SERGIO GEORGE
BEST TROPICAL LATIN ALBUM
HISTORY'S TOPLATIN PRODUCER
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LATINGRAMMYS
COLOMBIA
Where it AllBegins: Starting toProduce Artists
1991 RALPH MERCADO INTRODUCES MARC ANTHONY, A FRIEND FROM “EL BARRIO” TO PRODUCE
ExclusiveBEGINNINGS OF HISMUSIC CAREER
Memories of "El Barrio"
SIR GEORGEENTERTAINMENT
DLG GROUP IS BORN
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SERGIO'S BIOTHE ROAD TO SUCCESSEL BARRIO: BEGINNINGS IN MUSIC Colombia Where it All Begins: Starting to Produce ArtistsSIR GEORGE ENTERTAIMENT
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41 #1 Hits Around the World
SERGIO'S BIO
George's success in the Latinmusic industry is owed in part tohis upbringing in East Harlem,New York. Due to its diversebackground, he was exposed toa wide variety of musical stylesfrom street funk to salsa. Hiscareer has been characterized byhis willingness to exploredifferent types of music andcollaborate with various artists.He has successfullyexperimented with adaptingtraditional Latin sounds withthose of other genres.George's professionalaccomplishments haveextended far beyond the salsagenre. He has been recognizedas one of the most respectedand successful producers in theLatin tropical genre. With over 30years of experience, he hascontributed countless hitsalongside renowned Latin musicstars. His passion for musicdrives him to create songs thatmerge different worlds and lendthemselves to dance. George'sprofessional journey is atestament to his resilience andcreativity throughout the years.
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Sergio George, a multipleGrammy-winning salsa producer,entered the production worldsomewhat by chance. Holding adiploma in orchestration and someknowledge in engineering, he gotseveral jobs. The most significant onewas as an arranger on a session withTito Nieves, when the producerunexpectedly left and George wasasked to take on the role, leading tohis first hit, "Sonámbulo". He has sincecollaborated with several prominentnames in salsa, like Marc Anthony,Christina Aguilera, and Tito Nieves,producing Celia Cruz's last album priorto her death. Sergio George has wonthe most Latin Producer of the Yearawards in history.
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The row tosuccess
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"I need to bepassionate aboutthe project orunderstand theindividual'sbackground"
I have total control
Before George collaborates with anartist, he makes sure to understandtheir work and how it relates to thecurrent market. "I need to bepassionate about the project orunderstand the individual'sbackground," George states. "But Iusually do my research before Icommit to a project. Then I match theartist with what the industry couldpotentially accept. After that, choosingthe songs begins. Having a planbefore you enter the recording studiois essential."After a decade and a half of working inthe production industry, Georgeeventually obtained his firstnomination for Producer of the Year.He noted, "Salsa was not perceived asa genre that was created byproducers. Thus, I give credit to myselffor staying in the field. With time,everything will eventually turn in yourfavor. If you keep going, you will berewarded by God."
Keep going, and God willlisten
He determined to start his own label,Top Stop, after putting forth a lot ofwork into a project that didn't end upin record stores or get radio play. "Iwanted to have some jurisdictionover the direction of the records," hestates. "I'm not just referring to theproduction but I have to have theability to promote the recordscorrectly. Otherwise you put a lot of effort anddedication into a project andsomebody else doesn't care about itand won't offer any funds or energy toit. With Top Stop, I have total control."
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BEGINNINGSIN MUSIC
EL BARRIO
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Until he turned sixteen, George grewup in the East Harlem area of NewYork City, known as El Barrio. He notedthat his peers at school listened to alot of James Brown, The Jackson 5,Aretha Franklin, and Carole King.However, his Puerto Rican parents,from the towns of Carolina andNaguabo, as well as his immediateenvironment, taught him to recognizehis musical background. According tothe fifty-two-year-old producer, onecould hear pure salsa being playedfrom the windows of homes and cars.He mentioned that his period of fullappreciation for music was in the Latinneighborhood of East Harlem, due tothe radio playing in the bodegas.His initiation into the world of musicwas with Conjunto Caché, based in hislocality. A gentleman contacted him tosee if he was skilled on the piano ashis son was in an orchestra and theywere looking for a pianist. He went tothe audition and was accepted. Theyhad limited performances, but hepracticed a lot. His big opportunitycame when the same man's other sonfounded Conjunto Clasico, with theyoung artist Tito Nieves. After listeningto a piece from the new band, Georgeauditioned for the piano role and wasaccepted. It was Nieves who gaveGeorge his first opening to produce.
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George, shared that he had always wantedto be a baseball player. His dream, however,was dashed when he broke his wrist duringa high school playoff match, causing him tolose his scholarship to attend Long IslandUniversity. Not wanting to be a musician, heenrolled at New York Technical College inBrooklyn to explore other options. Thoughhe continued to play with Conjunto Clasico,he had to decide between completing hiseducation and continuing with his musicalcareer. He mentioned that in the early days,he would leave discos at 5 a.m. and beawake at 6:30 a.m. to head to school. Heeventually withdrew from the band andshifted his focus to his studies, but stillplayed music occasionally with Tito Puente,Héctor Lavoe, Willie Colón, and Machito.After being encouraged by a teacher, heeventually decided to pursue a musicalcareer.
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In the 1980s, George obtained adiploma in classical and jazzcomposition from City College. Hecommented, "I wanted to pursuearranging and crafting music."Subsequently, he collaborated withMachito, and then travelled toColombia to perform with GrupoStar. When he arrived back in NewYork, Nieves organized andproduced his debut album, TheClassic.This was a crucial moment inGeorge's career; to be given theopportunity to take over from LuisRamírez and finish the production ofNieves' record. George had workedwith Nieves before as an arranger,so he was familiar with the music.With no one else in the studio whoknew how to handle the consolesand produce the music, he took itupon himself to complete theproject.Nieves has no regrets about givingGeorge the opportunity, saying thateven now he still works with him onvarious projects. He says thatGeorge "tailors music" for him andthat he would not have gone wrongby hiring him. Nieves made hiscomments during a presentation atPremio Lo Nuestro which speaksvolumes about the level of trust andrespect they have for each other.George is grateful for having beengiven this chance as it opened a lotof doors in his music career.
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