Lefty Perez - Exclusive Interview
Posted by: Richard Chiriboga Posted: 04-24-2008
Print Article
Email to a friend
RSS
Twitter
Facebook 
Lefty Perez is a stage legend when it comes to performing his style of Salsa on stage. He has been in the genre of Salsa since the 80s and has always been a humble and gracious person. I recently met up with Lefty Perez at the Latin Urban Mixx awards a couple of weeks ago and decided to put the interview out in conjunction with the 2nd anniversary of my Official Heat TV show. So if you are in Western NY or
Southern Ontario, we have a 2 hour special of the Official Heat TV show tomorrow (Friday, April 25th, 2008) Check your local listings. So I met up with Lefty; which is one of my favorite Salsa performers and decided to sit down with him to get his thoughts on Salsa Music, his career and much more. So Enjoy.
CorrienteLatina.com This is Rich from CorrienteLatina.com and I am sitting here with Lefty Perez, the Legend of the stage. How's it going?
Lefty Perez: Whats Up! CorrienteLatina. Thank you for the legend bro. I think we have many more legends then myself but I'm honored.
CorrienteLatina.com Not a problem, you have a very distinct voice. You're very animated on stage and from the concert in Orlando, I was amazed on how much crowd control you have. It's uncanny because you don't really see that in alot of artists today. Do you feel that came from the Old School or the new genre of the crowd there is today or a little combination of both?
Lefty Perez: Well I have a little combination of both. They call me 'El Joven Biejo' (The young old man). I come from the roots of back in the 80's and I have alot of buddy's like Andy Montanez, El Gran Combo, Gilberto santa Rosa, Oscar De Leon and all those cats show people how to rock a stage; including my boy Marc Anthony. And I have always said you have to go that extra mile for the crowd and give them what they paid for. Just don't go up there and sing. Go up there and do a show.
CorrienteLatina.com That's the truth. If you rock a crowd everytime, people are going to know that and say, oh ok well lefty is performing;
he does a great show, they won't mind paying x amount to see you again.
Lefty Perez: Exactly. But its kind of dangerous because a few gigs back with a large crowd, I almost had a bad accident where people like what you're doing so much that they tend to grab you and scratches come in, pinch you, so it's really dangerous depending on where you're going to do it. But guess what Rich, I love it and this is what I do and I'll die doing it.
CorrienteLatina.com I was just telling apaza on the drive down here; It's one thing to do a job, but it doesn't feel like a job when you love what you do.
Lefty Perez: Absolutley. And its diversified among artists, promoters, writers, radio people, we are all in it together and we all love what
we do.
CorrienteLatina.com So what do you have going on now? What have you been up to lately?
Lefty Perez: Thank God, my latest cd; which came out about a year ago, has been doing very well. It's called 'Salsero's Unidos' and out of that we have broken out to put the Salsero's unidos All-Stars and we are doing a world wide tour.
CorrienteLatina.com Really? Who's involved in this tour?
Lefty Perez: Well, B&B Entertainment and Worldwide music are the ones doing the tour in combination with Apaza and we have some heavy hitters. Like on May 10th, we will be at the Cobacha with Jose Alberto 'El Canario', Anthony Cruz, Kevin Ceballo, Marlon; thirteen Salsero's on one stage, two bands; none stop salsa. Each artists goes up the music never stops. And I got a suprise for you. Hopefully this september I drop a new CD. And what I have there is heavy it will be called 'Lefty Perez, Que Viva La Salsa. Recordando Los Grandes'
CorrienteLatina.com So give us the catch?
*** Side note - Had to get approval, but we got it!!! ***
Lefty Perez: Ok, let what I have done is chosen songs from Tito Puente, Machito, Tito Rodriguez, Ray Baretto and Perez Prado and I am taking
their songs and honoring all those artists and recording big band frank sinatra style; Big Band Sound, but with some heavy salsa. I know that the Congreso de la salsa are going to go wild. But its going to be state of the art work. If you heard my CD, You know that I unified alot of Salsero's that collaborated with me on that CD. I had Fania All-Stars on it. There you go...now you have the exclusive and I will start recording it at the end of May. As we speak, I am getting ready for the Photo Shoot. Thats why they call me 'El Joven Viejo' because I come from Hector Lavoe; my idol, and the Fania All-Stars. So I'm
ready. Let the public know. I always try to take the best of me and bring that to my shows and get the crowd involved. Bro, it's the public that makes it happen. I keep telling my friends, it's the public that makes it happen. Bring them something good. You seen the people climb out their chairs papa and that's what I do. Some of them (other artists) are good, some of them have their own style; I don't take nothing away from them, but I'm Lefty. There is a guy that I love and admire and that's Marc Anthony an he remind me of me. And I have been out way before him and he has had much more success and I love him and my dream one day would be to share a stage with him. That would be incredible.
CorrienteLatina.com I got a video for Salsero's Unidos that will air on the Official Heat TV 2nd anniversary show.
Lefty Perez: Yes, Salsero's Unidos was filmed in Puerto Rico with Andy Montanez, Papo Rosario; one of the guys from El Gran Combo, Elia
Lopez; one of the greatest trumpet players and Domingo Quinones. It's shot in La Perla. We went to Ismael Rivera's house which is a museum now and recorded
the video there. You can see it at: www.myspace.com/leftyperez (or click play below)
CorrienteLatina.com Well thank you, Do you have anything else to say to the fans?
Lefty Perez: Well first, West Palm Beach knows me if anyone wants to book a show hit me up.
CorrienteLatina.com I know you do alot of shows in Port St. Lucie.
Lefty Perez: yea, I was just there with Gilberto Santa Rosa. So my peoples in West Palm Beach, it's a growning town its gourgous up there. And hello to everybody everywhere. Hope to see you soon with my new CD 'Lefty Perez, Que Viva La Salsa. Recordando Los Grandes' coming out in September. Peace Out.
| Tweet | 
|
