SEGUIDA

"New York's #1 Latin Rock group Seguida is back on the scene" - LATIN BEAT MAGAZINE – NOV..2007 Vol.17 #8

"THE SONS OF SANTANA" -
- VILLAGE VOICE - VILLAGE VOICE

CD Review and interview
Thomas M. Kitts Phd.

At just 19, Randy Ortiz left the Bronx for Puerto Rico and a temporary gig as a bass player in a Hilton Hotel show band. Classically trained, Ortiz had developed a strong taste for Motown and the riveting bass lines of James Jamerson of the Funk Brothers, British Invasion rock and the pounding rhythms of the Dave Clark Five, and, more recently, the hard blues rock of Led Zeppelin. After three weeks in Puerto Rico, Ortiz found himself conducting the band and immersed in Latin American music, specifically flamingo and salsa. "I was grabbed by flamingo, especially its revolutionary politics which developed out of southern Spain," explained Ortiz, "and I was just as grabbed by salsa - hardcore salsa as exemplified by Eddie and Charlie Palmieri, Larry Harlow, and Tito Puente." Older musicians schooled Ortiz in the dynamics of the music: "I was totally fascinated by the patterns and how the patterns had the ability to hypnotize people. The dancers get hypnotized by the patterns and the Afro-Cuban rhythms, which once hypnotized people during African tribal rituals."

After eight weeks in Puerto Rico, Ortiz returned to New York. "But I kept hearing the music in my head," he said. Wishing to explore his new musical knowledge and passions, he approached a young band, the Latin Soul Dimension (yes, LSD), who rehearsed in the basement of a Bronx boutique which Ortiz partly owned: "I think I can mold you guys into something special," he told them. The band, whose oldest member was 17, began working under Ortiz's guidance. On June 6, 1972, the band rechristened itself Seguida. Two months later, when guitarist Louie Perez joined at Ortiz's invitation, Seguida had the necessary ingredients for its own fusion of salsa, rock, and soul, embellished with jazz, funk, pop, and, later, disco.

Steve Adorno, the driving force behind Seguida III, puts it this way: "We base our music on a solid foundation of Afro-Cuban rhythms, and then add pop, jazz, and more on the top." Formed after Santana's success and at about the same time as other Latin rock bands like Malo, Mandrill, Barabbas, and others, Seguida was unique. "We were different from the other Latino bands of the era," says adorno. "The others tended to be more salsa influenced. But we were straight up salsa and kept to the actual regimented Afro-Cuban patterns, which we delivered with a heavy American accent and a distinctly New York salsa core."

Seguida enjoyed a twelve-year run, which included two albums for Fania (the Latin music label), a stint as house band on Salsa (Izzy Sanabria's popular Spanish language television show), tours in support of Sly and the Family Stone and Richie Havens, and critical praise. After the release of its debut album, Love Is ... Seguida in 1974, the Village Voice saluted Seguida as "the sons of Santana," and after its second album, On Our Way to Tomorrow in 1976, Latin New York Magazine hailed Seguida as Latin Rock Band of the Year. However, Seguida never achieved the national recognition it sought and played its last performance in 1984 - a few brief clips of a later reunion concert can be seen on youtube. Conceivably, 1970s America could only accommodate one popular Latin fusion band.

Seguida lay largely dormant until 2003 when Adorno approached Ortiz and Perez about a reunion. "I actually had the idea of reforming long before that," said Adorno. "But with the resurgence in Latin rock music over the past few years, I thought, we'd better try it now before we get any older." Interestingly, Adorno, a drummer who earned a gold and platnium albums with the disco band G.Q. ("Disco Nights"), was never an official member of Seguida. "He seemed to be at every rehearsal and every gig. He and Louie [Perez] were best friends and Steve knew our material as well anyone in or out of the band."

