sound

Bronx-born musician and producer Judy Torres remembers the first time she heard Nayobe’s 1985 song “Please Don’t Go”: the upbeat dance track with an infectious bass line and love-struck lyrics that pleaded with a lover to stay close.

“ I was floored at how beautiful of a vocalist she was,” said Torres of the Afro-Cuban artist, who hailed from Brooklyn but found a musical home in the genre known as freestyle. Though sometimes dubbed as “Latin freestyle” or “Latin hip-hop,” thanks to the many Latino vocalists who came to shape its sound, some fanatics trace the origins of the electro-funk genre to “Let the Music Play,” the 1983 smash hit by D.C. singer Shannon.

As Torres puts it, this distinctly 1980s sound — crafted with synthetic instrumentation and syncopated percussions sourced from Roland TR-808 drum machines, as popularized by Afrika Bambaataa’s 1982 single “Planet Rock” — didn’t have a label then. “It was just music,” she says.

But by 1993, as prominent radio stations transitioned from dance-pop to hip-hop and R&B, the freestyle movement fizzled out.

“Like a record scratch, there were no shows,” added Torres.

The genre’s vibrant, knotty history of set the scene for the musical-dance production of “Freestyle: A Love Story,” of which Torres is a co-producer. Created and directed by George Valencia — alongside his wife, “Scrubs” actor Judy Reyes as executive producer, plus “Ugly Betty” actor Ana Ortiz as co-producer — “Freestyle: A Love Story” will make its Los Angeles debut on Nov. 6 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre.

The musical tells the fictional story of two middle-aged Caribbean Latinos, who reunite during a nostalgic night at a Freestyle Extravaganza at New York’s Radio City Music Hall. As 808 kicks echo through the atmosphere, the pair is transported back to 1987: the night they fell in love at a bass-thumping freestyle show.

Proceeds from the night will benefit the Sound of GOL Foundation, an organization founded by George Valencia and Judy Reyes that supports Latina soccer players.

(From George Valencia)

“The idea of telling a love story and having that love story run parallel with the actual musical movement of freestyle, which lasted nine years, is basically the whole framework of the play,” said Valencia to De Los.

Proceeds from the night will benefit the Sound of GOL Foundation: an organization founded by Valencia and Reyes, which supports Latina soccer players.

“Right now, in a time that is looking very dark for Latinos in the United States, I want people to take away that our history has proven time and time again that no matter what they do to us, they can’t take away our revolutionary joy,” added Valencia, making mention of the Trump administration’s mass immigration sweeps.

The production will star “One Day at a Time” actors Justina Machado and James Martinez as the former lovers — as well as Torres and K7, a.k.a. Louis Sharpe, frontman of the Latin freestyle group TKA, who will further bring the artists’ perspectives into the narrative.

“It’s the music that was a part of our everyday life,” Machado told De Los. “Wherever there was a huge Latino population, I think it was kind of a rite of passage.”

Machado was particularly obsessed with Lisa Velez, the lead vocalist of Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, who took freestyle to new heights. The group’s breakout 1985 single “I Wonder if I Take You Home” echoed in the dance clubs before crossing over into mainstream radio and landing the No. 34 spot on the Billboard Hot 100.

Their flamboyant track “Head to Toe,” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1987, making it the first time a Latina vocalist (as part of a group) topped the chart.

“When I was on ‘One Day at a Time,’ they knew I loved Lisa Lisa so much they hired her to perform at the wrap party for Season 1,” recalled Machado. “I have a video from 10 years ago, where I am just freaking out — ‘Is that Lisa Lisa?’ I swear I saw nobody else. It was just me and Lisa Lisa … She was my hero.”

Torres said she lost her mind when someone told her Lisa Lisa was Puerto Rican, just like herself. She recalled thinking: “If she can do it, maybe I can do it,”

By 1996, Torres would release her first single, “No Reason to Cry,” a punchy, melodramatic dance track ghostly vocals that reassure someone of her love.

That song reached No. 30 on the Billboard Hot Dance chart the following year. The track was the lead single from her 1989 debut album, “Love Story,” an electrifying project that sonically transports listeners into dramatic telenovela scenarios.

“Freestyle was the original Latin explosion, because it was created in New York, by the people of New York,” said Torres. “It was street kids, Hispanic kids. All of a sudden, the fans were realizing, ‘Wait a minute — this music represents us, the artists look like us.’ It took off so quickly that many of us were signed by major record labels. We were performing all over the country. We had several shows a weekend.”

Still, prominent Latino artists with Spanish surnames, including Torres, were often told they had to change their last name in order to appeal to pop radio stations. She included these experiences into monologues during “Freestyle: A Love Story.”

“Freestyle music was never given flowers,” said Judy Torres.

(From George Valencia)

The artist known as Soavé, who sang the hypnotic 1989 hit “Crying Over You,” revealed to music magazine Wax Poetics in 2010 that his birth name, which is Jeffrey Martinez, “wouldn’t have sold a record.”

