Skip to main content
 
  • Recording Academy
  • GRAMMYs
  • Membership
  • Advocacy
  • MusiCares
  • GRAMMY Museum
  • Latin GRAMMYs
GRAMMYs
  • Advocacy
  • Home
  • GRAMMYs
  • GRAMMY Museum
  • Latin GRAMMYs
  • Membership
  • MusiCares
  • Login
  • Events
  • Governance
  • Press Room
  • More
    • Advocacy
    • Home
    • GRAMMYs
    • GRAMMY Museum
    • Latin GRAMMYs
    • Membership
    • MusiCares
    • Login
    • Events
    • Governance
    • Press Room

The GRAMMYs

  • Awards
  • News
  • Videos
  • Recording Academy
  • More
    • Awards
    • News
    • Videos
    • Recording Academy

Latin GRAMMYs

MusiCares

  • About
  • Get Help
  • Give
  • News
  • Videos
  • Events
  • Person of the Year
  • More
    • About
    • Get Help
    • Give
    • News
    • Videos
    • Events
    • Person of the Year

Advocacy

  • About
  • News
  • Issues & Policy
  • Act
  • Recording Academy
  • More
    • About
    • News
    • Issues & Policy
    • Act
    • Recording Academy

Membership

  • Join
  • Events
  • PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS WING
  • GRAMMY U
  • GOVERNANCE
  • More
    • Join
    • Events
    • PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS WING
    • GRAMMY U
    • GOVERNANCE
Log In Join
  • SUBSCRIBE

  • Search
Modal Open
Subscribe Now

Subscribe to Newsletters

Be the first to find out about GRAMMY nominees, winners, important news, and events. Privacy Policy
GRAMMY Museum
Membership

Join us on Social

  • Recording Academy
    • The Recording Academy: Facebook
    • The Recording Academy: Twitter
    • The Recording Academy: Instagram
    • The Recording Academy: YouTube
  • GRAMMYs
    • GRAMMYs: Facebook
    • GRAMMYs: Twitter
    • GRAMMYs: Instagram
    • GRAMMYs: YouTube
  • Latin GRAMMYs
    • Latin GRAMMYs: Facebook
    • Latin GRAMMYs: Twitter
    • Latin GRAMMYs: Instagram
    • Latin GRAMMYs: YouTube
  • GRAMMY Museum
    • GRAMMY Museum: Facebook
    • GRAMMY Museum: Twitter
    • GRAMMY Museum: Instagram
    • GRAMMY Museum: YouTube
  • MusiCares
    • MusiCares: Facebook
    • MusiCares: Twitter
    • MusiCares: Instagram
  • Advocacy
    • Advocacy: Facebook
    • Advocacy: Twitter
  • Membership
    • Membership: Facebook
    • Membership: Twitter
    • Membership: Instagram
    • Membership: Youtube
GRAMMYs

La Santa Cecilia 

Kevin Aguirre

News
How La Santa Cecilia Use Music To Heal la-santa-cecilia-love-loss-using-music-heal-new-album

La Santa Cecilia On Love, Loss & Using Music To Heal In New Album

Facebook Twitter Email
In the making of their latest album, 'La Santa Cecilia,' out now, the quartet, whose Latin anthems won them a GRAMMY in 2014, were forced to face one of their toughest moments as a group yet: the loss of three of their fathers
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Oct 22, 2019 - 7:37 am

One of the country's most recognized Latin musical groups, La Santa Cecilia have built their career on songs inspired by Latino life in the U.S. with a sound like no one else's. 

They have tackled the harsh realities of being undocumented in "ICE (El Hielo)," have made people dance with the cumbia inspired "La Negra" and have reimagined iconic love songs like Julio Jaramillo's "Nuestro Juramento" through creativity and a passion of taking on any genre they wish since they formed in the late 2000s. But it is years later, during the making of, La Santa Cecilia, the follow-up to Amar Y Vivir out now, that the quartet, whose Latin anthems won them a GRAMMY in 2014, found themselves face-to-face with one of their toughest moments as a group yet: the loss of three of their fathers.

La Santa Cecilia Are "Winning" On Press Play

"That was a huge shock. That really shook us in our personal [lives] and as a band," lead singer La Marisoul told the Recording Academy. For her, sharing the realities of life, even the tough ones, has become a point of connection to others. "We can get in a room or a venue or at a theater and play music and cry and dance and share. That is always a continuous drive for me," she said.

But this album is about love, too. "Although life takes so much away from us, it also gives us so much," Oso, the band's percussionist, adds. "One of the biggest things it gives us is love, is romance, is all that, all those beautiful feelings that we have that inspires us to keep going."

