By Sophia Pallozzi
Stepping out of his black SUV behind the stage wearing a tan sweater and jeans, Anthony Lejos scoped his crowd with eager eyes. Between North Terrace Avenue and West Lincoln Avenue in Mount Vernon, New York an annual Hispanic Heritage Festival on Sept. 22 took over the street as attendees enjoyed food, live music, and each other's company.
A stage sat at the end of the street where Lejos performed for hundreds of people who danced and sung along to his melodies.
Anthony Marmolejos, a Purchase College alum, graduated in 2022 with a bachelor's degree in communications and a minor in arts management. He performs under the stage name Anthony Lejos.
Lejos founded La Estrofa Entertainment, a company that manages both himself and other artists. From merengue to bachata, Lejos produces, writes, and sings his own music while managing his company.
Anthony Lejos performing at the Hispanic Heritage Festival in Mount Vernon, NY.
(Photo by Marah Lewis)
Lejos’ latest Extended Play (EP), “Eminente,” released this past February is described as an immersive experience, a narrative of self-improvement and acceptance composed of six songs, all fully in Spanish. Each song on the album describes a different stage of a breakup. “I got first-hand accounts of how my friends were grieving [their relationships] and I put it together,” said Lejos.
Westchester-born and raised, Lejos grew up in Mount Vernon with his two sisters, one of whom is also a Purchase student. [Editor's note: Arlenis Marmolejos is the managing editor of The Purchase Phoenix, but did not edit this article.]
“Growing up, Anthony always gave big-brother energy, even though he’s the middle child,” Arisleidy Marmolejos said, the oldest of the two.
At a young age, Lejos and Arisleidy Marmolejos spent years taking private music lessons in Manhattan. There, they learned music theory along with vocals and guitar. “He literally dove into it,” said Arisleidy Marmolejos, “which is such a blessing because now he gets to tour in the Dominican Republic.”
Anthony Lejos performed in La Vega, Dominican Republic in front of a large crowd this past April. (Photo by Elías Alcántara Sánchez)
During a trial run on a mini tour in the Dominican Republic, Lejos went back to his roots to perform his EP. “I decided to go straight to where my genre derives from,” said Lejos.
In La Vega, Dominican Republic, Lejos performed a series of three shows in April. “I think that allowed me to gain some experience with crowd control and figure out who I am as an artist," said Lejos.
Anthony Lejos performed in front of a dancing crowd in Mount Vernon, NY. (Photo by Arlenis Marmolejos)
Recalling his time at Purchase, he uses his degree to its fullest potential, allowing him to “Think Wide Open, that’s the slogan, right?” asked Lejos.
With his communications degree, Lejos and his business partner, Elías Alcántara Sánchez, create a strategy to brand not only the artist, but the company. “The future of the company really relies on the success of the artists, but also the artists rely on the success of the business,” said Lejos.
“I feel like [Lejos] can get as far as he wants to because he is really focused,” said Sánchez, who also noted that while La Estrofa has potential, it still has a long way to go.
Before becoming Lejos’ manager, Tony Fortunato and Lejos bonded as friends in a cover band together. Fortunato assisted Lejos in creating his latest EP. “The process is beautiful, that's the best part of it, just creating,” said Fortunato.
Christian Aponte, the main guitarist at the festival, was introduced to Lejos by Fortunato when he was invited to a recording session. “I’ve never heard of this guy, Anthony [Lejos]? I started working with him and the kid had incredible talent!” said Aponte.
Anthony Lejos (center) and Christian Aponte (right) performed together in Mount Vernon, NY. (Photo by Arlenis Marmolejos)
For future plans, Lejos plans on getting a physical location for La Estrofa Entertainment, as well as bringing in new talent, especially through his community. “I see his vision,” said Fortunato, “he wants this, and he’s got the talent for it.”
Lejos’ music can be found on all streaming platforms including Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music and more.
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