Rene Leyva
with
Nestor Louis
The year 2000 was a terrible year for music. Record sales were down for almost every genre. Blaming piracy, CDRs, and radio, labels were ( and still are ) pointing fingers erratically all over the place. "It was a bad year. The economy is slowing, and eventhough the entertainment industry is recession proof, it still suffers. Record companies are tightening their belts, and clubs are not making a lot of money as before." Acknowledged the, pianist, arranger, and producer, Rene Leyva. I meet him at his offices in New Jersey, and once there, I realized I was a big fan of his work, which was prominently displayed on his "wall of fame". Rene Leyva is responsible for some of the most danceable tracks of the late eighties and early nineties. But unless you're a credit reader, his work would go almost unnoticed.
Although a large amount of his work can be found in CDs put out by local bands like David Cedeño, El Conjunto Imagen, and Hector Casanova, on independent labels; Ray Sepulveda, Marc Anthony, and Frankie Negron, have had great charts written by Rene Leyva. Ask around, and you'll be surprised to find out, how many industry insiders know of him, and how accurately they describe him as laid back and always working in the background. "I don't like the limelight. I don't like to toot my own horn. I like to just lay low. As a matter of fact I used to go to the clubs a lot, but now I don't even go. I'll go to see my artists, or people whom I've worked with. But for the most part, I like to lay low." His way of being, and approaching work in music, it's so contrary to what is the norm in this business. It's surprising to see that he's been around for so long. "I am doing ok as it is. I'm not making a killing, but I do quite well. I tell people I do arrangements in my house, in my underwear."
Rene Leyva's beginnings into the music are similar to the beginnings of others. As a child, he grew up listening to The Beatles. Formed part of a makeshift band made up of cousins, which amused his family during house parties and other family gatherings. "We would get together and mimic The Beatles. My mom saw that I had a talent, and enrolled me to take guitar lessons. The lessons didn't last long. A few years later I went on to discover Motown. I'm a big Motown fan. Then as I got older, I discovered salsa - I got bitten by the salsa bug." With some working knowledge of guitar and piano, Rene took more lessons and later started to play with a couple of neighborhood bands. "My mom attempted to the best of her ability to discourage me. She would tell me ‘la musica no deja nada', and to some degree she was right. To earn a living as a musician is extremely difficult, but I still had that thing about music in me. I went to high school, college, and landed a corporate job in finance. I did the whole business suit and tie thing, the corporate environment in the day, and at night I gigged. Got married at 23, landed a job with Xerox, stayed with them for ten years, and still played at night." Rene's on stage resume includes Jose Fajardo, Hector Casanova, Orquesta Broadway, Charanga 76, Johnny Rivera, and Miles Peña.
"I played with lots of charanga bands in the eighties. La Charanga Creación with Roberto Lugo on vocals. Played a bit with Ray Saba, of Ray Barretto fame. With Johnny Rivera when he went solo in early 1990. But then, I stopped gigging. I always tell this story. I would play with Miles Peña when his Miami manager, Enrique Garcia would call me on recommendations made by Lucia Kim. He would ask me to be Miles musical director while he was on tour here in NYC promoting his first record for RMM. That was around 92, 93. The day I decided I didn't want to gig anymore was during that time. I remember this so clearly, we were at a club in Washington Heights. It was one of the last gigs Hector Lavoe did. The band members and I were with Miles, and there was Hector with his band. He came out on a stool and started to sing. His voice was at its worst, he was just in very bad health. It was a very cold January night, the temperature was something like 3 degrees, I was standing next to Kimo Solis, the percussionist, and I told him ‘Kimo there's just got to be a better way bro'. I got tired of that life, the staying up all night, the journey to, and from the stage in New York."