Musically, the band known for their singular mix of music, including cumbia, Latin rock, soul, R&B, ska and several other genres, continue to push their sound into new places. "[We] took it to another level where it just matured in this really beautiful way," Oso said.

The Recording Academy chatted with Oso and La Marisoul about coping with their loss during the making of their album, the limitations of genre, the state of Latin music and more.

What is the inspiration behind this LP?

Marisoul: Well, I think the inspiration is, as it's been for the previous albums, is life. Life, love, lust. Keeping faith in our dreams and in our band. All of our albums are influenced by what we go through and this past year we've gone through a lot of changes. Three of us lost our fathers in 12 months, so that was a huge shock. That really shook us in our personal [lives] and as a band too because we're friends, we're like a family. If someone's down, we feel for one another.

Love is a big thing, too, in this album. I think it's very romantic. We have a song called "Always Together," and it's about a couple or any relationship [that is] trying to keep the fire going, keep having trust in one another [while] going through those ups and downs and finding those moments to celebrate our friendships, our relationships and to just have a good time, because sometimes you just need a dance and a drink.

Does music help you cope with your life changes?

Oso: It totally helps you cope with it. For us, as musicians, music is... a great outlet. It's a connection to everything in itself. It's an art form of communication where you try to transmit everything that you're thinking and feeling and stuff. [It's a way] for us to be able to express sentiments and feelings that we couldn't do so in regular conversation. We put it into music, and we put it into songs. It's weird because a lot of songs on the album were kind of like a foreshadowing of what was to come.

We had no idea that all that loss was going to happen all at once. So, definitely, I think it's very therapeutic for us to be able to get up on stage and sing songs and share the energy. It gives us so much hope. It gives us things to look forward to. It connects what we're doing to so many other people. I think that's what's so beautiful about it. We get to share what we feel with other people and connect, and they, in turn, share what they feel with us ... the album is filled with a lot of that energy.

I want to talk more about this aspect of romance because right now, the country is going through a lot in terms of politics and a lot of stuff going on with the environment. When you're creating something around a topic so humanistic as love, does it mean more to you to focus on that now?

Oso: I don't think so. We never set out to be like this is what kind of band [we are,] this is the kind of album we're going to make. I think our main objective is just to be honest with what we're living. Like Marisoul said, [we] like to be honest with our life. The greatest sound of inspiration that we have is life and being able to figure out how we can complement it with music, with lyrics, with melodies, with all this stuff because although life takes so much away from us, it also gives us so much. One of the biggest things it gives us is love, is romance, is all that, all those beautiful feelings that we have that inspires us to keep going.

When things get so hard, like the way life is right now, and it can very difficult for a lot of us, feeling depressed. I know I feel like that. I feel scared, I feel depressed about the future of the world we're living in, but the music, the romance, and all those things give us a reason to be in existence and to keep trying.

Marisoul: I think it's beyond romance. I think that love is always at the core of what anybody does, I hope. Anything positive. Whether it's pursuing a career or going to work every day to take care of your family or going to school. Just the everything that we're... [whether] it's politics or anything, I think it always comes down - or should always come down - to love. I [also] agree with this feeling weary and sad about all the things that we see, happening all over the world.

And it feels like dark, dark times, you know but, like, no se quisimos escribir una cancion que fuera inspiradora. That would inspire people and inspire us because ... the work that we do isn't all just fun and games and beautiful like that. Everything around you sometimes bums you out. And after losing, having so much loss, sometimes it's hard to keep going ... So we wrote this song called "Dream" to inspire ourselves and to inspire and to just keep echandole ganas a nuestros propositos and you know and fighting for change and no dejar de vencer because I know it now, it's fucked up times and it's as real as dreaming maybe sometimes or having hope, we should never lose hope.

What keeps you all going?

Marisoul: The love of my family and the love of my child. I have a kid. I have a partner, I have a band, I'm super emotional right now but like my family, my friends and music. That keeps me going, that inspires me every day. We get a chance to live our dream, be musicians, play music and spend our day with our family and with our friends and to be able to go out and connect with people, with all the friends we've made along the way with La Santa Cecilia and we can get in a room or a venue or at a theater and play music and cry and dance and share like that is always a continuous drive for me.

Oso: I still have the feeling that I had when I was 16 and I started playing music to [make the best] f***ing music I could possibly ever make. That keeps me going every day, still. I just turned 40 and I still feel like that. I feel like "Aw man I want to give music what music gave to me." I don't ever feel like I'm done giving to music.

La Santa Cecilia Play Radiohead's "House Of Cards"

Did you all have to pause on the album making when your losses happened?

