My earliest memory of music was freestyle music - I was about 5 years old - my parents were either at some family event, not home or just plain crazy because it was a Friday night and as I walked into our back yard, the music was blasting, my brother Jaime was on the turn tables; my brother Hector was plotting with other teenagers and passing out drinks - my sister Pattie was hanging out with her wanna be chola friends and I was at the center of some circle dancing (pretending to break dance) - all at like 5 years old.
For those of you that don't know about freestyle music...here is a quick overview:
1982–1987: Origin of freestyle
Freestyle music developed in the early 1980s, primarily in the Latin communities of Upper Manhattan and The Bronx and 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...
(read more on wikipedia or the google)
I am not entirely sure how it made it to our little town - Livingston, Ca, but it did and it is what I think of when I think of the music I grew up on - not because I proactively searched for it - but because the mixed tapes were laying around and it was what was playing at parties...in my backyard.
Freestyle playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgtAMtZ9WrDjJWsGqKRwz9fcCSRk_CkCr
As for Hector, Jaime and Pattie - thank you for being my number one music influences - this music influence and knowledge has always made me one of the cool younger kids (so I think - I was quickly kicked out of that party)
xo, chicXicana
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