"In the Bronx, there were a lot of guys in bands then," elaborates Adorno. "I was in Devoshun at the time and some of us were in more than one band." Indeed, Seguida would perform on stage with anywhere from a dozen to 23 musicians. For Seguida III, Adorno worked up some 35 tracks before deciding on the 17 that appear on the album. An ambitious undertaking, Seguida III not only remains faithful to the fusion vision of Seguida, but also expands the vision into new musical terrains. To capture the exciting musical blends, Adorno enlisted Jay Henry, engineer on over 85 gold albums. The result is a powerfully eclectic CD, often fresh, often inspired, and always spirited.

Seguida III begins with "Tierra Taino," an evocation of primeval Puerto Rico. "My heritage is Taino Indian. My grandmother, a Taino, looked like a little Asian woman, so I pay tribute to my heritage here. I used congas and bata drums played by a father-and-son team [Romeo and Ricky Carrido], and sounds from the rain forest, tying my heritage with the present." The present includes an unlikely sax player, Julian Meyers, a recent chance d - New York Jazz & Blues Society

"A solid achievement, marking the exciting rebirth and continuation of the Seguida legacy."
- TomKitts, NY Blues & Jazz Society - NY Blues & Jazz Society

New York Latin Rock group Seguida is back on the scene after 30 years with its new CD Seguida III and its own specialized mix of funk, hip hop, rock,
R & B, salsa and jazz. The original group, composed of young, South Bronx-bred 2nd
Generation Puerto Ricans was hailed The Village Voice as “ The Son’s of Santana”, after
The debut of their 1974 album , Love Is… Seguida. During that era, the music of artist
Like Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, Eddie Palmieri, Larry Harlow, James Brown, Cream, The
Beatles came pouring out of apartments all over the South Bronx and beyond.
Santana, popular on the west coast, exploded on to the scene with its smash version of
Tito Puente’s Oye Como Va, inspiring a whole generation, including Angel Nater,
Who formed Latin Soul Inc. and the creators of Devoshun, Louie Perez, Carlos go-go
Gomez and Steve Adorno. Booth bands played the AM radio hits of the era,intergrating
Latin funk standards, an unusual approach. Rock Bassist ans arranger Randy Ortiz,
Searching for musicians who could actualize his concept of synthesizing the electric
Qualities of rock with a sizzling Latin rhythm section, found himself highly impressed
By Latin Soul inc. and Devoshun. Ortiz took things a step further, adding dual trumpet
And brass sections, reminiscent of the cojunto style. Seguida was born.Ortiz, Nater,
Perez and Adorno had created a new sound. A New York hybird of Rock and Salsa.
Seguida opened for many Latin Stars and subsequently signedc with Fania Records.
They received an invitation to open for that now infamous Fania All Star Concert at
Yankee Stadium, the one that ended when crowds rushed the field.
Seguida’s Yo Nunca Te Olvidare , is considered to be a watershed number,
With its salsa format that features English-language lyrics and then soneros that sing
In Spanish during the montuno and solo sections. The song received international
Airplay and acclaim, and is credited with paving the way for contemporary salsa
Crossover music. Now, in 2007,Seguida’s current bandleader/ producer Steve Adorno
Says, “ we’re still making Latin Alternative Music and thrilled to be releasing our new CD!
Hasta la proxima!
Vicki

- Latin Beat Magazine – Oct.2007 Vol.17 #8

SEGUIDA & MTV PEN AGREEMENT: 7/23/10 - SEGUIDA AND MTV SIGNED A MUSIC LICENSING DEAL TODAY ALLOWING MTV TO FEATURE SEGUIDA MUSIC IN THEIR UPCOMING COMCAST-ON-DEMAND TV SHOW "L.A.DANCE SHOW". SEGUIDA'S MUSIC CONTINUES TO BE RECOGNIZED AROUND THE WORLD! - mtv

NYC 5/15/08
SEGUIDA & MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL HAVE TEAMED UP THIS SUMMER AS PART OF THE NEW MLB.COM ARTIST SERIES! MLB ENTERTAINMENT WILL BE
DOING A MAJOR PROMOTION FOR SEGUIDA THAT WILL BE INCLUDING HOSTING A SEGUIDA WEB PAGE WITH ALL NEW SEGUIDA VIDEOS, MUSIC, INTERVIEWS AND MUCH MORE. ITS A HOMERUN! STAY TUNED FOR MORE INFO NEXT MONTH ON THE LAUNCH DATE. MLB & SEGUIDA...ITS A HIT! - SEGUIDA NEWS

