Richie Santiago

The multi-talented Richie Santiago was born in Mannhattan, NY on the 23rd of June 1973. At a very young age he seemed to be enthralled by the music his mother played. His mother also had a beautiful voice and he recalls listening to her sing various ballads over and over. Richie would never escape the passion for music which now flows through his veins. At the age of 5, Richie's family moved to a suburb of Chicago to start a new life. Richie always knew more about music than children his age because of the musical influence his two older sisters had on him. His destiny as a performer became more solid as he would hold mini-concerts for the family. In fourth grade he was recognized by his chorus teacher when he was given a strong solo in a school play. At a young age he always participated in what the people of Puerto Rico call "parrandas". Parrandas is Christmas carolling with instruments from Christmas time all the way through 3 Kings Day. Richie grew up with a strong Puerto Rican background, but his parents were determined to have their children become fluent in both Spanish and English. This is why he posses a talent to write rich, passionate songs in either language.

Richie's love for capturing the listener with his lyrics alone is obvious in his first single "Black Rose of Love". In this song, he compares the state one may find themselves in after being betrayed by someone they love, to a black rose of love. Black Rose of Love is his unique way of saying the end of a love affair. His goal is to always tell a story of emotion because he knows that all of us at one time or another have gone through what he is describing. After Richie writes a song he then pours within the song, emotions that can only be found in the heart. Listening to his heartfelt verses will take you on a journey in which you will find yourself transformed into the main character of his story. Richie also reveals that he loves just about all types of music. Freestyle, ballads, salsa, merengue,bachata, house, rock, r&b, hip-hop and reggae are the types he enjoys to listen to. Significant musical influences in his life are Hector LaVoe, Lionel Richie, Luther Vandross, U2, George Lamond, Camilo Cesto, Los Terricolas, Huey Dunbar and Marc Anthony just to name a few.

Richie began writing songs and adding melodies to those songs at the age of 17. Going through his first heartbreak found him desperately trying to release what he was feeling inside. The fact that he loved literature and poetry made him realize that the answer to his prayers lay in the pencil he held in his hand and the notebook which rested in front of him. He grew to understand how powerful words really were. Richie put a lot of time and effort in his lyrics and was rewarded when people who read them felt so strongly that tears were often shed. This was due to the extreme emotion his words instilled in the reader. As he wrote his thoughts out, he felt relieved, but still not completely satisfied. Something was still missing. Something was still left in his heart and so he began to amplify the strength in his words with his emotion-filled vocals. Once he began to sing his songs, seeing the effect this had on people was next. He started to sing to his family and was given a great deal of support from his mother and sisters. He then continued to share his gift with close friends who were awed by his passion filled song/story. The more he sang to people the more confident he grew.

Richie explains that he has met many people involved with all aspects of the music industry. Many singers, producers, songwriters, promoters and dancers have witnessed first hand the talent that Richie Santiago has to offer. The frequent question "So what are you doing with this talent?" still echoes through his mind. He ran into so many dead ends in the past due to various reasons. This, at times found him being discouraged and wanting to quit. The freestyle world in Chicago had heard his songs on CDs and tapes. There was a definite demand by DJs and fans, but there was one major problem. He had no record deal. Radio stations were called by those requesting to hear Richie's songs. DJs called record stores wanting to know if they carried his material. He had no record to satisfy those desires. He remembers a few occasions when a record deal seemed definite, but something always went wrong. Promises were broken, distances too broad or someone just not following through were some of the obvious reasons. In 1999, Richie moved to San Antonio,TX. He was happy to learn that there was a Freestyle Music scene there. He quickly began performing at various locations. Just like in Chicago he was welcomed by the Freestyle fans. Once again, to his dismay, record deals passed him by.

Richie Santiago now lives in Germany with his family. Within the first year of being there he had desperately searched for producers he could trust that were working with Freestyle Music. He came upon a Freestyle Music website which was based in Germany. He listened to some of the tracks on the website and liked what he heard. So he decided to contact the producer Tanassi Koulidis. Tanassi paired with Theo "T.C." Chalkias have been involved in the German Freestyle Music scene for quite some time. Tanassi and T.C. proved to be exactly what Richie needed for his career. The three hit it off quickly and all agreed that together they would forever change the world of Freestyle Music. This was the beginning of something great. Not only for the team that Richie Santiago is now a part of, but for all the fans who will now witness the music that will erupt melodically from this group of professionals. Stay tuned for more to come from this one-of-a-kind production team.