Lester Rey

Celebrate the release of Lester Rey's latest single "Azota" right in time for the summer with a cast of amazing DJs, live music, and MCs.
About this Event
Dance to the infectious grooves of Gio Sandz (LA, Chi) of Tengo Funk & Fancy Fux and enjoy the sounds of the legendary MoonDoctoR founder of Freshmoon Records based in San Antonio. It's always a party when Momami of Babes Only joins the night. Live music from the Corido Tumbado band taking over the midwest off their Michelada Fest debut, Codigo Verde. And of course, a live presentation of Lester Rey's latest and more! Holding down the vibes of the night are your MC's of the night, Alexis and Samantha of Sistematic Podcast.

Lester Rey is an ethereal Latin Soul singer who brings “chanteo,” a popular reggaeton flow with fast melody and rhythm, to his productions. The music strips down familial Caribbean rhythms and combines them with the modern sounds he observed in his upbringing in Chicago. Listed on NPR World Cafe on "Latin Roots: The Best Alternative songs of 2019 and on Chicago's very own Vocalo radio "Live from Studio 10: Our 20 favorite performances of the decade," Lester Rey has spent the last few years taking his sound to a national and international audience called Juketeo, developed in collaboration with producer MoonDoctoR. Notable features include Ric Wilson, Nino Augustine, DJ Cachorra, Niña Dioz, Pierre Cruz and more.

Gio Sandz - Fresh off a show opening for Bad Bunny's Chicago leg of his "World's Hottest Tour," DJ and Producer Gio Sandz has been making a name for himself for over 15 years in the scene, releasing hard hitting singles and remixes, traveling the country spinning records in some of the biggest venues and festivals, coordinating events and building his brand known as Tengo Funk. One half of the DJ dual Fancy Fux. His musical taste is rooted in house, hip hop, and overall tropical melodies. His ability to spin across genres has made him a stronghold in Chicago music and nightlife for over a decade, and has afforded him multiple opportunities to perform across the globe.

MoonDoctoR - Azota evolves organically with MoonDoctoR on production. The Texas based Chicago transplant, and owner of Freshmoon Records intertwines melodies and harmonies uncannily and alludes to a pleasant dissonance, and takes special care to make the drums knock. Their hybrid of movements from footwork to reggaeton, from ballad to hip hop made CCFX a satisfying eavesdrop into the world of both Lester Rey and MoonDoctoR in 2021. Chicago Born and Bred MoonDoctoR Has Been in Music Production now Since 2000. It all started with his Dad/DJ, Tony Mundaca Sr. (Gramaphone Records) who taught Junior Early on the Ropes of Production at age 12 giving him a 24-track digital recording studio and sharing old stories of the Disco Days and Working with People like Frankie Knuckles at places like the Warehouse and being part of the start of House Music in Chicago. Building his own legacy in footwork and working closely with Peligrosa (Austin) with Tropical Bass fusions, Moon Doctor has been constantly challenging himself as he works with new artists around the globe. As a DJ his selections and mixes represent his father's legacy, his own, and the ever expanding growing knowledge of global sounds and aesthetics.

DJ Mo Mami is a Chicago native whose roots speak through her music. Throughout her three years as a DJ, she has played at various events nationally and most recently graced the stage at Lollapalooza music festival. Mo Mami aims to create spaces that invoke empowerment, nostalgia and freedom through her sound selections.

Código Verde is a Mexican-American grupo sirreño from the South Side of Chicago formed by singer-songwriter & lead guitarist, Danny Alfaro-Barraza. The 21 year old first launched the trio ensemble in the summer of 2019, gaining momentum playing popular regional Mexican covers at local privadas and venues across the city. The group quickly spread throughout the Midwest, receiving global attention with a string of original releases including their most well known hit, "Windy City”. Their natural ability to fuse classic guitar techniques with unorthodox slap playing style and modern relatable lyrics has solidified their notoriety among old and young listeners alike.

Sistematic Podcast - Sistematic is the show about politics, pop culture, & sisterhood. Co-hosted by twin sisters Alexis & Samantha, the show’s mission is to talk about issues you should know about, through the perspective of two young WOC. Our ultimate goal is to produce & promote stories that create a stronger sisterhood among women & queer folk of color, while empowering listeners of all backgrounds with the knowledge needed to effectively engage with systemic issues of inequality that threaten the wellbeing of our communities and city.

Doots at 9PM / Show at 10PM-3AM

$15 Advance Tickets / $20 Day of Show - Happening Next

Chicago-based artist Lester Rey just announced the debut of a new single, “Azota,” premiering this Friday, July 15.

Lester Rey writes via email:
“Aqui no hay espacio pa machista, solo masoquista,” declares the new summer anthem dropping July 15th, 2022. “Azota” brings footwork/juke producer MoonDoctoR to the production for a sound that brings both Caribbean elements and Chicago production to create a unique sound they coin as Juketeo.

MoonDoctoR and Lester Rey are no strangers to working on music together. In 2021, they released CCFX (Chicago Caribbean FX) via Discos Peligrosa. A project that was recorded at the beginning of the pandemic lockdown as both artists were locked away in San Antonio working in the studio on a new sound for their debut collab EP that featured the single, Juketeo.“ - Enchufate

Despite the misfortunes of the pandemic, arts communities in Chicago found ways to keep calm and carry on. Latinx musicians, like many of their peers, pivoted from canceled gigs or tours into developing virtual projects and producing new music.

Family trio A Flor de Piel are inspired by Mexican son jarocho, but their love of fusions resulted in the EP Mental Lockdown, which incorporates electronic and lo-fi pop sounds and includes a cha-cha remix of “La Bruja” by DJ AfroQbano.

Latinx soul artist Lester Rey collaborated with Texas producer MoonDoctor to release the EP CCFX (it stands for “Chicago Caribbean FX”), which highlights electro-Caribbean, tropical bass, and nu-movimiento sounds. Rey also appeared on the single “Por la Mañana” with Montreal reggaetonero Pierre Cruz and joined Súbele singer Jonny Fadez on the nu-cumbia tune “Mango Kisses.” - Chicago Reader

In their new single and video for “Trepate,” the sexy, futuristic take on Latine music created by artist Lester Rey and producer MoonDoctoR brings Caribbean and tropical rhythms into the modern age. The music heavyweights partnered with visual artist Diana Pietrzyk to conceptualize a previously unencountered future. The result is this sultry, tropi-futuristic wonderland where “Lester Rey is the e-boy/e-Bori singing about a sensual fantasy.”

