Ghetto Brothers

While a lot of hip-hop and rock and roll performers have used the lore of contemporary gang culture within their music, the Bronx-based rock-band the Ghetto Brothers were an offshoot of a genuine NEW YORK road gang, though instead of glorifying the lives of gangbangers within their music, they sang of personal and political concerns and were interested in co-existence and community action than in waging war against their competitors. The music group the Ghetto Brothers was led by three real-life brothers, business lead vocalist Benjy Melendez, guitarist Robert Melendez, and bassist Victor Melendez. The three siblings acquired previously been element of a vocal group known as Los Junior Beatles, who specific in covers from the Fab Four’s strikes in the middle-’60s as well as managed to get onto the costs at a Tito Puente present. Nevertheless, as the Melendez brothers grew old, they became alert to the growing complications of lifestyle in the South Bronx — racism, decaying neighborhoods, declining schools, corrupt law enforcement, rampant criminal offense, and drug cravings. Like many teenagers in New York’s rougher neighborhoods, they considered gangs, which provided the individuals a feeling of identification and familial unity. Benjy was the creator of the South Bronx “membership” known as the Ghetto Brothers, but as assault among youthful gangs elevated, the Ghetto Brothers had taken the unusual stage of appointing a “Tranquility Counselor” who mediate beefs between rival night clubs, and following the loss of life of peacefulness counselor Cornell Benjamin, the Ghetto Brothers opted never to consider revenge, instead getting leaders inside a movement to solve problems among gangs without spilling bloodstream. With time, the Ghetto Brothers founded their personal general public clubhouse where children could learn fighting techinques, make artwork, or play music; the Brothers also offered day look after neighborhood kids, and had been outspoken against medication use and and only Puerto Rican self-reliance (a lot of the club’s users were Latino). With time, the Melendez brothers created a band from the club’s musical workshop, with Benjy, Robert, and Victor became a member of by business lead guitarist David Silva, drummer Luis Bristo, and percussionists Angelo Garcia, Chiqui Concepcion, and Franky Valentin. The group became a fixture in the South Bronx, playing outdoor celebrations, youth-oriented night clubs, and regular free of charge appearances at an area supermarket, aswell as venturing into rock and roll night clubs in Greenwich Town. As the Ghetto Brothers produced no attempts to disguise their link with the youngsters gang, often carrying out in their colours, their music mainly spoke of personal issues, while the even more militant numbers centered on Latin satisfaction instead of turf squabbles. Furthermore, the melodies had been a lively mixture of Beatles-influenced pop, hard rock and roll, spirit, and Latin rhythms. Bobby Martin and Ismael Maisonave, who went an area record store and a little record company, had been impressed using the Ghetto Brothers as both music artists and activists, and asked the music group to record an record because of their Salsa Information label. Power Fuerza was documented within a time, with Martin as manufacturer; full of dazzling and enthusiastic shows, the record received dispersed airplay on the few Spanish-speaking radio retailers in NY (although album is principally in British). Sadly, Salsa lacked the promotional muscle tissue to obtain Power Fuerza noticed beyond your South Bronx, as well as the band’s payment would become $500 and a container of records. It might be the Ghetto Brothers’ just album; the music group continued for some time, but Victor Melendez dropped into drug craving and criminal offense, and Benjy cut ties using the Ghetto Brothers whenever a loss of life threat was produced against his wife. By 1976, the group was completed, and David Silva teamed with Robert and Victor Melendez to create a progressive rock-band known as Nebulus. But crate diggers uncovered Power Fuerza years later, as well as the LP became a cult preferred, with clean copies offering for up to $500 among enthusiasts. [In 2012, the reissue label Truth & Spirit released a deluxe release of Power Fuerza, which presented an extensive background of the group and interviews using the individuals. Benjy and Robert Melendez still perform with David Silva inside a Beatles tribute take action known as Street the Defeat, and Benjy offers informed the press he expectations the reissue of Power Fuerza gives him the chance to record another Ghetto Brothers recording.]