Grupo
Latin Vibe - Keepers of the Flame
A Conversation with Artist Representative/Vocalist,
Awilda Santiago
By Tomas
Peña
“The combined efforts of Tommy Mattioli and Mr.
Anibal “Tito” Rivera have truly captured the
vibrations and spiritual ambiance that existed in
many of the 80’s after hours clubs. It resembles
Bobby Rodriguez y La Compañia playing at The
Nest …” --- Elvin Acosta (speaking about
Grupo Latin Vibe and the ambiance at The
Parkside Lounge).
TP:
Tell me about Grupo Latin Vibe’s beginnings.
Who came up with the idea of forming a band?
AS: GLV
has been in existence for about nine years.
Co-Leaders
Anibal "Tito" Rivera and Tommy Matiolli formed the
band twelve years ago under the name, TNT.
The two met at Boys Harbour in El Barrio
(interviewer’s note:
a
school in East Harlem whose mission is to empower
children through music and education).
Tommy is a jazz virtuoso who is addicted to the
vibes & percussion. Tito is a gifted vocalist,
percussionist, lyricist, composer and arranger with
a "tipico" style. They combined their talents and
"wham!” Magic!
TP: What is the significance of
the title?
AS: The title is dedicated to all of the musicians
who
struggle so hard to perform and play the music to
the best of their abilities, giving their all right
up until sunrise (hasta la amanecer). We
dedicate this CD to the wonderful talents and
dedication of our fellow musicians who play the
whole night long with all their hearts.
TP: And your “mission?”
AS: To
send our message with swing and soul. We go out of
our way to include dancers and listeners. A typical
set might include Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue,
Tito Puente’s Picadillo and original music. We like
mixing things up, GLV style!
TP: GLV’s
repertoire runs the gamut, from guajiras, mambos,
rumbas, bomba, boleros to Latin jazz. Who selects
the material? I get the distinct feeling that it’s a
group effort …
AS:
The band members always have the opportunity to
participate in the process. As Carlito (the bass
player) says, our combined experience adds up to
over one hundred years!
TP:
Who are the members of GLV?
AS: The
members of GLV have been with Tito and Tom from four
to nine years. During that time the group has become
a family of musicians sharing all kinds of
experiences.
Anibal
"Tito" Rivera - Co-leader Conguero/arranger/composer/lead
vocals/guitar - Tito was born with talent. His
(vocal) style reminds me of some of the wonderful
Puerto Rican singers of the past. His composition,
Japonesa con Swing was chosen by the
Sundance Festival Trilogy, Side Streets.
La Llave (GLV’s theme song), Descarga
Latin Vibe, Ritmo Pa’ Borinquen and
All That Vibe appear on compilations in Japan,
Italy and London.
Tommy
Mattioli - Co-leader
vibraphone/composer/arranger/percussionist -Tommy is
a great jazz lover, who is addicted to the vibes.
When he incorporates his jazz style with
Latin, each sparkling note that he strikes, produces
a brilliance that can be felt. The dancer/listener
becomes aware of this once they have heard his
original composition "Amanecer".
Carlos
“Traba” Velazquez – Bass
Carlos is
a gifted musician who has been performing for the
better part of his life. “Carlito” has shared his
talents with La Sonora Poncena de Ayer, Hector LaVoe,
Cortijo and Ismael Rivera. His bass lines are the
foundation of the group and he plays with so much
integrity.
William
Paul Rodriquez – Piano/arranger/ vocalist and coro
Willie
studied with (pianist) Charlie Palmieri. In
addition, he was the Musical Director for the
off-Broadway show, "La Lupe.” He is also our
resident stand-up comic.
Giancarlo
“Panama” Anderson – Percussionist (bongo)
Giancarlo is the youngest member of GLV. To his
credit, he is also part of Bobby Sanabria's Latin
Jazz Orchestra and the Lehman College Latin
Jazz Band.
Victor Rendon – Percussionist (timbales)
Victor is the longest existing member of GLV. Over
the years he has performed with many of the legends
of Latin music: Chico O'Farrill, Mongo Santamaria,
Carlos “Patato” Valdes and Tito Puente, among
others. He is also the Co-Leader of his own Latin
Jazz band.