Lester Rey and MoonDoctoR explain that artists of color have always needed to present themselves and control the visions, narratives and displays of their own cultures in cyberpunk and futurist panoramas. This is a result of the majority of future-oriented narratives being predominantly White—Blade Runner, Star Wars, Star Trek, etc.—and any characters of color in these performances have traditionally been subordinate, not to be concerned with or seen as alien.

“Enter Sun Ra, the ’80s, Afrofuturism, and a more modern example, Black Panther. Now we see POC taking control of their narrative or presenting it in a better light.”

As part of Lester Rey’s insatiable creativity and commitment to exhibit Puerto Rican and Caribbean people in a variety of otherworldly scenarios, he has produced animated works like “Coqui”, album art such as the latest CCFX cover and now “Trepate.”

Lester Rey is a Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, producer and fashion designer who has released several EPs including XXXcomunion, Epifania and Santuario. In 2020, Lester Rey released a collaborative EP with Nino Augustine titled De Paseo a la Luna. In early 2021, after being highlighted in the Chicago Reader’s yearly edition of “Best of Chicago,” Lester Rey teamed up with Texas-based producer MoonDoctoR to release CCFX, “an audible reflection of self that compliments mutual affinity for creating the next generation of sounds informed by their shared histories.” - Mano Magazine

Lester Rey makes music that makes you want to dance. The rhythms are infectious, as are the melodies. As Rey sways and waltzes across his reggaeton, R&B infused tracks, you get the immediate impression that this guy knows what he’s doing — and he does (see: The Future is Now, And The Future is Lester Rey). On his new EP CCFX — or Chicago Carribean Effect — he evolves at a breakneck pace from his last release. Across five tracks, Lester brings in influences of dancehall, footwork, juke, tropical bass, moombahton, and more to create a soundscape of pure earworms.

Ahead of the release of his new EP, I sat down for another chat with him to get the rundown on what this new project means for him.

How would you describe the EP in a single sentence?
Highlighting a new heritage of sound in modern pop music!

So, tell me what the inspiration behind the EP was? What were you listening to or what was the inciting incident that brought it together?
The EP “CCFX” stands for Chicago Caribbean Effect (FX), a title both the producer and I decided on later on in 2020, well after the music was made. We felt [that] the title captured the inspiration and essence of the EP, [those] being the effects and interpretations the global Caribbean musical phenomenon has had on the music culture of Chicago.

CCFX is a duo collaborative EP by MoonDoctoR and myself. [It] was the first record I recorded outside the city of Chicago. Fellow Chicagoan MoonDoctoR lives in San Antonio and his friend, Orion, who runs the label Discos Peligrosa, were invited by Chicago's Pachanga to DJ [an] event in late 2018. I met Orion a while back at SXSW 2016 and always wanted to work with his label. Meanwhile, it was my first time meeting MoonDoctoR.

[Eventually], they invited me to a studio in Fort Knox to listen to some of the music MoonDoctoR had produced and the song, "Trepate," was the first song recorded. I freestyled that tune in the booth and later on in 2020, [I went] to Texas to finish it for this EP. I had toured through San Antonio in 2019 and visited MoonDoctoR and made a few more songs with him and Orion that weekend. The time we spent together felt short and rushed because I was in the middle of a tour and about to head to New York. So, we arranged for a date in the near future for me to stay in Texas for a while and finish recording a few records with MoonDoctoR. Fast forward to Feb 2020, and I sold all my things, did not renew a lease, and had plans to travel all over the US and internationally in search of a new, warmer (hopefully) home. First stop: San Antonio, Texas!

I stayed with MoonDoctoR and the plan was to stay through SXSW, tour Texas [a bit], then move on to Mexico city. I fell in love with Texas and the music scene out there. MoonDoctoR and I shared a lot of inspiration during that time, and we would have music video watching marathons. [The schedule was like]: record music, take breaks, watch music videos, eat, and get back in the studio. He put me on to the Chopped and Screwed culture, the Screwbia innovations, the Houston Hip Hop scene, and I was fascinated by the history but also by its trajectory. I showed him Rosalia, Bad Bunny, C. Tangana, Jhay Cortez, and other modern Spanish-speaking artists making waves. Since he has a repertoire of tropical bass, global bass, moombahton, and especially juke, footwork, and Chicago dance music, we talked a lot about dance music and his label Fresh Moon. They’ve accomplished amazing stuff within electronic, dance, and experimentation, and I was happy to hear those gems as well. I would say we found ourselves gravitating to the Jackboys [project] the most during this time frame and listening to a lot of Travis Scott, Don Toliver, and Sheck Wes. [For me], it was a time to push the boundaries of my flow.

With all of the experimentation and new ideas being played with on the project, do you see this as a departure from what you’ve been doing or just a new era?
The use of R&B, soul, and cha cha is not a departure. But, [I will say], the way MoonDoctoR and I worked together really made for a new experience. Whether it was the themes or the flow, MoonDoctoR pushed me not to overthink it, not to complicate it and go with gut instincts. Most of all, though, to have fun with the flow. Basically, [I learned] to trust him and trust that he would guide this project to where it needed to go and all I had to do was get lost in his music.

CCFX is a departure from my past works and EPs, [in that way]. Whereas the Boogaloo and contemporary Latin sounds have usually been very present in my music, this was a collaborative project not meant to continue where my past solo work left off, but also create a new identity, new sound, and push the culture forward. I truthfully feel like my voice and flow were pushed to new boundaries, and I'll never write the same because of it! It was an eye-opening experience, and I started to value the creativity that came from flow in itself — flows you hear in "mumble rap," original blues music, the 2000-2010 dirty south dance flows in Hip Hop, the Reggaeton voices that have always stuck out to me like Plan B's Chencho, Ozuna, Randy of Jowell y Randy, the Young Thug and Don Toliver timbre, flow, and range. All of it had a newer, deeper meaning to me. It was new, and I think this is the beginning of a new future for me!

