By request: my lifetime stats in the entertainment industry
For interested parties, here are my career statistics, such as they are, and some life story.
Before. 10 years old singing with the harmonics, (I think) at Shakey’s pizza on Telegraph and 63rd, doing covers do-wop, and Caribbean songs, with four adults.
I have four California Music awards, (Bammies) and one “Whammy” SF weekly music award) in various categories (Freaky executives, Los Angelitos, Mingus Amongus and Los Mocosos) A “Best artist” From The Latin Music Academy, and a Diamante De Palmas, from the Spanish institute of Modern Music in Madrid.
I have published works with ASCAP, BMI, PEER music, Southern Music, & dozens of other Publishers.
AS BANDLEADER AND COMPOSER:
For an idea of my musical History, (all the bands I founded, wrote music for and toured with) go here: a rare clip from my early days:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLTT3Hv4Ftw
My bands throughout the years.
http://www.myspace.com/freakyexecutives
http://www.myspace.com/losangelitos
http://www.myspace.com/losmocosos415
My rock Opera about Oakland:
http://www.myspace.com/papamalo
AS COMPOSER FOR OUTSIDE ENTITIES: I have composed, produced and arranged over 100 original pieces of music for various commercial entities: My catalog is used by over 50 film, radio, and Television companies. including: California State Lottery (Scratchers themes)
Sony Media (Acid Latin Library)
Toyota International (Five national commercials in English and Spanish)
Music Orange
Great America (With Los Mocosos)
Nash Bridges
Producer Wayne Wang (“The Center of the world” title track, “Callejero”)
HBO’s “The sopranos” (“Narco Traficante”)
Polaroid Cameras (Polariod Joycam theme)
Scarface: “the world is yours” (Title track)
“Dead like me” (television)
And many others.
I am also the composer of the most-used Latin sample library in music history, the ACID LATIN library for SONY ACID PRO.
http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/acidlatin
I also Re-Mix and create custom musical and multimedia content, upon request for various applications, and entities. Rates upon request, and projects upon availability.
Bands and artists I have performed/recorded/written/toured/worked with include:
Plena Libre
San Francisco Ballet
Lazz Rockit
Sheila Escovedo
Pete Escovedo
Joe Cano and Grito
Salsa De Berkeley
Bill Summers and Summers heat
Tipica Cienfuegos
Greatful dead
Last Poets
Huey lewis and the news
Chris Issac
The Alkaholiks
The Beastie Boys
Tower of Power
Los Papines
Chaka Khan
Digital Underground
Bad Brains
The Clash
The Specials
The Uptones
Ustad Ali Akbar Khan (mentor)
De La Soul
The Lunies
Melly Mel
Leaders of the Old School
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Massive Attack
Freaky Executives
George Clinton and Parmlament funkadelic
And far too many more to mention here.
Names/stage names I have been known by:
Piero Ornelas
Piero el Malo
Piero Abdul Basit
Pio Ornelas
Pio
Alpha Lobo
Piero Amadeo Infante (my real name)
Favourite Music: Ravel, Debussy, The eagles, Santana, Enrico Caruso, Stephanie Grapelli, Philly Soul, Thom Bell, Motown, Rumba, Afro Cuban, Van Dyke Parks, Roni Size, Portishead, Metallica, Massive Attack, Joni Mitchell, Shawn Colvin, Nelson Riddle, James Taylor, Bread, and anything with beautiful melody and meaningful lyrics.
I am all about beautiful melodies and meaningful lyrics.
Styles of music I am fluent in, and have composed, produced, recorded, and published with, include: Big band Salsa Traditional Afro Cuban Son and Religious music Bossa Nova Brazilian pop, and traditional Religious music Ambient Retro Disco Philly Soul Alt Rock Orchestral Jazz Standard Experimental Folk, and Folk rock Hip-hop (all regions) A Cappella (jazz, doo-wop, scat) and many others.
My all time Production heroes are: Thom Bell, Van Dyke Parks, Daniel Lanois, Rick Rubin, and the Alges, both Tim lord, and Chris Lord
AS SPOKESPERSON:
I have been a spokesperson for several non-profit groups, as well as business entities in the State of California, Such as:
Life on the Water theater
Eco-Rap INC
The City of Berkeley
Berkeley Alternative Schools district
UC Berkeley Cultural Archives (Interviewed)
International festival of the Latin song
Bigstep.com
Keystone Nightclub, and many others.
INTERVIEWS: I have been interviewed, quoted, and noted hundreds of times in the mainstream press in articles ranging from East Bay history and politics to arts, music, and culture. Publications That I have interviewed with include:
Rolling stone
East Bay Express
SF Chronicle
SF Bay Guardian
BAM Music Magazine
Berkeley Daily Planet
Miami Sun Hearald
Berkeley Daily Gazette
The Daily Californian
Latin Beat Magazine
Honolulu Star Bulletin
Latinovision.com
NY Times
Miami Times
“The history of funk” By Ricky Vincent
HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE: When not performing, I have always gravitated towards the other side of the entertainment industry, in positions ranging from Bodyguard, to club manager. Venues and events I have worked with include:
Exotic Erotic Ball (Chief security coordinator, police liaison)
Berkeley Square (Manager and booking agent)
Keystone SF (security)
Knitting Factory Los Angeles (security, and artist liaison)
Stage Craft Bristol, UK
Telemundo (consultant)
Urban Jam (security)
West Coast Productions (Security)
CONSULTATION: Consulting. (For bands, artists, and companies) I have consulted, & acted in promotions, & management for over 45 bands & individuals. This was mostly before I took it on as a part of my professional life Generally speaking these are all “Consultant” capacities.
