Seguida

Infobox musical artist
Name = Seguida


Img_capt = Lead member Steve Adorno
Img_size = 250
Landscape =
Background = group_or_band
Alias = NY Latin Rock
Origin = Bronx, New York, USA
Genre = Latin rock
Years_active = 1974–present
Label = Fania
Associated_acts =
URL = http://www.seguida.net
Current_members =
Past_members =

Seguida - N.Y. Latin Rock Group [http://www.seguida.net]

Winner of 1976 Latin NY Magazine "Best Latin Rock Album"

Beginnings

The original Seguida group was founded by a group of New York musicians whose ancestry was of Puerto Rican heritage. They were brought up in the urban South Bronx barrios where musical influences were a mixed bag. In these barrios, it wasn’t unusual to hear the sounds of James Brown and Funkadelic coming from one apartment, while in another hear the sounds of Larry Harlow, Eddie Palmieri and Ray Barretto and still in another apartment you could hear the sounds of the Beatles, Cream, Motown, Jefferson Airplane and Led Zeppelin.

Listening to all of these musical styles mixed together, became a way of life for Seguida. These diverse musical styles and rhythmic influences were embedded into their collective musical consciousness. It was only natural therefore, that when they decided to form a group, the results would be a mix of all the musical influences they had internalized in their formative years.

Early Influence

When Carlos Santana’s smash hit interpretation of Tito Puente’s “Oye Como Va”, was released, it proved to be a driving force for these young New Yorican musicos. They formed two groups, one called "Latin Soul Inc." with Angel Nater, Pete Nater and Eddie Montalvo, and the other called "Devoshun" with Steve Adorno, Lou Perez, Lori Rose and Carlos "Go-Go" Gomez. Both groups played at local high school dances, parties and street fairs. "Devoshun" and "Latin Soul Inc.’s" repertoire included the local AM radio station’s hits of the era, with the added twist of integrating Latin Funk standards by Ray Barretto, Joe Bataan and Willie Colon.

This was a very radical approach for the time, because local groups either specialized in playing Soul, Rock or Latin standards. Latin Soul Inc. broke this mold and became a local sensation. Their unique sound caught the ear of a young and upcoming Rock Bassist and arranger named Randy Ortiz, who was looking for a group that could realize his musical ideas of combining the electric power of a rock band with a fiery Latin rhythm section. The concept was taken a step further with the addition of a dual trumpet, dual brass sections that would be reminiscent of the conjunto sound…a style of orchestration which has deep roots in the New York Latin music scene. Under the musical direction of Randy Ortiz, the band leadership of percussionist Angel Nater Jr., and guitarist Louie Perez, Seguida began to refine its sound. The result was a style like no other. The sound grew to be the New York hybrid of Rock and Salsa!

Fania Recording contract and Salsa TV show

The group received much attention and soon became the opening act for Salsa luminaries such as Willie Colon, Larry Harlow, Ray Barretto and Eddie Palmieri. This exposure soon led to a recording contract with the reigning giant of the Salsa industry, Fania Records. Their debut album, "Love Is…Seguida" was released in 1974 and was well received by both the Salsa and Rock media in New York and Puerto Rico. The New York Newspaper "THE VILLAGE VOICE" Called SEGUIDA "THE SON'S OF SANTANA". The album scored a hit with “Mambo Rock”, a scorching mambo that received a great deal of exposure on both Rock and Salsa radio stations. The song became the theme for The Izzy Sanabria "Salsa" TV Show that featured Seguida as its house band. This led to an invitation to open the now legendary "Fania All-Stars" concert at Yankee Stadium, which ended in crowd pandemonium during Ray Barretto's and Mongo Santamaria’s infamous conga duel.

Tour and 2nd Album

The group then went LIVE IN QUAD from Electric Lady Studios as part of New York radio station WXQR’s live concert series. In September 1976, they were featured at the Village Gate’s Salsa Meets Jazz series. From there, Seguida took off on a tour of Northeast and was the opening act for Sly and the Family Stone, James Taylor, Richie Havens, Ace, Crown Height Affair and Elephants Memory. In the summer of 1976, Seguida took to the studio again and delivered their second album, "On Our Way To Tomorrow"…Seguida. This album was composed during the height of the Disco era and is definitely heard on Side A of the album. Side B however, returned Seguida back to form with an outstanding collection of songs that took Latin Rock to a plateau never before reached. The song “Yo Nunca Te Olvidare” is considered to be groundbreaking in its use of a totally Salsa format with English lyrics at its head, and Spanish vocal soneros during its montuno and solo sections. The song received much international airplay, and is considered by many to be the template for many of today’s modern Salsa crossovers.

Fania began to concentrate on their own in-house Latin crossover, The Fania All-Stars. Seguida’s response was to create two spin-offs: "Somos”, which was a traditional Salsa group that included Ronnie Amoros along with Angel Nater Jr., Eddie Montalvo and, "The New York Big Apple All-Stars" which was a hot session group that specialized in recording tracks of popular Disco songs that were translated into Spanish for the Mexican and South American markets. Included here were Seguida’s present bandleader Steve Adorno, Randy Ortiz, guitarist Lou Perez and vocalist Lori Rose. Seguida went into the studio in 1978 and recorded material for their third album. That material was never released, but from all accounts it was a treat that Seguida fans would have loved.

The Future

Seguida invites you to share their musical vision, and journey from the past into the future. Seguida's music is categorized as Latin Soul, which it is and more; for the influences are numerous. The group blends the spicy and sensuous sounds of SALSA, the inventiveness of JAZZ, the melodic line of SOUL MUSIC, and the hard driving power of ROCK & ROLL. A 30 year musical tradition of such distinctiveness, rhythmic variation and strength, that massive recognition for Seguida is presently formulating throughout the music world.

The Latin-Rock explosion started when Santana came onto the music scene in the late sixties and early Seventies. While Santana was becoming popular in the West Coast, a young group of hispanic musicians from the Bronx, in New York City, wanted to build upon the Caribbean roots of Afro Cuban Jazz, Rhythm And Blues and New York City Salsa. The group was called Seguida. Seguida's music is a unique mix of funk, hip hop, rock, r&b, salsa and jazz.

Discography

Fania 478"Love Is" 1974

Fania 501"On Our Way to Tomorrow" 1976