For people who aren’t familiar with your music or aren’t familiar with the styles you’re playing with, what is the pitch of the project? What is the reason that people should listen to it and why is it significant for you?
I [have been] blessed to be a part of two musical legacies that have given us an immense amount of culture and musical history in Chicago and Puerto Rico. MoonDoctoR has Mexico, Jamaica, Chicago, and now Texas. I think this project picks up on that fusion of culture and picks up with a spirit of innovation to create something unique the world has never heard before.
Track by Track

Lester Rey breaks down his inspiration for each track on the EP CCFX.


Na Na Na
This is the most traditional-sounding dancehall tune on the EP. [I think it works] as a perfect sonic opening to the project with a twist at the end, teasing where the rest of the project goes. Lyrically, the story is about an ex who realizes what was lost and decides to get their partner back, but with no success, as it is too late...or is it?

Juketeo
This was the first single off the EP. Having released a music video and dance challenge along with the single on Jan. 29th, 2020, Juketeo is the word [I gave to] this new sound. I used to throw parties in Chicago and would invite these footwork-based DJs and Reggaeton based DJs. I called those parties Juketeo, a Spanish slang word I made up for Juke that sounds like Perreo. I told MoonDoctoR about those parties and about how I tried to fuse Reggaeton and Juke together in the past on my own, but not to my liking. So, we found a common vision and goal later on in those days of working together and created Juketeo and many other songs using a rhythm that brought dembow (the main drum rhythm in Reggaeton) to a faster pace, and juke elements. The result sounded like something new! Plus, the flow played with common Puerto Rican slang terms in dance, Reggaeton, and Spanish Trap music and twisted the flow to something more in line with Young Thug or Don Toliver. MoonDoctoR pushed me to have fun and put flow first over lyricism and to tell the story through expression and freestyle more often than not. Much of the EP was a push in a different writing style for me that I enjoyed very much. Lyrically, the song tells us to not let our minds take us under and, instead, to use music as a way out of depression.

La Luna
This song continues pushing forward the Juketeo rhythm, but at a slower pace. [La Luna] brings Trap elements to the experiment. Lyrically, this song tells a very personal story about triumph and overcoming obstacles. It's a story of a kid who was shooting for the moon despite being told he couldn't do it. The verses dig into a marriage/divorce story where I learned about the baby not being mine and how that propelled me to live life to the fullest!



Trepate
This is the first song MoonDoctoR and I recorded. It’s a seductive R&B song that takes you from the dance floor to the bedroom. I'm heavily inspired by Soul, R&B, and the many faces [those genres have] taken throughout the decades and felt like the modern sounds pushed me into a seductive freestyle.



Wrong Guy
It’s the only English song on the EP, and it was one of the first songs we recorded after landing in Texas, [during those sessions]. The song talks of a relationship that didn't work out and the fears we had to overcome to try [to make it work], despite the results being unfavorable. Musically, the song came about while MoonDoctor was jamming on the piano, and I was high on something and freestyling for fun. But MoonDoctoR loved it, so we recorded it. The synths were added later, and the Timbales “cha cha cha” part was added as a final touch to stress the message of the song. It was a fun process, and I'm very attached to this song, which I could say about the whole project, truth be told. - Off-Kilter Magazine

Nino Augustine & Lester Rey
“De Paseo a la Luna”
Two Latin music masters bring Panama and Puerto Rico together for a tropical-infused “illustrative journey to the moon” that incorporates Afro-fusion, R&B and electronica. - New City Music

New year, new energy. At least we hope so. Some of our old and new friends have new music we’re sharing to kick off your new year.

Nino Augustine (Panama/ATL) and Lester Rey (Puerto Rico/CHI): ‘De Paseo A La Luna’

Discos Peligrosa founder Orión Garcia describes this new track by Nino Augustine and Lester Rey as “afro-Latin fusion meets R&B/soul with Caribbean and jazz vibes.” All are things we like. And its lyric video is cosmic. Watch below. - Sounds and Colours

In this playlist of our 2019 Alternative Latin music favorites, you'll notice there isn't a particular sound defining the realm of the genre. The common denominator here is that these artists decided to be sonically bold. It was a magically abundant year of outstanding music from musicians that delivered complex beats, striking socio-political anthems and imaginative takes on traditional Latin sounds.

This playlist is a carefully-curated selection of Latinx artists who created intriguing, unforgettable and soul-boosting sounds. The list includes 50 exceptional artists — among our top 10 favorites are singles and albums by Superfónicos, Manatí, Beats y Batería, Combo Chimbita, Taina Asili, Gabacho, Olmeca, Ely Guerra, Le Butcherettes and Mueran Humanos.

Among the standouts is ¡Spangled! by Gaby Moreno and Van Dyke Parks, who together created a monumentally uplifting orchestral album that pays tribute to a new wave of Americana. Cumbia held a steady reign as newer artists embraced its legacy and elevated it to new heights, as is the case with Prince of Queens, Instituto Mexicano del Sonido, Mercedes Nasta and Sotomayor.

We also heard traditional styles of Colombian, Chilean, Puerto Rican, Panamanian and Mexican music transformed into unconventional bangers by artists like Renata Flores, Lester Rey, Nino Augustine and Olmeca.

That's not to say everything was a fusion of something else, so it was great to hear bands like Las Cruxes, Davila 666, Mueran Humanos, Choked Up, Le Butcherettes and Mi Puga Mi Pishgo rocking out with punk, Brit-influenced rock en español and even dark wave sounds. On the flip side, what a blessing to hear soothing sounds from Carmen Ruiz, Cheo, Gabacho and The Altons.