Oso: We didn't pause. My father passed away and then I had to miss half of the tour and then Alex's dad passed away, he missed half of the tour while we were working on the music. Then Marisoul's father passed away a few months afterwards. I remember our producer Sebastian [Krys] was like 'Hey man, we should stop," because we were already in the studio doing pre-production when Marisoul's father passed away but we took a few days off and then we kept working because that's what they would have wanted us to do because music was so important to them and I knew that they were so proud of us for being able to play music and do this and to see the music was just as important to us as it was to them. So I think that what they would have wanted us to do was to finish and not give up, and not use that as a crutch to be like "Oh well I can't keep going because this is just too hard."

As hard as it is and was I think they would have wanted us to keep [working on] the music. 

How did these moments strengthen you as a band?

Oso: We came together even more because it wasn't just us making music, it wasn't just us hanging out, it wasn't just us going to typical band stuff we had to go do some of the realest shit we've ever gone through in our lives. All four of us were just there for each other at every moment, checking up on each other, making sure we were okay, asking each other if we needed anything. As cliché as it sounds it feels like we became like adults.

We were just dealing with this in such an adult way and were just there for each other.

Going back onto the album, this one we hear a wider range of sounds. Tell me about the new sounds and why you decided to bring them onto the project?

Oso: We've always been about incorporating styles, different sounds and making genres and all this stuff. On this record especially, we took it to another level where it just matured in this really beautiful way where we're able to do a song like "Nobody Knows You When You're Down," which is this really gut-wrenching Betty Smith, blues, jazz song and then also do something like "Winning" where it's very like prog-rock, punk with bachata and all this stuff. For us it feels like the most natural thing, it never feels like we're forcing anything. It just feels like if this goes right, this fits good and...

Marisoul: We're not looking for like "It's because I want a new sound and stuff." It's more like I just want to experiment and what sounds good and we get to do that with Sebastian with the band and when we're working with the production of the album, we can't help but always want to mix things up and experiment. With the sounds and with our music and different styles ... I'm really proud of this album from "Winning" and "Dream" to "Always And Forever" and "Nobody Knows You When You're Down" and now it's like we're still touching on our influences, on the roots and stuff but we're also still venturing within La Santa Cecilia to find out who La Santa Cecilia is and all the kind of things that we do as a band, musically.

Speaking of the internet and all this technology I want to talk about "Winning" and that really has a strong message and it's done in such a fun way. What did you want to get across with that song specifically?

Marisoul: I think we just wanted to share our observation, share our personal addiction to social media because I think everybody's consumed by it and if you're not, lucky you. I mean at least I know that I get distracted by it but I love it, too. I love sharing, but then I don't. It's this really weird love/hate relationship that I feel I have with social media. It's such an important tool for me as an artist because it's the way that I can connect with an audience and that I can share with them what's going on with the band or with the things that I'm doing, but at the same time I feel like it feels sometimes like a chore, you know like, f*** I've got to post because then they won't know that we played on Saturday night at the Hollywood Bowl, and that was amazing. 

I'm wondering like we, the industry is very much like into genres and this is R&B and this is pop and things are mixing a lot more, but do you ever feel limited by genres?

Oso: Yeah, all the time. Yeah because it's not like... the genres aren't us, you know what I mean? We're not like, "We have to be R&B or we have to be punk or we have to be bolero" or anything like that. It's just for us just music is music and it's how we feel and it's how we see things, but everybody else needs to identify it to be a certain thing, but for us it's just being able to play a song and a melody and a rhythm and stuff like that and that's what turns us on. It's how it makes us feel, not what it's called.

Marisoul: To me it doesn't matter, to me it's not a hang up or it's not a like "Oh, it's cause people don't know who we are." I feel like we have these different platforms now, you can listen... you can watch videos, all kinds of stuff on YouTube or you can listen to and make your own playlists on Spotify or Apple, it's like you can listen to anything and nowadays I feel like whereever I go or whoever I hang with they're phones are out [they] have just a mix of music so to me it doesn't matter. If I'm working for Spotify and I'm the one that has to categorize that s*** like f**** that, you know?

How was it working with Sebastian?

Marisoul: Sebastian is great. I mean, we've been working with Sebastian for years now like on all of our albums from Noche Y Citas to now. The only thing we did without him was maybe that one like demo that we did ourselves. Sebastian is very much a part of La Santa Cecilia and our family and our circle of friends so it feels like home and I'm glad that we got the chance to go down this musical adventure road together, to play music and to continue to find new things for us. It feels great to just be in the studio with that guy. And argue and then compromise and create and try new things.

In terms of musical landscape there's so much going on with music being made by Latinos in English and in Spanish. From the J Balvin's to Rosalia's and then down to the Omar Apollos, do you feel excited to be able to continue to add your voice and your touch into a greater landscape?

Oso: I think it's cool, man. People are like putting it down to the culture and all this stuff and it's great to see all these young Latino artists doing stuff. I don't know to what extent I feel like we're a part of that or not. I honestly can't say. I just know that it feels, like I said earlier, it feels good to be able to make music that someone can identify with.

