Sergio George

Last updated
Sergio George
Sergiogeorge.png
Sergio George at the 2016 Premios Juventud
Background information
Born (1961-05-23) May 23, 1961 (age 62)
New York City, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Pianist
  • arranger
  • producer
  • composer
  • musical director
  • A&R
Labels
  • RMM
  • Sony Discos
  • Sir George
  • WEA Latina
  • SGZ
  • La Calle
  • Top Stop
  • NuAmerica

Sergio George (born May 23, 1961) is an American pianist, arranger, and record producer, known for working with many famous performers of salsa music, although he has worked in other genres of the music industry as well. He has worked with some of Latin music's most popular artists starting with Marc Anthony, DLG, Jennifer Lopez, Tito Nieves, Víctor Manuelle, Frankie Negrón, Johnny Rivera, Ray Sepúlveda, Tito Puente, Thalia, Orquesta de la Luz, Ivy Queen, Celia Cruz, La India, Jerry Rivera, Bacilos, Leslie Grace, Toby Love, Cheo Feliciano, Prince Royce, Liz Elias, Indy Flow, among others.

Biography

George, the son of Puerto Rican parents, was born and raised in New York City, and attended the City College of New York. He had started his professional career with Conjunto Caché and Conjunto Clásico in 1979, then moved on to session recordings and live performances during the 1980s. Starting in 1987, George was musical director for several album recordings, including being pianist for Grupo Star for their 1987 album "Grupo Star", and lived in Colombia for a year. During this period he was also a member of Grupo Baruc and their release of the album "Reeencuentro" in 1988. It was not until he became the producer of Tito Nieves's first album "The Classic" for RMM in 1988 that his status as one of the most sought-after salsa producers was stamped. Also in 1988, he was the producer and musical director for Johnny & Ray's (later became Johnny Ray) first album "Mascarada" with vocalist Ray Sepulveda.

George later became the main visionary behind the New York-based Latin label RMM Records & Video, between 1988 and 1995, arranging, producing, and directing dozens of recordings for that label, working with artists like Jose Alberto 'El Canario', Johnny Rivera, Domingo Quinones, Tony Vega, Ray Sepulveda, Cheo Feliciano, Celia Cruz, La India and others. He produced the 1991 album "100th LP" for Tito Puente, produced & arranged the first two albums of Marc Anthony, "Otra Nota" & "Todo A Su Tiempo". George also produced the platinum-selling "Combinacion Perfecta" album from Familia RMM in 1993. He also produced and sessioned in recordings outside of RMM during this period, including albums with Nestor Sanchez, Junior Gonzalez, Africando and Los Hermanos Colon, as well as arranging several hit songs, including his arrangement on the hit track "Solo" for Luis Enrique on his 1989 album "Mi Mundo".

In early 1995, George left RMM to pursue his own producing venture with Sir George Entertainment, and had a producing agreement with Sony Discos. During this time, he formed DLG, featuring vocalist Huey Dunbar and rappers James 'Da Barba' and Fragancia. He also helped in re-inventing Victor Manuelle into one of the Salsa's most powerful artists. His producing credits continued on with WEA Latina by 1997 with Frankie Negron, Charlie Cruz, Charlie Cardona, Servando Y Florentino and many other salsa performers. In early 2004, Sergio George and Latin recording executive George Zamora created SGZ Entertainment, in Miami, Florida, focusing on urban artists. In August 2006, SGZ Entertainment became part of La Calle Records, a sublabel of Univision. During the 2008 Latin Grammy Awards, Sergio George won Producer of the Year for his work on "Historia De Taxi" by Ricardo Arjona featuring Marc Anthony, "La Vida Se Va" by Gloria Trevi, "Mi Mayor Sacrificio" by Tito Nieves featuring Marco Antonio Solís, "Quiero Decirte Que Te Amo" by DLG featuring Ness, "Toro Mata" by DLG featuring Napoles and Ness and the album El Cantante by Marc Anthony.

