LPT - Los Bravos
PREMIERE | LPT SPARKLES ON ‘LOS BRAVOS’
Jacksonville, Florida-based Salsa/Afro-Cuban band LPT unveils the music video for “Los Bravos,” a track from their recent album, Sin Parar, along with announcing a 7-inch vinyl record slated to drop July 31 via Bold City Records.
LPT | Photo: Miguel Emmanualli
According to LPT, “‘Los Bravos’ is unabashedly up-front and in-your-face. It should serve as an inspiration to folks to not take any guff from detractors. It should be a rallying cry to the downtrodden. It hopefully serves as a shot of confidence to those that need it, when facing the perilous.”
“Los Bravos” opens on sizzling brass flowing into a deliciously undulating retro-Salsa melody flavored with sparkling piano textures and an infectiously syncopated rhythm. Josué A. Cruz’s deluxe voice, backed by radiant harmonies, infuses the lyrics with electrifying energy, leading to the solo, riding waves of interweaving lavish brass coloration, arranged to perfection.
Rawckus Magazine caught up with lead vocalist, manager, and whip cracker Josué A. Cruz to talk about how the band got together, the inspiration for “Los Bravos,” and what’s next for LPT.
What’s the band’s musical backstory? And how did you come to get together?
LPT came together in 2015 after a few of the members with Hispanic backgrounds wanted to pay homage to the music we’d heard in our homes growing up. We wanted to just play some salsa songs that we really loved. Most of the guys in the band have a strong musical education background, that is to say, lots of time spent in music school and jazz programs, etc. We approached the music with fresh ears though. We all wanted to learn something new from Afro-Cuban music. This was in our blood from our youth but learning to really play it took time. There is still so much to learn in the genre. It’s invigorating.
Who is in the band (names) and what instruments do they play?
Milan Algood – Timbales, Vox
Josué A. Cruz – Lead Vox
Mike Emmert – Baritone Sax, Flute
Ángel D. García – Keys, Vox
Bryant Patterson – Trombone
Jonah Pierre – Bongo & Bell
Stan Piper – Bass
Juan Carlos Rollan – Tenor Sax, Vox
Juan Pablo Salvat – Congas
Steve Strawley – Trumpet
What are the dynamics of the band like? Does the band run like a democracy, everybody has a vote and majority rules? Or is it a benevolent dictatorship? Or something in between?
Every member has a voice in LPT because we are wholly the sum of our parts. We toss around the image of Voltron a lot in this group, which is something that our trombonist, Bryant Patterson, first started referencing a few years ago. As individual artists, we can hold our own on any stage. As a unit, we feel unstoppable. The chemistry on the tours has been fantastic, so far (ha!). We are all open to each other’s songs and ideas and run with what’s best for the group.
That being said, a 10-piece band is bigger than most and that can get a bit convoluted when navigating the daily details of the business-side. So, I handle day-to-day operations. Majority votes are called when large decisions loom and we live with the choices we make as a unit. So what does that make us, a representative democracy? Ha. Not sure. LPT is certainly run more like a business than most other bands I’ve been a part of. You have to with so many folks involved.
"Los Bravos is pure chest-thumping bravado, inspired in many ways, by a continuous stream of braggadocio that was present in the early days of the salsa sound in New York."
What’s the worst decision you ever made as a band?
Did I mention there are 10 of us? Ha! Just kidding. We’ve been lucky to, so far, evading egregious missteps. Worst decision? Hmmm. Not putting more thought into our name? Ha!
Why make music?
Because we have no other choice than to make music. It’s the way that we, as individuals, know how to communicate and respect each other. That, in turn, turns into our only vehicle to understand and interpret the world around us. And, with salsa music specifically, because it is just so damn fun to create.
In the various venues, you’ve performed at so far, which was your favorite? Why?
Well, it’s easy to say that the ones with the nicest dressing rooms/amenities are our favorite, but that’s a cop-out answer. Funny thing is, our favorite venue is probably one of the smallest we’ve ever played. It’s Rain Dogs in Jacksonville’s Five Points neighborhood. It’s where we got our start. A small, punk rock space in the back of a bar that holds, maybe 100? But those first shows were magical. So energetic, so sweaty. We used to play Third Thursdays there for a while (the third Thursday of the month) and the place was beyond capacity with people dancing and moving and giving us the early encouragement we needed to keep going. It was pure.
What inspired your new song/music video “Los Bravos?”
"Los Bravos" is pure chest-thumping bravado, inspired in many ways, by a continuous stream of braggadocio that was present in the early days of the salsa sound in New York. That eventually seeped over into hip-hop and continues today. The bravado stems from the need to believe in yourself when few will. Los Bravos is looking in the mirror and saying, “I got this! I can do anything!”
Being a musician is such a trap sometimes because you have to play on the line between confidence and arrogance. You have to tell yourself that you belong on the stage you are on. You have to be your own hype, without believing your own hype. Once you believe your own hype, you’ve lost. It’s over. You can believe in yourself without believing your own hype. I know it sounds like double-talk, but that’s the truth.
The video is on a rooftop overlooking the city. Better yet, overlooking OUR city. Ha!
Is the band’s sound evolving, and if so, in what direction?
LPT is a group comprised of artists, so there is certainly an evolution in the sound. We’re not only growing within the fundamentals of the Afro-Cuban sound, but we’re exploring ways to break the bounds and incorporate creative arrangements into our songs.
How are you handling the coronavirus situation?
As well as can be expected, I suppose. We lost career-changing tours and major shows because of the coronavirus. We mourned the loss of that and it still stings. We were embarking on a major campaign to support our debut album. It would be easy to let the situation deflate and denounce all the hard work, and there have been some dark days, but we’re holding on. We’ve got a great partnership with Bold City Records, our label, and they have been very supportive during this period. We’re not the only ones going through tough times, so the camaraderie amongst our artist network has helped as well.
Looking to the future, what’s next for LPT?
In the immediate future, we have the release of our new single and video for “Los Bravos.” We also are releasing a hard copy 7” of “Los Bravos” with a House/Dance remix of another of our songs, “Somos LPT,” on the B-side. It was remixed by our good friend and long-time hero, DJ Papi Disco. He crushed it. We never imagined one of our songs flipped toward the EDM scene, but it sounds dope as hell and we’re excited.
In the mid-term future, we’re busy writing new material for a new album. We’ve been cranking on new songs and are excited about the music we’re writing right now – pushing the envelope with new arrangements, etc.
In the long-term, survive. We just want to be in the mix 10, 20 years from now. As long as our music is saying something creative and relevant, then we hope to continue playing for people that enjoy our music. I suppose the moment we get complacent, we’ll just wrap it up.
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