Oso: There's J Balvin, there's Rosalia, all this like more modern, futuristic kind of culture of Latin music that's happening but there's also people that are so different from that, that are Latino and there's people that are so unique and different in every culture of the world so it's cool to see that there are so many different avenues of expression and for us to be able to be one of them is great. I think people want to homogenize the culture so much and it'll only be like urbano or this and that but the spectrum is huge for our culture. It's so big, that's why you get festivals where it's like you get Bronco, Los Tigres Del Norte, J Balvin, Carlos Vives, La Santa Cecilia, Cuco, all these people together in one festival because there's not one way to represent being Latino so it's cool to have so many. And I just would like all of it to get attention, not just one side of it.

La Santa Cecilia Cover Radiohead's "House Of Cards" | ReImagined
GRAMMYs

Photo: Harmony Gerber/Getty Images

News
Latin Music Gallery Opens Doors At GRAMMY Museum los-angeles-first-permanent-latin-music-gallery-launches-grammy-museum

Los Angeles' First Permanent Latin Music Gallery Launches At GRAMMY Museum

Facebook Twitter Email
"This is a momentous occasion for the GRAMMY Museum and for Los Angeles," said ribbon-cutting ceremony host Giselle Fernandez
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Nov 19, 2019 - 1:15 pm

A new voice representing Latin culture's impact on music history opened its doors Tues., Nov. 18, at the GRAMMY Museum right in the heart of Los Angeles. 

The city's first permanent Latin music gallery brought together Latin music's biggest stars, industry professionals, political figures and community members for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and celebration of the historic event.

https://twitter.com/RecordingAcad/status/1196563795663081472

In honor of the @GRAMMYMuseum's launch party for their latest exhibit, '@LatinGRAMMYs: 20 Years Of Excellence,' today has officially been named #LatinGRAMMY Day.https://t.co/ytXkwu3YKI

— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) November 18, 2019

In collaboration with the GRAMMY Museum, the Latin Recording Academy unveiled the Latin GRAMMY: 20 Years Of Excellence exhibit, showcasing pieces from Latin GRAMMY show performances and moments, on the museum's third floor. These include an outfit the late iconic Mexican singer/songwriter Juan Gabriel wore during a performance at the 10th Latin GRAMMYs and an outfit worn by "Despacito" singer Luis Fonsi during his performance at the 18th Latin GRAMMYs. 

The Latin Academy is donating more than half a million dollars to expand the museum's Latin-inspired exhibits, including the permanent gallery and the Latin GRAMMY show exhibit. "This is a momentous occasion for the GRAMMY Museum and for Los Angeles," said ribbon-cutting ceremony host, journalist Giselle Fernandez, a former Latin Recording Academy board member. 

GRAMMY Museum President Michael Sticka said the museum was proud to be the home of the first permanent Latin music gallery in the city. "We're very excited to play host to that," he said in his remarks.

In a statement prior to the opening, Sticka touched on how the exhibit would expand the ethos of the GRAMMY Museum. "Latin GRAMMY, 20 Years Of Excellence and our newly renovated third floor will greatly amplify the Museum's mission to educate, inspire, and share the significance of all forms of music," he said.  

It was not forgotten that the gallery opened in one of the country's cities most-inspired by Latin culture and populated by Latinos. According to 2011 Pew Research Center statistics, Hispanics made up 4.9 million of the Los Angeles County population or 9 percent of the country's Hispanic population.

Hilda Solis, First District Los Angeles County Supervisor and former President Barack Obama cabinet member, reminded the crowd of the significance of the gallery's location. "[This is a] long-time coming for us," she said. "We know the musica is our life, it's our culture, it's our livelihood and it brings us so many good things when things are sour and bad."

The expansion is something Latin Recording Academy President Gabriel Abaroa had been dreaming of for years. "This is a day of thank yous," he said. "I want to thank Michael, the board of trustees of the GRAMMY Museum and all the employees and staffers of the GRAMMY Museum because they have opened their hearts and their doors to us since the beginning."

The grand event came just a few days after the Latin Recording Academy celebrated its 20th Latin GRAMMY celebration at the MGM in Las Vegas and was a celebration continuing its 20th anniversary celebrations.



View this post on Instagram


Aire soy y al aire, el viento no.

A post shared by ngela Aguilar (@angela_aguilar_) on Nov 18, 2019 at 6:51pm PST

Recent Latin GRAMMY Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album winner Christian Nodal and GRAMMY-nominated singer Angela Aguilar, were two stars invited to represent the next generation of Latin music and help cut the ribbon. 

