A 'beautiful journey:' Award-winning Latino Salsa artist settles in Phenix City area

Far from the glitz and glamour of life as a world-renowned salsa recording artist, Tony Vega pounded the congas at his home, nestled in the rural setting of Seale, Ala.

Just a few years ago, Vega, 58, didn't even know Seale existed. He was busy living a fast-pace life in West Palm Beach, Fla.

But five years ago, he was invited to participate in a spiritual revival in Phenix City. He fell in love with the area and decided to relocate his family.

Now Vega, an award-winning Latino vocalist, is part of a growing ministry in the Chattahoochee Valley. Along with other members of his family, he is a cofounder of a church that began in his first Alabama residence. The group, called Family in Christ Church, is now located at 5422 Armor Road in Columbus.

"We knew the Lord was moving us from West Palm Beach, but had no idea where," Vega recently said before performing a rendition on the congas, with pine trees as his backdrop. "And if you gave me a map and said, 'Where is Alabama?' I had no idea. We came here, we loved it, started praying and God gave us the green light. Five years later, here we are."

Vega is the son of Puerto Rican immigrants. He was born in Salinas, Calif., where his father served his last year in the Army. Three months after Vega's birth, the family moved to Philadelphia, where they remained until he was 10 years old. From there, they moved back to Puerto Rico, where he lived until age 26.

Growing up in Puerto Rico, Vega was first into rock music, falling in love with the Columbia Record label through a subscription that offered 10 records for $10.

"I used to hear Chicago, Three Dog Night, I used to have long hair," he said reminiscing about his youth. Then one day, he heard Carlos Santana's fusion of rock and Latin American music, and it changed his life.

"For my 13th birthday, I asked my Dad to buy me congas," said Vega, who was also influenced by a family of musicians. Soon he was playing in a Latino rock band called City Trash.

In 1977, Vega recorded his first album as one of the two lead singers of "La Selecta" (The Select), a famous salsa group directed by Raphy Leavitt.

Two years later, he joined Willie Rosario's band where he stayed for six years. He was a major contributor to Rosario's "La nueva cosecha" ("The New Crop") album, which earned a Grammy nomination.

In 1998, Vega signed with the RMM record label and released his first solo album, "Yo Me Quedo!" ("I'll Stay"), which became a best-seller. It was followed by another album titled "Uno Mismo" ("Oneself"), which went platinum.

The album earned Vega the Agüeybaná Award for Best Orchestra of the year in 1992 and made him an internationally known salsa star.

On the day he was interviewed for this article, Vega had just returned from Ecuador. He left a few days later for Panama, then went to Connecticut and Washington, D.C., before returning and then leaving for Columbia, all in one week.

Vega said he became a born-again Christian in 1996 while participating in an annual salsa concert in Puerto Rico. There he met Alex De Castro, a salsa singer, who talked to him about God.

"By his invitation, I went to a little church in Puerto Rico, and that's where I gave my life to the Lord," Vega said. "And ever since, it's been a beautiful journey."

Vega said he liked that the church focused on a relationship with Christ, rather than working for salvation. He also enjoyed the music, which included Christian rap artists and a salsa band.

"The guy that had invited me to that festival started singing and crying in the spirit and he told me, 'You're not here by coincidence, man. The piece of the puzzle you're missing is here.'"

The words resonated with Vega and changed his life.

"In 1996, I was on the (top) of my career, platinum and gold records, four houses, three cars, the economy was great," he explained. "Money was coming in, and I had a nice family. But there was something that was missing, and it was that spiritual part."

That Sunday he went home and told his wife, Angeles, that he had decided to "accept the Lord as his Savior."

"A week later, she went with me and reconciled her life with the Lord," he said.

Dedicating their lives to Christ brought many blessings, Vega said. The couple already had two biological sons.

Two years after their conversion, God blessed them with an adopted daughter, who is the biological child of one of his wife's nephews.

Vega said God also healed one of his grandsons who was born with spina bifida, despite the doctor's recommendation that the child be aborted.

But the couple experienced some trials, too.

"After serving the Lord for three and a half years, he started taking everything," the musician said.

"Out of nowhere, I lost my voice, and there was no medical condition. So all my finances went down."

Vega said he had a major contract with a multi-national record label, but the company refused to pay him.

He settled with the company, which owed him $540,000. However, it wasn't enough to offset his expenses. So he began selling his four houses and other assets.

He said when he was ready to give up on religion, God stepped in and revealed himself.

"God was like 'Hey man, just hold on. I'm here working with you,'" he said. "I believed that and look where I am now. It was five years of depending day by day on the Lord."

Vega said the couple still had not recuperated when they moved to Alabama five years ago.

"I had no money, credit anything," he said. But he and his wife found a three-story house in Ridgebrook with 5,400 square feet, a media room and a man's cave.

When they learned it was only $260,000, the couple made the purchase.

After living there for five years, they decided to downsize and recently moved into a newly built home on three acres.

Vega said his two sons have also moved to the area. One is a pastor of the church, and the other is a manager at Walgreens. His teenage daughter lives with him and his wife, and everyone is involved in the ministry.

Vega still sings the same songs with the same lyrics at secular events because that's what his audience wants, he said. However, now he has a different attitude.

"I had my priorities all messed up," he said.

"First it was my music, then my family, then the Lord. Now I have the Lord, my family and the music."

Alva James-Johnson, 706-571-8521. Reach her on Facebook at AlvaJamesJohnsonLedger.

This story was originally published September 26, 2015 at 11:22 PM with the headline "A 'beautiful journey:' Award-winning Latino Salsa artist settles in Phenix City area ."