In 2009, George founded Top Stop Music, and the first release was with Luis Enrique and his album, Ciclos which has topped the charts and garnered two Latin Grammy awards. He signed Prince Royce, whose self-titled debut album was released early 2010. At the end of 2009, La India signed with Top Stop Music, having her first single released in early 2010, "Estupida" which quickly reached number one on the US Billboard Tropical Songs chart. Her album, Unica , was released by Top Stop Music in 2010.

At the 11th Latin Grammy Awards, George received his second Latin Grammy for Producer of the Year, for his work on "Corazón Sin Cara", "Tu y Yo" and "Stand By Me" by Prince Royce, "Estúpida", "Si Él Te Habla De Mi", "Smile" and "Te Vas a Arrepentir" by La India.

In 2013, George released "Sergio George Presents Salsa Giants" and became a platinum-selling hit record worldwide. At the 14th Latin Grammy Awards, George took home a trio of Latin Grammys for Producer of the Year, Producer of Marc Anthony's Record of the Year "Vivir Mi Vida" and Best Salsa Album for "Sergio George Presents Salsa Giants."

In 2023, George released “¡ATACA SERGIO! INQUEBRANTABLE,” on Amazon. George gives fans a behind the scenes look at his life and his 43 year career in the music industry.

Studio Albums

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marc Anthony</span> American singer (born 1968)

Marco Antonio Muñiz, known professionally as Marc Anthony, is an American singer and songwriter. He is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. A four-time Grammy Award, eight-time Latin Grammy Award and twenty-nine-time Lo Nuestro Awards winner, he has sold more than 12 million albums worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tito Nieves</span> Puerto Rican musician

Humberto "Tito" Nieves is a Puerto Rican musician who became one of the leading salsa singers of the 1980s and the early 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La India</span> Puerto Rican singer

Linda Bell Viera Caballero, better known as La India, is a Puerto Rican singer and songwriter of salsa, house music and Latin pop. La India has been nominated for both Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards, winning the Latin Grammy Award for Best Salsa Album for the Intensamente La India Con Canciones De Juan Gabriel album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Víctor Manuelle</span> American musician

Víctor Manuel Ruiz Velázquez, known professionally as Víctor Manuelle, is an American salsa musician of Puerto-Rican origin, known to his fans as El Sonero de la Juventud. He is identified primarily with salsa romántica or "salsa monga". Víctor Manuelle has neither recorded in English, nor made a Latin pop album, nor ventured into acting, preferring to remain a musician grounded within salsa music.

Dark Latin Groove (DLG) is a salsa band that mixes salsa, reggae and hip-hop. The group was brought together in New York by producer Sergio George and included Huey Dunbar, Fragancia, and James "Da Barba" de Jesus.

Salsa Romántica is a soft form of salsa music that emerged between the mid-1980s and early 1990s in New York City, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. It has been the most commercially successful form of salsa in the last 20 years, despite criticism that it is a pale imitation of "real" salsa, often called "salsa dura".{{Citation needed|reason=There is no source to this fact|date=February 2023}}

RMM Records, also known as RMM Records & Video Corp, was an independent Latin music record label established in 1987 and based in New York City. The label was most active during the late 1980s and early 1990s and produced primarily salsa, Latin jazz, and merengue music. At its peak, RMM Records employed 55 staff members and had distribution deals in 42 cities around the world, occupying 9,000 square feet in two floors at its Soho headquarters. The label was established by Fania Records promoter Ralph Mercado, who had established RMM Management in 1972 as an artist management and booking agency, providing bookings for Latin artists Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, and Ray Barretto.

<i>Otra Nota</i> 1993 studio album by Marc Anthony

Otra Nota is the debut album by American singer Marc Anthony that was released on January 26, 1993, by RMM Records. Produced by Sergio George, it was the first album by Anthony to record in salsa after starting his career as a freestyle musician. Recording of the album began after Anthony asked RMM president Ralph Mercado to record Juan Gabriel's "Hasta Que Te Conocí" in salsa after hearing it on the radio during a taxi ride. Recorded on a low budget, the album peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Tropical Albums chart and reached No. 30 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart.