2019 also served as a beacon of outspokenness and hope as artists not only delivered majestic music but also spirituous manifestos. Whether addressing politics surrounding immigration or speaking in solidarity with victims of inhumane treatment, artists like The Braided Janes, Ani Cordero, Maria del Pilar, Niña Dioz and Making Movies did not hold back in taking things to another level. And in the highly uplifting case of Mexican muse Ely Guerra, she decided to take things in an entirely new direction and recorded an album featuring her vocals as the sole instrument. Talk about cathartic!

As Superfonicos said when referring to their single, "Cumbéalo," our top favorite: "Cumbéalo is a metaphor for turning our eyes back to the primal and ancestral and to remember all the great things that we've lost in this process of becoming modern and civilized. We think that humankind is in a big crisis right now, because we disconnect ourselves from nature, our sense of oneness and our spiritual selves. Cumbéalo is an invitation to remember." - NPR World Cafe

Over the last decade, we’ve had the distinct good fortune to welcome incredible and talented artists for live in-studio performances.
We had a tough time choosing our favorites from the archives, but we narrowed it down to twenty.
Stacked with dear Vocalo friends like Fee Lion, Eryn Allen Kane, Lester Rey, the O My’s, and more, this playlist feels a bit like a digital family reunion.
Perfect content comfort food for the holidays!

Lester Rey – “Bomba”
If you’ve never experienced a Bomba IRL..we’re sorry..we don’t know what we can do for you. But Lester Rey and his leones graciously shared the ancestral beats of la Isla and, for a fleeting moment, transported us to a warmer place. - Vocalo

At a time when Reggaeton is topping the charts globally, while Puerto Rican people are making headlines for their struggle for autonomy, Lester Rey’s new EP Epifania provides a perfect soundtrack for the new era of discourse on social justice, search for new identities, and new experiments in cross-cultural interchange.
Lester seamlessly blends the musical traditions of his heritage like Bomba and Cha-cha-cha with his love of contemporary hip-hop, soul and R&B to create a sound of unity for the Caribbean diaspora. We spoke with Chicago singer, producer and percussionist about the new music, his mixed cultural and musical identities, and his search for greater openness and honesty in his artistic practice.

Jill Hopkins: Let’s start by talking about being Puerto Rican in Chicago. Can you tell us a bit about your experiences?
Lester Rey: There’s definitely a lot of beauty to being proud of your culture and just being Puerto Rican in Chicago is fun, especially when you’ve got Humboldt Park. But where I grew up is a place that I feel like no longer exists. As a kid, I used to consider Humboldt Park stretching all the way out to Bucktown. In the 90s, we’d all be hanging on the streets out there, and the church I grew up in was also up there. It’s still there, but it’s a condo now, even though they had to technically keep the front of the church. I grew up there. That’s where I learned music and everything. That’s where my grandparents lived, in the basement of the church. So that that whole area has just been completely eradicated. I remember there being an emotional moment for me last year where I was just walking through Wicker Park and getting to that intersection and seeing the vitamin store that used to be the Blockbuster used to go to as a kid. It’s just so different, my grandma moved out of there and went more west. There’s nothing there that looks familiar at all. When people say things like “this is my hood is my neighborhood,” and they’re so proud of it, I wish I could be proud of my neighborhood but it’s no longer what it was. My people are gone. It’s been a journey, and I definitely feel like since gentrification hit hard in that area, I’ve been just moving around.
How does your identity as a Chicagoan and your identity as a Puerto Rican man shape the art that you make? You bring who you are to everything you do.
There was a moment in my life where I wanted to be very honest with myself in the music. I felt like my identity wasn’t present in music, and I felt like I needed to create it. I love Marc Anthony, Bad Bunny, all these Puerto Rican artists that I like grew up listening to. I also loved growing up to Three 6 Mafia, Usher, Ludacris as well. There was all this like music coming in, but I did not see anyone who was like me from Chicago, repping this culture or at a Latinx intersection. Sonically speaking, I wanted to make music that brought those worlds together. Lyrically, I wanted to be honest with myself, not just the cultural experiences, but everything I was living, whether it was emotions, what I was learning, relationships and dating, new friendships, losing friendships, political, non political. I just wanted to be honest. “Epiphania”, which translates to epiphany, represents the moment where I’m defining my sound with each song. Bringing traditional genres together with contemporary R&B, hip-hop, and neo-soul. It tells a story of building unity amongst Caribbean diaspora.

Let’s talk about that diaspora. The world is watching and eating up what you have to offer. It’s a really exciting time and I think that folks who maybe haven’t been paying super close attention are learning that not all Latin music is the same. “Ephiphania” crosses streams on all these subgenres to drive that point home. Why was it important to you to highlight that?
It’s today. My identity isn’t just Puerto Rican. Even if it was, there’s people making music in Puerto Rico that is alternative, R&B, or hip-hop that fuses stuff. I’m excited to live in this moment, where this is a new, emerging trend. It’s important to me to be very specific about how the sound is designed. The producer that I worked with is a very big part of this, his name is Tuffy Campbell and he’s a Korean American producer who has a sound for pop. I brought all the Latin influences and we’d meet in the middle. We were able to invite so many different artists to work on it as well, like Roy McGrath, who is an amazing saxophone player. It’s been a fun journey.
https://youtu.be/LeE-4v90ExQ
Let’s talk about a couple of these tracks. “Amigo” is a song of solidarity and not just in the musical styles that you showcase, but in its lyrics as well. What squad are you bringing together here?
So amigo features Nino Augustine from Atlanta. When I went to Atlanta back in January, I bumped into him and then I showed him the track. Lyrically, the song is saying that we don’t need toxic relationships around us. We don’t need bad friends, fake friends. It was definitely written years ago from a personal perspective of needing to bring in who I need to bring in and push out I need to push out. As the song developed with Nino, it became more about who are bringing in, especially when we did the music video. We were able to feature all these people that represent not only diaspora & Caribbean music, but also their own identities as well. Putting out that piece of visual solidarity together was amazing. And then a few days after the video dropped, we got news from Puerto Rico about them removing the governor. Augustine wrote on Instagram about standing with Puerto Rico and how he used his lyrics to talk about how we don’t need those fake friends in the government, so the song took on a new meaning for people. We don’t need that fake front. We don’t need that toxic relationship and even further, the one that the US has imposed onto Puerto Rico for so many years. So that specific vessel has just grown into something very beautiful.

