Impossible to pigeonhole and irreplaceable to the scene which he has helped build over more than 20 years, Louie Vega is the quintessential music professional. He’s the ‘DJ’s DJ’, that name constantly thanked on an artist’s album, the one who has influenced and defined countless other DJ-producers, from today’s brightest stars to those still beat-matching in their bedrooms.
In 2008, the Grammy Award-winning DJ, Producer, songwriter, label owner & band leader and tireless champion of House and world music is only getting better; from Latin to Salsa, afro-beat to jazz, hip-hop to classics and all forms of house/dance music the best is yet to come.
Vega was soon making a name for himself through production & remixing and releasing over 100 original freestyle productions from 1985 – 1990, including Information Society’s ‘Running’ & ‘What’s On Your Mind’, Noel’s ‘Silent Morning’, the Cover Girls’ ‘Because Of You’ and Debbie Gibson’s ‘Only In My Dreams’. Linking with New York House pioneer Todd Terry on ‘And The Beat Goes On’ and ‘Give Yourself To Me’, Vega soon met Kenny ‘Dope’ Gonzalez in 1991, in doing so beginning Masters At Work. Their critically acclaimed album Nuyorican Soul and producing and remixing music with and for artists like Jamiroquai, Tito Puente, George Benson, and Earth Wind & Fire, just to name a few have made Masters At
Work one of the most successful partnerships in modern music.
From his annual Dance Ritual and Vega Records Get Togther events at Miami’s Winter Music Conference to his current Roots NYC weekly club night at New York’s Cielo and his Ibiza residency Sunset Ritual at Blue Marlin, along with Anané. Vega – the true perfectionist –
involves himself in every aspect of an event’s development, ensuring it is a success.
The past few years have seen Vega produce albums (on his label Vega Records) for artists including Anané, Luisito Quintero and Elements of Life (his live band project), as well as releasing individual tracks and over 25 compilations on the industry’s most revered imprints, Defected Records, Kingstreet, Azuli, Division (Italy), & Strictly Rhythm records all the while building Vega Records into the independent powerhouse it is today.
Ultimate recognition came in 2006, when he received a Grammy Award for the Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical category, with his remix of Curtis Mayfield’s ‘Superfly.’
After being asked to compose and produce the song ‘One Dream’ (which he co-wrote with Blaze) for Cirque Du Soleil, Louie and Elements Of Life – with Anané on lead vocals -performed the song during the 2007 Superbowl Pre-Game Show
in front of an estimated worldwide audience of over 140 million people. With their next album – ‘This Is Us’ – released in summer 2011, Elements Of Life continues Louie Vega’s vision.
In Louie Vega’s words “This album is a homage to women!”
2010 has brought fourth yet another outlet for Vega who is now one half of ROOTS NYC LIVE on WBLS107.5, (New York’s longest running R&B soul radio station), with his ROOTS partner Kevin Hedge every Friday night from 11pm –
1am, rated the #3 radio show in New York City on Friday nights. To keep the music flowing on all the continents Vega can also be heard every Monday from 7pm-8pm over IBIZA SONICA (Spain) and every Saturday at 10pm via KAYA FM (DANCE RITUAL SHOW) in Johannesburg (South Africa). In addition to getting heard everywhere Vega can also be worn everywhere thanks to LV&Co., his personal merchandise line.
Louie along with Kenny Hwang world renown NYC based jewelry designer, have created a signature line of hats, jewelry, t-shirts and additional accessories available exclusively through www.vegarecords.net.
With all the good fortune Vega has received over the years he feels its absolutely necessary that he give back by donating Vega Memorabilia for auctions, Djing at fundraisers and serving as a good will ambassador for NextAid and the Christian Rivera Foundation.
Having toured Asia, Africa, Europe and the US and working alongside various artists like Black Coffee, Hugh Masekela, Lisa Fischer, Luisito Quintero, Shakira, Josh Milan, Anané, Julie Mcknight and countless other ground breaking musicians from around the world the music is reaching people on a completely new level.
Breaking down musical barriers and bringing people together through a love of music has always been Vega’s aim; after more than 20 years in the game his contributions continue to positively influence the global House and world music
scenes. “Loving what I do as much as when I first laid ears on dance music, when I first dj’d as a child at 12 years old” as Louie fondly remembers. You can be sure that Louie’s sound will keep evolving and growing while his spirit and love will continue to remain true to the music as it has for the past 20 years. Listen closely as the best has yet to come from Louie Vega!