The Office of L.A. City Council President Herb Abaroa also presented a certificate declaring Nov. 18 as the official Latin GRAMMY day. The night included performances from GRAMMY- and Latin GRAMMY-nominated Puerto Rican singer/songwriter Raquel Sofia and Latin GRAMMY winners Flor de Toloache and gave the public their first look at the exciting new exhibit and gallery. 

The Latin GRAMMY: 20 Years Of Excellence exhibit will be open Nov. 20 until spring 2020; visit the GRAMMY Museum's website to get tickets.

Bad Bunny, Rosalia, Juanes & More: 5 Unforgettable Moments From The 2019 Latin GRAMMYs

GRAMMYs

Alejandra Guzman

News
Alejandra Guzman On Her Live Rock Tribute Album alejandra-guzman-her-30-year-career-live-album-roxy-and-writing-hits-close-and-personal

Alejandra Guzman On Her 30+ Year Career, Live Album At The Roxy And Writing Hits | Up Close And Personal

Facebook Twitter Email
The Mexican rock icon talks empowering women, working with Sebastian Krys and Desmond Child, career highlights and more...
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Nov 7, 2019 - 5:50 pm

Alejandra Guzman, one of Mexico's greatest living rock voices, continues her more than 30-year musical career with her latest release, Alejandra Guzman: Live At The Roxy, in which she pays homage to Spanish rock classics from Maná to Gustavo Cerati in Los Angeles, one of the unofficial Laitn captials of the country. 

The "Mirala Miralo" singer and showstopping performer, who was exposed to  music thanks to her father, Enrique Guzman, a rock and roll trailblazer in Mexico and an actor, chose the Roxy on the West Hollywood Sunset strip for its rock history. "The Roxy has a lot of stories," she tells the Recording Academy.

Up Close And Personal With Alejandra Guzman

The energetic Latin GRAMMY winner and GRAMMY nominee, known for her distinct voice, her rebellious allure, and unconventional fashion, has penned many of her own stories and has become one of the most iconic songwriters in Latin America, says she likes to write about what feels real to her, including her most challenging experiences. 

"I take the lessons of life and make them songs," she said. "I know it's a hit because I always cry."

Guzman got Up Close And Personal with the Recording Academy about why she chose Los Angeles to record her latest album, songwriting during some of the greatest and most challenging moments in her life, including her breast cancer diagnosis, empowering other women in the music industry, her rock influences and more. 

Your latest album, you recorded live at the Roxy. Why record your album in Los Angeles?
The Roxy has a lot of stories and I think that it's very intimate to play in. It was crazy because I had just had surgery and [producer] Sebastian Krys, called me [to ask,] "Do you want to do this? It's all rock and roll. We can pick whatever you like and we can do an album and a DVD and everything." It sounded so good that I just jumped from the bed and came. We rehearsed like one week, it was crazy. But I knew these songs before, so it was really crazy to leave Alejandra Guzmán on a side and be me, the one that started listening to music and was always in the mosh pit. I was always crazy, but I was 14 when this music was all over. So I love this album because I know some of the artists, I know Maná, I knew Charly García and I love him, Miguel Ríos, I saw [Gustavo] Cerati once, but I never meet him like a person. So I admire them and I think it's a good moment. I need rock and roll in my life.
 

You've been in this industry for more than 30 years. Tell me about when you've felt like a fan. 
I [was lucky] to open a concert for the Rolling Stones and I sang with James Brown once in a Hard Rock, and [also with] Rita Coolidge [and] Huey Lewis. I have had several moments in music with very special people. I used to [listen to] Eurythmics, Police, that kind of music ... Cyndi Lauper in the '80s. I think that those [artists you listen to when you're younger] stay in you as an influence. My father is also a rock and roll pioneer, he did "Hound Dog" in Spanish. So I always liked to play being the rockstar in front of the mirror and it became true. I mean, it was a dream. A dream come true. And I still get nervous before I go on stage. I like to do my makeup, I like to make my outfits sometimes ... it's part of what I have always wanted

You mention your dad, Enrique Guzman, a famous singer in Latin America. Was your first musical memory with him? 
Yeah, it was with him. Because I went to the theater and I learned the whole choreography, the songs, and they did a lot of musicals. Then I started doing theater with my mom, and all my sisters are actresses so I decided not to be another actress because I [would forget the script] and [would get] really nervous.
 
When you look back 30 years, what is one moment or something that you are most proud of?
That I did it. That I showed my mom and my dad that I was myself and that I didn't copy anybody. I'm a performer, not just a singer. And that's what I like. Every concert that I do, I like to sweat a lot because I give myself, all my soul to [the audience,] So I am proud of that. I'm proud of who I've [become], like a character, like I can [do anything.] You know, sometimes it's hard. Sometimes it's not easy because of social media, it's changing everything. Also the industry has been changing. When I started it was ... vinyl, and then the CD, and then now there's no CDs anymore. So it's crazy.
 