Let’s talk about “Everything,” it’s the first track and I really enjoy its message, which is essentially saying that home is where the art is. Did you get to that conclusion naturally? Or was there a struggle to find that truth for yourself?
This whole year has been about creating music, I’ve been making music nonstop. It’s led to collaborations with other artists and other collectives in different cities. And wow, it is work. You have to make time for writing, being in the studio, recording, and planning how you’re going to execute the release of stuff. I realized that this is a piece of where home is. I realized that I, myself, am home. I had to define home that way. Displacement has been such a big part of my life that I couldn’t say Humboldt Park is home or Puerto Rico’s home, or even my mom’s house is home. I couldn’t necessarily say that, because while there’s a truth to the beauty of going back to those places, and reliving those memories, I felt like home had to be more than a place that my landlord eventually just kick me out of. Going back to my church days, similar to that sanctuary, we are our own temple. I’m still finding my home in what I do, which is primarily music and my art. I find comfort in that.
The song “Everything” talks about the positive and negatives in music making. The reason I’m making music is for myself and I need to remember that. But sometimes I get caught up in the hustle of making sure the music’s getting heard, the stream the numbers, the tour dates, and all that. Thinking: “why am I not where I want to be tomorrow?” instead of worrying about where I am today, is toxic. Oftentimes, where I’m at right then is where I really wanted to be for such a long time. It’s amazing that I’m here now. “Everything” mentions that, when I say “I’m shipwrecked in the Midwest,” it’s saying that I’m going to learn how to surf the waves. Basically, let me be grounded. Let me remember that music is my everything. Music is where I started. - Vocalo

If reggaeton has taught us anything over the years, it’s that rhythm and sabrosura are the lingua franca of the Caribbean. And while traditions might differ from country to country, highlighting that connection and sense of brotherhood is at the heart of “Amigo,” the latest single from Chicago-based neo-soul singer Lester Rey. The Boricua vocalist and percussionist has linked up with rising Atlanta-based urbano firebrand Nino Augustine for a new anthem of diasporic solidarity, spotlighting the shared cultural and sonic heritage between Puerto Rico and Panama.

“Amigo” is built on a sumptuous foundation of bomba drums and mambo horns, where silky smooth verses from Rey and Augustine draw a line in the sand for fake friends. “No necesito amigo que me diga how I can or can’t connect with my heritage,” muses Rey via press release. “No necesito amigo in the music industry to tell me that bomba isn’t a viable sound for an emerging artist to promote. Mi isla no necesita amigo who just uses us. We got us, I got me.”

Much of the Alex Palma and Lester Rey-directed video for “Amigo” is shot at bomba dances in Chicago’s La Casita de Don Pedro, as well as the city’s Puerto Rican Day Parade, positioning the song as both an acknowledgment of true friendships and a rebuke of outside powers trying to control or deny us. The clip also features all-star cameos from bands Buyepongo and Dos Santos, NYC’s DJ Bembona and the Chicago Boricua Resistance – further underscoring the rhythmic and political crossroads of Puerto Rico, Panama and diasporic communities.

“The musical connection between Panama and Puerto Rico is filled with so much history that has influenced me tremendously,” adds Augustine, citing legends such as Ismael Rivera and Tego Calderón as personal inspirations. “For me it’s important to carry on that legacy and collaborate with artists such as Lester Rey that have a similar goal in mind, which is simply to create great music. “Amigo” is a perfect example of that beautiful mixture of cultures and genres that are becoming a new identity to us, the music innovators influenced by these different musical proposals.” - Remezcla

SANTUARIO is soul crooner Lester Rey’s newest and most personal project to date. Born and raised in Chicago’s Puerto Rican Humboldt Park neighborhood, Lester hopes that his own display of vulnerability can serve as a beacon for listeners struggling to release emotions they’ve been conditioned to hide. A reminder to himself and others to sit in their true emotions no matter how uncomfortable it may be, while the conclusion is a call to face one’s devils. - Cine Las Americas

The term "Latin alternative" has typically been used as a catch-all for the diversity of music that Latinx artists create, whether it be electronic, hip-hop, rock, reggae or punk. What it really means is an alternative to what you typically hear on mainstream commercial radio.

In the late 1990's, Chicago was home to the nation's first 24/7 Latin Alternative public radio station, Radio Arte, which ended 2012. The station was responsible for curating music and events that often times brought artists to Chicago who were on the brink of greatness, e.g. Julieta Venegas and Ely Guerra. It was also the space for music discovery and a source of inspiration for many in Chicago who were eager to learn more about the range of Latinx music in our city and across the globe.

As a homage to this important cultural zeitgeist, Vocalo Radio launched Domingos en Vocalo with hosts Rocio Santos and Jesus Echeverria in 2012. They are part of an ecosystem of promoters in Chicago that continue to curate opportunities for Latinx musicians and creators to get their shine.

Here are some of the artists Jesus and Rocio have talked to recently and are keeping an eye out for as they rise in 2019.

Lester Rey's journey from playing congas in his family's Humboldt Park church to becoming a producer and vocalist all over the country is one that's very Chicago, very Puerto Rico but most importantly very Lester Rey. His new EP is called Santuario, and it's just in time to usher us into spring and summer on a tide of dreamy beats and introspective lyrics.

