MUSIC
Introducing ... Jay
Luis Vazquez
Click here to listen to a track from Jay Legaspi
I had the pleasure to interview an artist at the Philippine Independence Festival. On Tuesday June 14, 2005, Jay will be performing with a band for the first time at Kenny’s in the village. This will not be the first time you hear from this artist. Here is an interview I did with him a past week.
HELLO JAY. WE CAME ACROSS AN ARTIST AT THE FESTIVAL AND NOTICED HIM STARTING WITH ONE GENRE -A LITTLE STARTUP AND THEN DID A 360, YOU WANT TO COMMENT HOW IMPORTANT FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE ON A CROWD?
Jay: First impressions are important especially when you have five minutes to get their attention and possibly get them interested, its huge. A part of me I usually start with a be-bop thing -more of the hip-hop side of me, as I was growing up I listened to a lot of hip-hop and it’s a part of me, I think the impression I want to give people, there are so many artists, there is so many acts -there is plenty of room for everybody, but there is room to be unique and not take the same old song, hopefully the way I come out, the way I play, I way I sing, and the way I write I hope I come across as unique, give them something different.
IT DEFINITELY SHOWED IN THAT PERFORMANCE IF YOU PERFORM THAT WAY ON STAGE, I CAN IMAGINE WHAT THE STUDIO VERSION MUST SOUND LIKE BEING ABLE TO DO MORE, YOU HAVE AN ALBUM COMING OUT, IS THIS YOUR FIRST?
Jay: Its my first total length, its actually an EP, 6 songs, my first major release.
SO YOU HAD SINGLES IN THE PAST?
Jay: Well the way I did it, I did writing in college until I graduated from Cornell University. When I wasn’t sure what I wanted this as a career. I used to record stuff and give them out for free hoping people would dig it. Last summer I began what I would call a full-blown music career and I ended up selling the for 5 bucks. I think I just wanted to do as many big things, the entire album was fun, and I did every possible performance I could do to push the CD. I made 2,400 from the sales of that CD.
ONE OF THE VENUES YOU PERFORMED AT WAS THE PHILLIPINE DAY FESTIVAL, VERY IMPORTANT DAY , WHAT WAS YOUR BACKGROUND?
Jay: I was born in New York City at NYU Hospital. My parents are from the Philippines. I have lived in Bergen County, New Jersey.
WHAT DID THAT DAY MEAN TO YOU AS A PHILLIPINO BORN IN THE U.S YET AWARE OF ITS HISTORY OF ABUSE FROM MANY NATIONS. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU PERSONALLY AND ALWAYS WHEN PEOPLE SEE YOU, YOU WANT TO BE KNOWN AS PHILIPINO YET YOU WANT TO KNOWN AS JAY, AND NOT TYPEMARKED, YOUR FEELINGS?
Jay: Its not that I want to be type marked when I refer myself as Jay. Its not that I’m hiding my nationality. I believe that music is universal and as such people don’t need to know any more but what you are trying to say. When I write from my experiences, and the Pilipino side is a big part of me, when you listen to the song, Ghost, the song is primarily about people saying that I couldn’t do music for one reason or another and my personal struggle because I am Asian. It is very difficult because unless you are African-American or Caucasian in the music industry. We have a Hispanic music CD but it sucks that the Asian genre of music is swept under the carpet. I don’t believe record companies believe Asian-Americans fit the mold of making it. I know a lot of songwriters have written about rebellion, leaving town, except that its my interpretation and that feeling about forget being an individual and what it takes to overcome. But at the same time I don’t want it to sound like I’m bitter because I’m not. In the end I could have let it down me but I didn’t .
YOU SEEM TO RECOGNIZE THE DECK IS STACKED AGAINST YOU BUT YOU DON’T CARRY YOURSELF THAT WAY, YOU SEEM TO HAVE MESHED INTO THE CULTURE OF THIS COUNTRY. IT ALWAYS SEEMS THAT MUSICIANS ALWAYS HAVE THEIR FINGER ON THE PULSE OF WHAT IS GOING ON. AS WITH OTHER NATIONALITIES SOMETIMES ITS JUST A MATTER OF THAT ONE PERSON OR MOMENT THAT PUTS THEM ON THE MAP, YOU MAY ONE DAY BE THAT PERSON?
Jay: At the same time, there is so many, whether people believe it or not, it’s a battle that will always be fought. People don’t realize how many Philipinos are in the music and that I’m just one of them. You can look to other sources for good music.
I CHECKED OUT YOUR SITE AND I NOTICED THAT YOUR WRITING IS VERY POETIC. YOU HAVE A LOT TO SEE AND ITS VERY DEEP. USUALLY LENGHTY BUT VERY UNIQUE.
Jay: On my website I love writing blogs especially the opening statements. When I get writers block I get feedback from blogs and plus the way I write I like too read it after the fact. The first songs I wrote were rap. I wasn’t very good playing the guitar.
HARD TO BELIEVE AFTER WHAT WE WITNESSED WE SAW.
Jay: Thank you very much. I mean when I started writing, I remember in college I said “Oh my God, there is nothing to stop me from doing what I want“. There has always been a yearning in me to express myself in a way that was not done in my family. I put on a beat from an Japanese track. I started feeling like this should be born. I find different ways to present it, my views of HIP-HOP.
MUSIC TODAY COULD BE IDENTIFIED BY STYLES, TODAY THERE IS A LOT OF MESHING, STYLES HYDRIDING WITHIN AND TWO GENRES MESHING INTO NEW LOOKS, DO YOU THINK THIS IS THE TIME FOR YOU?
Jay: You are definitely right especially with the accapela re-mixes such as Jay-Z uses different genres from other groups with their albums. The Sugar Hill Gang took samples from songs. Even though you may take things from the past and maybe at times I may be compared to a Jay-Z when I rap. One cant help to take from the past but what the great bands or artists do is make it their own and create from it something unique.
WHERE DO YOU PLAY IN CLUBS? SCHOOLS ? WHERE CAN YOU FIND OUT WHERE YOU PLAY?
Jay: I have a website www.jaylegaspi.com which has the demo and two new songs and as of live shows I have the show coming up in Kenny’s. I usually play in Galleries and smaller venues. I hope to play in bigger clubs like the “LIVING ROOM”. If I get to put in the time I hopefully can play in those places. Going out on the road and traveling to different places around the country performing for people is something I want to do. If you don’t have the dream nothing happens
YOUR FINAL THOUGHTS -WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT JAY, WHAT MESSAGE?
Jay: I think everyone is welcome to music. However, that being said, the two things you have to do is keep it honest and keep it fresh .My personal goals are like what you read it has come from an honest part of you. If you read it that way, it naturally will be something innovative because if you write it as honestly as possible, people will hear it from the way you write and the way you sing, and I hope with that being said I hope most people listen to it that maybe it can help and that not all songs are about heartbreak and sadness and I hope that they see that. I want them to see that. One thing I don’t want to be typecast as I’m looking down at my shoes and my stomach and wondering why my girlfriend left. I mean, it’s a great topic, but there’s more to life, more movement than that.