You are an iconic songwriter. You have some of the most iconic songs in Mexico. When you're writing, how do you know when you're done with a song?
Well, I've always written with [other] people because I don't know how to play instruments, but I'm good at lyrics. So I like to listen to the melody or make some melody in my mind and talk about it with [who I'm working with.] For example, with Mario Domm, Camila, we did a great song "Volverte a Amar." He started playing the piano and I started crying. And that's how I know it's a hit because I always cry. And there are some moments in my life not, not as happy, you know? So I take the lessons of life and make them songs. That's a love song, but it's [also about] faith. Like maybe I'm going to love you again. You're the worst, but I'll call you again. It's [about] love and hate and really, you know, it's amor apache, [a destructive kind of love.] But it makes me feel something and most of my songs are real. "Hacer El Amor Con Otro," is a real song that happened to me ... And there's another one that I wrote because I am a breast cancer survivor. So in that moment when I knew that I had cancer, I wrote "Hasta El Final," which talks about how life is like a paper and that I was really afraid of it in that moment. But [that] was just the beginning, not the last part of my life. And there's another one that [I wrote when] I was pregnant and [called] "Yo Te Esperaba." So I wrote a letter to my baby, like, "I want to see your eyes and I'm waiting for the ring of your tone. And this is the best part of my life. I'm happy." Because I stopped ... Well, I tried to stop the big famous ... Craziness about fame. And it was the biggest moment in my career, so I decided to have my baby and [wrote] a song [about it.]
 
Then I did two albums with Desmond Child. Desmond Child, for me, is Desmond Child. You know, I love KISS and I love Aerosmith, and so I came and I said, "I want the world, please give it to me." (laughs) And we won the first Latin GRAMMY. I'm really grateful for him and he's my friend and I love him because he always told me, "Don't be a cookie, go for it." But he's a great producer ... He liked my lyrics so he gave me the [Latin] Songwriter Hall of Fame Award that I'm proud of having. And I did the [another called] "Suerte," and it talks about the love of the fans. I love them, but I love [they] love me back. And it's amazing when I sing it because everybody starts with the lights on their phone and it becomes a sky, you know? And I still rock. I have two hip replacements and I still go and dance and jump. My doctor hates me because of that, but I don't care.
 
 
What keeps you going?
Music. My passion for dancing. I'm happy when I dance, I think is better than a therapeutic thing. For me it's therapeutic because it helps me. And [when] I dance and I'm free, I can do anything. I can eat anything. I'm thin. I work with my brain, with two parts of my brain, and it's artistic. So I keep on doing it.
 
I saw a little bit of your Roxy performance and I noticed that you feature a lot of women musicians. Is that on purpose?
Of course. We need woman power. We need to embrace ourselves and I think this is the moment. And Sebastian Krys, that is a producer, also Juan de Dios, that is the guy that helped us to put it together, and I think it's amazing because it's like a band. I didn't feel like Alejandra Guzmán, like always that I'm just in the front. But [on] stage ... Whomever wants to have fun with me, I'm happy because that's for them. You know, I want everybody to have fun with me.
 
But you think it's important for women to give other women opportunities in the business?
Yes. Also from [Mexico's] The Voice, I picked the girl. She didn't win, but I gave her the opportunity to [sing] with me. It's crazy, but I would like somebody to [have done] that for me if possible. So I do it because I can. I like to help young people and the opportunities are less now. There's a lot of computers and things, but I think we need more artists, real artists, [well-rounded artists.] Because I've always seen in musicals that they know how to act and sing and dance. So for me, a good performer, can do all of them together.

GRAMMY Museum Reveals Flor de Toloache, Angela Aguilar & More As Special Guests For Opening Of Latin Music Gallery

GRAMMYs

Ozomatli 

Photo: Jordan Strauss/WireImage.com

News
Ozomatli Bringing 'OzoKids' To GRAMMY Museum ozomatli-host-family-friendly-ozokids-event-grammy-museum-latin-gallery-opening

Ozomatli To Host Family-Friendly 'OzoKids' Event At GRAMMY Museum Latin Gallery Opening

Facebook Twitter Email
The band's program, inspired by their 2012 album of the same name, comes to the GRAMMY Museum on Nov. 18
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Nov 15, 2019 - 3:53 pm

In 2012, Los Angeles' own Ozomatli recorded their very first kid's album, Ozomatli Presents OzoKidz.