Bronx veterans step back on the field
Yankee fans Seguida bring the salsa back to NYC
By Doug Miller / MLB.com

How does one describe the origin of the unique sound of Seguida, the New York City-based Latin rock sensation that's been filling concert halls for the last 35 years?
By letting the band members do it, of course.
"We decided that we liked listening to salsa," says drummer, bandleader and composer Steve Adorno. "But we listened to rock 'n' roll and R&B music, and as we learned how to play instruments, we started to take all the different sounds of the things we were listening to, and that's how we started to put the band together with the different genres of music."
Or, as guitarist, music director and arranger Louie Perez says, Seguida's style was based on sounds the then-teenagers picked up on the streets of the Bronx where they grew up."It was like a fusion of all the different types of music that was at the time," Perez says. "Back in the mid-1970s, early '80s, you could be hearing Led Zeppelin, and then you could hear Tito Puente and Eddie Palmieri."There was a such a big variety of music coming from everyone's apartment and houses in the Bronx. It was amazing. And we chose to fuse all that together."
Five members of this seminal band were on hand at New York's Gibson/Baldwin Showroom to play music and sit down with MLB.com/Entertainment's Jeremy Brisiel as part of our ongoing Major League Artists series. Adorno, Perez, vocalists and composer Lori Rose and keyboard player Gregory Rahiim Press revealed plenty of interesting Seguida facts, including the fact that -- not surprisingly -- they're Yankees fans.
Adorno knew team owner George Steinbrenner and received a 1996 World Series ring similar to the one given to team employees. He showed it to Brisiel, saying he wore it, "in honor of MLB.com."
Press has done sound work for recent Yankee legend -- and burgeoning jazz guitarist -- Bernie Williams.And Perez recalls a night when the band played in Yankee Stadium in the 1970s as part of a celebration organized by their record label, Fania. "I'm 18 years old here, I'm a Latino from the South Bronx and all of a sudden I find myself at Yankee Stadium," Perez says. "I'm like, 'What am I doing (here)? I know they tell me I play the guitar, but I'm at Yankee Stadium. Can you believe this?'" But that gig was only one in a whirlwind decade for the group, which also opened for just about every Latino music superstar and some iconic crossover acts such as Sly and the Family Stone, James Taylor and Richie Havens.
"You can tell that we have listened to everything," Adorno says. "There's not a type of music that we don't listen to and we absorb it and it's reflected right back out through what we play. It's all good."
The group released its debut album, Love Is...Seguida, in 1974, which led to the Village Voice calling the group the "sons of Santana." The album tallied a hit with "Mambo Rock," which received play on rock and salsa radio stations and became the theme for the Izzy Sanabria "Salsa" television show that featured Seguida as its house band.
Soon enough, Seguida was opening the "Fania All-Stars" concert at the House that Ruth Built, and almost 35 years later, Seguida is still playing and having fun for a growing fan base. Seguida members say they've gotten their music to more fans than ever thanks to the Internet, and their latest CD, Seguida III, has done well since being released last fall.
Brisiel wondered what the secret of success might be for a band that has outlasted countless musical acts throughout the last four decades.
"The key to longevity is good spirit, good people, good friends, good music and it's like glue," Rose says. "It keeps you together. It's a whole big family and everything is just good."
Adds STEVE: "We just have such a good time. We really do. You can tell from the performance. We really enjoy it every time we get together. We leave everything at the door and just have fun." And Press says they another thing that helps is that they don't mess around in the studio, either. "We have a lot of fun at rehearsals," he says. "But as much fun as we're having, we get right to it, and we leave sweating and happy. It's a really good work ethic that we put into it because of the love of the music."

