Latin freestyle or simply freestyle music is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in the New York metropolitan area in the 1980s.
It experienced its greatest popularity from the late 1980s until the early 1990s.
Chris Barbosa is widely credited as the genre's founder. ==History== ===1982–1987: Origin of freestyle=== Freestyle music developed in the early 1980s, primarily simultaneously in the Hispanic (mainly Puerto Rican) communities of Upper Manhattan and The Bronx and in the Italian-American communities in Brooklyn, The Bronx, and other boroughs of New York City, later spreading throughout New York's five boroughs and into New Jersey.
It initially was a fusion of synthetic instrumentation and syncopated percussion of 1980s electro, as favored by fans of breakdancing.
Their records were produced by Full Force, who had also worked with UTFO and James Brown. Several primarily freestyle artists released ballads during the 1980s and early 1990s that crossed over to the pop charts and charted higher than their previous work.
Freestyle shortly thereafter gave way to mainstream pop artists such as MC Hammer, Paula Abdul, Bobby Brown, New Kids on the Block, and Milli Vanilli (with some artists utilizing elements of freestyle beginning in the 1980s) using hip hop beats and electro samples in a mainstream form with slicker production and MTV-friendly videos.
Most freestyle in California emerged from the Bay Area and Los Angeles regions. California's large Filipino American community also embraced freestyle music during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Jaya, who immigrated from the Philippines to Los Angeles, was one of the first Filipina-American freestyle singers, whose song "If You Leave Me Now" reached number 44 in 1990. ===Canada=== Freestyle's popularity spread outward from the Greater Toronto Area's Italian, Hispanic/Latino and Greek populations in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The first freestyle hit is often said to have been "Let the Music Play" by Shannon, released in 1983.
In 1984, a Latin presence was established when the first song recorded in the genre by a Latin American artist, "Please Don't Go", by newcomer Nayobe (a singer from Brooklyn and of Afro-Cuban descent) was recorded and released.
Katas' record label Futura Records was an incubator for artists such as Linear, who achieved international success after a move from Futura to Atlantic Records. ===Philadelphia=== The groundbreaking "Nightime" by Pretty Poison featuring red headed diva Jade Starling in 1984 initially put Philadelphia on the freestyle map.
In 1985, a Spanish version of the song was released with the title "No Te Vayas".
By 1987, freestyle began getting more airplay on American pop radio stations.
Many early or popular freestyle artists and DJs, such as Jellybean, Tony Torres, Raul Soto, Roman Ricardo, were of Puerto Rican ancestry, which was one reason for the style's popularity among Puerto Rican Americans in the New York City area and Philadelphia. ===1987–1992: A pop-crossover genre=== Freestyle's Top 40 Radio airplay started to really take off by 1987, and it began to disappear from the airwaves in the early 1990s as radio stations moved to Top 40-only formats.
"Catch Me I'm Falling" broke on the street during the summer of 1987 and was the #1 single at WCAU (98 Hot Hits) and #2 at WUSL (Power 99) during the first two weeks of July.
It experienced its greatest popularity from the late 1980s until the early 1990s.
Many early or popular freestyle artists and DJs, such as Jellybean, Tony Torres, Raul Soto, Roman Ricardo, were of Puerto Rican ancestry, which was one reason for the style's popularity among Puerto Rican Americans in the New York City area and Philadelphia. ===1987–1992: A pop-crossover genre=== Freestyle's Top 40 Radio airplay started to really take off by 1987, and it began to disappear from the airwaves in the early 1990s as radio stations moved to Top 40-only formats.
Their records were produced by Full Force, who had also worked with UTFO and James Brown. Several primarily freestyle artists released ballads during the 1980s and early 1990s that crossed over to the pop charts and charted higher than their previous work.
Despite this, some freestyle acts managed to garner hits well into the 1990s, with acts such as Cynthia and Rockell scoring minor hits on the Billboard Hot 100 as late as 1998. ===Post-freestyle era=== Freestyle remained a largely underground genre with a sizable following in New York, but has recently seen a comeback in the cities where the music originally experienced its greatest success.
Virgin Records was quick to sign Pretty Poison helping to usher in the avalanche of other major label signings from the expanding freestyle scene. Several freestyle acts followed on the heels of Pretty Poison emerging from the metropolitan Philadelphia, PA area in the early 1990s, benefiting from both the clubs and the overnight success of then-Dance friendly Rhythmic Top 40 WIOQ.
Most freestyle in California emerged from the Bay Area and Los Angeles regions. California's large Filipino American community also embraced freestyle music during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Jaya, who immigrated from the Philippines to Los Angeles, was one of the first Filipina-American freestyle singers, whose song "If You Leave Me Now" reached number 44 in 1990. ===Canada=== Freestyle's popularity spread outward from the Greater Toronto Area's Italian, Hispanic/Latino and Greek populations in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The songs were released in 1991, almost simultaneously, and caused a resurgence in the style when they were embraced by Top 40 radio.
House music, based partly on disco rhythms, was by 1992 challenging the relatively upbeat, syncopated freestyle sound.
Despite this, some freestyle acts managed to garner hits well into the 1990s, with acts such as Cynthia and Rockell scoring minor hits on the Billboard Hot 100 as late as 1998. ===Post-freestyle era=== Freestyle remained a largely underground genre with a sizable following in New York, but has recently seen a comeback in the cities where the music originally experienced its greatest success.
New York City impresario Steve Sylvester and producer Sal Abbetiello of Fever Records launched Stevie Sly's Freestyle Party show at the Manhattan live music venue, Coda on April 1, 2004.
The Coda show was successful, and was followed by a summer 2006 Madison Square Garden concert that showcased freestyle's most successful performers.
Its producers Chris Barbosa and Mark Liggett changed and redefined the electro funk sound with the addition of Latin-American rhythms and a syncopated drum-machine sound. In March 2013, Radio City Music Hall hosted the very first freestyle concert.
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