Previously, the two-time GRAMMY-winning band had been known for meshing cumbia, salsa, hip-hop, funk and more in an upbeat, danceable fusion unique to growing up Latinx in L.A. Songs like "Cumbia del Muerto," or "Cumbia Of The Dead," off their 1998 self-titled album, was easily the soundtrack of Latin bi-cultural America during that time. Now, the song is a cumbia-American classic, continuing to bring Ozomatli's legacy to the next generation of Latinx in the U.S. 

OzoKidz - Plans For Children's Album

But as time went by and the band began to notice that their fans were starting to have kids, they saw an opportunity to connect with an even tinier generation.

"I think one of the great things about it for us is that we were able to really look at songwriting as a way to really get into characters," vocalist and guitarist Raul Pacheco tells the Recording Academy. "We just sat around and talked about things we went through as a kid or things you were into and just kind of associated certain styles of music with those subjects."

The 2010s album, which would become a GRAMMY-winning album, kept the band's sonic essence but also contained songs meant to teach kids how not be afraid of water, skateboarding and germs. Ultimately, the album taught the band something, too.  

"It actually helped our songwriting, [to] kind of not have to be stuck to what it meant to be an adult," Pacheco said. 

Now, Ozomatli are bringing their program—inspired by the OzoKidz album experience—to the Recording Academy's GRAMMY Museum on Nov. 18, the same day the Latin Music Gallery at the museum in Los Angeles is set to launch. Pacheco says the program will only continue to build the relationship Ozomatli has with the museum, the GRAMMYs and the Recording Academy. 

The Recording Academy spoke with Pacheco more about how the album helped the band evolve, their workshop at the Latin Gallery unveiling, being a part of the GRAMMY Museum history, music education and more. 

You are going to be a part of a kids workshop during the GRAMMY Museum Latin gallery opening. But this isn't your first rodeo with kids. Why connect with kids via an album?

We all grew up in public school systems where we learned and were introduced to music. I think that experience for us as young people is super impressionable, something we all talk about a lot, the importance of that experience for us. It really kind of makes playing music not some unattainable thing that you only see someone do in pictures or on TV or whatever. It's always been something very important to us.

I think we've always had a connection. As we've gotten older and have our own children, we got to a point where a lot of our fans were having kids ... So the idea came up to make a kid's record and we went for it. I think one of the great things about it for us is that we were able to really look at songwriting as a way to really get into characters. It actually helped our songwriting, [to] kind of not have to be stuck to what it meant to be an adult. We could just... create these different kinds of impressions that we were trying to focus on what it meant to be a kid. It was really cool to all these different kinds of subjects you go to just in a natural way as a child. I think we tried to make a record and songs that the parents wouldn't get sick of listening to a thousand times.

Was it only the themes you felt changed?

Yeah, because on that record there's a song about going to the movies, there's a song about germs that's just kind of funny. It's a little scary and funny. There's a song about being afraid to go into the water, and don't be afraid of it, just jump in. There's a song about skateboarding. So there's all these different subjects. We just sat around and talked about things we went through as a kid or things you were into and just kind of associated certain styles of music with those subjects. 

What kind of experience with music did you have at school?

My first real experience with music was in the school choir and I had a very, very important teacher, Mrs. Hubbard. She was one of those teachers that was so influential in terms of really introducing children to music and she was so good at it. You don't really realize that until you're old and you can kind of go like, "Wow, this lady used to wrangle all of these kids and get them to do something some of them didn't even think they could do." There's a kind of a profound thing in that, that a lot of teachers probably experience in terms of just introducing kids to concepts or to the experiences to help them do the work that it takes to have an outcome. I think for me it was also understanding, without knowing it at the time, it takes work to do what you want to do.

You have to show up, you have to practice, you have to rehearse, you got to prep and then you got to perform. And the better you get at all that it really allows you to have better presentation. Those concepts, which you're not really sure that you're not even really aware that you're learning that, it's kind of really important ... I went on to be in a boys' choir because of her. Then I just got into rock guitar as a teenager and that kind of led to other stuff. But that first experience from her was super important.

Why work with the museum on this workshop now?

We've had a long relationship with the GRAMMY Museum. [We] performed there many times. We did a kids' presentation there ourselves. We got to perform with Booker T. there. I've seen numerous presentations there. So we have a relationship with the GRAMMYs. Doing MusiCares, which we performed at, to Harold Owens who runs MusiCares, to people who work at the GRAMMY Museum. We've won GRAMMYs. I think that all kind of makes us part of that family so we know that there's certain things that they can ask us that we're always willing to do, if possible. This is one of those things.

What can you tell us about the event on Monday?

I know that it's an important presentation. There's going to be important items there with the idea of Latino music and we're going to grab the family. We're a part of that history. We have some stuff there that they asked us to bring. I have a Tres guitar, which is a Cuban guitar, that's going to be there. That was one I played at one of the Latin GRAMMYs. They asked for a bunch of stuff from some performances that we had. For us, it's just important to be a part of that whole moment and that presentation and we're honored that they asked us. Doing what we do is just, [it's] not really work. We're going to have to show up and do what we do.