Awilda
Mercedes Santiago – Coro/hand percussion
I front
(MC) the group during live performances. I have no
formal musical training, however, entertaining is my
forte. I love every type of music imaginable: Latin
Jazz, American jazz, Jazz singers, you name it. As
Tito’s second voice I am proud to say I have earned
the title, La Voz del Alma.
I should
also mention our invited guests: Yasuyo Kimura
(conga) and Willie Rivera Serrano (guiro/maracas).
TP: Musicians often pull
double-duty, working by day and rehearsing and
performing by night. How does it work for GLV?
AS: Willie
(the pianist) is the only full time musician. Tito
works for the Agency for Children’s Services;
Victor, Giancarlo and Tommy are educators, Carlito
is a locksmith, and I work in administration for a
Psychiatry unit in a hospital. Would you agree that
our jobs are second, so we can keep the music first?
TP: As far as this writer is
concerned, YES!
The New
York salsa scene has definitely seen better days.
What’s the view from the trenches and where are
the dancers?
AS: It's
heartbreaking. There are tribes of dancers
looking for a home and musicians vying to get their
shot to play in a venue. Many bands are performing
outside of the city. Luckily, we have had some
success with managers, club owners and promoters
(amenities are a plus). A big Thank you to
the club owners who have taken a chance on us and
invite us back time and again.
TP: So
where can our readers catch GLV live?
AS: We
perform every Friday at the Parkside Lounge
in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. It’s a Bar/Lounge
that features, what I call underground salsa.
Basically, it’s a salsa room in the back of a
Rock n’ Roll bar! The atmosphere is very casual and
everyone dances on a rug! We have held court there
for ten years. For information on GLV’s upcoming
performances log on to: grupolatinvibe.com/myspace.com.
TP: Are
all of GLV’s recordings independent productions?
AS: Tito
and Tom have produced all three CD’S
out-of-pocket - Mambo City (2003),
All That Vibe (2005), and more recently,
Amanecer (2007). Their monies are "recycled"
into future productions. The major objective is to
keep creative control of the music and to not allow
our music to be limited by anyone.
TP: There is a great photo of the
band members with Ray Barretto on the back-cover of
Amanecer. When and where was the photo taken?
AS: Tomas,
it was more than a thrill. All of us were so honored
to be with him (the band opened for him at The
Copacabana, which recently closed its doors). It
was Ray’s last appearance on the Vicki Sola’s, "Que
Viva La Musica" (89.1 FM, which airs on Saturdays
from 12PM to 4PM). Awesome giant of a man!
TP: Vicki and Ray were very close.
She paid me the highest honor when she invited me to
participate in a tribute to Ray (over the air)
shortly after Ray passed.
TP:
What’s in the future for GLV?
AS: To
continue performing and producing CD’s and to have
fun. Having fun and showing the audience warmth is
so important. It makes them feel like they are part
of the show. To learn more about the music business
…
TP: Other
thoughts…?
A:
Yes. I
refuse to believe that salsa is a dying art.
There is so much wonderful music that has yet to be
created. GLV’s music brings the audience back to a
time before musicians were stymied by greed and
power. Over the years we have encountered so many
wonderful people who have assisted us by believing
in our music and understanding the struggle of all
musicians. Much credit goes to the fans and DJ’s who
have been our honorary agents. Kudos to disc jockey
Vicki Sola for being an ally in the struggle. Salsa
shows may be in jeopardy but as long as we have
music, we can all share in the joy. Thanks to you,
another ally in the struggle.
TP: To
quote a recent article in the NY Times, “Salsa is
experiencing a revival in popular culture, with
El Cantante, and In the Heights, the
Broadway-bound musical that’s set in Washington
Heights …”
AS: The
movie is historical, and ground breaking. I can't
wait to see it. Tomas, speaking with you has been a
marvelous experience. The respect you give to
musicians and your insights are deeply appreciated.
TP: It has
been my pleasure. See you at The Parkside Lounge!
For more information on Grupo Latin
Vibe, visit their website:
http://www.grupolatinvibe.com/band2.html
To sample or purchase Grupo Latin
Vibe’s CD’s visit:
www.cdbaby.com
www.descarga.com
www.vinilemania.net/vgrupolatinvibe.htm
