Musical Biography: Daniel "Deecoy" Antonetti and Hip-Hop Salsa
By Horacio Martinez
Daniel Antonetti was born into a musical family. When he was born his father Victor Antonetti Sr. and brothers Victor Jr. and Tito were already gigging the central and upstate New York region with a well established Latin orchestra which bears their surname and several recordings to their credit.
No one was surprised when Daniel showed musical inclinations related to his Puerto Rican legacy. "I am a Salsero at heart without a doubt," Daniel aka Deecoy will tell you.
Based in Rochester, New York, that love for the ever popular tropical Salsa sound, would be strengthened by the frequent occurrences bringing him close to some of the genre's all-time greats. The Antonetti Orchestra had become popular not solely for their own performing merits but also as a reliable source to promote and accompany the major acts looking to tour throughout the area.
By the age of 16, his family had shared their home with many of the greats including Celia Cruz and El rey del timbal; Tito Puente.
"I met Tito Puente in 1996, when Orquesta Antonetti opened for him," Deecoy recalls. "I took a picture with him and he joked with me saying this might be worth something someday."
Four years later, Puente invited him up on stage to exchange solos. His developing talents as a Latin percussionist were being noticed by many including his mentor Luisito Quintero. In 2005 Daniel was invited to tour with the legendary Willie Colon. He has since toured with Victor Manuelle, Jerry Rivera, Frankie Negron and Don Omar. He has recently been on tour with Avenura, traveling from Miami, Colombia and the four time sold out show in New York's Madison Square Garden.
Latin influence was not the only genre catching Deecoy's ear. Growing up in the 80's meant listening to the newly emerging urban genre of Hip-Hop.
"The thing is that, I love to rap, too. I've always rapped, ever since I was two when my brother Tito would take me to hang on the block. We'd be listening to Run-DMC …and wear gold chains and break dance with the BBoys…."
To many, that would seem to be an infusible paradox, but as his new work on this record confidently demonstrates it's where Deecoy feels right at home. He produces and writes all of his material along with talented friends and musicians. "I rap to 3-2 salsa rhythms, it's Hip-Hop Salsa; on the clave…it's different than a standard salsa arrangement because it's structured like Hip-Hop but it's on clave, heavy Hip-Hop drums and modern sounds, salsa rhythm section, which is piano, bass, congas, timbales, bongos and cowbell. It also consists of a brass section which includes two trombones, two trumpets and a baritone."
"It's bolder, more straight forward than salsa lyrics. It's blunt…definitely younger… but it's not Reggaeton, it's a different feel. I experimented with that 'cause it was really strong a few years back but this is more versatile, it's Hip-Hop Salsa…I like it better because you can change the tempo and do much more with it."
"The sound of my music wants to take Salsa to the next level, to go beyond where the masters like Tito Puente and Willie Colon brought it. It's what I'm feeling, fusing Salsa with Hip-Hop to bring it to the younger audiences."