Doug Miller is a Senior Writer for MLB.com/Entertainment. - MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL/MLB.COM

Bronx veterans step back on the field
Yankee fans Seguida bring the salsa back to NYC
By Doug Miller / MLB.com

How does one describe the origin of the unique sound of Seguida, the New York City-based Latin rock sensation that's been filling concert halls for the last 35 years?
By letting the band members do it, of course.
"We decided that we liked listening to salsa," says drummer, bandleader and composer Steve Adorno. "But we listened to rock 'n' roll and R&B music, and as we learned how to play instruments, we started to take all the different sounds of the things we were listening to, and that's how we started to put the band together with the different genres of music."
Or, as guitarist, music director and arranger Louie Perez says, Seguida's style was based on sounds the then-teenagers picked up on the streets of the Bronx where they grew up."It was like a fusion of all the different types of music that was at the time," Perez says. "Back in the mid-1970s, early '80s, you could be hearing Led Zeppelin, and then you could hear Tito Puente and Eddie Palmieri."There was a such a big variety of music coming from everyone's apartment and houses in the Bronx. It was amazing. And we chose to fuse all that together."
Five members of this seminal band were on hand at New York's Gibson/Baldwin Showroom to play music and sit down with MLB.com/Entertainment's Jeremy Brisiel as part of our ongoing Major League Artists series. Adorno, Perez, vocalists and composer Lori Rose and keyboard player Gregory Rahiim Press revealed plenty of interesting Seguida facts, including the fact that -- not surprisingly -- they're Yankees fans.
Adorno knew team owner George Steinbrenner and received a 1996 World Series ring similar to the one given to team employees. He showed it to Brisiel, saying he wore it, "in honor of MLB.com."
Press has done sound work for recent Yankee legend -- and burgeoning jazz guitarist -- Bernie Williams.And Perez recalls a night when the band played in Yankee Stadium in the 1970s as part of a celebration organized by their record label, Fania. "I'm 18 years old here, I'm a Latino from the South Bronx and all of a sudden I find myself at Yankee Stadium," Perez says. "I'm like, 'What am I doing (here)? I know they tell me I play the guitar, but I'm at Yankee Stadium. Can you believe this?'" But that gig was only one in a whirlwind decade for the group, which also opened for just about every Latino music superstar and some iconic crossover acts such as Sly and the Family Stone, James Taylor and Richie Havens.
"You can tell that we have listened to everything," Adorno says. "There's not a type of music that we don't listen to and we absorb it and it's reflected right back out through what we play. It's all good."
The group released its debut album, Love Is...Seguida, in 1974, which led to the Village Voice calling the group the "sons of Santana." The album tallied a hit with "Mambo Rock," which received play on rock and salsa radio stations and became the theme for the Izzy Sanabria "Salsa" television show that featured Seguida as its house band.
Soon enough, Seguida was opening the "Fania All-Stars" concert at the House that Ruth Built, and almost 35 years later, Seguida is still playing and having fun for a growing fan base. Seguida members say they've gotten their music to more fans than ever thanks to the Internet, and their latest CD, Seguida III, has done well since being released last fall.
Brisiel wondered what the secret of success might be for a band that has outlasted countless musical acts throughout the last four decades.
"The key to longevity is good spirit, good people, good friends, good music and it's like glue," Rose says. "It keeps you together. It's a whole big family and everything is just good."
Adds STEVE: "We just have such a good time. We really do. You can tell from the performance. We really enjoy it every time we get together. We leave everything at the door and just have fun." And Press says they another thing that helps is that they don't mess around in the studio, either. "We have a lot of fun at rehearsals," he says. "But as much fun as we're having, we get right to it, and we leave sweating and happy. It's a really good work ethic that we put into it because of the love of the music."