Meanwhile, Puerto Rican singer George Lamond, whose 1990 single “Bad of the Heart” peaked at No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100, professed that he dropped his surname, Garcia, at the behest of his label, Colombia Records. In an interview with Youtuber Honey German, the artist said the label argued that he needed to be more marketable to audiences — but in reality, they didn’t know how to market an artist who was neither Black nor white.

“Now, did I get airplay on the pop stations? No. Is it because I decided to keep [the name] Torres? I’ll never know that,” said Torres. “In a way, we opened the doors [for future Latin stars], because now it’s common for us to hear the last names. Jennifer Lopez, Selena Gomez, Christina Aguilera.”

Torres acknowledged that “freestyle music was never given [its] flowers.” But with “Freestyle: A Love Story,” fans and artists alike can take “a  trip back into time” and revel in its glory for an evening.

“I can’t change it,” said Torres of freestyle’s eventual sunset. “So I have to choose how I’m gonna move forward.”

UN experts have condemned police crackdowns, warning they deter demonstrators from exercising their rights.

United Nations experts have expressed alarm at the “excessive use of force” by French authorities in dispersing the recent nationwide student protests.

“The scale of the arrests and detention, affecting several thousand people, mainly minors, appears disproportionate and deters demonstrators from exercising their freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly,” the four experts, mandated by the UN Human Rights Council, said in a statement on Wednesday.

They included Gina Romero, special rapporteur on the freedom of peaceful assembly, and Farida Shaheed, the UN expert on cultural rights.

“Although authorities launched several initiatives to facilitate dialogue and respond to students’ demands in October, the priority given to a primarily security-focused response to the protests has led to the root causes of the mobilisation being sidelined,” the statement said.

France has seen ongoing student protests since mid-September, sparked initially over conditions in high schools, where young people complained about the deteriorating buildings, overcrowded classrooms and teacher absences. Students have also joined nationwide demonstrations to express anger over the rising cost of living, which led to riots and looting on the sidelines.

The French government deployed 70,000 security forces and arrested 1,000 people during demonstrations on Saturday, which drew 410,000 protesters nationwide, France’s Interior Ministry said. A week earlier, public buildings were vandalised, hundreds of businesses were looted and 2,700 people were arrested, with Interior Minister Laurent Nunez vowing to be “extremely vigilant, extremely firm” to quell future unrest.

“What we are seeing right now is a general outburst of resentment against [French President Emmanuel] Macron and his policies that have destroyed our rights, destroyed our living conditions,” Alice Cohen-Morzadec, a spokesperson for the Union Etudiante, told Al Jazeera.

Analysts say the French government has struggled to address students’ demands due to a severe fiscal crisis and planned budget cuts, which have led to a drop in the country’s education budget.

Police response to protests

French authorities have been criticised for their approach to security during some of the protests, and in one case a teenager in the northern city of Lille lost a hand when a grenade exploded as school protesters clashed with police.

“The serious and, in some cases, irreversible injuries sustained by underage demonstrators during law enforcement operations are unacceptable and unjustifiable,” the UN rapporteurs said.

The statement added: “The experts recalled past discussions urging French authorities to undertake a comprehensive review of their policing strategies and practices in order to enable demonstrators to express their concerns and to facilitate a peaceful resolution of social conflicts.”

“The experts are in contact with French authorities on the issue,” the statement concluded.

ADELE is gearing up to end her musical hiatus, and I can exclusively reveal the details of her much-anticipated comeback.

Last week our newspaper told you the superstar was on the brink of announcing her fifth album, and now my music mole has spilled all on what the record will sound like.

The 38-year-old is tipped to release the follow-up to her fourth album next summer, and I’m told the working title is 39.

The name would follow the pattern of her previous albums, from 19 and 21 through to 25 and 30.

My source explained: “Adele is gearing up for a huge comeback and feels ready to start a new chapter musically.

“She’s been away from performing for a while, but music has never been far from her mind.

ADELE 38?

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“The album is being tipped for next summer, although the release plans are still being worked through. The working title being discussed is 39.”

Adele stepped back from the stage after her Las Vegas residency ended in November 2024, and has spent the time away focusing on her family.

But I’m told she has been writing the whole time.

My insider said: “She’s spent the past couple of years prioritising her family and enjoying some time away from the pressure of being in the spotlight, but she’s also been thinking about music constantly.

“She’s been writing throughout her break. She famously finds the fame side of her career difficult, so stepping away has been important for her.

“She now feels creatively revived and has come back to the music with a fresh perspective.”

As revealed last week, Adele has been secretly recording at the famous Church Studios in Crouch End, North London, which is owned by producer Paul Epworth.

And my source says he is on board for the new record.

They said: “Paul Epworth is involved, which is significant given their history together. They’ve made some incredible music in the past, including Skyfall, and there’s a real understanding between them creatively.

“He knows how to bring out the best in Adele while allowing her to experiment.”

