VALE! ULB, A Latin Band Worth It

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By Axel 'Lola' Rosa

Everyone can agree that music is a universal language that allows us to connect with others even if we don’t speak the same. VALE! ULB, a bilingual Miami-based multicultural Latin band with a New Orleans native as their producer, brings a similar vibe of connection through a mix of personalities, cultures, and sounds.

A talented group of Grammy-Award-winning musicians and artists make up VALE! ULB. Val Vargas is the band leader who brings her exceptional vocals and experience, having worked with artists like Alexander Pires and Christian Yaipen. On percussion, Anier Alonso has extensive expertise in numerous musical genres, including Yoruba, Abakuá, and Tajona. Emiliano Torres, the Musical Director, is a trumpeter who has recorded, played, and toured with various artists, including Ricky Martin. Alberto Torres, a.k.a. Friki, handles the guitar and strings for the band. His credits include Yoli Mayor and Gente de Zona. The band’s producer and bass player is Darius Harrison, a.k.a. Deezle, whose credits include Nicki Minaj, Drake, and Lil Wayne.

The acronym ULB in the band’s name stands for United Latin Band. “It comes from different cultures. I’m Colombian, and my Dad is Peruvian. Aniar is Cuban, Deezle is from New Orleans, and Emi (Emiliano) is from Argentina.” The first part of the band’s name, VALE!, has a double meaning. According to Deezle, it’s a wordplay from the lead singer’s nickname, Vale, and the saying used in diverse Latin American countries to denote agreement. “It’s like ‘VALE! Uniting Cultures’ like ‘GET IT!, ‘DO IT!’” says Deezle, adding that the exclamation point adds to the expressive feeling.

Deezle grew up playing the saxophone, training in classical music, and playing in the orchestra and jazz bands in high school. “All those elements combined made me respect the variations and differences in life and culture,” Deezle said, adding he loved Oye Como Va by Santana when he first heard it. “I never heard anything like that ‘cause it was all funk, R&B, Motown, and Disco back then.” Deezle didn’t know how to identify the sound he was hearing, but it resonated with him. After earning a Grammy for his work with Lil Wayne on the Carter III and extensive credits as a music producer, engineer, and songwriter, Deezle kept gravitating to Latin music. “That’s what I like, is good stuff, it don’t matter what the genre is. In Hip-Hop, you didn’t have that mixing of cultures like that early on. Even though a lot of cats were Puerto Rican, they weren’t mixing Spanish or English in pop songs.”

Now that he resides in Miami, he can explore his passion for Latin music with VALE! ULB. The band formed nearly four years ago in 2019, playing sounds that stand out from other bands and genres because of the unique way they create music. “We’d say take a piece of Black Eyed Peas, take a piece of No Doubt, take a piece of Santana, take a piece of Stevie Wonder and pour some Gumbo on it and that’s us,” says Deezle. Batá drummer Anier Alonso agrees: “We take the essence of different influences. For example, pop, Latin rap, trap in English, ballads in Spanish, jazz, and salsa. Mixing all that creates an atypical sound because we are all different but from the same Latin Origins.”

Last November, their performance at Chickie Wah Wah was a real treat for the dancers that night. VALE! ULB got the crowd going with original tracks like Bailes Chicos and Hey Mama, leaving fans asking for an encore! The band happily played their newest single, Sube El Nivel, which you can find on YouTube. To listen to their music and stay in the loop on future show dates and original content, visit www.valeulb.com or follow them on Instagram @valeulb.

We look forward to having them back in Deezle’s hometown many more times!