Felipe Rose is an original member of the disco group, the Village People. While in the group, he performed as an "Indian" character - usually wearing a warbonnet and loincloth - from 1977 until 2017, when the name of the group was turned over to original lead singer Victor Willis. Rose subsequently launched a solo career and released the single "Going Back to My Roots" in 2018.
Early years
Rose was born in New York City to a Puerto Rican mother. He currently claims Lakota/Taino descent, but at other times has said he is Apache. He was raised in Brooklyn where he displayed an interest in the arts during his childhood. His mother was his main inspiration as she herself had been a dancer for the Copacabana during the 1940s and 1950s. In 1970, when Rose was 16 years old, he won a scholarship to study dance with the Ballet de Puerto Rico under the guidance of Pascual Guzman. He participated in a dance-drama recital of Julia de Burgos at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts with the Ballet Company. The New York Post called his performance "poignant and compelling."
Village People
Rose began as a nightclub dancer. He describes being encouraged by an aunt to begin dancing "in his father's tribal regalia", which he says led to his "Red Indian" costume in the Village People. Rose was working as a dancer and a bartender in the gay New York discotheque The Anvil, dressed "as an Indian" when he was discovered by French producer Jacques Morali and executive producer Henri Belolo and so became the first recruit for Village People. Both Jacques and Henri were fascinated by Rose's "Red Indian" attire and saw the potential in organizing a singing group where each individual would wear a different costume and have a particular identity. While the producers were busy recruiting and preparing the other members of the group, Rose was sent to Paris where he choreographed a native dance number for the Crazy Horse Saloon. When he returned to the United States, he suggested that the other members of the group wear uniforms representing different "manly" occupations in New York's Greenwich Village. In 1977, Village People had their first hit with "San Francisco", although this song became a hit only in the United Kingdom. Then in 1978 they had their first hits in the U.S. with "Macho Man" followed by "YMCA" In the 1980s, Rose sang and danced for the Latin music maestro Tito Puente and he also starred in a regional theatre production of West Side Story. In 1996, Rose started the Tomahawk Group, an entertainment and recording company which handles the Village People's releases and songs. The company is also in charge of the group's many engagements. Rose has also been the producer of various artists.
Rose and Village People have raised millions of dollars for many charities. Among them are the Native American College Fund and various AIDS charities. Rose is a member of the board of directors of Sixuvus Ltd, the Advisory Board of the Native American Music Association, the LARAS-Latin Grammys, and the Winter Music Conference. In 2006, Rose appeared as a contestant on the revival of I've Got a Secret. He currently lives in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Over the years, up until 2017, he has intermittently performed as his original "Indian" character in the "Village People"; at other times, others have portrayed the "Native American" character in the group.