The pair won an Oscar together for the Bond theme.

While fans can expect the huge vocals and emotional honesty Adele is known for, I’m told she is keen to move slightly away from her trademark ballads.

The source said: “She doesn’t want to abandon the ballads that made her a global superstar, because that’s such a big part of who she is as an artist.

“But she’s also looking at how she can evolve. She wants the record to feel fresh and reflect the person she is today, rather than simply repeating what she’s done before.”

Never one to shy away from honesty, Adele will also tackle the darker side of fame on the album.

My insider said: “There are songs exploring the more difficult side of fame and what it’s like to live so much of your life in the public eye.

“Adele has always been very honest in her music, and this record will continue that, including some of the struggles she’s had with herself and her own image.”

But I’m told that at its heart, it is a love album, and will feature a tribute to fiance Rich Paul.

They said: “She’s keen to include a song dedicated to Rich, because her relationship is an important part of her life and it would be natural for that to find its way into her songwriting.”

Adele’s London roots will also come through in the music, despite her years living in the US.

The source added: “There’s a sense of looking back at her roots and the experiences that shaped her. It’s about recognising how far she’s come while still holding on to the person she was before the fame.”

Fans have also been sent into a spin after Adele briefly changed her YouTube name to her full name, Adele Adkins, last week before switching it back.

My mole says the star knows how closely she is being watched.

They said: “Adele knows that even the smallest change around her online presence will get people talking, but she isn’t going to rush into announcing anything before she’s ready.

“She wants to get everything right, and when she does come back, she wants it to feel like a proper new era rather than a quick announcement followed by a long wait.”

New music is also expected to feature in blockbuster Cry To Heaven, which could help launch her next chapter.

My source said: “It could help introduce audiences to a different side of her creatively and build anticipation for the album itself. It’s about setting the tone for her return and giving people a taste of what’s to come.”

And for those hoping to see her live, a tour is not off the cards.

They said: “A tour is something that could be considered once the album plans become clearer, but nothing is set in stone at this stage.

“She knows how much fans want to see her live again, but if she does decide to tour, it will be because she feels ready for it rather than because she feels pressured to get back on the road.”

Fingers crossed the wait won’t be much longer.

CHERYL TWEEDY has revealed she has a secret TikTok burner account to keep up with pop culture without drawing attention to herself.

The singer said: “I like scrolling TikTok as people are funny and fun and they are a bit more relaxed.

“They don’t care about taking the mick out of themselves.

“I’m a secret scroller. A burner.”

NOT TOO SHABBY

RISING music star Shab has come a long way after leaving her native Iran with just a suitcase to her name.

She has toured with The Wanted and JLS and now she is back with a new single, Catch Me If You Can.

In an exclusive chat, she said: “Catch Me If You Can is exactly where my head is at right now.

“I’m done asking permission to be me. I know what I bring, and I’m not chasing anybody to prove it.”

Shab, whose single Perfume VIP Remix peaked at No11 on the Dance Music Charts, also has ambitions to move into fashion.

Last month, she appeared on the runway at a Dallas catwalk show and has now launched her own clothing brand DropTrou.

This is a woman not to be underestimated.

GEORGE FILM A KLASS ACT

MYLEENE KLASS was among the fans at the posh premiere of the new George Michael concert film.

And she was in for a treat, as the late singer is at his bottom-thrusting best in George Michael: The Faith Tour.

The remastered footage from his 1988 run of shows features more than 200 thrusts by the Fastlove singer – with one cinema- goer admitting they were shocked.

“Watching George’s bottom thrusts in IMAX was certainly something,” they told me after watching the film, which   is out next Friday.

“It has to  be seen to be believed.”

SIGN UP FOR COSY U2 GIG

U2 have joined forces with BBC Radio 2 to perform an exclusive, one-off show in London next month.

The concert, which is being recorded in front of a select audience on November 3, will see Bono and his bandmates ­performing tracks from their upcoming album, Carnaval De Luz, as well as hits from their back catalogue.

To be in the crowd, you have until midnight tonight to register on the BBC website under the Shows And Tours section.

The set will air next month in full on BBC Two, while Jo Whiley will welcome the band on to her show on November 30 for an interview, which will also feature songs from the live performance.

MONDAY GIRLS GO PURE POP

REMEMBER MONDAY have finally announced their debut album, Can We Press Rewind?.

The 12-track record, out on January 29, features their new single, Dream Cheat, which is out now.

Insiders told me the three-piece – Charlotte Steele, Holly-Anne Hull and Lauren Byrne – have dug deep for the record.

A source said: “Charlotte, Holly-Anne and Lauren have delved into their own romantic history for this record, and it’s littered with dating disasters and questionable decisions.

“It’s pure pop fun and shows how far they’ve come.”

The album will come out just days before they kick off their I’m Just A Girl tour, which is their biggest run of shows to date.

Remember Monday will start their run in Bristol on February 8, before shows in Birmingham, Portsmouth and Glasgow.