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www.ambiente.us APRIL / ABRIL 2008
Tony Moran: Living by the Beat
By Herb Sosa herb@ambiente.us
"Over the years, Tony Moran has been a major
contributor to the dance and pop music scene.
Whether as a music editor, record producer,
songwriter, singer or DJ, he has stayed on top
of his game, exhibiting time and time again that
his creativity is unrestricted."
With a professional music career that began in N.Y.C.
in 1981 when he and friend Albert Cabrera teamed up
work with a local radio station in creating a fresh dance
sound with existing hits, developing a whole new step
in the record making process. Moran continues to
create, innovate and develop some of the most
successful dance music of our time.
Photo: TruTone Records
HS- So how did this Puerto Rican boy end up ruling
the turntables in New York City?
TM- When I grew up in a Puerto Rican neighborhood,
I did not know I was different. I just wound up being like
so many others in my generation becoming a sponge to the changes from our cultural revolution. Rap and
Electronica music was replacing disco and I fell in love with it and I felt like I was growing with it. But not only
did I become affected and it got my groove on but I became absolutely in thrilled by the components that
made up a groove. To DJ was yet another way to communicate to people in a natural way.
HS- What was it about the music & producing it that attracted you?
TM- I found that thoughts sound & melodies that were going on in my head were not just that, that I could use
all of those thoughts and ideas to create something that mirrored what was in my heart. I did not really
understand the word impossible nor did I care to know what impossible was. I invested in creating the
opportunities myself and that was the birth of “Show Me� by the Cover Girls.
I do not feel that music has changed me because I feel that music was
always in me. It is part of me and I cauterized it as the most beautiful gift
God could give you. - Tony Moran
HS- Are you close to your family? In a relationship? If so, are they supportive?
TM- Yes to both, My family has been supportive from the day I could not afford to buy my own shoes.
My boyfriend is supportive in every way that you would want a lover to be. That is a two way street.
HS- You seem to work a lot in the gay community and gay-related events. Is this by chance or choice?
Explain...
TM- I have had the opportunity to play for all different people, regardless of lifestyle. The places I currently
choose to play at are chosen more because of the time I have available because I am in a relationship and I
do write & produce records. I have to be meticulous about wanting to play in venues that satisfy many goals,
to see my friends, and to go to the most unlikely places where I arrive with the connection already established
between me & the people that live there.
HS- Has being openly gay affected you professionally in any way? Being Latino? Explain...
TM- Since I was in a band back in the days of freestyle, I felt very uncomfortable sharing my lifestyle with
others when I did not completely understand who I was myself. It is hard to try to make people understand
who you are when you are trying to understand yourself. That built up a lot of fear, self doubt and frustration. It
is not like today where there are so many places that have people available to reach out to. I applaud how far
we have come. When I did come out to my friends, there were very big moments. Some good, some bad but
at that point I understood who I wanted to be and I understood what friendship means to me. That gave me
the strength to trust that whatever friendships remained were friendships I could count on forever.
HS- What has been your biggest mistake in business? Biggest success/best decision?
TM- The biggest mistake in this business has been trusting too much but that is a mistake I can live with
because it has made me a better business man. My biggest success is always your first success. To
produce my first platinum album was one of the happiest days of my life. My best decision was to not take all
that money I made and buy chains of Starbucks that was suggested to me by a previous boyfriend.
HS- Latin beats seem strong in a lot of your work. Where does this come from?
TM- It comes from within.
HS- ll me about The Event.
TM- The Event is a representation of all the different messages
that come from my heart and onto the dance floor. The sound
of Tony Moran is the sum of its parts. My favorite collaborators
and artists are in there and the favorite songs of my friends are
on the album. I am proud of it because in this particular case I
chose to make it and release it myself independently and it gave
me the opportunity to be untainted by compromises in content
that occur from working with some companies.
HS- You have worked with almost everyone in the music industry.
Anyone stand out, and why? Anyone you haven't worked with that
you really want to?
TM- One of my most precious group of experiences with an artist has to be The Late Luther Vandross. To
watch his soul in action was like snapping a frame from heaven. As for who I would like to work with on a one
on one level is Madonna.
HS- What about you working more on the mic? Will we see more of you in that role? What about other artistic
venues? Movies? TV? Books? etc...
TM- Yes to all of the above.
I do not see music going in just one direction. I see the growth of
multiple sounds creating multiple flavors to a dance experience.
- Tony Moran
HS- Having lived in all three, tell me about the music scenes in New York, Los Angeles and Miami... What do
you personally get from each City?
TM- You have just mentioned three cities that contain the pickiest and educated dance enthusiasts. In those
cities they want to see you WORK!!! And I love nothing more than being WORKED!!!! I get many chances to
take creativity to different levels and some of my best performances have come from those three cities listed.
