Luis proudly plays and endorses:

LUIS CARDENAS
One "Renegade" Drummer

One of Los Angeles' favorite sons, Luis Cardenas' story definitely mirrors the infamous headline, "Local Boy Makes Good."

His father wanted Luis to be a musician because of the discipline and "stick to it" nature of the pursuit. So Luis Cardenas became a drummer at the age of four. He has never looked back. The kid who made a name for himself as the heartbeat behind the multi-million selling rockers Renegade, is back and ready to roll.

He might have been a saxophonist, but when his godfather gave him a snare drum at the tender age of two, his destiny seems to have been predetermined. With weekly instruction from "Mr. Daniels," Luis learned his lessons well. Banging out the infamous rudiments and learning to read music was just a part of the process. Every lesson was an opportunity for Cardenas to learn the latest hit song. When he got his first drum kit - the Toys ‘R Us variety -- young Luis noticed it was missing an integral part of any professional drummer's set. So with plunger in hand, Cardenas began to fashion his own version of a High Hat cymbal. "And I almost had it," he says. It was a precursor of things to come because before long, Cardenas’ impressive technique and his enormous drum set would be internationally famous.

Upon entering the third grade, his family moved from East LA to a Whittier home with an enormous bay window in front. That window proved to be Cardenas’ very first spotlight, because every day upon returning home, when Luis would lay down his flams and five stroke rolls, all the kids from school would witness his artistry. When some of the older kids sought Luis out for their band, his father was understandably apprehensive and sternly instructed his son not to mingle with “that crowd.” But Luis had his future in mind and snuck away to play with the "Big Kids." Cardenas says, "There was smoke coming out from this scary looking shed and once I got inside, I immediately noticed a thrashed, unmatched drum kit... but it sounded good. We played "Low Rider" and I was hooked on playing in a band setting."

In seventh grade, Cardenas met a musician who amazingly would play an important part in Luis' life for many years to come. Danny David Flores had heard great things about Cardenas' chops and had him summoned from class. Danny asked, "Can you be at band practice tonight?" The protégé drummer was stunned and responded, "Do I know you?" Once again, "Dad" stepped in, concerned for the well being of his sought-after son. After a half-hour discussion between the cerebral Flores and Papa, the path was cleared and with Flores, Cardenas had his first "official" band. He notes, "We just played Beatles' tunes, but it was great.” After a few incarnations, that band evolved and became Renegade.

With their moniker set, it was time to start working. High School gigs turned into four track recording sessions in their high school gym. With the help of Allied Artists Records, the band set out to tackle the infamous Sunset Strip. Initially, the band ran into a few bumps in the road, due mostly to their Latin heritage - "We kept telling these club owners that we were a band, not a gang," recalls Luis. Ultimately, Bill Gazzarri of “Gazzarri's on the Strip” took a chance with the band. Soon thereafter, The Troubadour, The Whisky and the Starwood all played host to the Renegade wave. Renegade was taking off, and so was Luis' percussive technique.

Cardenas adds, "What helped me most was the fact that I learned the rudiments early. I began to challenge myself, practicing the rudiments with my feet and my hands. But there came a point when I became frustrated... and looking back now I realize it was because I was trying to play TOO much. So I went back and did some research on the basics. I remember one time in the studio, our producer got so frustrated with my desire to play too many beats, that he took away my cymbals and had me record the track like that - without any cymbals. It proved to be an eye-opening experience for me. I know now that in many musical circumstances the cliché fits, less really is more. It was about that time that I started really learning about time, playing with click tracks, playing to metronomes - to me, that stuff is hard."

The release of Renegade's debut album "Rock ‘n’ Roll Crazy" took the band to another level, and Luis Cardenas was ready for the ride. He notes, "Through our producer, I met Bill Ludwig III at a NAMM show. My first snare drum was a LUDWIG Black Beauty that I got when I was two years old . . . I had played LUDWIG my whole life, so it was a dream come true when that company signed me to endorse their stuff." Paiste Cymbals and Pro-Mark sticks soon followed and as Renegade continued their rise, so did Cardenas' reputation as a talented percussionist.

As record sales and crowds grew with the release of "Renegade II - On the Run," "Nuns on Wheels" and "Renegade Live," Cardenas' drum set followed suit. Cardenas notes, "For me, it was fun. I was growing as a drummer and the music we were performing called for a big set - timpani, overhead drums, the whole thing. So little by little it grew and eventually became, according to the Guinness Book of Records, ‘THE LARGEST DRUM SET IN THE WORLD.' It varied, between 78 and 107 pieces. It was a monster. " A solo Lp, "Animal Instinct" spawned the hit singles, “Runaway” and "Hungry For Your Love," the former picking up a Grammy nomination and becoming the most added video in history. Clearly, success comes in many forms for this vocalist/percussionist.

With such diverse career highlights as performing with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Iron Butterfly, multi-million albums sold and a Guinness Book World Record, these days Cardenas is looking forward to the reformation of Renegade on the resurgent Allied Artists Records. He notes, "There's much excitement and anxiety." Along with original band members Tony De La Rosa, Danny David Flores and Kenny Marquez, Cardenas looks forward to a new lean, mean Renegade. He notes, "My entire approach to percussion has changed, but we shred now, better than ever. You'll see."

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Contact: Craig Melone, Hands On Public Relations,
(323) 467-6967, or
Email at: CMelone@AlliedArtists.net.