The titled single, "SANTUARIO" features Ric Wilson, a hip-hop artist from Chicago, who we featured in this month's Slingshot Scenes. The EP is a deeply personal project that finds the "Latin Soul" singer and songwriter in search of a sanctuary as he addresses pain and trauma of the past and re-examines his previously held beliefs. Lester spoke with Jill Hopkins about the project and its themes. Listen to our conversation below. - NPR Slingshot

Lester Rey‘s journey from playing congas in his family’s Humboldt Park church to becoming a producer and vocalist all over the country is one that’s very Chicago, very Puerto Rico but most importantly very Lester Rey. His new EP is called “Santuario,” and it’s just in time to usher us into spring and summer on a tide of dreamy beats and introspective lyrics. The EP is a deeply personal project that finds the “Latin Soul” singer and songwriter in search of a sanctuary as he addresses pain and trauma of the past and re-examines his previously held beliefs. Lester spoke with Jill Hopkins about the project and its themes. Listen to our conversation below: - Vocalo

Este episodio is for all our Boricuas out there! In this occasion, Babelito sits with Lester Rey, an amazing Chicago musician, to talk about his new projects and the ways his mother's feminism has influenced all his musical adventures. Lester also talks about the reality of being a musician with a day job, his religious upbringing and his principal musical influences, which range from bugaloo to rock. Stay tuned to hear some amazing Chicago band recommendations and a little PSA from Babelito's nephews. And as always make sure to send your questions to AskLWLPod@gmail.com and we might read them on a future episode. #podsincolor #supportbrownpodcasts #supportlatinxpodcasts #lwlpod #supportlatinxmusicians #supportbrownmusicians #supportlocalmusic - Latinos Who Lunch

CHICAGO — “Chicago-Rican”, “latinx”, cantante, músico y productor. Amante de la salsa, del soul y del bugalú, Lester Rey se define como un intérprete y artista que mezcla sus preferencias, gustos y causas en su propuesta, con la que busca actualizar el estilo del R&B.

Su primer escenario fue un templo, cantando en los coros en la Iglesia Pentecostal, con sus abuelos que son pastores.

Más adelante, observando a los músicos, se interesó primero en las congas y en algún punto de su proceso formó parte de grupos de salsa y reggaetón, hasta que hizo su identidad como Lester Rey.

“Se formó con un poco de todo”, compartió a HOY.

“Salsa, merengue, la música de Tupac (Shakur) y de Biggie (The Notorious B.I.G.); de vivir aquí, de vivir en Puerto Rico, de ser un ‘Chicago-Rican’”, agregó.

Esa identidad de “Chicago-Rican”, “Chi-Rican”, es para definirse localmente con nexos a su origen. Decirse “Rican”, va para los de origen puertorriqueño a nivel nacional.

“Ya sean de Florida, Boston o California, estamos tomando nuestra cultura y llevándola a otras áreas”, señaló.

Y agregando un contexto social a las realidades de cada comunidad y su encuentro con otras culturas.

En su caso, muestra también además de sus ritmos, su perspectiva de crecer en Humboldt Park, de ser testigo de las tradiciones de sus habitantes y hasta de cómo el desplazamiento urbano afecta el arte y la identidad de una comunidad.

“Muchos puertorriqueños se están yendo a Hermosa o a Belmont Cragin; de ahí que el arte y la música se dejan a un lado. (Pero) la identidad de la diáspora puertorriqueña siempre permanecerá”, señaló.

Siendo parte también del grupo Dolor Folkotrónico —que integra con los DJ y productores Los MaraFackas— como Lester, su EP debut fue “Blue Lion”.

Posteriormente presentó “Blue Lion Reimagined” que fue, según cita en su perfil de internet, una colaboración entre DJs y productores para darle un toque actual a los ritmos del boogaloo y el soul latino.

“(En mis letras) hablo de temas recientes como el amor, el dolor, de la generación de los millenials, de la generación X”, destacó.

Luego lanzó el mixtape “Promesa”, y este 15 de febrero estrenará su nuevo EP titulado “Santuario”, del cual el primer sencillo es “Feel”.

“Estoy muy emocionado con este proyecto”, admitió. “Tiene un estilo muy diferente en el estilo del R&B, combinado con electrónica, efectos, acústica y guitarras en formato Latin Soul”, precisó.

El momento que vive la escena latina local y nacional, dice, es perfecto, tanto para colaboraciones como proyectos individuales.

Descubre más de su carrera, en www.lesterrey.com. - Chicago Tribune (HOY)

Women are multifaceted beings, but most of the time our favorite Latinx jams — like mainstream culture in general — will have us believing that we only function as saints you wife up or putas you pipe down. In Lester Rey’s music video for the remix of his reggaeton banger “Ni Santa,” the Chicago-based artist reminds men that only women are the owners and definers of their sexuality.

“I’m saying que la mujer that I’m interested in joining on the dance floor ni es santa, ni puta. Like why there gotta be judgment? Es perreo,” the Puerto Rican neo soul singer told FIERCE. “Get down and be respectful or leave her alone if you’re approaching a woman with prejudgment.”

For the 29-year-old crooner, it was time to show that reggaeton can have a fire beat and lyrics that uplift women and the queer community, and to do this he enlisted fellow Chi-town Bori Lila Star.


(Photo Credit: “Ni Santa” / Gerardo Duran)
In the seductive video, directed by Gerardo Duran, the trans rapper-actress-pageant competitor, who is featured on the track, plays Lester’s video vixen. The first openly trans leading lady in a reggaeton music visual, Lila sensually grinds on the singer as he calls her to “baila mami,” even asserting herself as “la bruja de tu fantasía” before the two softly lock lips under red light leaks.

“A lot of times we are shamed for being too much of one thing, whether it being too sexy or too timid, and this song actually celebrates a woman for being herself, even if that comes off as good or bad, or simultaneously both,” the Puerto Rican-African American artist tells us. “And I can relate because as a person, and a performer, there are many sides to me, and I enjoy exploring no matter what people might think.”



The collaboration transpired after the two met at last year’s Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade in Chicago, where Lila was crowned Miss Cacica 2017-18. The pair began to discuss music, sexuality and gender when Lila mentioned it was her dream to be a video vixen, and Lester proposed an opportunity to make it happen.

“She is an openly trans Latina rapper, and her presence and energy on the song propels the idea that a trans woman can be a video vixen and a damn sexy one, too. The interactions between her and I are sensual, enticing and fits the message of the song,” Lester noted. “Plainly said, trans women are women, too, and this reggaeton song was a perfect place to declare that this Afro-Boricua trans woman is a star, and the star of a reggaeton song, a genre that often sheds no light on the trans community.”


(Photo Credit: “Ni Santa” / Gerardo Duran)
Lila, who called the project “bigger than I am,” hopes the music video will show viewers that trans women are beautiful, sexy and feminine and spark conversations that will continue to push the community forward.