Right there and then Rene Leyva resigned from the nightlife and the gigging. One would say it was an excellent decision, if things were to stay the same. But they didn't. After 10 years of working for Xerox, the company announced cut backs and started to downsize. Rene was caught up in the trimming. "After ten years, Xerox downsized and offered me a buyout. I told my wife that I would take the package. It was during that time that I started Frankie Negron's first record. I told her, ‘let me work with Frankie Negron, and see what happens. I got a resume, experience, and education, if it doesn't work out I'll go back and get another job'. I did the entire record and then George Zamora, who at the time was leaving Sony Discos to join WEA, thought of getting Sergio George involved with the record. I thought it was a great idea, and had three of songs by Sergio added to the record. Frankie's record went gold, and I've been out of corporate America for six years."
Because industry heads have forgotten that music, mainly tropical Latin music, is dancer driven/dance oriented, the music market is once again changing as a whole. It seems as if it's on a standby to see what is the next big sound. The next sex symbol. The next novelty act to follow. "Salsa music goes through transition periods, the seventies was Fania, the mid eighties was salsa coming out of Puerto Rico, and the early part of the nineties the thing was back in New York. There are good times and bad times, and right now where are in the beginnings of bad times. Although the saying is that there's opportunity in bad times, you still got to find the talent. Talent is something that, as a producer I can tell you, is hard to come by." It's even harder to maintain because many of these new talents lack the magnetic element, the signature that identifies them to an audience. They become three record wonders at most. "Some guys, can sell ice to Eskimos! Being a salesman can get you in the door for only but so long, after that you better know something. If I were like that it would be different for me."
The audience for salsa music is one that's dance oriented and appreciates the improvisational elements of a particular piece. Improvisational elements that of course make sense, and do not interfere with the fluidity of the dance. Many Rene Leyva's arrangements capture that, "Amor En Silencio. I did that record many moons ago for David Cedeño, and in all honesty I am not to proud of that arrangement. Come to think of it I find myself listening to many of my older arrangements, and I tell myself ‘oh my God what was I thinking - pero que malo soy'". But guess what? This writer here likes them.
Rene Leyva was responsible for arranging Charlie Cruz' first record, as a lead vocalist, for his dad's conjunto. In recent times Rene has arranged gems for Hector Casanova's 1998 record. "Perhaps I should move to Miami, that's where all the companies are. Start rubbing elbows with all the big players there, but that's not me. I am not the type to sell you on a record. I am not the type to go to labels and say ‘Hey look. Remember me? I did this and that record'. Case in point, I've worked with many female vocalist. All have been talented and good looking, with great singing abilities. But no labels seem to be interested in them. It is very difficult for women to make in salsa. India broke through at the right time, and is perhaps the exception. Soon after her success there was an onslaught of women singing salsa. Brenda K. Starr was amongst the many, but few if any have survived. No one is interested, so what am I to do? Convince the label heads? Sell them? That's the thing about talent. Sure the money makes it in to my pocket, but sadly the end result never makes it to people's ears because of no promotions. Some people in this business expect records to sell all by themselves. Lots of old timers still believe that. But that's not how the game is played today. Radio is still very important, it's vital, much more than anything else. You might have the internet and all new forms of media, but if no one know who you are, how are they going to find you?"
These idiosyncracies of the music business, seem to have little or no effect in the career of the stealth producer. "I get offers everyday from people that want my work. I'm beyond the point where I have to go to a studio just to make the money. I tell you these kids come here, and I give them a little test to see if they can at least hear a tone. Singers are the toughest clients to work with. Many of them are just tone deaf. I am working on a couple of things right now with a couple of partners, like Aris Martinez and Nestor Sanchez, some talented singers we are going to produce. We are seriously looking to work with this youngster from Colombia. I finished with this young guy, with a great talent for singing and writing, Hector Bonet is his name. Right now he's in the process of landing a major deal with a record label. So let's see."
Almost at the end of the interview, I suffered minor technical difficulties. My recorder started to chew away the tape. 3 to 5 minutes of aimless chatter were lost. What remained prior to the damage was this, "I am here to work. Look for talent, and put out there for the masses to hear". Rene Leyva, as mild mannered and laid back as many have pegged him to be, is still very passionate about music and his role in music. Passion that no amount of tape can truly capture in its entirety. Should you want to get in touch with Rene email him at rleyva@optonline.net or call him at 201/392-8256.
© 2000 Nestor A. Louis
nestor@palosalsero.com