Salsa music, like salsa, needs the right ingredients: sleek production, hot Latin beats, and a fiery, passionate singer to bring the sexy lyrics to life. Since his 1987 debut with the saucy single “Amor de Medianoche,” Luis Enrique has brought his unique brand of salsa to the table with classics such as “Mi Mundo, “Lo Que Paso Entre Tu Y Yo” and “Darte Un Chance.” Now the “Principe de la Salsa” (“Prince of Salsa”) has returned with Ciclos, and its first single, “Yo No Se Manana,” which has put Enrique back on top. “Yo No Se Manana” won for Song of the Year and Best Tropical Song at the Latin Grammys, and Ciclos won Album of the Year and Best Salsa Album. Not to mention the Best Tropical Latin Album at the 2010 Grammy ceremony.
With several recent Grammy wins under his belt for “Yo No Se Manana” and Ciclos, Enrique’s career is hotter than ever, something that humbles the star. “It’s a privilege to be nominated by my peers and by my friends, thats something that you always would like to come at a certain time in your careers, being recognized by the people who do the same work as you do and I’m very grateful for the opportunity that life has given me to come back and come back in such a strong way,” Enrique says of his nominations.
Before the nominations and awards come the hard work and creative processes for Luis Enrique.
“The production itself was very pleasant, simply because Sergio (George) was in charge of all that went on,” Luis Enrique says. “It was very different for me to work this because for the most part I’ve always been co-producing my albums or producing my albums. But this time we have the best of the best. We have Sergio George. I wanted to give myself a break to enjoy the process of the recording,” Enrique continues.
The end result? Ciclos, perhaps one of the best salsa albums of the past ten years. Combining heart, soul, and the searing rhythmic heat of salsa, “It’s probably the best record I’ve had in my career. It’s cohesive. We have songs that, more than likely, it would have been difficult for any other artist in the salsa genre to pick up, including “‘Yo No Se Manana.'” “Yo No Se Manana” is a pop song, it’s totally pop and I knew that I could do something with it, but never came close to the idea that it was going to be so successful, and so fast, as it has been,” says Enrique.
While he is a songwriter, Luis Enrique does perform material not written by him, and to select those tracks, there is a special process.
“I think that for the most part, they are songs I pick up for a reason. I never pick up songs just because I just like them, I feel that in order for me to convey the idea and the message behind any song, even if it’s a love song, it has to be something that I truly believe in,” he explains.
While his own solo career has spawned many hits, Luis Enrique is also known for working with other artists, including Gloria Estefan and Ricky Martin, behind the scenes.
“Working for Mi Tierra (My Land), especially the track ‘Mi Tierra’ where I played percussion in the track was a great experience. It was so good to hear ‘Mi Tierra’ and still hear ‘Mi Tierra’ today. It’s such an amazing thing to be part of such a huge song and such a huge record for Gloria (Estefan) and Emilio (Estefan),” Enrique says.
With so much success as a solo artist, it’s hard to imagine what Luis Enrique would be if he weren’t a superstar. “My thing was to be able to play music, to create music, to write music. If I hadn’t gone this far as a solo artist, I would’ve still probably been a musician and just getting better at my craft like I still do today.”
What’s next for the prince of salsa? In his own words, “Yo no se manana! So I don’t know man. I’m just gonna write it, I’m gonna write the moment, I’m gonna live the moment.”
