Roger Velasquez: making his mark in latest CD 'Quiero Besarte'

Coming up:
La Mafia vs Kumbia All Starz in 'mano a mano'
Reggaeton shows coming up

In recent years, singer Roger Velasquez & Latin Legends have become one of the most popular funk/blues/rock/oldies/Tex-Mex bands in the city.

VelasquezRogerPromo Pic Roger 298.JPG Velasquez' latest CD is titled "Quiero Besarte," which was produced by Bob Gallarza.

Like Joe Jama & 100 Proof in the '90s, the Latin Legends have become the band to catch live.

Tight ensemble work, inspiring jams, and infectuous grooves all came together each time Joe Jama and his crew hit the stage. The Latin Legends are certainly not the only band to catch fire on stage, but they are one of the best and most consistent.

Velasquez' latest CD is titled "Quiero Besarte," which was produced by Bob Gallarza

Roger Velasquez & the Legends are playing tonight, Saturday at George's Place.

In a recent interview, Velasquez talked about his CD.

Why did you pick "Querio Besarte'?

"It was done a while back by Adalberto. Once in a while we'll get together, the guys, we're killing time, and we listen to old stuff like that. That song always stayed with me. It was always one of the songs I really, really liked. I'd thought it was the Breed, but no, it wasn't, it was Adalberto with that USA showband. So I thought it would be a good song to bring back. Nobody's ever attempted to do it.

Tell me about the song on the CD titled "La Vida Corta."

"I wrote that song. It's kind of like sitting around the campfire, pisteando, a bunch of vatos talking, telling each other stories, consejos and stuff like that. I brought Sunny Sauceda in on it. He played accordion on 'Quiero Besarte' and 'La Vida Corta.' Chente was hanging around Gilbert's studio, so we put him in there as well on one of the verses, singing a third part.

What about "Lagrimas,"what is it about?

"'Lágrimas,' I wrote for my grandmother, who I dedicated the album to. She's been gone for about three or four years and I just miss her once in a while. That's where that song came from.

What was her name, what do you remember about her?

VelasquezRoger251111 245 300.JPG "Her name was Antonia R. Quintero: Just her unconditional love. No matter what I did in my life, no matter how bad I was, she always had a smile for me."

Some people remember you from your days with the Latin Breed. How is this album the next step iin your career?

"This album is my first solo CD. I planned the whole thing. I put it together. Elizabeth Hernandez from Austin, Texas, was the executive producer on the album. She put up all the money for the album. I've been working with Bob Gallarza for about four years, and done a number of things with him, so I always had the intention of having Bob produce it, and release it under On the Edge Productions. I've been working with him for a while, and we've created a really, really good working relationship, on stage and off, so that's the reason that Bob's producing the album. What I set out to do with this album is attempt to establish myself as a solo artist, rather than a background guy, or one of the guys who sang with the Latin Breed. So Chano Elizondo and Bob Gallarza are distributing it for On the Edge, so I figured that I would have a decent chance, a decent crack at it. In this day and age, it's very hard for a new artist to come out and do something, although I'm not new, I've never done anything as a solo artist."

Roger Velasquez interview Pt II coming

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