About this project
The Film
From 1965 to 1970,
musicians in New York City fused English and Spanish lyrics with Afro-Cuban,
jazz, rock and R&B rhythms and melodies to create Latin boogaloo. It
was a period of revolution and social awakening and young Latinos in search of their
identity, growing up in neighborhoods like East Harlem and the South Bronx,
adopted Latin boogaloo as their soundtrack. 
This audience, once on the verge of leaving Latin music behind, now came to appreciate it. With the emergence of salsa, another New York creation, some say the Latin boogaloo was killed off, not by the fans, but by industry politics. We Like It Like That explores this fascinating, though often overlooked, bridge in Latin music history, seeking to understand its context in the story of Latinos in America and its continued influence around the world today.
Featuring original interviews with Joe Bataan, Johnny Colon, Ricardo Ray, Jimmy Sabater (of the Joe Cuba Sextet), Joey Pastrana, Larry Harlow, Harvey Averne, Angel Lebron (of the Lebron Brothers), Benny Bonilla (of the the Pete Rodriguez band), Felipe Luciano, Aurora Flores, Sandra Maria Esteves, Alex Masucci, Oliver Wang, Juan Flores, Bobby Sanabria, Bobbito Garcia and others.
Status
A work in progress cut of the film premiered in New York City at Central Park Summer Stage on August 10th, alongside an amazing concert with Mr. Boogaloo Blues, Johnny Colon and the king of Latin soul, Joe Bataan.
We filmed the event and plan to include footage from what turned out to be a truly special and historic night in the final version of the film. Read more about the event at the Summer Stage Website and watch Johnny and Joe discuss their music and promote the event, along with DJ Turmix on the ABC7 show Tiempo.
Where Will the Funds Go?
The funds from this campaign will see us through the final edit of the film and help us buy the rights to more of the archival footage needed to complete and officially release the film.
Because We Like It Like That is a music documentary, we are also in the process of securing rights to the songs that we highlight in the film. If we raise any money over our funding level we will put it towards buying song rights.
Why Kickstarter?
We have finished about 3/4 of the film! It has taken almost two years to get to this point, but we are thankful to be here. However, making a documentary is only half the work. Releasing the film is the other half. Through Kickstarter we hope to raise enough funds to put us well on our way towards completing the film for submission to major film festivals, PBS, a possible theatrical release and a successful DVD release. Our reason for making this film has been to inform the public about this incredible period in New York City and Latin music history, and to put a spotlight on the music of these phenomenal artists, whose musical contributions have been overlooked for too long.
How do I keep updated on the film?
Like us on Facebook or Follow us on Twitter to keep updated on our progress.
FAQ
Have a question? If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly.
167
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$15,543
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Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on October 9.
Pledge $5 or more Pledge $5 or more
Every dollar counts! You will get a heartfelt thank you on our web site
Pledge $10 or more Pledge $10 or more
SPECIAL BACKER REWARD: A digital download of the Spanglish Fly EP Latin Soul and Bugalú (plus a big thank you on the film’s website). Listen to Spanglish Fly at http://www.myspace.com/spanglishflyNYC
Pledge $15 or more Pledge $15 or more
SPECIAL BACKER REWARD: A CD of the Spanglish Fly EP Latin Soul and Bugalú (plus a big thank you on the film’s website). Listen to Spanglish Fly at http://www.myspace.com/spanglishflyNYC
Pledge $25 or more Pledge $25 or more
A big thank you and an official "We Like it Like That" Poster
Pledge $50 or more Pledge $50 or more
A DVD of the film upon release + an official "We Like it Like That" poster
Pledge $100 or more Pledge $100 or more
Rock a sweet "We Like it Like That" t-shirt + a DVD of the film upon release + an official limited edition poster + a big thank you on our web site
Pledge $250 or more Pledge $250 or more
The official "We Like It Like That" soundtrack + A "We Like it Like That" t-shirt + a DVD of the film upon release + a limited edition poster + a big thank you on our web site
Pledge $500 or more Pledge $500 or more
A photo of Joe Bataan, signed by the man himself + The official "We Like It Like That" soundtrack + t-shirt + a DVD of the film upon release + a limited edition poster + a big thank you on our web site + a special thank you in the film credits!
Pledge $750 or more Pledge $750 or more
All of the above + 5 CDs (or the digital download equivalent) and two t-shirts from Fania.com
Pledge $1,000 or more Pledge $1,000 or more
All of the above + 2 tickets and backstage passes to any Joe Bataan concert on his next tour
Pledge $2,500 or more Pledge $2,500 or more
All of the above + an all expenses paid dinner (travel costs excluded) in New York City, with Joe Bataan, Johnny Colon, Harvey Averne and Mathew Ramirez Warren, the writer, director and producer of "We Like It Like That"
Project By
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Writer and filmmaker, Mathew Ramirez Warren is a native of New York City. He received an M.A. from the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism and has been a regular contributor to the New York Times and Wax Poetics Magazine. In 2007, he began exploring documentary filmmaking, and in addition to his work in print, he has produced numerous videos for NYTimes.com and WaxPoetics.com. Since beginning work on his upcoming feature length documentary on the Latin boogaloo era, "We Like It Like That," Mathew has come to be viewed as an expert in the field and has written the liner notes on several album re-issues for Fania Records. He continues to live in New York City and has established his own production company, Muddy Science.
