Louie Vega

A giant of house music, Louie Vega has been setting dance floors ablaze since the ‘80s, playing residencies at some of New York City's most legendary nightclubs and revolutionizing dance music as half of production team Masters At Work. Vega was born in the Bronx in 1965, the son of a Puerto Rican jazz saxophonist and nephew to salsa vocalist and Fania All-Star member Héctor Lavoe. He began spinning his own records at parties by age 13 and visited the iconic Paradise Garage two years later, soaking up the cutting-edge hybrids of disco, soul, and electronic that lay the groundwork for house music. By the time he met Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez and formed Masters At Work in 1990, Vega had already made his name DJing at clubs like Studio 54 and Palladium. The pair became trailblazers of Latin house and freestyle—and in 1991, Vega notably released dance album When the Night Is Over alongside then-emerging salsa superstar Marc Anthony. Vega cultivated his solo work through single releases and remixes such as 2002's disco-tinged “Diamond Life” and 2009's percussive “Da Jungle” with DJ Pierre. His 2022 LP, Expansions In The NYC, is a nostalgic look back on the city's nightclubbing golden age—thumping, carefree, and star-studded, with guest appearances from Robyn and Honey Dijon.