Interviews & Profiles
"Frank Lords & Latin Xpress"
by: Vic -Ten
Visit the Latin Xpress at: www.geocities.com/latinxpress2001

One afternoon as I was looking through my video collection of Freestyle showcases, I spotted an artist that has brought back memories of the "Freestyle Boom" that swept through Miami in the 80's. His persuasive percussion performances and unique style is one of the reasons that made the classic recording group Secret Society stand out among others.

Franks Lords is an artist who has achieved a goal that many aspire in the music business today. Through his creative production skills and hands of magic Frank Lords along with fellow members Kino Moreno and Machete will definetly put the new group Latin Xpress on the map.

Q: Tell me a little history about yourself?

A: I was born in Havana, Cuba May 24.1964. In 1970 , I came to the United States, and have lived in Miami ever since. All my life I have listened to music that my mom and dad used to play around the house, groups like Benny More, Celia Cruz, and the big bands of America such as Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa, Lionel Hampton, and Dizzie Gillespie. Those were my first influences in music.

As a child I would hide inside the kitchen cabinets and create my own drum sets out of pots and pans and kitchen utensils. Though music was in me, I was motivated to do other things in my childhood before I discovered how music made me feel. I went to school (sometimes) and studied martial arts on the side after school. This helped me learn persistence, patience,and stamina, which would later in my life prove to be the key factor behind all success. After graduating from high school my mother encouraged me to go to art school, where I graduated with two degrees in commercial and advertising art. Enough about that, lets talk about music.

Q: When and why did you get started in the music business?

A: I had the art degrees. I had the martial arts degrees, but that wasn't where my heart was. In 1980 I made one of the hardest decisions in my life, and since then stuck with it. I had saved up money to pay for my way to Japan to retake my black belt test, and instead decided to buy a drum set. That was it! That is what I was looking for.

Of course for a few years, my parents retaliated because they thought this would be all noise, freaks and long nights of disappearances from my home and/or the planet. But then I started meeting musicians that weren't all that great (but then again, neither was I) but were serious enough to learn at least a whole song. These were the days of disco. I started working as a warehouse boy at the famed Miami TK Records. There I got to see what it was like to make records, sell records and make dreams a reality. I was around such greats as KC and the Sunshine Band, Jimmy Bohorne, and all the wonderful musicians and producers that were in and out of that place.

I got more inspired and more interested in creating music of my own as I would listen and watch them do theirs. My first big shot came one day without any warning. the percussionist of a group that was recording at the studio had damaged his had, and could not record that day so the guys around the studio who would see me beating boxes with my drum sticks all day decided to challenge me to record his part.

Me being the crazy fool that I am, took them up on their challenge, though I knew from the start I wasn't getting paid, nor was I getting credit, and I also knew that if I screwed up they were just gonna erase it and make fun of me forever. I did it any way.

The song was called "Miami Heat Wave", it became a huge hit and my performance was kept. From that day on, I would spend my whole check on studio time in various Miami studios recording hideous music which at the time I thought were masterpieces. As I would take them to the real producers working at TK they would point out my errors and patiently I would go back to the studio and fix them. That's how I learned to live, and love the music industry.

Q: After the group Secret Society went their separate ways what did you do?

A: Well before I get to that, lets talk about what came before and after. I formed various groups during the late 70's and early 80's . Right before Secret Society I had a group called Silent Prayer. This group played at a club called The Beat Club. Their were many groups that played there, but amongst these groups it was us, and a group called Perfect Strangers, that became the most popular. One day, the lead singer of Perfect Strangers approached me with a similar dilemma I was facing. This dilemma was he wanted to create a different style of music, but his musicians were not agreeing with him. I had some music I had been experimenting with and so did he. So we decided to mix them together and see what would come out of it. His name is Rudy Gil, and this music was later on called Freestyle. We decided to stay together as a group and disbanded from our present groups.

Our group was called Secret Society and the remaining members of the two other groups formed the band called Erotic Exotic. Immediately after that we reissued a record that Rudy had put out called "Why Did You Run Away". The program director of a small South Miami station loved it. His name is Frank Walsh and the station was Rhythm 98. The rest was history.

Eight years of hits such as "Find Yourself","To Blind To See","The Boys With The New Look", "We Belong Together", "Forgetting Isn't Easy","Love Is Not Forever", "You Said You Loved Me",and "Touch Me". Lots of shows and lots of fun had to some day come to an end, and so it did in 1990.

At that point I asked myself "what do I do now ?". Tracing back to my childhood seemed to be the answer so I started pulling out old Afro Cuban records, and researched what would be my new sound.

I got together with a long time friend Kino Moreno,and started to make up beats and chants, that would later on be backed up by House music with the help of another old friend Giuseppe D., who formerly produced Los Sucios and now works for Tony Moran. The first song we came up with we named " Descarga",but we did not have a name for the group.

So we asked ourselves what does the music sound like? Our answer was a train, a Latin train. And there we came up with the name Latin Xpress".

Q: Can you tell us about your new group Latin Xpress?