<i>Contra la Corriente</i> (Marc Anthony album) 1997 studio album by Marc Anthony

Contra la Corriente is the third studio album released by American singer Marc Anthony on October 21, 1997, by RMM Records. The album was produced by Puerto Rican musician Angel "Cucco" Peña, with most of the songs written by Panamanian composer Omar Alfanno. The album was well received by critics who praised the vocals of Anthony as well as the songs. The album produced six singles, four of which peaked on the top ten on the Hot Latin Tracks chart. Promoted by a sold-out concert in Madison Square Garden, Contra la Corriente became the first salsa album to reach number one on the Top Latin Albums chart and to chart on the Billboard 200.

<i>Tropical Tribute to the Beatles</i> 1996 compilation album by various artists

Tropical Tribute to the Beatles is a tribute album of tropical artists released in 1996 by RMM Records, produced by Oscar Gomez.

<i>Dicen Que Soy</i> 1994 studio album by La India

Dicen Que Soy is the third studio album by Puerto Rican recording artist La India released on September 20, 1994, by RMM Records. The album was produced by American musician Sergio George, who chose the songs for India to record with an emphasis on feminism to suit with her voice. The production mixes salsa music with other rhythms such as funk and timba. Five singles were released from the record with "Nunca Voy a Olvidarte" and "Ese Hombre" topping the Billboard Tropical Songs chart.

<i>El Cantante</i> (Marc Anthony album) 2007 soundtrack album by Marc Anthony

El Cantante is the soundtrack album to the film of the same name, the ninth studio album and seventh made in Spanish recorded by Puerto Rican-American singer-songwriter Marc Anthony The album witch released by Sony BMG Norte on July 24, 2007.

Ray Sepúlveda is a salsa singer born in Brooklyn, New York. He recorded three albums with Orquestra Sociedad 76 in the late 1970s and two albums with Johnny Rivera in the late 1980s before launching a solo career in the 1990s.

<i>Unica</i> (La India album) 2010 studio album by La India

Unica ("unique") is the ninth studio album by Puerto Rican singer La India, released on June 1, 2010 on the Top Stop Music label founded by grammy winner Sergio George. It features the song Estupida, which was released as a single in both ballad and salsa versions, and was her 7th #1 hit on the Tropical Billboard Charts, making her the female with the most #1 hits on the chart. The album's release party was held in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Top Stop Music</span>

Top Stop Music is an independent record label founded by Puerto Rican producer, Sergio George in 2009 based in Delray Beach, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaitanes</span> Panamanian musician duo

Gaitanes is a duo of producer/composer/singers consisting of brothers Ricardo and Alberto Gaitán. They originate from Panama and have been active since 1989. They have released albums, singles and musical collaborations as well as winning various awards and nominations.

The 26th Lo Nuestro Awards were presented by the American network Univision, honoring the best Latin music of 2013 in the United States. The ceremony took place on February 20, 2014, at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida beginning at 5:00 p.m. PST. The Lo Nuestro Awards were presented in 33 categories and it was televised by Univision. Mexican singer Ninel Conde and Cuban American actor William Levy hosted the show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Contra la Corriente (song)</span> 1998 single by Marc Anthony

"Contra la Corriente" is a song by American singer Marc Anthony from his third studio album of the same name (1997). It was released in 1998 by RMM and served as the album's fifth single. The song was written by Omar Alfanno, with co-production handled by Ángel "Cucco" Peña and Anthony. "Contra la Corriente" is a salsa song, that lyrically recalls a "good love from the past."

<i>Sergio George Presents: Salsa Giants</i> 2013 live album by Various artists

Sergio George Presents: Salsa Giants is a live album by various artists and American pianist and record producer Sergio George. It was released on 24 June 2013 through Sony Music Latin and Top Stop Music. It has the participation of artists with whom George recorded and produced albums in the past such as Tito Nieves, Marc Anthony, Oscar D'León, Luis Enrique, and Orquesta de la Luz among others.

Gerardo Enrique Rodríguez is a Cuban-American musician, record producer and sound engineer, known for his work as a trumpeter for artists like Marc Anthony, Thalía, Maluma, Ricardo Arjona, Tito Nieves, Aymée Nuviola, Prince Royce, Camila Cabello and Ricardo Montaner, among others. For his work in the music industry, Rodríguez has garnered Latin Grammy nominations.

References