That is not to say that every other city does not work me in their own way but these three cities are defiantly
heavy hitters and I am happy to be at bat there every time.
HS- What is next for you professionally? Personally?
TM- You will have to just sit back, watch and find out.
HS- How would a young gay Latino get into the business today? Is it any different from when you started?
How? Advice?
TM- The avenues to get into the business are different. There are more choices that create more competition.
The bottom line is to believe in yourself and invest in yourself. Don’t wait for something to happen to you,
make it happen.
Word Association….
Miami - Sexy
New York - Fierce
Puerto Rico - Hot
Image - Relevant
Fame - Irrelevant
Favorite thing to wear - Prada
Favorite food - Japanese
Favorite type of man – My Man
Most important thing in my life – Love
When I die, I want to be … - Loved
Thank you to Tony Moran & Jeff Dorta of Project Publicity for this interview.
For more information on Tony Moran and his projects, visit his website at www.djtonymoran.com
www.projectpublicity.com
Copyright © AMBIENTE MAGAZINE. Do not reproduce without citing this source.
HERB SOSA herb@ambiente.us
Cuban-American, community activist, Miami historian, preservationist and freelance writer, Herb Sosa is a
founding member and Director of Unity Coalition/Coalición Unida, a non-profit focused on minority political &
social empowerment. He is also Editor-In-Chief of Ambiente Magazine, a Latino/Hispanic focused LGBT
publication and regularly offers public speaking, leadership and political empowerment training workshops.
Sosa served as chairman of Miami Beach's Historic Preservation Board for over six years, and has served on
the Board of Directors of the Miami Design Preservation League, Dade Heritage Trust, Miami Beach
Community Development Corp., Shelbourne & Fernwood HIV/AIDS Housing, and variety of other
organizations throughout South Florida.
In 1995 Mr. Sosa created and developed the Ba-Balú Store concept in Miami & Miami Beach, celebrating
Cuban heritage thru art, cigars, music and unique giftware, and earning the store the unique distinction of
being named one of Conde N’ast Traveler Magazines top 100 destinations in the world in 1996.
In January 2004, Herb Sosa was named one of Tentaciónes Magazines Top Ten Latina/o activists in the U.S.
and in 2005 was named one of OUT magazines Top 100 LGBT Activists and featured on LOGO TV.
Copyright © AMBIENTE MAGAZINE. Do not reproduce without citing this source.
Tony Moran: Living by the Beat
By Herb Sosa herb@ambiente.us
"Over the years, Tony Moran has been a major
contributor to the dance and pop music scene.
Whether as a music editor, record producer,
songwriter, singer or DJ, he has stayed on top
of his game, exhibiting time and time again that
his creativity is unrestricted."
With a professional music career that began in N.Y.C.
in 1981 when he and friend Albert Cabrera teamed up
work with a local radio station in creating a fresh dance
sound with existing hits, developing a whole new step
in the record making process. Moran continues to
create, innovate and develop some of the most
successful dance music of our time.
Photo: TruTone Records
HS- So how did this Puerto Rican boy end up ruling
the turntables in New York City?
TM- When I grew up in a Puerto Rican neighborhood,
I did not know I was different. I just wound up being like
so many others in my generation becoming a sponge to the changes from our cultural revolution. Rap and
Electronica music was replacing disco and I fell in love with it and I felt like I was growing with it. But not only
did I become affected and it got my groove on but I became absolutely in thrilled by the components that
made up a groove. To DJ was yet another way to communicate to people in a natural way.
HS- What was it about the music & producing it that attracted you?
TM- I found that thoughts sound & melodies that were going on in my head were not just that, that I could use
all of those thoughts and ideas to create something that mirrored what was in my heart. I did not really
understand the word impossible nor did I care to know what impossible was. I invested in creating the
opportunities myself and that was the birth of “Show Me� by the Cover Girls.
I do not feel that music has changed me because I feel that music was
always in me. It is part of me and I cauterized it as the most beautiful gift
God could give you. - Tony Moran
HS- Are you close to your family? In a relationship? If so, are they supportive?
TM- Yes to both, My family has been supportive from the day I could not afford to buy my own shoes.
My boyfriend is supportive in every way that you would want a lover to be. That is a two way street.
HS- You seem to work a lot in the gay community and gay-related events. Is this by chance or choice?
Explain...
TM- I have had the opportunity to play for all different people, regardless of lifestyle. The places I currently
choose to play at are chosen more because of the time I have available because I am in a relationship and I
do write & produce records. I have to be meticulous about wanting to play in venues that satisfy many goals,
to see my friends, and to go to the most unlikely places where I arrive with the connection already established
between me & the people that live there.
HS- Has being openly gay affected you professionally in any way? Being Latino? Explain...
