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Definition via Digital Dream Door “Freestyle music is a form of Latin pop/dance that originated from the electro-funk of Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force’s 1982 seminal track Planet Rock”. The style is characterized by Latin percussion, heavy syncopation, and themes of romance, love, and partying. Latinos (made) up the majority of the (early) fans as well as those in the industry although the music has been popular to a certain extent with blacks and whites, particularly Greeks and Italians. Freestyle music peaked in the mid to late ’80s and saw a revival in the mid to late ’90s but went virtually underground ever since.”
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If you are thinking “What the hell are you talking about EQ?”. Well let’s just refresh your memory on this classic nugget which is considered the best freestyle song of all time…
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Need further convincing? What does modern day pop music marvel and all-round super-producer producer Fernando Garibay (Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way”) have to say about the return of Freestyle as the next big genre in EDM?…
EQ Music: One of my favorite dance music genre’s that still has yet to make a proper comeback is Latin Freestyle music. What’s your thought on the genre and it’s imminent comeback?
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Fernando Garibay: “Right! Miami Bass! Well you’re right on the gauge. You’re not the only one who has been thinking about this area of resurgence in pop music. You’re right on the temperament of what’s coming back. Those songs like Expose still sound fresh. I grew up in East LA / South Central so when I was a kid, it was all about that – high energy freestyle and electronic dance music. You can hear little elements of it in “Born This Way” because of the energy factor. It’s always moving, bright, and almost like shimmery. Like the Italo disco moment. The trick is going to be repackaging it. It needs a new interpretation and a few new faces – we need to get that energy of freestyle back to the forefront.”
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Well, that’s that then. It’s high time that we sound the alarm and shout out to the world that we are demanding the return of the Latin freestyle sound. We happen to know for a fact that a lot of pop producers are holding onto the freestyle mixes and are waiting for the right opportunity to pounce on this next big trend in EDM. Let it be known that 2013 is the year for this to happen.
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To keep pushing out this ideal out into the world and create a call to action in the music industry, EQ Music is devoting each and every Friday to the resurgence of the Freestyle/Miami base sound via our Freestyle Fridays day at here at EQ. We will be featuring the best old school freestyle tracks and modern day interpretations of the freestyle sound every Friday here on EQ until the movement make’s it’s official comeback.
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So to kickoff Freestyle Fridays, check out and download an “Exclusive Fan Mix” of EQ Music act Parralox’s and their rendition of “Silent Morning” which was a huge back for seminal freestyle recording artist Noel in the late 80s.
Now, check out Noel’s original version of “Silent Morning” too and don’t tell me that it doesn’t still sound FRESH. 1.5 million of you also agree I see…
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Check back each and every Friday to hear some of our favourite Freestyle tracks of yesteryear and how they are being interpreted in today’s modern dance/pop scene…
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Header graphic from left to right: Expose, Information Society, Stevie B, Sweet Sensation, TKA, Lisette Melendez, George Lamond, and Noel