The triple threat, who is working on her EP, has two short films set to be released this year, “A History of Wise Men” and “Tranheist,” while the always-movin’ Lester Rey joined forces with Los Marafackas as Dolor Folktrónico and released the angsty Tropical Bass-Neo-Perreo EP Sectio Divina last month.

Watch the tantalizing and history-making video for “Ni Santa” above. - Fierce by mitu

Chicago-based artist Lester Rey teams up with producer SuveMusic for this woozy, winding piece of neo-perreo that urges men to see women as ““ni santa, ni puta, solo mujer” on the dance floor. The message is reminiscent of Ivy Queen’s masterful “Yo Quiero Bailar,” and it’s refreshing to see dudes embracing the sentiment—in a press release, they explain it’s because “we shouldn’t feel some type of way when the dembow drops.” –Julyssa Lopez - Remezcla

Over the summer, amid financial and humanitarian crises in Puerto Rico, Congress passed PROMESA, the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act, which established a control board made up of seven unelected members from the U.S. to run the island’s governmental finances and restructure its $70 billion debt for the next five years.

The act, despite its promising name, has the people of Puerto Rico concerned, as the board will essentially be the island's governor, banker and pawnbroker, issuing debt and spending money while la isla del encanto pays the bill.

Protestors have taken to the street en masse since the bill was passed, fighting the latest effect of U.S. colonialism in Puerto Rico. Chicago-based artist Lester Rey joins the opposition en la isla and in the diaspora with “Promesa,” a mixtape revealing unsettling facts about the U.S.’ treatment of the territory and providing healing through the songs’ eclectic rhythms.

Ahead, the puertorriqueño talks with Latina about the mixtape, his own criticisms of PROMESA, Donald Drumpf’s election win and music as resistance and healing.

Why did you name this mixtape "Promesa?"

It’s twofold: first, it’s a slam to the PROMESA act, which has many on the island and in the diaspora upset. I felt the need to do something more political. I’ve had politically charged music in the past, but I wanted to address the PROMESA act, the treatment of the diaspora and the increase in migration because of the BS happening on the island. The second reason: I could have called it Se Acabaron Las Promesas, like the movement, or anti-PROMESA, which is what it is, but this was also my promise as a musician to always keep Puerto Rico and la gente de Puerto Rico en la música.

How does this act fail the Puerto Rican people?

It has no Puerto Rican voices on the board. It’s a complete insult on what America believes the Puerto Rican people can do for themselves. It rejects the notion that Puerto Ricans can take care of their own problems. That’s one of the main issues. Also, they meet in secret; there’s no transparency. Even the debt itself is a problem. Before the PROMESA act was initiated, we had to look at where that debt came from. Why is Wall Street allowed to close down hospitals and schools and, basically, get paid over the services that humans need?

You actually have a song called "Promesa" on this mixtape. What are some false promises the U.S. has made to Puerto Ricans?

The song “Promesa” itself alludes to some of them. My verse talks about an epidemic in Chicago. People in Puerto Rico come here and are told there are rehab centers to help for addiction. Some were doing well in programs in Puerto Rico, but they were halted and sent to rehab centers in Chicago, which often didn’t know they were coming, don’t have the proper staff and don’t know the cases. As a result, many are rejected and pushed into the streets, where they are homeless and fall back into addiction. So it shows while the U.S. made many false promises to Puerto Ricans in history, from birth control to Vieques, this is still happening today.

"Coquí " is a really powerful track that imagines a dystopia where Puerto Ricans are extinct from the island and all that's left is the sound of the coquí. Why make this track?

I feel like it’s my weirdest track, message wise and lyrically. When I first heard the beat, the title didn’t come to me, but the beat sounded sad, and I just started thinking about what to write to it. I came to this idea of what humans are doing to the world, in general, with islands disappearing because water levels are rising. I thought about all of the experimentation in Puerto Rico and even the rumors about the Zika virus (when it comes to Puerto Ricans and conspiracy theories, they are usually proven correct 20 years later), so I started to think of the worst possible situation. I used to be a storywriter and really enjoyed comic books, and so this dystopian fairytale came to me where coquís turn into radioactive badasses to protect the island. I just felt the need to go to that exaggeration, the need to use a story that is exaggerated to capture attention and show that this is possible if we don’t stand up – not necessarily extinction but to be forgotten and pushed to the side further.

While the mixtape is primarily about the Puerto Rican people, there's a message for Latinxs and people of color in general. Why is this solidarity essential for you?

I feel as a Latino, there are several struggles in the U.S. that bring us together, and those struggles sometimes pertain to people’s homelands, not just the cities they occupy but where their ancestors are from. Beyond being Puerto Rican, there’s a Latinx struggle, and we support each other. G1 from Rebel Diaz is from Chile. Deuce Eclipse is Nicaraguan. These individuals see the need for humanitarian rights, for Puerto Ricans being treated as humans and for spreading kindness. Solidarity work is hard enough just to get the people impacted to come together and rise up, but solidarity work is important. We have a common struggle.

The mixtape dropped after Donald Trump was named the president-elect, a moment you allude to in "Depre." Can you discuss that fear and how you turned it into song?

“Depre,” shortened for depresión, was written the morning after the results of the election. I had the beat for a while, but I didn’t know if I would use it for this mixtape. I really liked the beat and I played it in the morning, when I was receiving Facebook messages, phone calls and texts from people and groups wanting to get together. They were emergency alerts in all capital letters, urging us to meet, organize and come up with a plan. That made me anxious. I didn’t want to get out of my bed. I didn’t want to go outside into this racist America. It was an America I always knew existed but one that really showed its ugly face. Depression sunk in hard. I didn’t answer my phone, and I got off Facebook. I put the music on and the words started flowing from the dome. I was supposed to go to the studio to finish the mixtape that night but I ended up recording that track. Right now, it’s really important for artists to step up. Resistance through art will be key for the next four years.

What role do you think music plays in political and social activism?