For people not aware of what Latin music is today, and specifically in Los Angeles, what is the significance of the Latin gallery opening up at the museum and specifically in L.A.?

I think that there's always been a correct criticism in terms of the separation of those worlds, [between L.A. and Latinos]. To me, to this day, it's a little hard to understand the strict separation that we have in our daily lives even though that there's all kinds of people that live in Los Angeles. When it comes to Latino L.A. and non-Latino L.A., I know there's plenty of integration in our game, but somehow in our hearts and our heads, it still seems different. I'm hoping that this is a continuation of a progress into recognizing some very obvious things about the city of Los Angeles, its own history, its own adversity, and continue to create that kind of awareness in all institutions, not just music.

I get that this is important to kind of continue that evolution of thinking, of how we look at the city. This particular showcase is going to be about music, popular music. And because it's in Los Angeles, directly is how it affects L.A. There's a lot more integration that ... [brings into] recognition of basic things that we all share and ultimately don't need to be kind of segregated in that way. I'm really very happy to be a part of the progress of that.

GRAMMY Museum Reveals Flor de Toloache, Angela Aguilar & More As Special Guests For Opening Of Latin Music Gallery

GRAMMYs

Juanes & Metallica's Lars Ulrich

Photo: Rich Fury/Getty Images

News
Metallica's Lars Ulrich Honors Juanes In Vegas metallicas-lars-ulrich-surprises-juanes-person-year-award-2019-latin-grammys

Metallica's Lars Ulrich Surprises Juanes With Person Of The Year Award At 2019 Latin GRAMMYs

Facebook Twitter Email
The Danish metal drummer surprised the Colombian legend with a special presentation:at the 20th Latin GRAMMYS: "Tonight, we've come full circle. I proclaim myself a Juanes fan"
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Nov 14, 2019 - 7:36 pm

The day afterJuanes was honored as the Latin Recording Academy Person Of The Year, there was another special surprise waiting for him in Las Vegas. After the show aired a Juanes tribute reel and the Colombian singer/songwriter delivered showstopping performance, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich walked out on stage in a red suit and black cap to present his fellow musician with the honor. 

¡Que emoción!  @Juanes Persona del Año 2019 #LatinGRAMMY pic.twitter.com/ErzEAWp9wX

— Latin GRAMMYs (@LatinGRAMMYs) November 15, 2019

Juanes, a well-documented Metallica fan, was visibly moveed by seeing his hero on hand to pay homage. 

Ulrich, for his part, was quite honored himself, mentioning that he knew Juanes was a fan of Metallica when they first met years ago in Mexico, but "Tonight, we've come full circle. I proclaim myself a Juanes fan!"

Juanes Relives When He First Became A Solo Artist

A flattered Juanes accepted the award from Metallica's co-founder, admitting, "You guys changed my life man," as Ulrich exited the stage.

"I used to be a metal man. I still love metal music," Juanes told the Recordiing Academy back in 2014 at Austin City Limits Festival. "I used to have long hair and I am a very big Metallica fan, and Slayer, and Sepultura, and Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath."

Juanes personal Metallica moment at the 20th Latin GRAMMYs closed out a memorable week for the singer, as his fellow artists came out en masse the previous evening to perform at the Person Of The Year celebration, including Cami, Alessia Cara, Paula Fernandes, Fonseca, Juan Luis Guerra, Mon Laferte, Morat, Ozuna, Draco Rosa, Rosalía, Alejandro Sanz, and Sebastián Yatra. Other guests included Jesse & Joy, Fito Páez, Pablo López and guitarist Orianthil.

Juanes Honored At The 20th Latin GRAMMY Awards' Person Of The Year Ceremony

 

Top
Logo
  • Recording Academy
    • About
    • Governance
    • Press Room
    • Jobs
    • Events
  • GRAMMYs
    • Awards
    • News
    • Videos
    • Events
    • Store
    • FAQ
  • Latin GRAMMYs
    • Awards
    • News
    • Photos
    • Videos
    • Cultural Foundation
    • Members
    • Press
  • GRAMMY Museum
    • Explore
    • Exhibits
    • Education
    • Support
    • Programs
    • Donate
  • MusiCares
    • About
    • Get Help
    • Give
    • News
    • Videos
    • Events
  • Advocacy
    • About
    • News
    • Learn
    • Act
  • Membership
    • Chapters
    • Producers & Engineers Wing
    • GRAMMY U
    • Join
Logo

© 2019 - Recording Academy. All rights reserved.

  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Copyright Notice
  • Contact Us

Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy.