What happens when the performance of a person becomes the trademark of a personality? Felipe Rose is he a puzzle? Felipe Rose is best known as the American Indian attired vocalist in the world famous Village People.

Having spent the last 25 years involved in one of the most visible and active groups in pop music, he now brings his energy to Tomahawk Records and The Tomahawk Group, Inc.

Felipe Rose is a native New Yorker, having been raised and brought up in Brooklyn. His Puerto Rican and Native American heritage (Lakota Sioux) is reflected in the clothing that he dons to perform. This is not just a costume but also a signifier of where he comes from and his long association with Native American groups across the country. Felipe has been called a “shadow walker”, a Native term for walking in two worlds.

Throughout his childhood he displayed intense creative interest in the arts. His mother was a source of tremendous encouragement. She was, in fact, a Copa Cabana dancer in the late 1940s and early 50’s, so music and show business were a constant influence in his home life and beyond. Felipe’s talent manifested itself at an early age and by 16 he had secured a scholarship with the Ballet de Puerto Rico, under the supervision of Pasqual Guzman. During his tenure with the Ballet Company, and while performing at New York’s Lincoln Center, a choreographed dance-drama recital of “Julia de Burgos”, the story of the famous Puerto Rican poetess whose life was cut short by committing suicide. The New York Post’s called his performance “Poignant and Compelling.” That review is what got Felipe hooked, and he knew that, it would be his destiny.

To learn more about Felipe’s mother’s cultural island background, please visit Puerto Rico’s website. (Please see link below)

Felipe’s native aunt later introduced him to the different influences in dance. “Why not also honor your father’s heritage, and dress in your tribal regalia in your dance journey through culture?”