TM- Since I was in a band back in the days of freestyle, I felt very uncomfortable sharing my lifestyle with
others when I did not completely understand who I was myself. It is hard to try to make people understand
who you are when you are trying to understand yourself. That built up a lot of fear, self doubt and frustration. It
is not like today where there are so many places that have people available to reach out to. I applaud how far
we have come. When I did come out to my friends, there were very big moments. Some good, some bad but
at that point I understood who I wanted to be and I understood what friendship means to me. That gave me
the strength to trust that whatever friendships remained were friendships I could count on forever.
HS- What has been your biggest mistake in business? Biggest success/best decision?
TM- The biggest mistake in this business has been trusting too much but that is a mistake I can live with
because it has made me a better business man. My biggest success is always your first success. To
produce my first platinum album was one of the happiest days of my life. My best decision was to not take all
that money I made and buy chains of Starbucks that was suggested to me by a previous boyfriend.
HS- Latin beats seem strong in a lot of your work. Where does this come from?
TM- It comes from within.
HS- ll me about The Event.
TM- The Event is a representation of all the different messages
that come from my heart and onto the dance floor. The sound
of Tony Moran is the sum of its parts. My favorite collaborators
and artists are in there and the favorite songs of my friends are
on the album. I am proud of it because in this particular case I
chose to make it and release it myself independently and it gave
me the opportunity to be untainted by compromises in content
that occur from working with some companies.
HS- You have worked with almost everyone in the music industry.
Anyone stand out, and why? Anyone you haven't worked with that
you really want to?
TM- One of my most precious group of experiences with an artist has to be The Late Luther Vandross. To
watch his soul in action was like snapping a frame from heaven. As for who I would like to work with on a one
on one level is Madonna.
HS- What about you working more on the mic? Will we see more of you in that role? What about other artistic
venues? Movies? TV? Books? etc...
TM- Yes to all of the above.
I do not see music going in just one direction. I see the growth of
multiple sounds creating multiple flavors to a dance experience.
- Tony Moran
HS- Having lived in all three, tell me about the music scenes in New York, Los Angeles and Miami... What do
you personally get from each City?
TM- You have just mentioned three cities that contain the pickiest and educated dance enthusiasts. In those
cities they want to see you WORK!!! And I love nothing more than being WORKED!!!! I get many chances to
take creativity to different levels and some of my best performances have come from those three cities listed.
That is not to say that every other city does not work me in their own way but these three cities are defiantly
heavy hitters and I am happy to be at bat there every time.
HS- What is next for you professionally? Personally?
TM- You will have to just sit back, watch and find out.
HS- How would a young gay Latino get into the business today? Is it any different from when you started?
How? Advice?
TM- The avenues to get into the business are different. There are more choices that create more competition.
The bottom line is to believe in yourself and invest in yourself. Don’t wait for something to happen to you,
make it happen.
Word Association….
Miami - Sexy
New York - Fierce
Puerto Rico - Hot
Image - Relevant
Fame - Irrelevant
Favorite thing to wear - Prada
Favorite food - Japanese
Favorite type of man – My Man
Most important thing in my life – Love
When I die, I want to be … - Loved
Thank you to Tony Moran & Jeff Dorta of Project Publicity for this interview.
For more information on Tony Moran and his projects, visit his website at www.djtonymoran.com
www.projectpublicity.com
Copyright © AMBIENTE MAGAZINE. Do not reproduce without citing this source.
HERB SOSA herb@ambiente.us
Cuban-American, community activist, Miami historian, preservationist and freelance writer, Herb Sosa is a
founding member and Director of Unity Coalition/Coalición Unida, a non-profit focused on minority political &
social empowerment. He is also Editor-In-Chief of Ambiente Magazine, a Latino/Hispanic focused LGBT
publication and regularly offers public speaking, leadership and political empowerment training workshops.
Sosa served as chairman of Miami Beach's Historic Preservation Board for over six years, and has served on
the Board of Directors of the Miami Design Preservation League, Dade Heritage Trust, Miami Beach
Community Development Corp., Shelbourne & Fernwood HIV/AIDS Housing, and variety of other
organizations throughout South Florida.
In 1995 Mr. Sosa created and developed the Ba-Balú Store concept in Miami & Miami Beach, celebrating
Cuban heritage thru art, cigars, music and unique giftware, and earning the store the unique distinction of
being named one of Conde N’ast Traveler Magazines top 100 destinations in the world in 1996.
In January 2004, Herb Sosa was named one of Tentaciónes Magazines Top Ten Latina/o activists in the U.S.
and in 2005 was named one of OUT magazines Top 100 LGBT Activists and featured on LOGO TV.
Copyright © AMBIENTE MAGAZINE. Do not reproduce without citing this source.