A: The group is composed of three musicians, myself on lead vocals and timbales, Kino Moreno on congas and background vocals and Machete, rapping and playing the pots and pans. The music is a mixture of Afro Cuban chants and drum patterns overlaid with modern House and Techno synths and drum beats. Presently we are on Max Music with our second release "Soul Makossa" and old Manu DiBango classic. The rest of our album is remakes of old songs like "El Manisero","Black Magic Woman" and "Sabor A Mi", and original compositions inspired by one of my biggest idols from Cuba, Lazaro Ros. These songs are mainly Santeria chants adapted to House that slaves sang in ceremonies for hundreds of years. Latin Xpress has performed in various venues in town and California. Recently we performed at Midem conference for delegates from around the world. And the rest is yet to be told. Q: Would there be any Freestyle elements involved in the Latin Xpress venture? A: If Freestyle makes a come back most definitely, but it wont be anything like Secret Society. I feel that had it's own identity and so should this.

Q: As an entertainer how would you compare today's crowd with yesterday's crowd?

A: Well today people are more visually stimulated by media such as MTV, and all others. So the visual elements have taken priority over that of good musicianship. I have noticed at concerts people tend to be more worried about what I am going to wear than about how good I am playing. This doesn't upset me, cause I have always been a freak, so I have got that side well taken care of.

But being the musician that I am it is my duty to educate the new fans that music is as important if not more than the color of my hair. Hopefully they will learn.

Q: What would you like to achieve this time around with Latin Xpress ? A: I would like to take it much further then Secret Society ever went. I would like to experiment with more styles of music this time I feel I can do it because I have the freedom to express myself without having to ask anybody else's opinion. To sum it up, I want the world in my hands.

Q: What other projects do you have going on? And what groups in the past have you produced? A: Presently, I am also producing a group of my own, called "Child's Play," it is basically Rave music (drum and bass,jungle,break beats,etc.....) With my daughter Krizzia (6 yrs old) singing nursery rhymes over the music. I am also producing Michael M. formerly known as Androgeny, Alegra formerly from MTS, E-LUV from Fever Express, and Rene. These are predominantly House or Drum and Bass oriented projects.

I am also producing a Jamaican rap group called "Soul Rebels",which seems to be very promising. I am looking into several new groups to produce in the near future. You will be hearing from all these new artist soon enough! In the past I produced "Los Sucios", "Bernardo", "Genuine Parts", several Rock, R&B, and Afro-Cuban projects, to many to mention, and some other Freestyle dance oriented acts that were either never put out or amounted to much, or to mention either.

Q: How do you stay focused when you have so much going on?

A: In martial arts I learned that true success can only be acquired through stamina, persistence,and the overwhelming desire to overcome the invincible. Applying these basic fundamentals to everyday life, I have learned are the key. Unlocking the door is just left up to curiosity.

Q: Have any other artist, producers, songs inspired you in your work?

A: Yes, of course. Simply turning on the radio is an inspiration though I have had an extensive amount of music appreciation classes from my parents. I must say their have been the most influential of groups in my life. Those are "Earth, Wind and Fire", "War","Blood Sweat and Tears","Tears for Fears", and"Syntesis"(from Cuba). As far as producers Alec Constadinos, Quincy Jones, and Trevor Horne. As far as songs I'm influenced by anything that has a good hook and good lyrics to remember. For example,"Row,Row,Row Your Boat" or "Happy Birthday".

Q: From a producers perspective when you create music, what makes up a complete project?

A: 1. The artist. to me has to be real and credible. The artist must deliver a performance from the heart. For example : I prefer working with someone that gives me goose from the way they sang the word as opposed to how well they hit the note.

2. The hook. In other words, that little line that keeps happening over and over again that enables the record buyer to sing it for the record seller when he can't remember the title.

3. The song has to be based on the times that we are living and the music styles that are happening if this is not there, your song is either out of date or ahead of it's time.

Q: Music has a way of changing through time, what can you say regarding your music today that is different from your past projects?

A: Everything! I have evolved through the years. I have also grown mentally and spiritually, so naturally the content of my music has to change to fit my appreciation. If you compare the two, my past and the present you will see this change, but you will also notice my presence as an artist has changed much. I am still determined to create music for people to dance to.

Q: What message would you like to say to future producers and artists?

A: Stay true to yourself, finish what you start and don't take any bullshit! Follow your dreams, they do become a reality.

Q: If you had the chance to make changes in today's industry, what would you change?

A: Well the first thing I would do is I would make sure that the heads of all music institutions such as, radio stations, record labels, and concert booking companies be musicians and not accountants. In other words, we the musicians have to deal with the scrutiny and rejection of a person that does not understand music in it's literal form. Then, I would make sure that the artist, writers, producers, and anybody involved in creating an act buy the same book.

Q: What would you like to say to the Freestyle/Dance community?

A: First of all, thanks for buying my records in the past and for being true fans. And next, don't worry it's called "trip-hop", so we are still around. Hope to see you at my shows with the new group "Latin Xpress", and please go to the store and buy my record! In other words.......... Support my habits. I love you all. Till the next time.

Click here for more photo's.

Special thanks goes out to Peter Robles (Manager) ,Joe Blanco (Road Manager)and Eileen Martinez.
Pictures provided by Joe Blanco.

Interviews & Profiles