Doug Miller is a Senior Writer for MLB.com/Entertainment. - MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL/MLB.COM

When you hear the name Seguida those of us who were fortunate to either see them live, in the 70’s, or hear their recordings are quickly reminded of the East Coast’s hottest Latin Rock band in New York.
Seguida (to follow quickly without interruption) had two distinctive sides as far as many of us are concerned and as we will clear up in this special piece of history as it was experienced in the streets of New York
One side of the band is the one you hear on their debut LP, “Love Is…Seguida”, from 1974 and part of their follow-up “On Our Way To Tomorrow” in 1976 and the other Seguida is the true rock band you witnessed at clubs and festivals throughout the city.
The Latin Rock band was the one you saw in person but on recording the band had a more danceable (The Hustle) approach as requested by Jerry Massucci of these teenagers that were just trying to be known.
The original band members that formed the band in 1972 hailed from various parts of ‘Da South Bronx’ including Soundview, Rosedale Avenue and the Bronx River Projects.
What these young mavericks and many of us recall from that era was the blaring music that came from all over the city, the parks, the store radios, the fire escapes and apartment windows. This was an everyday happening especially during the nights when the city streets would became a school for aspiring young and old musicians. The influences were incredible as you heard the latest soul sounds from one window and rock or jazz from another. You had the Latin sounds pouring out from another spot as the rumberos in the streets and/or in the parks jammed along.
All these variations of sound is what influenced the different musical tastes in each and everyone of us that lives still today.
During the year 1970-71 four friends (guitarist Louie Perez. vocalist Lori Rose, percussionist Carlos ‘GoGo’ Gomez & drummer Steve Adorno) formed a dance band, Devoshun, that generated a Top 25 12”Dance hit for the SMI label, “No No My Friend” during the early stages of what became the Hustle which gave birth to Disco music.
A second group, Latin Soul Inc., featured percussionist Angel Nater, Pete Nater & Eddie Montalvo and both played at the local high school dances, parties and street fairs. They would perform the latest AM radio hits of the time with a twist of Latin Funk standards by Ray Barretto, Joe Bataan, Willie Colon and others.
The early influence that set these teenagers in that direction was Carlos Santana’s smash hit interpretation of the Tito Puente composition “Oye Como Va”. As Steve Adorno tells it…”my dad came home one day with this new recording under his arm that changed all our lives…Santana’s “Abraxas” LP”.
Steve explains that “Louie Perez had met through his brother a rock bassist/arranger who was looking for a group that could realize his musical dream of combining the electric power of a rock band with the exciting power of a rhythm section… his name was Randy Ortiz”. The concept was taken a bit further with the addition of a ‘conjunto’ style horn section that was the rave at the time Randy Ortiz became the musical director while Angel Nater Jr. & Louie Perez became the band leaders. The sound that ensued was like no other and it grew to become the New York hybrid of Rock & Salsa!
The attention the band received soon led them to be the opening act for many Salsa legends like Willie Colon, Ray Barretto, Larry Harlow, and Eddie Palmieri. What was to follow was a recording contract from Fania Records and the 1974 release of “Love Is…Seguida”. The rock sound the band was already known for took a different twist on record as the label felt the band should record the hip new youth sound that would become Disco music and could be heard on this first recording as well as Side A of their follow-up. In my conversation with Steve Adorno I now understood why the band on record sounded different from the electrifying rock band in live performances.
Never the less the debut recording was well received by both Latinos and the American Rock media both in Puerto Rico and new York and the Village Voice even named them ‘Sons of Santana’.
In my curiosity I asked Steve if the band was aware of the Latin Rock craze occurring in the West Coast’s bay area at the time but they were not into what was happening outside the tri-state area of New York and Puerto Rico.
‘Mambo Rock’ became their first big hit and was used as the theme for Izzy Sanabria’s TV show “Salsa” and they also became the shows house band. This also led to them opening for the historic ‘Fania All-Star’ concert, at Yankee Stadium, that would come to an abrupt end when fans poured out onto the field and stormed the stage during Ray Barretto and Mongo Santamaria’s “Congo Bongo” conga duel exchanges.
Their performance at the Village Gate’s ‘Salsa Meets Jazz’ series, in September 1976 was the beginning of a North East tour where they opened for acts such as James Taylor, Sly & The Family Stone, ACE, Richie Havens, Crown Heights A - NRP

