is a permanent part of the history of the New York City house music and club scene.
made a name for himself as a DJ in the New York City club circuit spinning in the historical clubs Studio 54, Devil's Nest, and Hearthrob. Besides producing his own work, he has worked with artists from the likes of
.
Little Louie Vega grew up in a Latin music household. His father, Louie Vega, Sr., was a jazz and Latin saxophone player and his uncle,
Hector Lavoe, was a popular salsa singer. Born and raised in the Bronx,
Vega began DJing at 18 after he watched some fellow high school friends spin records. He was soon a regular at high school parties and formed his own small label. While spinning at the infamous Studio 54,
Vega met house producer
Todd Terry, who would regularly give
Vega his new mixes to try out on the 54 crowd.
Vega's own first remixes included
Information Society's "Running" and
Noel's "Silent Morning" and also some work for then-budding star
Debbie Gibson.
In 1989,
Vega produced the instrumental "Don't Tell Me" for SBK Records and "Keep Pumpin' It Up" under the name
Freestyle Orchestra.
Vega had been commissioned to do songs for the movie East Side Story when he met the singer
Marc Anthony. With
Anthony,
Vega would sign on to CBS Records' subsidiary WTG Records. Together they produced the single "Ride on the Rhythm," which did remarkably well in the clubs and rewarded both men with lots of recognition. He would later team up with house vocalist
Barbara Tucker to produce
Beautiful People and also establish the Underground Network Club in New York.
Vega also teamed up again with
Todd Terry to produce "Todd's Message" with vocalist
India,
Vega's former wife.
Vega also contributed to the
Deee-Lite remix compilation
Sampladelic Relics & Dance Floor Oddities.
Though
Vega has produced much as a solo act, he is more widely known as half of the production team
Masters at Work.
Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez, who originally used the name for his own DJ crew, met
Vega through
Todd Terry. Under the
Masters at Work name,
Vega and
Gonzalez have remixed the likes of
Jamiroquai,
Madonna, and
Michael Jackson. Using the name
Nuyorican Soul, the two worked with such jazz legends as
Tito Puente and
George Benson for a self-titled album.
Vega continues to tour the world with his unique blend of New York disco classics, obscurities, and Latin dancefloor anthems both old and new. He has also released a series of critically acclaimed mix CDs.
–
Diana Potts, Rovi