Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Luis Chaluisan-The Journey As A Producer And Artist


To be honored is one thing. But to be honored in the land of our
 family(Borinquen) particularly in our hometown of Mayaguez is the 
greatest accolade I receive in my life. It is better than a Grammy, an 
Academy Award, an Emmy and even a Pulitizer. My life is about discovery 
and in the week I spend in Mayaguez I witness so much talent that I am 
humbled to be declared "un hijo de Mayaguez" a day after I meet one of 
the island's treasures, Shorty Castro del Barrio Paris, while he is honored. 
A pureinspiration for me as a dancer, singer, actor, poet and comedian. 
And it is all because of my parents que son del Barrio Balboa y La Quinta.  
Thank you for honoring my work 
Sociedad Autentica De Coleccionistas 
Musica Popular Oeste De P.R. 

Mr Salsa Izzy Sanabria aparece en 
"Salsa La historia Jamás Contada" 
Informe Especial en el Documental 
"Rocker Roller Rican" (75 minutos) 
La vida y época de Intérprete 
Nuyorican El Extreme Luis Chaluisan. 
Cómo el término magico se transforma 
en una industria y una 
nueva generación de Jovenes 
Puertorriqueño 
forjando su nueva identidad 
Latina y presencia en los Estados Unidos 

Mr Salsa Izzy Sanabria Stars In 

"Salsa The Untold Story" 
Part of "Rocker Roller Rican Documentary"
 (FINAL CUT: 75 minutes) 
The Life And Times Of Nuyorican Performer 
El Extreme Luis Chaluisan 
How the magic term transforms an industry 
and a new generation of 
Puerto Rican Baby Boomers 
forging their new Latino identity 
and presence in the U.S. 

Free preview and dropbbox download of
ROCKER ROLLER RICAN 
SAVE THE DATES: NOVEMBER 5-9, 2014 
@ selected sites throughout NYC:

Free preview and dropbbox download of
ROCKER ROLLER RICAN 

 My father and mother give me a 
Kodak 100 Instamatic 1966
Sparking my curiosity about images
My grandfather gives me a 
reel to reel recorder and 
television set I use to create 
audiotape programs for my 
amusement in 1967
My parents give me a second 
smaller reel to reel recorder I 
use to record conversations 
with my brother and silly stuff
1968
My first record player and
buying 45 records
1968
First 45 Bought 
Cloud 9 1968
The Temptations
It was Motown From Therein
Soul Seed: My 45 RPM Record Album from 1969
Sears   Art  School Scholarship 
 1969 Watercolor By Luis Chaluisan
September 1971 
Melrose S. BX 10451
Honors Classes and Music Department
Graduate 26th out of 473 Seniors
 92.3% Grade Avg Over Four Years
1972 Read 
Down These Mean Streets 
Piri Thomas
Life Changing  
1972 WEST SIDE STORY
Premieres on NBC Network
Gangs Become Chic
At The Same Time
More Dangerous   

Finalist National Junior Olympic
Mile Race Summer 1973
2nd Place 
Van Cortlandt Stadium
4 min. 39 sec.
Varsity Half Mile Best 2:09.3
Varsity Mile Best 4:59.8
Championship Record Setting 
Hayes Varsity 
Cross Country Team 
1973
Coached by Mr. Ed Robinson
A RECORD 
THAT STILL STANDS 
With
1. Oscar Amaro '74
2. Richard Zwanzig '74
3. Butch Soares '74
4. Ricardo Morales '74
5. Luis Chaluisan '75
Avg Team Time 14 min. 21 sec.
Two and A Half Mile 
Cross Country Course 
Van Cortlandt Park  
September 1973
My Uncle Heriberto 
Takes Me To The Apollo
For A Sunday Afternoon 
Film And Show
And Live Performance 
1973
Watch SALSA TV Show
Hosted by Mt Salsa
Izzy Sanabria 
Fall 1973
 Hear Hector Lavoe
For First Time 1973

Sigue Feliz 
At FARIA Family Party
Nuestro Primos 
De Parte De  
La Familia Chaluisan

  
Hear Richard Pryor For First Time
Fan From That Moment Onwards.
 Establish 
"ADORACION" 
Dance Company 1974

 Isa Diaz-Tino Torres- Luis E Figueroa Jr-
 Al Brizuela-Roxanne Ortiz 1975
My high school friends (15 in all split 8 women/7 men) and I formed the Adoracion Dance Company with my brother Ron and his friends in May 1974 presenting a combination cabaret show (comedy skits to open for 15 minutes/choreographed pieces to close for a half hour). We performed Salsa, Hustle, Swing and African dance numbers. And we had a small quintet of writers drawn from the Cardinal Hayes School Newspaper who created original material the group . These inluded . John Russell (future PHd Harvard/Gifu University Japan) and future NY Times reporter David Gonzalez. We used music recorded by Eddie Palmieri, Afro Caribbean Celia Cruz/Tito Puente/La Lupe LPs and Earth Wind and Fire's "Africano" as our closer. Adoracion (named after the Palmieri composition) appeared in parish auditoriums and Aspira sponsored open air events through 1976. The company ontinued when I left for College under the directorship of Luis Figueroa, Yvonne Armstrong and the late Isa Diaz. Our Latin Student organization at Amherst La Causa decided to present a cultural show case for November 1975. We had already formed an alliance with the Latina Stdent Organization at Mount Holyoke and they offered to help with dancers/poets and soloists. (The Mount Holyoke supporters were dubbed "Salsoul". We were disco heads in November 1975.)
 
Rose "Lupe" Santos
Senior Year HS
SBX Girlfriend 1974-75
Mother Butler HS

DRAMA CLASS SCHOLARSHIP
1974 
First two Salsa LP's I Buy
August 1974 
 Willie Colon Lo Mato
Eddie Palmieri Sentido
RECRUITED BY 
AMHERST COLLEGE
November 1974
Half Academic Scholarship
A Taste Of The Future
WEST SIDE STORY 1975
"Loco"  
Shark Gang Member
Hayes Production
Summer Tour And Two Week Run
At Lincoln Center 1975
I make a conscious decision 
the "gypsy's" life is for me
August 1975
 With Isa Diaz San Juan Bautista Festival 
Alliance Of Latin Artists
Central Park NYC June 1975
First appearance in NYC Media
Centerfold Photo
NY Daily News
 
Our Teen Pop Stars
1975 
One A Tragedy 
The Other A Survivor 
Roger Dawson
His Sunday Salsa Show
on
WRVR FM Crossed Over
To Different Listeners
May 1975 
Enter Amherst College
August 29, 1975
Declare Theater Arts Major
Third Day on Campus
Live at 209 James Hall
 Launch of ESPIRITU SALSA
on  WAMH 1975 
 PALANTE! 1975  
We Bring Spirits to Amherst College 
Guest Appearance Alana Label

My First Poem
March 1976
Edited by 
John G. Russell Ph.D.
Gifu University
Move Into The Zoo
Amherst College
September 1976
"Drinking Again" November 1976
Experimental 
B&W 3:30 Music Video-Dance Film
Directed and Produced
by John Coles Amherst '79
Consultant On 
1977-78
 MAS PALANTE 1977 
The Palante Series Ran 
At Amherst College From 1975-2004 

Thank you Alana La Bel for providing yet another program from the PALANTE! Series we launched at Amherst College in 1975 (Pictured here is the April 1977 program. PALANTE ran at Amherst College from 1975-2004. )  In May of 1977 I joined Latin NY Magazine and was soon reporting and participating in the Salsa and Loisaida Arts scene including encounters with punk rockers and early hip hop artists MOVE TO MANHATTAN June 1977
31 Nagle Avenue
#6M in Fort George
In June 1977 This Apartment 
Went For $120.00 A Month
LAST LISTED AT $247,500 
As A Coop Apartment 2013
Meet Mr Salsa 
For The First Time
January 1977 
At El Teatro El Porton
 
Felix Romero Isa Diaz 1977 
Read Lefty Barretto's  
Nobody's Hero 
Spring 1977
He was to become a Mentor and Friend
 Lefty on Left - Soledad on Right
Meet Al Santiago
The Genius Producer Of Alegre
And Another Mentor
June 1977
CALLE LUNA CALLE SOL
"Loisaida" As I Witness It in 1977-79 

EDDIE FIGUEROA
NEW RICAN VILLAGE 
101 Avenue A 1977

Young Lord Eddie Figueroa became a mentor in 1977 when I visited his Arts Center "The New Rican Vilage. Eddie Figueroa was typical of his Nuyorican generation in that he was a man of the street, a picaresque figure whose narrative combined the hustler’s pregón and the semi-intellectual air of the counterculture.  "The Arts is a way for us to express  our culture, our beliefs to a large audience. Our main philosophy is about personal growth. People developing their own potentilities. Their capacities learning who theyare, how this operates .. psychology. For example, we start working on a play by Pedro Pietri in a couple of weeks. Pedro is by far one of our more important writers. He's always been ahead of the curve. He's   very laid back and a lot of people can't understand what it is seeing things from their points of view but he's a visionary. His stuff is out there.  He shows relationships well, the ridiculousess and the tragedy of our relationships. Jesus is Leaving is an example of this but it wasn't executed well. The actors didn't put that across but the script did.  He has a play that just closed called The Living Room which is about mental illness and the piece that we're going to do What Goes Down Must Come Up which is about relationships. More things are hapening on radio than TV for us. The music on radio and a lot of the happenings that are ocurring now are being documeted on radio, not TV. I see cable TV as going to develop in the future for us. The focus moving into the eighties is more personal. If you want to call it politics it would be the politics of responsibilty. Are we going to be responsible  for the space that we occupy? Are we going to be responsible for educating ourselves in developing our own awareness and getting at the root of what it is?"   The New Rican Village is a music driven venue that features guerilla salsa by Conjunto Libre. While punk rock and new wave bands like The Talking Heads, Blondie and Kid Creole develop around them in the East Village, the Gonzalez brothers explore Afro Caribbean rhythms as reactionary head music with the New Rican house band. Andy and Jerry Gonzalez (Conjunto Libre) lead a pack of musicians who carve a special niche of their own in Latin music history. They perform each Thursday night. Flute player Nestor Torres, pianist Hilton Ruiz and saxophonist Mario Rivera (with his Salsa Refugees) stand out. Nestor is fresh from Puerto Rico. Nestor got here four years earlier with his family. A conservatory-trained musician who studies with Alberto Socarras (the first jazz flute solo on record is attributed to Socarras in 1928), Nestor Torres is a delight to meet and related to my father’s side of the family. His tone is pure. He plays the flute percussively dancing on top of the conga rhythms as a butterfly darts over a field of lilies. The genius of Nestor and bassist Andy Gonzalez is how they develop a musical language while they play. Each anticipates the others rhythmic patterns, notes, key changes while locked in a unique conversation of beats. When the music between Andy and Nestor is really happening there’s a deep communication that occurs where the two are one  in touch with their most inner selves. Their signature piece is a bass/flute duet entitled Tres Palabras -- Three Words. Their sound could be translated just as simply in three words: It was heavy. 
The Holy Grail At Latin NY

I meet him covering an appearance at Fordham College Lincoln Center. He splits a bill with ORQUESTA CIMARRON fronted by the tremendous Rafael De Jesus and develop a casual acquaintance. He is a very affable man. Obviously high but emanating a strange sort of spirituality. From the few conversations I have with him and encounters when I fall deep in the life with a West Indian Posse in my neighborhood during the mid eighties, I come to the conclusion what a bitch it is to be a professional Salsa Star. Not a life I ever want. At the same time my devotion remains intact to his career. Buy every album and learn to sing Salsa by memorizing ten of his songs. I am in Tucson when he passes away. It pretty much bums out the musicians I am playing with at the time. I'm not ashamed to say I cry for a 45 minutes straight the night of his death. The kind of cry where you can't catch your breath - sollosando. RIP Papito. Love you madly.
EL TODOPODEROSO
HECTOR APPEARS 
AT THE END 
HECTOR LAVOE REFLECTS ON HIS CAREER
Hector Lavoe reflexiona sobre su carrera
No Me Llores Mas
Salsa Hall Of Fame Single
Issue I Was Hired
 Cover Story Report 
On Los Papines 1977

Meet Pedro Pietri 
And The Original 
Nuyorican Poet-Arts Scene 
At 503 East 6th Street 
While on Assignment
For LATIN NY
July 1977 
Is a frequent visitor to Latin NY
While He Is On Broadway
With Zoot Suit
 QUOTED IN FRENCH STUDY ON MONGO SANTAMARIA 
Eléments bibliographiques : CHALUISAN, Luis. 1978. 
"Mongo's Magic spell".
Latin NY (April 1978) : 20-23, photos. 
La composition la plus célèbre de RS est certainement
Afro-Blue dont l'interprétation de John Coltrane domine le lot de
la vingtaine d'enregistrements qui en a été faite, même celui de
Count Basie et celui de Dizzy... mais c'est une question de goût.
D'autres compositions - moins connues sans doute - sont intéressantes
Yambú, Mi guaguancó. Quand on compile les enregistrements, on constate
que RS a enregistré seulement deux standards cubains (El Manisero -
Manteca), tandis qu'il a gravé plusieurs tubes de jazz (All the things
you are - Body & Soul - Summertime - You are on my mind).

 
 
Invited To Salsa Dance 
with Brooklyn Philharmonic  
By David Amram Premiere Of 
Summer 1977
A Kindness I Gratefully Returned In 2004
Inviting David To Tour 
With SPIC CHIC
In Europe 
David Amram's `Upbeat' Memoir 
A Riff On A Full Life 
Upbeat: Nine Lives of a Musical Cat 
 (Paradigm; 322 pages; $23.95) 
is filled with an almost manic glee, 
a hunger for experience, knowledge 
and kinship that is positively infectious. 
Former Albany Poet/musician 
Luis Chaluisan 
makes an appearance 
in a chapter titled 
"Natural Ambassadors," 
which focuses on Amram's efforts 
in the Latin musical community. 
MICHAEL ECK Albany Times Union
My Editorial Mentors While At Latin NY
Far Left: Soledad Santiago Middle: Piri Thomas 
Next to Piri: Lefty Barretto 1977 
  Felix Romero - Isa Diaz
Performing with Felix Romero's  
Teatro Puerto Rico
 Teatro Otra Cosa Drummers: Performing at 
Lincoln Center Plaza in New York City 1977. 
Teatro Otra Cosa was founded by Felix Romero 
my mentor in Bomba Dancing. 
This was my Creative FAMILY 
and remain my daily inspiration to create.
(Much love l-r Ayoka, Jose Manzo, 
Joe Sircus, Felix Romero and James Cherry)
Favorite Bronx 
Neighborhood Salsa Club
On Tour With Fania All Stars 
1978 FOR LATIN NY
In Puerto Rico with  Ruben Blades and Papo Lucca
Relaxing Before Show At Coleseo Roberto Clemente 
"CUPCAKES"
Miguel Pinero's 
Solo Singing 
Performance 
 Christmas Show 
With Teatro Otra Cosa
Marijuana Enters My Lungs As 
Plays In The Background
March 17, 1979
Sunday Night 5:30 PM
Smith College  

WFSB Channel 3 REPORTER
Hartford. Connecticut 1979
ON THE ROAD 1979-2010