Little Louie Vega has housework in mind for his Hong Kong trip

For someone who’s been producing music for nearly three decades and DJing for nearly four, playing a pivotal role along the way in developing the influential musical genre of house, it’s taken Luis Ferdinand Vega, aka Little Louie Vega, a long time to release his debut solo album.

That might be slightly misleading: soul-drenched house artist Vega has released several albums, as well as numerous singles and remixes, under names including Elements of Life and, with his long-term collaborator Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez, Masters at Work and Nuyorican Soul. But Louie Vega Starring … XXVIII, a 28-song epic of soulful, jazzy, loungey disco-house, is the first album he’s released under his own name. He decided to do so, he says ahead of a visit to Hong Kong, because this album “came from a very personal place. I wanted to do an album that epitomised the styles of music I like.”

Vega has filled such a broad canvas with the aid of 25 collaborators, including Jocelyn Brown, Caron Wheeler, Soul Clap, Monique Bingham, N’Dea Davenport, Vikter Duplaix and Lisa Fischer, with Vega acting as a cross between musical director, producer and ringmaster.

“It was about tailoring every song to each artist,” he says. “I had to work with every artist separately. Depending on the artist, there was also the opportunity for them to be involved in writing the songs.”

With Vega also busy travelling around the world to DJ, he says it took two solid years to put the album together, winnowing it down from an original selection of about 50 tracks. To mark its completion he’s on the road again, for an album launch party at Tazmania Ballroom in Central on April 13, which features DJ sets by Vega and fellow house legend Timmy Regisford, plus a live performance by soulful house vocalist Monique Bingham.