It would seem that to move forward one has to take a few steps back. Such is the case with Latin super group,Vena. The brain child of Lenny Santos, former member of Aventura, and now highly sought after producer, formed this group, fronted by former Xtreme member Steve Styles, while fighting against the current for respect. The barriers which seemed to hold Vena back appear to have started subsiding. Lenny Santos spoke to us about how strategy and replication in the industry have led to doors finally opening. “It took Aventura nine years to get to the top of the game,” Lenny explains.
“We wanted to do something different to avoid oversaturation. We produced a song that was more traditional Bachata.”
Vena currently has the number four song in the Tropical charts. The name of the song is “Corazon De Hierro” It features two icons in Frank and Teodoro Reyes. Lenny seems to have struck gold by bringing Bachata back full circle.”
It still works if done the right way. Its really more traditional bachata, separate from current artists like Romeo and Prince Royce.”
Its not a wonder why Lenny chose to go this route. Even at 34, Lenny recalled the memories of youth and what interested him in Bachata, and by extension its roots. “I was eight years old. I listened to Bachata because my step father loved it. He recorded shows with his VHS Camera. When I was 13 or 14, I remember Anthony Santos, he would play guitar, that sound I felt, I was in love with it.” Lenny explained. “I’m a young guy, to see old vintage, people say whats that? Santos made it more electric. Everyone caught on. It’s how it started for me with the guitar as well as following Rock bands on MTV in the 90’s.”
The timing of this production may have favored Vena as opposed to a year ago when radio stations were not as receptive. But Lenny revised his thinking and with a belief in his pedigree, slowly they have started coming around. “You have to see whats going on in the market, timing, something new, not saturating the market. It doesn’t matter where you come from,” Lenny explained. “The reason radio played it because the industry respects the work I’ve done,” Lenny reflects. “It’s also partly they had too much on their hands. The opportunity finally came with alot of perseverance and faith in this game. Sometimes you lose it.”
Even for a grinder like Lenny, the frustration in moving Vena into the mainstream circles, he questioned whether it was worth it to bang his head against the wall. But what he had assembled was talent laden and now the light at the end of this tunnel is peaking through. “There are times when I said, I’m not doing this again. But at the same time I love the group I formed.”
Lenny is embracing his place in the business and Vena is an extension of that. The love that comes from the interactions with their varied fanbase has defined for him how good they are and what performing is all about. “I’m a well established producer, making a good living at that, passion for the whole live aspect, its part of what keeps me going, lets go for the next show, then the next.” On that topic, the most exciting news will be Vena’s European Tour coming up which will culminate in a date in Madrid, Spain with Daddy Yankee as Lenny tells it,
“We’re taking it back. When people hear our brand of traditional bachata, its beautiful. It was music with more depth, not simple beats with two sentences like many songs today
.”
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