Masters At Work (MAW) are New York house music duo “Little” Louie Vega and Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez, who began working together in 1990. Often called the most influential pairing in house music history, they shaped Latin house, gave the ballroom scene The Ha Dance, created the Nuyorican Soul project and remixed everyone from Michael Jackson and Madonna to Daft Punk and Björk.
Masters At Work at a glance
- Members: Louie Vega and Kenny Dope Gonzalez
- From: New York City
- Together since: 1990
- Label: MAW Records, relaunched in 2021
- Side projects and aliases: Nuyorican Soul, KenLou, Sole Fusion, Hardrive and River Ocean
- Grammy history: three Best Remixed Recording nominations as a duo; Louie Vega won the category solo in 2006
Where the name came from
In the late 1980s Kenny Gonzalez ran block parties in New York under the name Masters At Work with Mike Delgado. He lent the name to Todd Terry for his 1987 singles Alright Alright and Dum Dum Cry. Louie Vega met Kenny through Todd Terry after hearing Kenny’s Salsa House, and in 1990 the two started producing together as Masters At Work.
Classic releases
- The Ha Dance (1991): a cornerstone of ballroom and vogue culture
- The Album (1993), their first album
- Nuyorican Soul, The Nervous Track (1993) on Nervous Records
- Nuyorican Soul, Nuyorican Soul (1997) on Talkin’ Loud: UK No.25
- Hardrive, Deep Inside
Nuyorican Soul
Signed by Gilles Peterson, the Nuyorican Soul album fused house with jazz, Latin, soul and disco. It featured George Benson, Roy Ayers, Tito Puente, Jocelyn Brown, India, Vincent Montana Jr. and the Salsoul Orchestra, and gave us the singles Runaway and You Can Do It (Baby). It reached No.3 on Billboard’s Jazz Albums chart.
Remixes for the biggest names
The duo’s remix list includes Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Madonna, Donna Summer, Daft Punk, Björk, Jamiroquai and Soul II Soul. Their swinging drums and live instrumentation also influenced the UK’s speed garage sound.
MAW Records
MAW Records launched in 1998 as the home for their productions. In 2021 they relaunched the label with their first new release together in 20 years, and they still play together around the world.
Frequently asked questions about Masters At Work
Who are Masters At Work?
New York house duo Louie Vega and Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez, who have produced together since 1990.
Where does the name come from?
Kenny Gonzalez used it for block parties in the 1980s and lent it to Todd Terry for two 1987 singles before the duo adopted it.
Have they won a Grammy?
The duo were nominated three times for Best Remixed Recording. Louie Vega won that award on his own in 2006 for his remix of Curtis Mayfield’s Superfly.
What is Nuyorican Soul?
Their 1990s project blending house, Latin, jazz and soul, with a 1997 album on Talkin’ Loud.
Sources: Wikipedia and Resident Advisor.
Keep listening
Steve Bell plays soulful, deep and vocal house across the UK, Ibiza and beyond. Catch his monthly DancersHip show and live sets, or see the media pack to book Steve for your event.
