Luis Conte Interview:
Ambassadors of Jesus Christ

DFJ: I know you've played with some incredible musical artists in your life .. Tell me about your recent tour with James Taylor and playing with Steve Gadd?

LC: Well, it was the 2003 tour with James Taylor and we went all over the States, playing a lot of cities, including Dallas. It was probably the best band assembled last year, the musicians were incredible with Larry Goldings on piano, Mike Landau on guitar and Jimmy Johnson on bass, Walt Fowler on trumpet and Lou Marini on sax and Steve Gadd on drums, so ya know .. and James Taylor up front with 4 beautiful singers and I kept pinching myself saying "What am I doing here?"(laughs) .. it was so fantastic. And playing with Gadd, well, I've been playing with him off and on for about 10 years now, he's a beautiful guy, he's just as much a cool guy as he is a drummer. It was just great, great experience.

DFJ: Thank you for that. I wanted to ask you how you came to know the Lord?

LC: I was raised in Cuba. I grew up Catholic, like most Spanish families. In Cuba we have all of these other religions, CULTS, like Santeria, very big thing in Cuba, so just by BEING there, introduced to THAT, that's how I was living until I left Cuba. Even after I left Cuba and I was living in Los Angeles, I continued being involved with Santeria. Santeria is a BIG , DARK CLOUD and you live in a state of FEAR. But when we know the Lord, there is NO FEAR. But when you're in the Santeria it's like you go out at night and you see two sets of footsteps following you all the time. But, when you're walking with the Lord you don't see the footsteps following because you know HE is CARRYING YOU. SO, that's how I got to know the Lord, because something was telling me that I had to get out of that scene. And came to know about the Lord through my wife, Lupe. She started telling me about the Bible .. and also, Paul Leim [famous recording drummer], in the late 70's, we were doing some shows with Doc Severinson's band and one night Paul and I were having dinner together and Paul told me that he had received Jesus into his heart and had become "born again", that he had been forgiven of all of his sins. It was like. WOW! That was the most beautiful thing, like .. NEW BOARD, CLEAN SLATE NOW, WE START OVER AGAIN, OOOH!! (laughs)So, through my wife and through Paul Leim I came to know the Lord.

DFJ: OK, thank you for sharing that. I know that you have experienced a lot in your life and that you've had an incredible journey. Can you tell us about your experience of getting from Cuba to the U.S.?

LC: I moved from Santiago, Cuba to Madrid, Spain. I was a kid, in those days when you left Cuba, YOU LEFT, there were no phone calls, no association with your family, you left it all behind .. and I was very lonely. And when I moved to Madrid I lived with some Jesuit priests that had a refuge for people that had left Cuba. I stayed in Madrid for about 4 months then I moved to Los Angeles, went straight to Hollywood and began living with a third cousin of my Dad who was also named Luis Conte. And he was my sponsor. So, that's how it happened, Cuba, Spain, L.A.

DFJ: Luis, you are mainly a secular musician and I wanted to ask what advice do you have to drummers that have recently become Christians and how can they deal with being in the secular music world?

LC: It's a difficult situation sometimes, you have to keep praying and read your Bible .. you know what I do? I just did a trip to Japan for 2 months and I woke up every morning and in Japan, well, first, there wasn't anyone in the band who was a Christian and then in Japan the people are so removed from Christianity, like you're on Mars or something [laughs]..so every morning I would wake up and read the Bible and at the time I was reading a book by Rick Warren called "The Purpose Driven Life". It's about staying in touch with the Lord. So, you can say that it gets difficult sometimes, but you can take it two ways: 1) you can let yourself go and get lost to that situation or 2) you can get away from it. What we have to remember is that when we are in difficult situations, like being in a country where there are very few Christians and none of your band mates are Christians, that we are AMBASSADORS of JESUS CHRIST! That is what gets you through the day! MAN, I AM AN AMBASSADOR of JESUS CHRIST!!!

DFJ: And I believe that's why we are put in those situations sometimes, to be the example to others.

LC: Yeah, I mean I get on a bus with other musicians and maybe there's some wicked stuff going on, but no, I don't do that .. there's nothing you can do about it, you're on the same bus with a bunch of other people, BUT, you're STILL setting an EXAMPLE by not being a part of it.

DFJ: The choice that you've made sets the example for others to see and by setting that example people may say, "Wow! I want whatever that is that Luis has, I don't know what it is, but I want THAT." Well, THAT is JESUS. And I'm thankful that you [Luis] are the ambassador of Jesus in a lot of those kind of situations.

LC: Well, that's the advice for people, stay in line and remember why you are there. We are AMBASSADORS for OUR LORD!

DFJ: Luis, thank you for sharing your insight and your heart, we can't wait to see you at the International Drummers for Jesus Celebration in March!

LC: I'm looking forward to that!!!