I think music doesn’t always have to be very clearly politically and socially active in its content; the music and movement and dance can be. A lot of the music I had before this was Boogaloo; it was more danceable. This mixtape is more hip-hop. It’s important to inspire Black and brown bodies to come together, to dance and share space and to heal. I don’t think the artist always has to educate.

How can music also be used as a source for healing during times like these?

This weekend, I performed at CumbiaSazo, which is a monthly tropical-based party led by people of color. It’s a moment to be among strangers that feel like friends because you are getting together through music and dancing. I feel like the healing happens in the dance, in the sharing of music, in learning a coro, singing along and yelling parts of a song, in being active in the music and interpreting it as you want at the moment, being lost in the song. It provides healing. There’s also space for the content. This mixtape has both. You can listen to the lyrics or you can dance to the rumba, electronica and reggaeton beats.

The mixtape was dropped on Black Friday. What was the significance of that?

Every Black Friday, corporate America is in everyone’s face. It’s a great day for anti-consumerism, to support local artists with the free download. Also, la bandera puertorriqueña was just made black, so I thought it was an interesting play on words, interesting symbolism to use Black Friday to drop the mixtape while the flag was just made black.

Where can folks cop the mixtape?

It can be downloaded for free on SoundCloud or through my website. - Latina Magazine

Puerto Rican singer Lester Rey has spent the last few years making the rounds in Chicago’s diverse Latinx music scenes. A Chicago native himself, Rey’s music focuses on uplifting communities and bringing awareness to the day-to-day challenges of the Boricua experience, ranging from political impotence to indigenous identity. Rey’s new hip-hop and R&B-infused mixtape Promesa toes the line between melancholy and protest, delivering his own brand of woke sabrosura.

Recording Promesa in a marathon 30 days, Rey sought to capture the extreme political turbulence the U.S. has experienced over the past year. On “Depre,” Rey is joined by Michael Reyes and Deuce Eclipse for a song that articulates the dismay, anger, and fear we all felt the day after Donald Trump became the president-elect. The title track serves as a commentary on the bittersweet PROMESA Act passed this summer, which keeps Puerto Rico from defaulting on its debt without protecting the island territory from future financial crisis. Along with “Coqui,” a romantic, angsty lullaby to la isla del encanto’s iconic mascot, Rey captures the island’s laid-back energy, fiercely juxtaposing it against the uncertainty of his people’s future.

Though Promesa displays much needed levity in songs like “Garandunga” and “Fellas,” Lester Rey finds his strongest footing in moments of defiance. On “Ponte Duro,” he enlists guest bars from The Color Brown and Atche Grey for a song that demands respect and acknowledgement of Puerto Rico’s rich cultural history. “Name one Boricua who’s famous from Chi-Town. Name one who’s made it off the fucking ground,” he sings, frustrated. “We African Tainos with Spanish names,” he quips, alluding to the complexities of Puerto Rican identity.

MC G1 of Rebel Diaz provides a few verses, and Boricua beatsmith El Bles also makes an appearance, providing deliciously chopped up salsa samples on “Navidad” and “Ya Me Cansé.”

As Latinxs continue to find their communities under attack, and as Trump’s presidency comes ever closer, Lester Rey sees the importance in speaking out and telling his story. He’s looking to educate and inspire his community, and his message will help guide us through the murky future ahead. - Remezcla

Lester Rey has been working toward this moment his entire life.
From learning to play the congas in his grandparents' church to embracing the hip-hop of his Humboldt Park neighborhood to producing beats for other artists, Rey has quietly and methodically built a reservoir of skills that make the creation of his own music innate and long overdue.
"I knew one day I would want to put them together," Rey says about his "bucket of skills."

Rey's earliest development took place in the church. His parents' church had a "kid-sized conga" that allowed Rey to become familiar with the instrument. "The church I went to was a predominantly Puerto Rican kind of church. The music was always very energetic and very exciting," Rey said. Rey often joined the church's in-house band on stage. Eventually, he picked up the timbales and drums.
Once his grandparents opened their own church, his self-taught musical education grew. "Whenever I would come over, I would sneak upstairs and just play with all of the instruments," Rey said. "I had that privilege as a child."

Rey's musical ambition was delayed between the ages of 19 and 22. He began attending community college, and worked multiple late-night shifts to make money. It was a tough period for Rey, but the aftermath taught him he was capable of working harder than he ever thought possible. He considers the time after this period — the education at NIU, the latin jazz bands and Afro-Cuban ensembles — as his second chance in life.

"I knew that it was going to take work, and if I could take third shifts and really hustle for what ended up being a lie, I could definitely do it for myself," Rey said. "That was really the push. The expectation just went up. I just expected more for myself on the second try."

Last January, Rey released his debut EP, "The Blue Lion," a boogaloo-inspired record with contemporary flourishes (he cites the salsa, meringue, hip-hop and R&B he grew up on as influential in his own music).

Later in the year he released "Promesa," a mixtape aimed at fighting Promesa, or the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act, which utilized a board of seven non-elected members from the United States tasked with restructuring the island's debt and running its governmental finances. Rey believes music can be a catalyst for change as it was for him. Rather than shy away from the political, Rey has embraced a forward-thinking attitude and audiences have responded. Influential publications like Remezcla and Latina covered the release of "Promesa."

And this month, he'll release "The Blue Lion Reloaded," a remix compilation of his first EP, featuring some of his most eclectic peers like Gio Chamba, Principe Cu and AfroQbano.

Rey knows there is still a mountain of work ahead to continue connecting with audiences near and far. And he wouldn't have it any other way.

"I think a lot of people get caught up in that mentality of success overnight. But that's not the case at all," Rey says. "It's effort and work and skill sets that sometimes have nothing to do with talent in music." - Chicago Tribune

Chicago-based artist Lester Rey teams up with producer SuveMusic for this woozy, winding piece of neo-perreo that urges men to see women as ““ni santa, ni puta, solo mujer” on the dance floor. The message is reminiscent of Ivy Queen’s masterful “Yo Quiero Bailar,” and it’s refreshing to see dudes embracing the sentiment—in a press release, they explain it’s because “we shouldn’t feel some type of way when the dembow drops.” –Julyssa Lopez - Remezcla