My services in these areas are not inexpensive, and comparatively, that, is a good deal, compared to the cardiac arrests that often occur when bands, and individuals venturing into this business without the support of solid and qualified support and management, suddenly realize that they misspent their money, misplaced their trust, and, misjudged the terrain, and are forced watch their projects come apart at the seams, despite great music, and good intentions. That said, I am spiritual and loyal in this craft I have chosen as a calling.
After:
Oh and just for the record, it wasn’t in back of the Club Lingerie, it was at the Palace, (not like you were there or anything) sherlock.
lol.
Piero, your rantings and ravings would carry more weight had you not been the guy trying to sell his backstage pass outside Club Lingerie in LA when the Freakys played there. I mean, you may not like the local alt-press (no doubt for not giving your projects enough press, although they have done right by you over the years), but your screeds about local media and the shit you’ve waded in over the years make you sound as honest as a politician and as sensitive the nuances of political and cultural winds as the RCP – oh yeah, you used to be one, didn’t you. I’m just saying, you’ve got some good points, and you once had some talent. But please, quit trying to put yourself above everything and admit you swim in the sea with the rest of the fish.
I didn’t really have a problem or a second thought about approving your “comment” since I enjoy hearing the various takes people have on me, from my various lives over the years. However your “reply” is little more than an Ad hominem attack, thereby giving up your hand, and revealing the personal nature of your reason for ‘responding”. I field some harsh critiques on occasion, but usually they are much more logic driven, rational, and well-lettered than yours. especially when they are from people who believe they possess adversarial powers with me, or knowledge of my life and times, which would require firstly, a command of language and facts relating to the subject at hand, which you, are most obviously totally lacking. In fact, that can hardly be called a response.
But in the spirit of fairness, for even such a poorly worded, and superstitious entry as yours, let’s go there, G.
My “rantings” are not at all based on my personal relationship with anything. At some point, (one would hope) you grow up, and look around. Doing so, I saw that the entire Scene I had grown up in was now in the possession of my political and idealogical arch enemies. people who promote prop 8, Invest heavily in the private prison system, are massive supporters of far right wing radical causes that attack civil liberties, and most of all, cancel political dissent in music, through a near total monopoly on radio and airwaves.
This is all probably just fine and dandy with you, in fact, you probably support these things, since I think I know who you are, Mr. “antigone”. And that’s fine. the Bay Area has a lot of secret right winger types lurking in the wings, people who remember microscopic personal details about my life like selling $10 backstage tickets from 25 years ago, and who use the kind of “rocky” movie script narrative in saying things like “you used to have some talent” and other dead giveaways that the person writing is someone who never did anything of note themselves whatsoever.
That’s fine. the fact that you came here not really equipped to handle a real adult conversation about anything, is completely clear.
The local alt rock press, musically speaking has treated me fantastically well over the years, and I have not a single complaint about that ever. I probably enjoyed a lifestyle, and a level of press coverage that unsigned artists rarely ever get to experience.
That is usually due to a writer or editor, who actually liked what I did, or heard about one of my bands through the local grapevine.
And that’s my point. Mine should not be the last generation to enjoy this kind of thing. I watch great bands struggle constantly, and never get any of the little perks that I did, from all their hard work.
This system I “rant”about, this letting Christian fundamentalists possess places like the Fillmore, which could arguably be called the home of psychedelia, and their corporate whitewash of all local radio kills bands. it kills business. It stops actually creative artists from being able to make a living. It Kills the musicality of this entire area, which is something I actually care about, for many more reasons than you could even get your head around. I am a part of this place and connected to it. Also, I, unlike you, am actually involved in this industry, and the creative process, and am both student and mentor, friend and ally to thousands of musicians to whom I owe a great deal, and have working relationships with to this day. We are family, a family you are obviously not a real part of. It’s called loyalty. check it out sometime. It means you are willing to expose yourself and stick your neck out to say something that nearly no one else will, and that you also put your real name to it, like adults do, and stand behind your word. That’s called integrity. It’s a tradition that people who belong to this gigging, touring, writing, recording family have been engaging in for centuries.
My involvement with this family over the years taught me much. some of the lessons were harsh.
I didn’t learn integrity overnight, and growing up in east Oakland most of my life, with a famous criminal as a dad, didn’t make it easier. But I did learn it. Have I been morally challenged? Absolutely. my entire life. Everyone’s life possesses these traits. And still there are some virtues I hold dear and didn’t have to learn. Owning what and who you are is one of them, and obviously a talent you have yet to learn, because you cannot effectively challenge someone’s honesty from an anonymous perch. It’s classless, and indicative of a slimy personality, the kind that many people around here hide behind “normal average guy” facades.
It is not my honesty in question here,at this point but rather yours. Nor is my life as red diaper baby, or a rambunctious youth, who did far more crazy stuff than the two paltry little examples you trotted out here. (proving you barely know me) Anyone who knows me, like the 20,000, who know me personally can cite dozens of far more controversial things I have been involved in than being a commie teen and selling a backstage ticket. in fact you barely touched the surface of my early life’s scandalous nature. I accuse thee with being boring.
So, all in all I think you’ve pretty completely proven yourself to be an utter failure as a debater, as well as an anonymous phony here, without having so much as even addressed the subject you claim to be responding to, and that you have some personal feelings about me, probably based on the fact that you are working for enemies of free speech, and supporters of prop 8, or maybe something more personal you lack the courage to say in public, even though you crouch behind a veil of secrecy.
Perhaps when you avail yourself upon better ideas, words, and logic, I, and anyone reading my blog, will all probably be able to take seriously any ideas you would care to promote here. because this far you have done nothing except thoroughly expose yourself.
was it fun? good.
You are welcomed to respond in an adult fashion here any time.
But please bring a real argument, and some points next time. it will help me understand your motives.
Have a great night.
Piero
I remember that little boy.