Musician Sheila E.: “Being an artist and creative is a beautiful place to be”

MaximoTV

Raquel Laguna/ SUCOPRESS. Interview with legendary musician and the undisputed Queen of Percussion, Sheila E. The artist is set to once again captivate fans and Latin music lovers around the globe with the release of Bailar Deluxe, the expanded edition of her acclaimed salsa debut. Released on May 16, Bailar Deluxe features three brand-new songs, including the Spanish version of her iconic hit “The Glamorous Life (Latin),” the heartfelt ballad “Vuelvo,” written by acclaimed songwriter Claudia Brant, and the explosive “Mi Rumba y Tambor,” a powerful collaboration with Puerto Rican sensation and salsa royalty La India. This deluxe release builds upon the success of the original Bailar album, a dynamic project that showcases Sheila E.’s incredible versatility as she brings her signature percussion-driven sound to the vibrant world of salsa. The album is a celebration of Latin music’s richness and energy, brought to life through exceptional collaborations with some of the genre’s most iconic artists, including Gloria Estefan, Rubén Blades, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Luis Enrique, Debi Nova, and more. Bailar is an electrifying musical journey—blending Sheila E.’s world-renowned percussive style with the rhythms, soul, and storytelling of traditional salsa. Each track is a testament to her deep admiration for the genre and her commitment to honoring its roots while pushing its boundaries. Co-produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Tony Succar, the original version of Bailar was released on April 5, and has already garnered acclaim for its innovation and infectious energy. The album also features unique drum solos and Sheila E.’s unmistakable touch throughout, giving it both nostalgic warmth and fresh intensity. 🇺🇸

Transcript

00:00My favorite song on Bailar Deluxe is all 13 tracks. I want to play every single one all the time.

00:08Every song is different. Every song means something different. The versatility of

00:16switching from conga to timbal, to bongo, to drums, I get to do that throughout the album.

00:23I get to sing a little bit. I'm always dancing. Collaborations, if there are other people singing

00:29and then the musicianship with the bands and incorporating different musicians and artists

00:34and singers. It's just, it's the whole record. I want to just play the whole record. Working with

00:40Tony Sukkar as a co-producer was a lot of fun. I mean, I hired him, I forgot what year it was,

00:47for my first ever cruise and he brought his entire team with him and we had a blast. His family and

00:55I was like, you know what? I want to do a salsa record. I think you're the one who could help

00:59me do it. And he hadn't done anything recording wise. So we talked about it for about three years

01:05and then it took two years to get this done. We had so much fun because he's very traditional in

01:11what he does and I'm not. And that marriage together really works to be able to, I think,

01:17outside the box. And I do things a little bit differently, even in mixing where the instruments,

01:22where I hear things because it's, I'm as an artist sitting here and listening to stuff and how I grew

01:28up listening to my dad play. There are certain instruments that need to be in a specific place

01:34for me to make it sound right. So it's been amazing working with him and me even challenging him on some

01:42things as well. So I'm sure we're doing another record together. Definitely Ruben Blaze was the first

01:50person on my list to be able to, hopefully he would say yes. And he did. So I was very excited

01:56about that to be able to, to have him on my record. Like I just, I can't thank him enough for,

02:03for him singing on the record. Alberto Santa Rosa was introduced to me and he, gosh, such a gentleman

02:11and so smooth. And he came into the studio well prepared. I was able, I was able to be in the

02:17studio with him to do his vocal. And he just, it's not a bad thing to say that he's like the Latin

02:24version of Frank Sinatra, but he's so smooth and so, so amazing. We had such a great time. And then he

02:30did the video with me as well. I really love his vocals and who we are, who he is as a person.

02:37But there, there are many hours like Victor Manuel. I'd never worked with him before. I wasn't able to

02:41be in the studio with him, but he did an incredible job. And it's cool to do collaborations with other

02:47artists that I've never met before. It was kind of like full circle to be able to receive and,

02:53and be honored in that way to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame because it wasn't expected.

02:59I wasn't looking for it. It happened and it was a huge surprise to me. And when I was receiving the

03:06award, little did I know, well, it was in front of Musicians Institute, which I didn't know where it

03:13was. And once I got there, I saw it. But then 10 blocks down the street or so was the first place

03:20that I moved to when I moved to Los Angeles from Oakland. And I knew that I wanted to leave Oakland

03:26and start my career in LA and thinking, oh, Hollywood, I'm going to meet all these stars and,

03:31and musicians and be able to go out on tour with them, which I did and meet a lot of people and play

03:37on a lot of other artists, albums and stuff. And little did I know that, yeah, coming to Hollywood

03:44that I would actually get my own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. So it's, it's a full circle

03:50and really humbling and grateful every day, every day, like that you, you know, I've got booklets of

03:59notes and there's so much things I just keep writing things down. And being an artist and

04:05being able to be creative is a beautiful place to be, you know, when you're not creating, I don't feel

04:11the same. I don't feel healthy. I don't feel like I have life in me because music is life to me. It's

04:20my water, it's my food. And so there's a lot of lot more music to do a lot more. New generation of

04:27women has been very exciting to see the progress for me as old school. I have met a lot of new young

04:39women playing and not just drums and percussion, but bass, saxophone, guitar, man, there's so many.

04:49And I've been contacting them on, you know, social media and saying to them, like, I'm such a fan,

04:56keep doing what you're doing. I'm always encouraging and mentoring a lot of young people. And I think

05:02it's important, uh, and for them to be who they are, be influenced by other artists as I was growing

05:09up. But the experience comes from actually going out there and playing and collaborating with other

05:14people and learning and, you know, be open to listening to all kinds of music. And I think

05:20that's part of the journey that I've been on is why I've been able to be here and play with any

05:26artists from country, Western to, you know, salsa, which no one expected me to do a salsa record. So,

05:33you know, write down your dreams and your goals is very important because it's never too late and keep

05:38pushing and keep creating as long as you continue to do that and love yourself. You know, it's a beautiful

05:45place to be.

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