? Yes. And even now, there
are a lot of things that are very interesting to me. I like some
of LL Cool J's stuff and some other artists.
Are there other genres of music that
you would want to mix with Salsa?
Ever since I started, I've been mixing pop with Salsa. But it's
always been about rhythm and blues. I always wanted to have an
album in which I could really mix everything into it-Salsa, pop,
R&B, hip-hop, rap, and, obviously, the Afro-Cuban music.
Where do you get your inspiration to
write your music? If I knew where
it came from, I'd be laughing all the way to the bank! (Laughs).
It's one of those things that usually happens when you least
expect it. When I want to sit down and write a song, I can never
get through it. For me, it's one of those things that just has
to be totally natural and spontaneous. I, basically, create the
melodies first and the music dictates what the lyrics are going
to be like.
When you write, do you put a lot of
yourself into it? Definitely. I
use a lot of reflection from my own life. You can't really write
about something that you haven't experienced yourself. I also
write a lot about experiences that I have seen or heard from
others.
What is your take on the current trend
of Latin music moving into mainstream American culture? I think it's great! People have been working hard
for a long time to make this happen. I think their efforts and
hard work is finally paying off. The fact that we can have a
Latin Grammy's says a lot. Before, that was not even a dream
for a lot of people. Nowadays, we are on the map and we're finally
getting recognition for who we are and our heritage and our culture.
When did you first start to realize
that you had a talent for music?
Ever since I can remember! I never had a doubt in my mind that
this was what I wanted to do. It was my path, and I was ready
to take it on.
Will you be touring to support your
new album? Yes. We're going to
do a little tour first. Then we're going to continue to promote
in the U.S. and Latin America. Hopefully, early this year, we'll
start working on a big tour.
Where do you see yourself going now? I see myself going into production and discovering
new talent. I think that's one of the most exciting things to
be able to do. Plus, I want to continue to do my music and get
better at it.
What advice do you have for young people
seeking to get into the music industry?
You have to work hard. It's not an easy business. We as artists
tend to look at things passionately, but there is also another
side to the story, which is the business side. You have to be
ready and work hard in your craft and also be able to understand
the business side.
What would you say to your Latino
fans out there? I feel that in
the times we're living in, we need to take care of one another
and embrace each other in a way that makes us feel like human
beings. It's more than just the fact that you're QV or straight.
I don't think that that's the point. I think God created us to
be here for a reason, and we need to treat each other simply
like human beings.
-By qvStaff Roldán
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