Ibiza by night met Anané & Louie Vega for an exclusive interview realized in the studios of Ibiza Global Radio.
Louie Vega, a living legend of house music, and his life partner Ananè Vega, have been protagonist of Ibiza 2018: their successful party “The Ritual” is taking place every Tuesday night at Heart Ibiza, hosting artists like Joseph Capriati, Masters At Work, The Martinez Brothers, Nicole Moudaber and many more…
Louie Vega explained the concept of the party:´´We want to give you the NYC underground culture experience. Visually you are seeing lots of the heart of New York City within art and music. From Keith Haring to punk rock to disco to the Fania all stars, to Grace Jones, we go around the whole scope of what made a lot of New York City in the 70s and 80s and even 90s. We take you on a journey visually and through our music as well. Feeling our culture as well with Anané’s Cape Verdian and African roots to my latin roots in the Caribbean. This all brings together the heart and core of what we are and we bring it to ibiza. The ritual is about that and more. It is our heart speaking to the people´´
Ananá Vega mentioned that:´Ibiza is the Mecca of club culture and going out on any given night you are able to find an array of styles and parties, therefore it’s always an inspiration. Being that Nulu Music will celebrate 10 years in 2019, it is amazing to be a pioneer of the Afro Sound from the beginning. Launching various careers of artists on an international level and bringing this genre to the masses has been a goal I’ve achieved. It’s truly exciting for what more is to come. Be true, be you and never be afraid to bring something new´´
Ibiza by Night: We’re speaking here around your upcoming HEART Ibiza night – The Ritual. First off, what makes HEART the best location for the residency in terms of its concept and featured artists?
ANANÉ: “Heart is the best location for a residency because it is a place that brings an intimate vibe with state of the art everything while keeping the integrity of the music, an incredible team of professionals and visionaries who are interested in bringing artistic quality to the magic island. We have the same vision.”
IBN: You’ve already hosted the illustrious likes of Moodymann and Henrik Schwarz and have a list of leading names joining you throughout the summer including Joseph Capriati, Nicole Moudaber and of course, Masters At Work. Tell us about the selection process like behind this year’s line-ups?
Louie: “All the artists on our line-up have a special connection with us, they all are very talented and have unique individualism, there is only one of them in this world! It was never about getting the most popular, our goal was to bring djs and artists that have the same passion for music as we do, they live it as we do and transcend into their audience. New York City underground culture was about that, self expression at its best. Each artist so far has come in and gave an outstanding set.”
IBN: Can you specifically talk about NULU Movement and how the concept will be integrated within The Ritual?
ANANÉ: “The Ritual was the perfect way to bring Nulu Movement to the island of Ibiza. The concept of Nulu Movement is bringing the sounds of my two labels Nulu & Nulu Electronic in a one night party, allowing artists from both labels to feel free to express themselves musically. It’s a journey through sounds, whether live or through dj sets.”
IBN: NULU Movement was (and is) a seminal destination for the discovery and ultimate rise of the Afro House genre. What are your impressions on its popularity now?
ANANÉ: “Being that Nulu Music will celebrate 10 years in 2019, it is amazing to be a pioneer of the Afro Sound from the beginning. Having helped launch various careers of artists on an international level and bringing this genre to the masses before it was a category on any digital platform. It’s truly exciting for what more is to come.”
IBN: Do you find yourself prepping your DJ sets differently for an Ibiza crowd then elsewhere (say, New York City, for instance)?
Louie: “I have a huge repertoire of music, I like to make it feel different each time, we have 10 weeks here so many nights to play with, but it`s really based on the crowd, our aim is to make them dance, smile and have a good time. We also collect more music while here, lots of our friends are music producers and we also meet new music producers, as well as buying music online or in stores. Going to other parties too is good for your musical ibiza pallet, we go out to hear our peers rock a club. Keeping your mind to the new sounds too.”
ANANÉ: “Honestly, I’m not one for prepping dj sets when I play, I love to feel the crowd and feed off the energy with total freedom of selecting music that keeps feeding the energy of the dance floor.”
Thanks Anané & Louie!
Don’t forget: Moving through the rest of the season, Kenny Dope joins The Ritual (21 August). All promise to bring fire to the dancefloor as the season draws to an end on 28 August with a special guest fuelled Closing Party.
Credits: Thanks to Ibiza Global Radio for the hospitality
Text by Pau Kural & Steve Massa