When you hear the name Seguida those of us who were fortunate to either see them live, in the 70’s, or hear their recordings are quickly reminded of the East Coast’s hottest Latin Rock band in New York.
Seguida (to follow quickly without interruption) had two distinctive sides as far as many of us are concerned and as we will clear up in this special piece of history as it was experienced in the streets of New York
One side of the band is the one you hear on their debut LP, “Love Is…Seguida”, from 1974 and part of their follow-up “On Our Way To Tomorrow” in 1976 and the other Seguida is the true rock band you witnessed at clubs and festivals throughout the city.
The Latin Rock band was the one you saw in person but on recording the band had a more danceable (The Hustle) approach as requested by Jerry Massucci of these teenagers that were just trying to be known.
The original band members that formed the band in 1972 hailed from various parts of ‘Da South Bronx’ including Soundview, Rosedale Avenue and the Bronx River Projects.
What these young mavericks and many of us recall from that era was the blaring music that came from all over the city, the parks, the store radios, the fire escapes and apartment windows. This was an everyday happening especially during the nights when the city streets would became a school for aspiring young and old musicians. The influences were incredible as you heard the latest soul sounds from one window and rock or jazz from another. You had the Latin sounds pouring out from another spot as the rumberos in the streets and/or in the parks jammed along.
All these variations of sound is what influenced the different musical tastes in each and everyone of us that lives still today.
During the year 1970-71 four friends (guitarist Louie Perez. vocalist Lori Rose, percussionist Carlos ‘GoGo’ Gomez & drummer Steve Adorno) formed a dance band, Devoshun, that generated a Top 25 12”Dance hit for the SMI label, “No No My Friend” during the early stages of what became the Hustle which gave birth to Disco music.
A second group, Latin Soul Inc., featured percussionist Angel Nater, Pete Nater & Eddie Montalvo and both played at the local high school dances, parties and street fairs. They would perform the latest AM radio hits of the time with a twist of Latin Funk standards by Ray Barretto, Joe Bataan, Willie Colon and others.
The early influence that set these teenagers in that direction was Carlos Santana’s smash hit interpretation of the Tito Puente composition “Oye Como Va”. As Steve Adorno tells it…”my dad came home one day with this new recording under his arm that changed all our lives…Santana’s “Abraxas” LP”.
Steve explains that “Louie Perez had met through his brother a rock bassist/arranger who was looking for a group that could realize his musical dream of combining the electric power of a rock band with the exciting power of a rhythm section… his name was Randy Ortiz”. The concept was taken a bit further with the addition of a ‘conjunto’ style horn section that was the rave at the time Randy Ortiz became the musical director while Angel Nater Jr. & Louie Perez became the band leaders. The sound that ensued was like no other and it grew to become the New York hybrid of Rock & Salsa!
The attention the band received soon led them to be the opening act for many Salsa legends like Willie Colon, Ray Barretto, Larry Harlow, and Eddie Palmieri. What was to follow was a recording contract from Fania Records and the 1974 release of “Love Is…Seguida”. The rock sound the band was already known for took a different twist on record as the label felt the band should record the hip new youth sound that would become Disco music and could be heard on this first recording as well as Side A of their follow-up. In my conversation with Steve Adorno I now understood why the band on record sounded different from the electrifying rock band in live performances.
Never the less the debut recording was well received by both Latinos and the American Rock media both in Puerto Rico and new York and the Village Voice even named them ‘Sons of Santana’.
In my curiosity I asked Steve if the band was aware of the Latin Rock craze occurring in the West Coast’s bay area at the time but they were not into what was happening outside the tri-state area of New York and Puerto Rico.
‘Mambo Rock’ became their first big hit and was used as the theme for Izzy Sanabria’s TV show “Salsa” and they also became the shows house band. This also led to them opening for the historic ‘Fania All-Star’ concert, at Yankee Stadium, that would come to an abrupt end when fans poured out onto the field and stormed the stage during Ray Barretto and Mongo Santamaria’s “Congo Bongo” conga duel exchanges.
Their performance at the Village Gate’s ‘Salsa Meets Jazz’ series, in September 1976 was the beginning of a North East tour where they opened for acts such as James Taylor, Sly & The Family Stone, ACE, Richie Havens, Crown Heights A - NRP